Tom Jenks
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Ant Wars is a generative text running in JavaScript. It details the eternal conflict between the red and black ants on the planet of the ants.

The text is generated in cycles of 10. For the first 8 iterations, red and black ants alternately dominate. The dominant side is given between 2,000 and 3,000 ants. The dominated side is given 1/10 of the dominating side. Both sets of ants are randomly plotted.

A caption is generated using a list of twenty verbs of attack, twenty nouns referring to flat expanses, twenty verbs of retreat, twenty nouns referring to recessed places and twenty locations, whose names are drawn from sub-species of ants. Locations are assigned twice: once to the flat expanse and once to the recessed place. This give a possible 20^6 (64,000,000) text combinations.

On the ninth iteration, the red and black ants come to a standstill. They are each assigned 1,500 ants. These are randomly plotted. A caption is randomly generated using a list of 5 nouns referring to standstill or stalemate, the list of locations and 5 nouns referring to nightfall.

On the tenth iteration, an asteroid collides with the planet of the ants and all but 6 of each colour are destroyed.  A caption is generated using a list of 5 hitting verbs and 5 destruction verbs. But enough of the ants remain to breed and the cycle begins again.

The process then begins again in an endless cycle of futile conflict. Click here to return to Ant Wars.
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