A Revolution in Herb Growth Simulation

[vogonpoet]

I just thought you guys might appreciate this news:

Sphalerite, a member of the DF forums, has created a Game of Life simulating fortress. From the description of his FPS I think its safe to assume it is significantly more resource hungry than the bog-standard java based browser sims we know and love, but still.

Awesome.

/Yo Dawg! We put a Conway's Game of Life simulator in your life simulation game, so you can ...

[gut]

I recently started using life32, which I find much superior to Lifegen,
which I was previously using. It is superfast, and has room on one
screen to fit hundreds of dungeons worth of herb patters. I like having
that much room, as I can try out several possibilities on one screen
without having to worry about them interfering with one another.

EDIT: knowing little about dwarf fortress, I suppose the awsomeness of
the thread was just lost upon me

[grobblewobble]

This is my favourite Game of Life pattern, a Methusalem that I made up.

XXX.
X.XX
X..X

And this fits in You Know You Are a Big Nerd If..

[Silfir]

Basically, people are constructing CPUs, calculators or other programs out of water and pumps, all manufactured by dwarves using wood and mined ores and stone. It's just about the nerdiest thing you will ever find. Also, friggin' cool.

If you play Dwarf Fortress normally it's like a very in-depth settlement simulation game; once you've mastered survival - caring for your dwarves' needs (food and alcohol, dwelling places) and protecting them from dreadful goblins, nefarious kobolds, all manners of wild animals or cannibalistic elves, eventually dragons and titans - you can turn to constructing completely ridiculous "megaprojects", such as castles, pyramids, a giant statue depicting your dwarvish ruler, an arena pit you can throw captured goblins and wild beasts into for your dwarves' amusement, or, well, CPUs or Game of Life simulators. The only limit is your own creativity.

Downside is, the game is so ambitious that it basically exists in a perpetuous state of alpha development, so not everything is going to work quite as it should.

The ultimate project seems to be to be able to produce a computer in Dwarf Fortress that would be capable of running Dwarf Fortress itself.

[Sradac]

I think the minecraft computer is cooler and nerdier

[bucket]

I still sometimes make slip-ups related to the dungeon walls in life32. I guess the best method is to drag and delete across the "wall" in every generation. Or is there a way to disable a square?


Also, Minecraft has much less nerd cred than DF. Plus, my insides knot when thinking about how much time it must have taken to walk around when building the minecraft computer by hand, valuable time that could've been spent designing instead (if the goal we're talking about is a nerdy one and not just a constructive one, anyway). Also, redstone dust on dirt blocks looks UGLY.

[vogonpoet]

Incidentally, the new version of DF is now out, with a massive update to Adventure mode, for those who want some proper fresh roguelike action.