If it wasn't Life what was it?

[prolog]

Hi all,

There was a very famous program in the 80s - so famous I can't remember the name. It was like Life, Sim or Nim even. The ZX81 version on start up showed a few apparently random dots on screen. As the situation (habitat? world?) evolved the dots became less random and "evolved" into patterns - some of which "survived" and some didn't. What the hell was this program called? Where might I have seen it? I don't think it was Life - but happy to be corrected. I'd really like to have this program again.

thanks to you all for reading this
best

[RetroTechie]

Your memory isn't wrong: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway's_Game_of_Life

[bobs]

If nobody can find a listing or existing program for it, I'll gladly put one together. I actually used it as a background animation to one of my Spectrum games, splATTR.

[siggi]

Wilf has it on his pages:

http://www.user.dccnet.com/wrigter/inde ... 20LIFE.htm

And I also wrote it. It could be found as file "gol.p" on my ZX81-web-server:

http://zx81-siggi.endoftheinternet.org/d:games/se/

Siggi

[sirmorris]

There was a fair version on the Sinclair tapes, too. I suspect once you start looking they'll be popping out from every corner

[prolog]

WOw!! I'm so happy! I did try a search - even wikid it but didn't get the link on RetroTechie's post - but indeed that is what I am looking for. I will try out the versions (ML and Siggi's) that people have posted. If anyone comes across a version in BASIC I'd be interested to see that too; I've a feeling I saw one in a mag. I don't mind a slow version on a real ZX, in fact for demo purposes it would be good. I'll look out for the Sinclair tape version - now I know there was one

Anyway THANK YOU all very much - this has made my day!

Jeff

[RetroTechie]

I did try a search

Try Google next time... If you just type "game" and "life" in its search field, 1st page of results already has what you wanted.

[prolog]

I did try a search

Try Google next time... If you just type "game" and "life" in its search field, 1st page of results already has what you wanted.

Haha! yes indeed! I did try google (life evolution computer simulation...) as it happens, but input descriptions rather than the headlines I was searching for - but if I'd known the headlines to start with.....!!!

Anyway, I see the field has moved on dramatically since the 80s - there's a whole discipline in 'A-life' or Artificial Life - both simulators and swarming robots...

This will keep me busy for a while!