Signal Designer 101

[bzm3r]

For now, our signals have four components:

• the rate of diffusion
• the rate of decay
• "transduction function" (function that converts a signal value into a weight used for decision making) choice on the part of the receiver
• the "pulsing function" (function that controls how the signal is emitted in time) choice on the part of the emitter

These three components have a complex interrelationship. Trade-offs exist, which might be interesting/useful for the player to explore. It will be extremely useful for the game designers to explore.

Aside: some small examples on how these choices interrelate

Suppose the rate of diffusion is low: then it will take a long time for any potential receivers to receive the signal, but the signal will carry relatively high information regarding where the source of the signal is located, as diffusion won't have erased this. Suppose the rate of diffusion is high: then the directional information content of the signal (which points to where the source is) will be quickly lost: the effective range of the signal short, but receivers can quickly get the signal. So, if the purpose of the signal is not to carry directional information, then players can choose to create a signal with high diffusion rate.

One can tune the decay rate with respect to the diffusion in order to create more nuanced signals (something that diffuses fast, but still has a short range can be achieved by mixing a high diffusion rate with a high decay rate). In the case where a player chooses to use a high decay rate, they may find it useful to pulse the signal rather than continuously emit it.

Signal Designer 101

To explore this design space, the game designer/player should be able to open up a map, with the signal being designed at the center of the map. The designer can then tweak decay rate, choose pulsing/transduction functions, and see the effects on how the signal spreads over time in "real time". Here's what I roughly envision the signal designer should look like for now:

Extensions

• game design: add costs (energy/mass/manufacturing-time) to increasingly sophisticated configurations; base this off of real world biology, so at no time should the player feel they are being constrained merely for the sake of being constrained

• add ability to simulate how transducing units will respond?

[bzm3r]

The signal designer is probably something that can be opened up via "inspection" of an emitter, so in some sense, it is related to: #50