Playing with Automata. An Innovative Perspective for Gaming Simulation - Cellular Automata - page 345

types, and instructions for flow management in order to be a generalised instrument
for interaction with the cellular automata database. With such a language it will thus
be possible to define scenarios, set up transition rules, establish criteria of rules'
application as well as fix a series of general automata execution parameters.
Furthermore, the scripting language will allow complex querying and exportation, in
itinere or ex-post , of results and of an automaton states.
Kernel ACKER . This is the true execution and elaboration “engine”. It receives
instructions in form of scripting language, access directly the CA database and
provides outputs. In order to make it as portable as possible, it will be developed in
C++ language and subsequently compiled for different hardware platforms.
Cellular Automata Database. As already anticipated, the aim of this research
programme is to formulate an as abstract as possible general definition of cellular
automata. Consequently, and in the first place, a scenario will not be treated - as
normally happens - as a collection of elements (cells) each characterised by three
values 2 , but as a vector, or better being said, as an object, being this term borrowed
from a well-known computer science paradigm. Such an object will hence be defined
by a set of properties (variables that on their turn can be objects as well), methods and
events with attributes of inheritance offered by the mentioned object-oriented
paradigm 3 . Such data structuring and architecture offers greater degrees of freedom
and a sufficient level of abstraction in order to be able to threat a series of problems
(some mentioned above) and to render the system interoperable with external data
sources or with other simulation models.

4. A Model to Play with

As widely known, gaming-simulation is a technique used in learning contexts [11] or
as an instrument of participation, since it improves the understanding of different
viewpoints, helps a better comprehension of a problem and permit an exploration of
possible solutions [7]. A gaming-simulation can be defined as the simulation of effects
of decisions taken through assumption of roles complying to defined rules .
The simulation model can be of any kind, and consequently also a CA-based one.
Attention, we do not want here to propose the use of CAs for playing with the
behaviour of abstract systems as those based on the game of Life or on one of its
numerous evolutions [3, 6, 15, 18].
Attention, we do not want here to propose the use of CAs for playing with the
behaviour of “concrete” ecological systems (in other words, of efficacious and
simplified models of real systems), a well know set of games that makes a large

2

As known, an automaton cell is defined by a state value, but in order to operate first
abstraction, it is useful to consider each cell distinguished by three values: its state and x and
y co-ordinate.

3

Terms such are propery, method, events, inheritance are not to be intended in their common-
sense meaning, but should be referred to the specific terminology of the “object-oriented”
paradigm. For the reasons of space, we cannot here even briefly sketch their specific
meaning, so be it allowed to us to suggest to our reader any good topic that treat that
question.