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manu's Conway's game of life (PC)
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| [November 20, 2006 12:39:28 PM]
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As I explore the history and the subculture that the Game of Life has spawned, a particular artifact really piques my interest.
It is a pattern called a Gosper Glider Gun, it is one of the many patterns that grow indefinitely. When run, it forms an infinitely perpetuating pattern of two small, almost identical patterns colliding against each other and creating a constant stream of 'bullets'. The initial state consists of strategically created cells so as to result in this pattern.
A similarly interesting pattern evolved when I created a horizontal row of 10 cells. A simple initial pattern resulted in a complex perpetuating pattern.
Apart from the rules that govern the evolution of the automaton, I feel that coming up with strategy that sets up the initial state so as for the growth to result in interesting patterns feels like playing a game.
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| [November 20, 2006 12:13:34 PM]
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I've always held in question the idea of John Conway's little organismic simulation as a game. One does not necessarily play it, it plays itself. The only thing remotely close to some sort of player agency in the 'game' is the setting up the initial state i.e determining which cells are empty and which cells are filled.
I began the game as most newcomers do, randomly filling the cells without little heed to the rules that govern the evolution of the automaton. After a few, brief chaotic patterns I found the cells inhabiting distant corners of the structure in an almost self-similar fashion.
This was fun for a while, but then I made up a little game up out of this simulation. I tried to set up the initial state so as not to overpopulate the structure, so that the chaotic patterns persist for a longer time before dwindling into the infinitesimally perpetuating little dots.
I think because of the vast implications of the interconnected system of rules, the act of setting up the initial state is enough for me to consider it as some sort of game. But only very loosely so.
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manu's Conway's game of life (PC)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Monday 20 November, 2006
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