ALife Genome Project

It occured to me the other night that I keep hearing quotes on TV like "... because mice share 95% of the DNA that humans have ..." and other such generalisations.

So basically what they're saying is in RL all creatures share a VERY similar DNA, working an identical system. It's only the values within the DNA that change from species to species, and in most cases, most of those values are the same as well.

So what we really should have for our SL ALife projects is a common genome (is that the right word?) shared by everyone. But first we need to identify exactly what information should go into it, and second any new projects that require extra information should be added to the "standard".

The first job is to compile a list of variables we wish to affect with a DNA transfer. Then we can catagorise them (movement, growth, mating, etc.) and hopefully produce a scalable standard for ADNA (Artificial DNA) (c). The aim being for everyone to use the same system. Obviously if a particular life form does not require certain information then it can can simply ignore it, (most plants don't need maximum speed info and most fish will not need info pertaining to flight for example) but the info should still be there.

To start off, here are some of the major variables used by my fish. I'll edit this post with additions as I think of them, and also add other peoples entries so we end up with a single list.

Comments: I tend to use the word 'ping' to refer to llSensor or llSensorRepeat, as in a sonar 'ping'

Drag factor (for water, limits max speed for a specified impulse)
Max visual range
Min visual range
Sight angle (radius of llSensor)
Min friends (minimum number of other fish within sight that prevents looking for more)
Max friends (Opposite of above, used as trigger to reduce visual range, hence improving performance)
Max applied impulse (equates to swim strength)
Max turning delta (greatest change in direction, or rate of change of direction)
Rate of energy use
Efficiency of food absorbtion (this and the above determin whether a fish will starve or thrive on a limited food supply)
Max ping for food (Sensor rate to search for food)
Max ping for predators
Max evasion impulse (obvious, but result also depends on Drag factor, hunger, etc.)
Max attractor impulse (opposite of above, ie when food is sensed)


These are just a few to get started. Discussion on how to pass them and in what form is in this thread .

Not surprisingly many of these apply to airborne critters also

My birds and bats already use several:

Max ping for others / flock leader -
Used to control the flocking behaviour and keep them from becoming a swarm
Bees on the other hand look only for the queen and swarm around her.

Max ping for food -
Currently they will always go for food because if it's there someone must have paid a dollar to rez it and will be waiting for the birds to come down.

Max ping for people ( interest/curiosity)-
Sometimes they'll just come down to be with you.

Max visual range -
Min visual range -
Sight angle (radius of llSensor) -
Sensor constants for each bird vary slightly which gives them individual behaviour

Min friends -
Max friends -
Stops a flock from dying or growing too large
Also the bird nests keep a track of how many birds are around because they are temp on rez.


Drag factor/ air friction -
Max applied impulse -
Max turning delta -
Basic movement variables

Max attractor impulse ( bats chase the moths at night )
Bats and Bee Eaters will speed up to chase their prey.