 | | | Re: SimAnt-lite | Re: SimAnt-lite 2003-11-24 - By Richard Ross
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> Not really a game, but here's an educational simulation about how ants
> behave. As it gets going, you see the ants wander around until they
> find
> food and then they return home - leaving a scent trail as they go for
> their
> nestmates to follow.
>
> To make life hard on the ants, hit the eraser tool. This blows away
> any
> trails to food they've built.
>
> http://forgefx.com/posts/ants.htm
>
> I'd appreciate any comments on:
>
> - framerate
> - camera controls
> - ideas to bump up fun-factor
> - bugs/crashes
> - optimization suggestions (specific to a bunch of small - 200 poly -
> keyframed models running about)
>
> This is an alpha version so most of the interface controllers are still
> placeholders (and don't do anything).
My Mac 500MHz Pismo laptop, 10.2.8 Safari and a dual monitor gets 3.2 -
3.8 fps. I'm somewhat resigned to this as my setup is pretty baseline
(which I like developing with). One approach that I have used is to use
a speed test that will result in setting up the world at different
sizes so a fast machine can have a great view that will run well while
a slow machine can have a minimum sized view with a playable frame
rate. 3.2 to 3.8 is playable but not fun.
I think some ant sounds will help.
I find the zoom pretty unintuitive. It could be the framerate but it
seems that clicking with a magnifying glass did nothing. It took me a
while to realize that you had to keep holding it down.
I'm not sure what your final intentions are or even what the exact
agenda is but it might be nice to have some kind of game play (I know
you said that it's not a game). Maybe you could be a trail laying ant
in a race to make the first trail to the sugar. Perhaps there are
always 2 other ants trying to get their trails there first. When the
first trail is complete a huge wave of ants charges down that trail and
carries back sugar and the winner. The two other looser ant are more or
less snubbed.
Say hi to Chris.
r.
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