          
          PROPAGANNIHILATE
          ================

INTRODUCTION
------------
Propagannihilate visits the asteroid Xirxoman, where the Game of Life (as 
written up in a cover story in Scientific American many years ago) is
played out in real life.  

This game was written on the Apple //GS using Orca/C.  It can be played by
one or two players.  It's not an action thriller, but it can be exciting in
its own way -- kind of the way chess is.  

GETTING STARTED
---------------
Click on the PROPANN application icon.  Read the introduction.  THIS IS 
REALLY IMPORTANT STUFF!  Click on "next page" to turn the page, or click
on the "skip game" to skip directly to the game.  

PLAYING THE GAME
----------------
There are three ways of playing PROPAGANNIHILATE, corresponding to the three
major models of the origin of life.  They are:

     DARWIN     CREATION     DIVINE INTERVENTION

In all these three, the playing area is populated by two species: "bluons"
(represented by blue arrows), and "maruons" (represented by red arrows).
They propagate, mutate, and compete for territory, with the inevitable con-
clusion being that one species survives while the other is annihilated.

Start the game by clicking on one of the three model options.

DARWIN MODEL
------------
The Darwin model says that the origin of life was an accidental freak of
nature.  But once life was established, species propagate according to
physical and natural laws, with the fittest surviving.  

In the game, four seed cells appear at random locations in the colony.  They
propagate until one species is annihilated.  There is no input at all from
the players.  Sounds fascinating, doesn't it?

CREATION MODEL
--------------
The Creation model holds that there was in fact some kind of purpose to the
origin of life, but life is still bound by laws of nature that we maybe can
understand but certainly can't change.  

First, elect to have two players, or one player against the computer.  The
first player always plays red; the computer or second player play blue.  
In the game, the player or players are asked to place four seed cells, 
two of each species, by clicking on empty cells in the playing area.  Then
you sit back and watch to see how wisely you chose as they spread out over
the colony until, again, one species is annihilated.  The nice thing is that
you can go check the turkey, take a shower, whatever, and not lose any play-
ing time!

DIVINE INTERVENTION
-------------------
The Divine Intervention model maintains that God's will dictates not only 
the origin of life, but also every major event in our collective lifetimes.
Presumably the two species are of different religious beliefs, because each
one has its own Supreme Being.

This is the version that you actually have to stick around and play along
with your computer.  There are several variations in how you can play Divine
Intervention.  You specify the number of generations which pass before an 
intervention can take place, and you also specify the level of intervention 
that can occur.  The three possible levels are:

     KILL     CREATE     KILL + CREATE

First, elect to have two players, or one player against the computer.  The
first player always plays red; the computer or second player play blue.
You will be asked to place the seed cells, as in the Creation model.  
Then, after the specified number of generations have passed, one player and
then the other will be asked to modify a cell.  The KILL level allows you to
kill any living cell in the colony by clicking on it.  You can kill cells 
of either species, fertile or infertile.  The CREATE level allows you to
create a new individual of your species by clicking on an unoccupied cell.
The KILL + CREATE level allows you to do either of these things -- but at 
this level it will take a very long time before one species is actually 
wiped out.  You may need to change the criteria for winning the game -- for 
example, who has the most living cells after 200 generations have passed.  
To pass on your modification turn, click on the arrow in the dialog area
above the playing board.

NOTE: The computer has been programmed to play "smart" when the KILL level
has been selected.  In the CREATE or KILL + CREATE levels, the computer
essentially reverts to a Darwinian or random player. 

INTERRUPTING THE GAME
---------------------
At any time, you can interrupt the game with the following keyboard inputs:

     Apple-P -> Pause     Apple-N -> New Game     Apple-Q -> Quit

PROPAGATION RULES
-----------------
Here are the rules that govern the birth, death, reproduction, and mutation
of both bluons and maruons.  These rules may be different from the "Life"
rules you are familiar with in other games.

* Each individual is represented by an arrow pointing left or right.  Fer-
tile individuals are represented by colored arrows; infertile individuals
are represented by white arrows in a colored background.  A fertile indi-
vidual can give birth to children in adjacent unoccupied cells in an upward,
downward, and forward direction.  No child can be born in a vacant cell that
is behind the fertile cell.  If two or more members of the same species are
adjacent to a vacant cell, regardless of whether they are fertile or infer-
tile, no child of that species can be born into that cell.

* When a vacant cell is bordered by exactly one fertile cell of each spe-
cies, and the cell is not behind either fertile cell, then the species with
current _"priority" successfully reproduces into that cell.  Priority alter-
nates with each generation.

* The two species are "invisible" to each other.  Thus, if the species with
priority was not able to reproduce into a vacant cell because it had two or
more adjoining members, the other species can still reproduce into that cell
if it has one and only one adjoining fertile cell.

* The original individuals in the colony, and their children and immediate
decendents, have a life span of two generations, with a fertility span of 
one generation.

* When a child is born into the farthest column in its direction of propa-
gation, it mutates.  Its life span is increased by two generations, its
fertility span is increased by one generation, and its direction of propa-
gation reverses.  No original individuals (or newly created individuals in
the Divine Intervention model) can be placed into this column.  

* When a new individual is created in the Divine Intervention model, it
assumes the same life span, fertility span, and direction of propagation as
the highest level of mutation yet to have appeared for that species.