Trophic

Ecosystem Simulation

Welcome to Trophic! Act as a stabilizing force in a delicate three-tiered marine food web consisting of Giant Kelp, Sea Urchins, and Sea Otters. Your goal is to balance populations, manage disasters, and extend the survival duration of the ecosystem for as long as possible. If any of the three species goes extinct (hits 0), the simulation collapses!

The Food Web Dynamics

• Giant Kelp (Primary Producer): Grows and replicates automatically. Each plant has a randomized growth rate (between 8 and 26 energy/sec). It is the foundation of the ecosystem and the sole food source for Urchins.
• Sea Urchins (Herbivores / Primary Consumers): Wander around searching for and eating Giant Kelp to maintain their energy. If they run out of energy, they starve.
• Sea Otters (Carnivores / Apex Predators): Search for and eat Sea Urchins. They keep the Urchin population in check, protecting the Kelp forest from overgrazing.

Evolution & Trait Mutations

When Sea Urchins and Sea Otters reproduce, their offspring inherit the parent's traits with minor mutations (up to ±15%), driving natural selection in real-time:

• Visual Feedback: The color of each animal shifts dynamically based on its traits:
  • 🔴 Red tint increases as the animal's speed increases.
  • 🔵 Blue tint increases as the animal's sensor radius increases.
• Lifespans & Aging: Urchins live for 40 to 60 days, and Otters live for 60 to 95 days. This forces continuous turnover and ensures that even well-balanced ecosystems face naturally occurring population shifts.

God Mode Controls

Use your controls to stabilize the species when things get out of hand:

• Kelp Growth Accelerator (Slider 1x to 10x): Multiplies Kelp growth speed. Warning: Rapid overgrowth degrades water quality, multiplying animal starvation rates and diluting the nutritional value of Kelp!
• Disease Chance (Slider 1x to 5x): Triggers a contagious disease. Infected animals turn bright red and starve off quickly—useful for culling overpopulations.
• Winter Phase (Toggle): Cuts the movement speeds of both Urchins and Otters by 50% to slow down consumption across the entire ecosystem.

Environmental Events

Starting at Day 15, periodic crises will strike the ecosystem for 15 days at a time:

• 🔥 Heatwave: Starvation rates of all animals are multiplied by 2.5x.
• 🌀 Storm: Generates turbulent currents that disperse animal clusters and reduce movement speed by 40%.
• 🌿 Algae Bloom: Doubles Kelp growth but degrades water quality, doubling animal energy decay rates.
• ☣️ Plague Spike: Infects 45% to 60% of the animal population instantly.

How to Survive & High Score Strategies

1. Stop the Urchin Explosion (Deforestation)
If Urchins multiply too quickly, they will graze the Kelp to zero. Raise the Disease Chance to 2.0 or 3.0 to cull the Urchins, then lower it back to 1.0 once the population stabilized.

2. Prevent Otter Starvation
If Otters eat all the Urchins, they will starve. Toggle the Winter Phase to slow the Otters down by 50%, letting the Urchins breed and recover.

3. Manage Kelp Emergencies
If Kelp runs low, slide the Kelp Growth Accelerator to 10.0, turn on Winter Phase, and use Disease Chance to cull the Urchins. Crucial: Reset them as soon as Kelp recovers to prevent oxygen depletion and nutritional dilution!