Animal rules

gLife is under active development. The following are the rules planned and whether they are implemented yet or not:

Terrain

  1. The terrain should regenerate food each turn. Status: not yet done.

Age

  1. If older than the maximum age permitted, then die. Status: done.

Movement

  1. Look around you for a spot that is on the grid and not another animal's territory. Move to that spot. Status: done.

  2. Use of vision: vision will allow an animal to see <vision> units around it. This will be used to identify terrain with a lot of food and to spot predators. Status: not yet implemented.

  3. Use of speed: some animals will be able to move further per turn than other animals. Each animal will be able to move <speed> units per turn. Status: (hot from the press at last revising of this manual!) done.

Reproduction

  1. Reproduction: if you are old enough and have enough food, then look around for a member of the opposite sex which is also old enough and has enough food. If there is an empty space around you both, then reproduce. If any of these conditions are not met, then don't. Status: Done.

  2. An animal can reproduce multiple times if the above conditions are met (for each animal surrounding it). If there are four females surrounding one male, the male will check the conditions and, if possible, mate.

  3. The rules used for inheritance are Mendelian: the child has a 25% chance of inheriting both traits from the father, a 25% chance of inheriting both traits from the mother, and a 50% chance of inheriting one from each.

  4. Traits are:

    1. Vision and metabolism are grouped together as a trait.

    2. Speed and maximum age are grouped together as a trait.

Metabolism

  1. Use of food and metabolism: Metafood is its metabolism: every turn, the animal will eat <metafood> units from its <foodstore> amount. It will also collect food from the terrain into its <foodstore>. Status: not yet implemented.

  2. Animals may become diseased. Status: not yet implemented.

Combat

  1. Predators may be introduced. Status: not yet done, and not too likely.

  2. Combat will be introduced. Status: not yet done.