Ecosystem Simulation Game

This project is a Python-based simulation of an ecosystem, modeling interactions between plants, herbivores, and predators. The simulation operates on a 2D grid, where organisms interact based on predefined rules, reproduce, and survive. The game collects data during the simulation and generates visual statistics to analyze ecosystem behavior over time.

Features

• Organism Types: Simulates plants, herbivores, and predators, each with unique behavior.
• Data Collection: Tracks events (e.g., deaths, reproductions, eating events) and population counts across generations.
• Visual Statistics: Automatically generates plots after the simulation to visualize population dynamics, reproduction rates, and event timelines.
• Customizable Configurations:
  • Define simulation grid size, organism types, and rules in YAML configuration files.
  • Start with pre-defined patterns or create your own.
• Logging: Logs simulation events to files for further analysis.

Project Structure

.
├── cells/                    # Contains classes for different organism types and a factory for creating them.
├── config/                   # YAML configuration files for simulation and cell logic.
├── consts/                   # Constants used in the simulation.
├── data/                     # Collected data for each simulation run.
├── data_collector/           # Data collection and observation implementation.
├── enums/                    # Enums for cell types, events, etc.
├── game_manager/             # Core game logic, including the grid and game manager.
├── input/                    # Predefined patterns for the initial grid.
├── logger/                   # Logging implementation.
├── observers/                # Observers for logging and data collection.
├── output/                   # Generated statistics and plots for the simulation.
├── gol_basic_simulation.py   # Entry point to run the simulation.
└── README.md                 # Project documentation.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8 or higher
• Install dependencies with pip:

  pip install -r requirements.txt

Running the Simulation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/liav2002/2DSim
   cd 2DSim

2. Start the simulation:

   python gol_basic_simulation.py

3. Follow the prompts in the terminal to observe the simulation.

Configuration

Modify the YAML files in the config/ folder to customize the simulation:

• game_config.yaml: Set grid size, total generations, delays, etc.
• cell_logic_config.yaml: Define behavior and reproduction rules for organisms.

You can also edit the initial patterns in input/patterns.yaml to control the starting grid.

Outputs

• Data Files: Located in the data/ folder. Each simulation run generates a unique timestamped folder containing:
  • generation_status.csv: Tracks organism counts per generation.
  • events.csv: Logs events (e.g., reproductions, deaths).
• Logs: Saved in the logs/ folder with timestamps.
• Statistics: Generated plots saved in the output/ folder.

Example Outputs

1. Number of Alive Organisms Over Time

2. Herbivore Reproductions Over Time

3. Timeline of Interesting Events

Extending the Project

1. Add new organism types by creating a class in the cells/ folder and updating the CellFactory.
2. Add new events or behaviors by modifying the Grid or Game classes.
3. Customize data collection and statistics in the data_collector/ folder.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Author

Developed by Liav Ariel.