Page 8 |
Save page Remove page | Previous | 8 of 47 | Next |
|
small (250x250 max)
medium (500x500 max)
Large (1000x1000 max)
Extra Large
large ( > 500x500)
Full Resolution
All (PDF)
|
This page
All
|
that “The most surprising lesson we have learned from simulating complex physical systems on
computers is that complex behavior need not have complex roots.” 5
One of Langton’s first A-Life creatures is a “virtual ant” or “vant” which, following a
simple set of rules, and influencing other vants via pheromone trail-styled markings, creates a
variety of fascinating emergent patterns. One such pattern is a “highway” or “tunnel” of
pheromone marking which extends indefinitely after an initial lengthy period of chaos.6
Langton’s virtual ant is perhaps the earliest example of ants represented in Interactive Media.
Importantly, Langton’s ant is decidedly abstract, and its value is measured in the shapes it creates
via its emergent properties.
This brings us to the limitations of the Artificial Life as a mode of inspiration for
Leafcutters and as a lens through which to understand it. A-Life concerns itself with creating
truly living artificial organisms, not with delivering the experience of being in the presence of
something which is alive. This has wedded the field to a mathematical, abstracted aesthetic and
area of exploration. As evidenced by experimental works of Artificial Intelligence such as Tale-
Spin, sometimes rich and deep AI systems in fact deliver a less lifelike experience than do simple,
cleverly constructed works.7 A-Life focuses on abstract systems, to the exclusion of aesthetic
design. Leafcutters differs from A-Life in that it uses a realist aesthetic design in order to make
its subject matter more lifelike.
Life Simulation Games
Life simulation games area a genre of digital game which draws heavily from Artificial
Life. While the first such work, Atari’s Little Computer People, predates the first A-Life
3
5 Langton, Christopher G. Artificial Life. Redwood City, CA: Addison-Wesley, 1989. Print.
6 Langton, Christopher G. "Studying artificial life with cellular automata." Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomena. 22.1-3
(1986): 120-149. Print.
7 Meehan, James R. "Tale-Spin, an interactive program that writes stories." Proceedings of the 5th International Joint
Conference on Artificial Intelligence. San Francisco, CA, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers Inc.. 1977. Print.
Object Description
| Title | Leafcutters: life simulation gameplay designed to evoke engagement with real-world subject matter |
| Author | Graner, William B. |
| Author email | granerw@gmail.com; bill@bgraner.com |
| Degree | Master of Fine Arts |
| Document type | Thesis |
| Degree program | Interactive Media |
| School | School of Cinematic Arts |
| Date defended/completed | 2011-05-05 |
| Date submitted | 2011 |
| Restricted until | Unrestricted |
| Date published | 2011-05-05 |
| Advisor (committee chair) | Gibson, Jeremy |
| Advisor (committee member) |
Fullerton, Tracy Anderson, Steven F. |
| Abstract | Leafcutters is a life simulation game about leafcutting ants which is designed to evoke engagement with real world subject matter. In this game, players shape the behaviors of a colony of ants in order to establish complex behaviors such as foraging and fungus farming. The game system in Leafcutters is adapted from existing biological research on ants, with an emphasis on the accurate adaptation of a natural system into a game system. This project draws on previous works in artificial life, life simulation games, swarm games, virtual pets, and virtual ants. Leafcutters is a work of expressive AI, an evocative knowledge object, and an educational game. |
| Keyword | simulation game; evocative knowledge object; educational game; video game |
| Language | English |
| Part of collection | University of Southern California dissertations and theses |
| Publisher (of the original version) | University of Southern California |
| Place of publication (of the original version) | Los Angeles, California |
| Publisher (of the digital version) | University of Southern California. Libraries |
| Provenance | Electronically uploaded by the author |
| Type | texts |
| Legacy record ID | usctheses-m3919 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Rights | Graner, William B. |
| Repository name | Libraries, University of Southern California |
| Repository address | Los Angeles, California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Filename | etd-Graner-4578 |
| Archival file | uscthesesreloadpub_Volume40/etd-Graner-4578.pdf |
Description
| Title | Page 8 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Full text | that “The most surprising lesson we have learned from simulating complex physical systems on computers is that complex behavior need not have complex roots.” 5 One of Langton’s first A-Life creatures is a “virtual ant” or “vant” which, following a simple set of rules, and influencing other vants via pheromone trail-styled markings, creates a variety of fascinating emergent patterns. One such pattern is a “highway” or “tunnel” of pheromone marking which extends indefinitely after an initial lengthy period of chaos.6 Langton’s virtual ant is perhaps the earliest example of ants represented in Interactive Media. Importantly, Langton’s ant is decidedly abstract, and its value is measured in the shapes it creates via its emergent properties. This brings us to the limitations of the Artificial Life as a mode of inspiration for Leafcutters and as a lens through which to understand it. A-Life concerns itself with creating truly living artificial organisms, not with delivering the experience of being in the presence of something which is alive. This has wedded the field to a mathematical, abstracted aesthetic and area of exploration. As evidenced by experimental works of Artificial Intelligence such as Tale- Spin, sometimes rich and deep AI systems in fact deliver a less lifelike experience than do simple, cleverly constructed works.7 A-Life focuses on abstract systems, to the exclusion of aesthetic design. Leafcutters differs from A-Life in that it uses a realist aesthetic design in order to make its subject matter more lifelike. Life Simulation Games Life simulation games area a genre of digital game which draws heavily from Artificial Life. While the first such work, Atari’s Little Computer People, predates the first A-Life 3 5 Langton, Christopher G. Artificial Life. Redwood City, CA: Addison-Wesley, 1989. Print. 6 Langton, Christopher G. "Studying artificial life with cellular automata." Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomena. 22.1-3 (1986): 120-149. Print. 7 Meehan, James R. "Tale-Spin, an interactive program that writes stories." Proceedings of the 5th International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence. San Francisco, CA, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers Inc.. 1977. Print. |
