BIOTS The different biots body shapes are suited for different actions, to reflect this, each biot species has a special ability or two. This should encourage, but not require, biots of different species to adapt in ways that take advantage of their special abilities. Some biots may also have penalties to certain actions to balance out their abilities. Biots can only reproduce sexually, or by egg laying with another biot of its same species. Biots that only reproduce asexually don't have to worry about such restrictions.

Cat The cat sprites are from Neko, which is a downloadable little desktop pet. This version of the cat was included in a pack of alternate sprites. I'm going to assume they are public domain, because no one has stated otherwise. I will change them if asked to, and until that day all of the sprites I created for Biots may be considered free to use and modify by anyone who wishes.

The cat's special abilities are that its grab does as much damage as its attack, it suffers no generalization penalties when grabbing enemies, and its vision radius is 150 pixels instead of 100.

Emu The emu sprites are really the chocobo sprites from Final Fantasy IVj (a.k.a. FF II us)

The emu's special ability is that its movement is not slowed when trying to move or run through trees.

Fox The fox sprites came with the neko sprites.

The fox's special ability is that its strength is 125 instead of 100, that means it does more damage when attacking, grabbing, or pushing other biots, and it cannot be grabbed by other biot species.

Frog The frog sprites were created by me using the neko sprites as a guideline.

The frog's special ability is that it only uses 45 units of energy to jump instead of the normal 95. They also only use 1 unit of energy to sleep instead of the usual 5.

Gila The gila monster sprites were created by me, using the mouse and frog sprites as a loose guideline.

The gila's special ability is that it paralyzes biots for 5 turns when it pushes them. It also has a strength of 110.

Mouse The mouse sprites were created by me using the fox sprites as a guideline.

The mouse's special ability is that it suffers no penalty for generalization when eating food. It also gains no bonus for specification.

Newt I made the newt sprites by combining stuff from the gila and frog sprites and coloring them like the fungi.

The newt's special ability is that its meat is actually poisonous. Biots that eat their meat with the "eat food" action loose energy instead of gaining it. The meat starts at 0 energy and drops to the negative amount of energy that the newt had when it died. The newt's eggs are also poisonous. Biots can gain energy from the poison meat by using the "eat meat" action, and the eggs by using the "eat egg" command, and either one by using the "eat protein" command, just as with the poisonous fungi. Newts also only need 8500e to reproduce asexually (burns 500e, gives 4000e to each child), and at least 3250e to lay one egg (saves 2000e for itself, burns 250e for each egg laid, gives 1000e to each egg. (actually -1000 because it's poisonous but hatchlings are born with 1000e). All the other biots burn 1000e in asexual reproduction and 500e for each egg laid.

Rabbit The rabbit sprites are neko sprites modified by me.

The rabbit's special ability is that its speed is 20 pixels for normal movement, 40 for running and 80 for jumping. As opposed to the normal 15, 30, 60 speeds of other biots. It still goes 10 pixels when it crawls, just like other biots.

Turtle The turtle sprites were created by me, using the gila and frog sprites as a loose guideline.

The turtles special abilities are that it only takes 1/4 damage when injured by other biots, and its maximum age is 500 turns more than the other biots. It is also slower than other biots. It crawls at 5 pixels, moves at 10, runs at 20 and jumps at 40, as opposed to the 10, 15, 30, 60 speeds of most other biots. It burns only 15 units of energy when moving, but uses 50 for running and 105 for jumping, as opposed the 20, 45, and 95 units burned by the other biot species.

Rock This is a rock, it blocks the biots progress in the environment. Biots can jump over them or turn to avoid them. If they can't figure this out, they usually just go to sleep in front of the rock until they die or the rock is removed. Rocks last for 5000 turns and then they vanish. They can be created by using the menu, but they also occur naturally when a biot dies of old age and no other biot eats the carrion it leaves behind. You can move the rocks around and make interesting formations to experiment with the biots.

Cracked Rock The rock looks like this when it is destroyed by time or a biot.

Meat This is carrion that is left over when a biot dies of old age (after 1000 turns). It starts out with the same amount of energy as the biot that expired, but it steadily rots until it leaves a rock behind. If a biot is smart and lucky enough to eat it, it will usually get a lot of energy. A bone is briefly left behind when meat is eaten. You may recognize this sprite as being adapted from the video game "Gauntlet" ("Green Frog is about to die, needs food badly!")

Bone This is the bone briefly left behind when meat is eaten.

Grass This type of plant gains 15 energy in spring, 10 in summer and 5 in fall. During winter grass disappears under the snow, it gains no energy, but it is also protected from hungry biots. When grass gains 1000 units of energy it will try to reproduce, if it finds a nearby patch of ground that does not have grass or a tree, it uses 500 energy and spawns a new patch of grass. If it finds a patch that has a tree, it will keep its energy for another turn, but if the spot it picked is blocked by another patch of grass, it will actually donate its 500 extra energy to that patch. This allows large areas of grass to spread energy out to the edges where new patches can grow. These areas can be thought of as one big plant instead of a group of small unrelated plants. Grass needs this quick reproduction strategy, because it does not grow right back when eaten by biots like the leaves of trees. Grass cannot spawn new patches of grass off the edge of a screen, unlike trees. Grass will occasionally mutate and turn into a sapling of one of the tree species when it tries to reproduce. Grass counts as "food" and "leafy" in the biots' memome. Its maximum age is 500 turns. Like all plants, it dies instantly if it is pushed by a biot.

Unripe Apple This is the green apple that is produced by an apple tree when it has enough energy. They slowly gain 100 energy units every turn until they become red apples (after 30 turns) or are eaten.

Apple This is the red apple that forms the base of the food chain in biots. It maintains a constant energy level of 3000 until it turns into a rotten apple after 40 turns.

Rotten Apple After a 90 turns, a red apple begins to rot, it looses 100 energy per turn until its energy is at zero. (which takes 30 turns) If the apple is not too close to another plant or a rock, and it is not winter, it turns into an apple tree sapling. Also, if a biot eats a rotten apple, it will turn into a sapling if it dies.

Banana Bananas are produced by banana trees. They last a total of 75 turns before trying to sprout a new banana tree. Their maximum energy level is 2500, they gain and lose energy in the same pattern as the apples.

Cherry Cherries are produced by cherry trees. They last a total of 50 turns before trying to sprout a new cherry tree. Their maximum energy level is 1500, they gain and lose energy in the same pattern as the apples.

Pine Cone Pine cones are produced by pine trees. Pine cones always have 500 energy and they last for 125 turns. If they are not eaten, and there are no nearby obstacles, they will become a pine tree sapling even if it is winter.

Apple Tree Apple trees will spawn an apple if they have 1500 energy. They use 1000 energy to do this. Of course occasionally a mutation will occur and the apple tree may spawn a banana, cherry, pine cone, patch of grass, or even and egg! It is also possible that it will turn into a fungus! The biot inside a mutant tree egg will always be of the same type for the whole session. Which type is randomly determined when biots starts up. These mutations allow an entire ecosystem to arise from just one plant! During spring they gain 20 energy per turn, 10 energy per turn during summer and autumn, and no energy is gained during winter. Apple trees are saplings until they gain 500 energy for the first time. They blossom in the spring, are leafy in the summer and bare in the winter. During fall they change color depending on how old they are. 0 to 700 turns means they are yellow. They are orange if they are 700 to 1300 turns old and if they are 1300 to 2000 turns old they are red. If an apple tree has its leaves eaten off by a biot, the biot gets the tree's energy, and the tree has its energy dropped to 0. The leaves will reappear as soon as the trees energy gets back up to 500. Biots cannot eat the leaves off an apple tree (or any tree) if the tree's energy is below 500, or if it is winter. Apple trees live for 2000 turns. Like all plants, they die instantly if they are pushed.

Banana Tree Banana trees gain 15 energy in spring, just like the cherry trees. They actually gain 20 units of energy in summer, but none in fall or winter. Their leaves can be eaten just like the apple trees, except biots can't eat their leaves during fall or winter. Banana trees spawn a banana when they have 1500 energy. They use 1000 energy to do this. Banana trees live for 1500 turns. They can also have mutant fruit. Like all plants, they die instantly if they are pushed.

Cherry Tree Cherry trees will spawn a cherry if they have 1000 energy. They use 500 energy to do this. During spring they gain 15 energy per turn, during summer 10 energy, during autumn 5 energy and no energy is gained during winter. Their leaves can be eaten just like the apple tree. Cherry trees are saplings until they gain 500 energy for the first time. They blossom in the spring, are leafy in the summer and bare in the winter. During fall they change color depending on how old they are. 0 to 500 turns means they are purple. They are maroon if they are 500 to 1000 turns old. Cherry trees live for 1000 turns. It can also have mutant fruit. Like all plants, they die instantly if they are pushed.

Pine Tree Apple trees will spawn an pine cone if they have 1500 energy. They use 1000 energy to do this. They gain 10 energy per turn all year round. Biots are unable to eat the needles of the pine trees. Pine trees have snow on top of them if it is winter. They live for 2500 turns. It can also have mutant fruit. Like all plants, they die instantly if they are pushed.

Fungus The fungus is poisonous to biots. If a biot eats it, it loses 2000 energy units. They live for 500 turns and then destroy themselves in order to reproduce. If they can, they will turn 2 nearby trees into fungi. If they die of old age during winter, they will be unable to infect any trees. If they are pushed and killed by a biot, they may instantly infect 2 nearby trees instead of having to wait for a natural death. Biots that use a more specific term when trying to eat fungi, such as "eat fungus" or "eat protein" will actually gain 2000 energy (minus generalization penalties) instead of losing it. The fungus is only poisonous if a biot tries to eat it with the more general "eat food" action.

Attack Teeth Biots look like gnashing teeth when they attack or grab their prey.

Egg Eggs can by laid by biots. Eggs have 1000 energy and last for 50 turns, after which they hatch into a biot with 1000 energy. However, eggs can be eaten before they hatch. Eggs can also be pushed to force them to hatch, but this reduces the offspring to starting out with only 800 energy!

Asexual Reproduction These cells appear when one biot splits into two identical offspring. Asexual reproduction costs 9000 energy and produces two offspring, each with 4000 energy.

Asexual Mutation These cells appear when the offspring mutate during asexual reproduction.

Sexual Reproduction This heart appears when a biot produces at least one offspring by sexual reproduction or by laying an egg. Sexual reproduction costs 4000 energy per offspring produced, and each offspring will start with 4000 energy.

Sexual Mutation This spade appears when one of the sexually produced offspring has mutated.

Grave Stone The grave stone briefly appears to mark the death of a biot by starvation.

GENERALIZATIONS Many of the conditions and actions below must be associated with an object. The meme may state specifically which type of object is to be sensed, or acted upon, but with so many different types of objects, it becomes hard for a biots memome to stay relevant. That is why biots have the ability to generalize objects by grouping them into categories, and then trying to sense or act upon any object that fits that category. Usually this comes with a penalty in the case of actions.

Food This group refers to almost anything a biot can eat. Apples, bananas, cherries, pine cones, grass, eggs, fungi, and meat. A biot gets 200 less energy from the food when it uses the "eat food" action. In the case of poisonous food such as fungi, it actually looses the energy it would have gained for being more specific.

Fruit Apples, bananas, cherries, and pine cones. A biot gets 100 less energy from fruit when it uses the "eat fruit" action.

Leafy Grass, and the leaves of apple trees, banana trees and cherry trees. Biots get 100 less energy from plants when it uses the "eat leafy" action.

Tree This refers to the apple, banana, cherry, and pine trees. Whether they are leafy or not. Since this specialization isn't that useful for eating (better for senses) and the leaves of trees are not very nutritious anyway, there is no penalty associated with the "eat tree" action.

Protein This is an odd mish-mash of protein-rich foods. Meat, eggs, and fungi. Fungi in real life may not be rich in proteins, but they are in biots. There is a 100 energy penalty for using the "eat protein" action, but at least it allows biots to digest fungi without being poisoned.

Biot Refers to any biot. Biots using the "attack biot" or "push biot" commands will do 50 less points of damage. Biots using the "grab biot" command will do 25 less.

Friend Refers to any biot of the same species. Especially good for memes associated with mate-seeking. Biots using the "attack friend" or "push friend" commands will do 25 less points of damage. Biots using the "grab friend" command will do 10 less.

Foe Refers to any biot that is not of the same species. Biots using the "attack foe" or "push foe" commands will do 25 less points of damage. Biots using the "grab foe" command will do 10 less.

SPECIFICATIONS Like the generalizations, but refer to an object during a specific point in its life-cycle.

Green Apple Apples less than 30 turns old. The "eat green apple" command gets a bonus of 100 energy, which is the same amount of energy it would gain in 1 turn anyway. This is probably most useful as a sense. A biot could nap by a green apple and wait for it to ripen before eating it.

Rotten Apple Apples over 90 turns old. The "eat rotten apple" command gets a bonus of 100 energy, reflecting the biots strong digestive system. Biots could use this sense to leave rotting apples alone so that they can become apple trees.

Sapling This is sort of a generalization and a specification. It refers to any tree that has not yet ever gotten up to 500 energy. Since they can't be eaten, and pushing kills all plants instantly, there is no bonus associated with any actions referring to a sapling.

Always This conditions isn't really a sense, it is constantly true in the biot's memome. A when prefixed with a "not" this condition becomes "never", which is always false in the biot's memome.

External Senses The following senses let the biot monitor its surroundings. The senses of touch and sight always specify which object the biot is trying to find. The sense of sight is also divided into three conditions, "ahead", "ahead right", and "ahead left".

Feel This condition is true if the biot is within 35 pixels of the thing it is trying to feel

See Left, See Ahead, and See Right Sight is divided into three different conditions, three different 45 degree angles are created, one in front, and two to either side. The biot tests to see if the thing it is looking for is within the angle it's testing and also within 100 pixels of the biot.

Pain This condition is true if the biot was attacked, grabbed, or pushed during this turn.

Seasonal Senses. These are conditions that let the biot tell what season it is. Specifically, these conditions are Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Hot (true during spring and summer) Like all conditions, these can be associated with a "not" in front of them (e.g. "not hot" or "cold" is true during fall and winter)

Internal Senses The following senses let the biot monitor its internal state

Juvenile This condition is true when the biot is younger than 100 turns

Ancient This condition is true when the biot is 100 turns away from death by old age.

Hungry This condition is true when the biot has less than 1000 energy

Full This condition is true when the biot has more than 10000 plus the energy it needs to reproduce

ACTIONS The entire purpose of a biot's memome is to select an appropriate action to take each turn. Some actions, such as "turn", "strafe", and "curve" will specify "right" or "left" in the meme. The other actions, such as eat, grab, attack, and push, always specify which object the biot should try to affect.

Locomotion The following actions allow the biot to move around

Rest The biot doesn't move at all and only uses 5 energy units.

Turn The biot changes direction and uses 10 energy units.

Retreat The biot moves 10 pixels backwards and uses 20 energy units. Cannot be done through rocks or trees.

Crawl The biot moves 10 pixels in the direction it is facing and uses 10 energy units. Cannot be done through rocks.

Move The biot moves 15 pixels in the direction it is facing and uses 20 energy units. Cannot be done through rocks. Moves only 10 pixels through trees.

Curve The biot moves 15 pixels in the direction it is facing, and then changes direction, both in a single turn. This consumes 35 energy units. If the biot cannot curve it will just turn and use only 10 energy.

Strafe The biot moves 10 pixels sideways and uses 20 energy units. Cannot be done through rocks or trees.

Run The biot moves 30 pixels in the direction it is facing and uses 45 energy units. Cannot be done through rocks. Moves only 15 pixels through trees.

Jump The biot moves 60 pixels in the direction it is facing and goes over obstacles such as rocks. This burns 95 energy units.

Flip The biot reverses direction instantly. Burns 110 energy!

Eating/Hunting The following actions let the biot eat, or damage another biot so as to turn it into meat.

Eat The biot gains the energy of the food it eats. A biot's energy cannot exceed 100000 units. Biots lose energy if they eat fungi.

Attack The biot damages a nearby biot by 60 points, this reduces the victims maximum age by 60 turns, bringing it closer to turning into meat. It costs the attacker 20 energy units.

Push The biot pushes an object 30 pixels in the direction the biot is facing. This also reduces the maximum age of the pushed object by 60 turns, making the object die or decompose sooner. Different objects take different amounts of energy to push. Pushing a rock takes 95 energy, pushing anther biot takes 45 energy, and pushing food only takes 5 energy units.

Grab The biot pulls another nearby biot (within 5 pixels) 5 pixels closer to it, this also damages the biot 30 points. It costs the attacker 45 energy units.

Reproduction The biots uses these actions to produce offspring.

Reproduce Asexually The biot splits into two identical offspring, which may occasionally be mutants or even different species. The biot can only reproduce when it has at least 9000 energy units. Each young biot starts with 4000 energy units.

Reproduce Sexually The Biot finds a sire for its young and then gives birth to one or more children. The dam (mother) biot spends 4000 energy for each offspring. The sire (father) doesn't need to spend any energy at all, but since all biots are hermaphrodites, the sire may use its energy to be the dam of its own children. The offsprings' memome is a random combination of the memomes of its parents, and begins with 4000 energy. The dam needs at least 6000 energy before it will reproduce sexually. This leaves it with 2000 energy if it has one child right after getting 6000 energy.

Lay Egg This works the same are sexual reproduction except it only costs 1000 energy per egg. The new offspring must wait in the egg for 50 turns and hope they are not eaten. They also start out with only 1000 energy each. Eggs can also be pushed to force them to hatch, but this reduces the offspring to starting out with only 800 energy! The dam needs at least 3500 energy to lay one egg, and 1500 energy for each additional egg, It will not lay a number of eggs that will drop it below 2000 energy, just as with sexual reproduction.

Mental Actions These "actions" allow the biot to have more complex programming. And do not necessarily take up a turn to use.

Pass The biot will review the next meme in its memome, skipping this one. The "pass" action acts like an action that is never possible. It always fails so the next meme must be tried.

Skip If the biot performs this action, it will skip over the next meme in its memome (the one after the meme that said to skip) and go on to the one after that.

And The "and" action looks at the condition associated with it, and the condition associated with the meme below it. If both conditions are met, the action of the meme below is taken, of either one is false, the meme below is skipped and the one after it is evaluated.

If Just like in a programming language, if the condition associated with the "if" is true, the next meme is evaluated, but if it is false, the biot scans its memome for a meme with the "else if" condition. Another "if" found after the first will be treated as a nested "if" just like in a programming language."

Else If Is used by the "if" mental action, when evaluated because of a failed "if" action, "else if" acts just like an "if". When arrived at when there is no "if" meme above it, it acts like an "if" as well. This makes it a not-quite-perfect if/else-if system, but it tends to be more useful to the biots.