Cosmic Life  (1983 - Spinnaker)
Platform: Commodore 64
Gametype: Undefined
_________________________

Manual :

COSMIC LIFE is a fast-paced competitive 
game of strategy and skill for one or two 
players. It offers fun and excitement 
for players 8 years old and older. 

The goal of COSMIC LIFE is to have 
more nappy Digi- Bugs on the surface of 
the planet than your opponent. Only 
happy Digi - Bugs stay on the surface. 

To keep Digi -Bugs happy, you have 
to provide them with neighbors, while 
you avoid overcrowding, your 
opponents advances, and space storms. 

COSMIC LIFE sharpens pattern 
recognition skills, encourages careful 
planning and strategy and promotes 
quick decision making. 

COSMIC UFE can be played in a variety 
of ways to suit the tastes of everyone 
from the video game enthusiast to the 
serious game player. Sections for the 
more advanced player are included later 
in this manual. Whether you play alone 
or with a friend or family member. 
COSMIC UFE is fast, exciting, educa- 
tional and lots of fun, 

---

MENU OPTIONS 

Before the game begins, a list of options 
will appear on the screen; 

NUMBER OF DAYS 
SINGLE MOVE GAME 
NO STORMS 
START GAME 

PLAYING WITH ATARI COMPUTERS: 

1. Press i until the desired length of 
the game in Dlgl-Bug days is shown. 

2. Press 2 ifyou want to play the 
single move game. 

3. Press 3 if you want to play 
without storms. 
4. Press START to start the game. 

To return to the main menu 
at the end of the game, 
press START . 

---

PLAYING WITH THE COMMODORE 54: 

1 . Press f 1 until the desirea length of 
days Is shown, 

2, Press f3 ifyou want to play the single 
move game. 

3- Press f5 ifyou want to play without 

storms, 
4, Press f7 to start the game. 

To return to the main menu at the end 
of game, press f 1 

Number of Days 

COSMIC UFE may be played for 10 to 
250 Digi-Bog days. At the end of each 
"day" the pattern of Digi- Bugs changes 
depending on which Digi- Bugs are happy 
and which are sad. (See OtCI-BUG HABrTS 
for more on this,) Each 
"day" lasts about 
two seconds. 

---

Single Move Game 

( Beginners or Serious Players) 

ONE PLAYER: 

H you would like to learn to recognize 
and control patterns of Digi-Bugs. you 
can play the SINGLE MOVE GAME. 
For additional information on the single 
move game for one player, see the 
section on GAME VARIATIONS FOR 
ONE PLAYER. 

Ifyoudonot 
select the SINGLE MOVE 
GAME option, the continuous move 
game will be played. This game allows 
the players to place as many Digi-Bugs 
on the surface as they can before time 
runs out 

No Storms 

This option allows you to play 
without storms. 

---

PLAYING THE GAME 

To begin play, move the joystick to 
make your flying saucer appear. Begin 
by placing five Digi-Bugs in a group. 
Digi-Bugs are released by pressing the 
button on your joystick. 

The game doesn't begin until a total 
of ten Digi-Bugs (yours or your oppo- 
nents) have been placed, CAREFUL 
don't waste Digi-Bugs by trying to put 
two in the same spot. Only one Digi- Bug 
will appear, so take your time and pick 
the locations carefully. (See DIGI- BUG 

HABITS for the rules by which Digi- Bugs 
appear and disappear.) 

You can build Digi ■ Houses by pressing 
the joystick button and holding it 
down for several seconds. A Digi -Bug in 
a Digi -House is always happy. Building 
a Digi-House or two is a good way to 
start a new group of Digi-Bugs. It is 
also a good way to keep an existing 
group happy. 

But watch out if you are playing with 
space storms! Digi-Houses can be 
destroyed by storms and may need to be 
replaced. Also, your flying saucer can be 
blown out of control by these storms, 
making it hard to place more Digi- 
Bugs on the planet. 

Digi- Bug Habits 

Digi-Bogs are vay sociable and depend 
on their neighbors (adjacent Digi-Bugs). 
When you place your Digi-Bugs on the 
planet it is general ly a goal idea to place 
them next to other Digi- Bugs* Digi- 
Bugs are happy if they are touched by 2 
or 3 neighbors. And if you keep them 
happy, more Digi-Bugs appear and you'll 
score more points. 

---

If Digi-Bugs are left alone or if they 
have only one neighbor, they become 
sad and disappear. They are also sad and 
they disappear if they feel too crowded 
by other Digi - Bogs (if they have A or 
more neighbors). 

So. to Keep your Digi-Bugs happy, 
you need to understand some of 
their habits. 

---

SCORING 

Every "day" the computer counts 
how many Digi-Bugs you have on the 
planet and adds them to your score. At 
the end of the game, the player with 
the highest score e the winner. 

While the game is being played, the 
player with the most Digi-Bugs on the 
planet will have his or her score displayed 
in white. At the end of 
the game, the
winner's score
will flash. 

---

GAME VARIATIONS FOR 
ONE PLAYER 

In both of these games, you move one 
saucer off the screen and play alone. 

ContinuousMoveCame - One Player 

This version allows you to improve 
your skill in placing Digi-Bugs on 
the planet 

• Select the number of days to 
be played. 

• Select the NO STORMS option if 
you wish to play the game without 
storms. 

• Move one of the saucers off 
the screen. 
• Press the button on the 

joystick of the off -screen saucer 
five times. 

• Start the game by placing five 
Digi- Bugs on the planet with your 

saucer. 

As days pass, continue to use the 
saucer on-screen to position and place 
your Digi-Bugs. 

---

Single Move Game - One Player • If you want to change the patterns. 

( Beginner or the Serious Player) move your saucer on-screen and 

This version allows you to study what £** more D?'; *£ °9 «*» P laneL 

happens to your Digi-Bugs as each 
individual day passes. 

• Select the number of days to 
be played. 

• Select the NO STORMS option to play 
the game without storms. 

• Move one of the flying saucers off 
the screen. 

• Use the other saucer to place as many 
groups of Digi - Bugs as you want on 
the planet. 

• Press the joystick button of the off- 
screen saucer until one day passes. 
(Remember that the first day does not 
pass until you have pressed the jpysticK 
buttons a total of ten times.) 

• Move your saucer off the screen. 

■ Once the game begins (one day has 
passed), press both joystick buttons 
once each time you want to make 
another day pass. 

Then press the joystick button of 
the off-screen saucer to make 
the next day pass. 

---

SOME EXAMPLES 
(TRYING NEW PATTERNS): 

To see patterns change: • Use the other flying saucer to set up 

■ Select the number of days to any of the patterns illustrated below* 
be played. • Move the second saucer off the screen 

■ Select the NO STORMS option to play and press thejoystick button until the 
wrtfiout storms. game starts. 

• Move one flying saucer off the screen, 

Watch the pattern as it evolves. a saucer back on the screen and add 
If the pattern stops changing move a Digi-Bug. 

---

STRATEGIC OVERVIEW 

Once you become familiar with the 
habits of Digi-Bugs and develop some 
skill in establishing, maintaining and 
expanding colonies, consider some 
strategies fa improving your game play: 

• Rather than concentrating on one 
area of the planet, form patterns of Digi- 
Bugs throughout the entire planet. 

• LinKtogetfiercoloniesofDigi-Bugsin 
order to expand your control over the 
entire planet 

• Use Digi-Houses to help establish 
new colonies of Digi-Bugs and strengthen 
existing groups. A Digi-Bug in a house 
is safe and happy. 

■ Overcrowd your opponent's colonies 
by adding your Digi Bugs to his 
crowded colonies. 

• Eliminate your opponents small or 
sparse colonies by surrounding them 
with your Dtgi-Bugs or by creating a 
colony of your own Digi-Bugs nearby. 

As you become a more advanced 
COSMIC UFE player, you will see the 
need to understand and predict the 
behavior of Digi-Bugs, 

There are five possible patterns that 
three Digi-Bugs can be arranged in. 
These patterns will result in: all the 
Digi-Bugs disappearing, or a stable 
colony forming. 

When there are four Digi-Bugs in a 
colony, the results are more varied. 

There are twelve common stable 
arrangements of Digi-Bugs. 

--

CONWAY'S RULES OF LIFE 

COSMIC LIFE is based on a mathe- 
matical game. Known as Conway's Life, 
created ty mathematician John Conway. 
When applied. Conway's Rules of Life 
perform a simplified simulation of the 
growth and change of living populations. 
There are three basic rules in 
Cbnway's game: 

1, Survival- Every counter with two or 
three neighboring counters survives 
for the next generation. 

Z Death. Any counter with four or 
more neighbors dies (is removed) 
from overpopulation* Every counter 
with one neighbor or none dies 
from isolation. 

3. Birth. E^ch empty cell adjacent to 
exactly three nelghbcrs is a birth cell. 
A counter appeare in this empty cell 
in the next generation* 

"TTiese simple rules provide the bases 
for the numerous, varied and Interesting 
patterns created by your Digi-Bugs. If 
you are interested in learning more 
about Conway's Game of Life, you can 
find articles in the Mathematical Games 
section of Scientific American (issues 
from October 1 970. February 1 97 1 and 
January 1972).


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