I want to explore systemic simulations. That is simulations composed of interconnected systems. Perhaps the starting point for this is to consider the systems that a single agent is composed of. As a way of moving forward, create a new sim. This sim is focused on a single Agent and provides ways to inspect and influence the agent's thoughts, mood, and beliefs.
Tasks
[x] Create a new Simulation (perhaps automate this)
[x] Populate the sim with a single agent.
[x] Create a generic way to define finite state systems that can be used to implement things like mood emotion.
[ ] Therapist Couch: Enable clicking on the agent to see the multiple inner states of the agent.
[ ] Enable providing the agent stimuli for the agent to react to.
Complex System
An agent is composed of multiple internal systems.
Consider each human system. Each system requires certain things to exist. For example the digestive system requires an entity to have a mouth, oesophagus, and stomach. The food the entity consumes must be able to be broken down by the mouth, fit though the oesophagus (choking), and be digestible (makes sick, poisons) and results in excrement and urine.
Circulates blood around the body via the heart, arteries and veins), delivering oxygen and nutrients to organs and cells and carrying their waste products away, as well as keeping the body's temperature in a safe range.
Digestive system/excretory system
System to absorb nutrients and remove waste via the gastrointestinal tract, including the mouth, oesophagus, stomach and intestines.
Endocrine system
Influences the function of the body using hormones.
Integumentary system/exocrine system
System that comprises skin, hair, nails, and sweat.
Immune system/lymphatic system
Defends the body against pathogens that may harm the body. The system contains a network of lymphatic vessels that carry a clear fluid called lymph.
Muscular system
Enables the body to move using muscles.
Nervous system
Collects and processes information from the senses via nerves and the brain and tells the muscles to contract to cause physical actions.
Renal system/urinary system
The system where the kidneys filter blood to produce urine, and get rid of waste.
Bones maintain the structure of the body and its organs.
Mental/Psychological Systems
There is the conscious and unconscious mind. Cognitive psychology applies system thinking to focus on the mental processes that affect behavior. They tend to focus on a three stage model of human memory.
Per Wikipedia
Memory Type
Description
Sensory Memory
Holds sensory information
Short-term Memory
Holds information temporarily for analysis and retrieves information from the Long-term memory.
Long-term memory
Holds information over an extended period of time which receives information from the short-term memory.
Internal System
Description
Attention
A state of focused awareness on a subset of the available sensation perception information. A key function of attention is to identify irrelevant data and filter it out, enabling significant data to be distributed to the other mental processes.
Language Use
Memory
Perception
Problem Solving
Creativity
Reasoning
Cognition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognition
Cognition refers to "the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses". It encompasses all aspects of intellectual functions and processes.
Function
Description
Attention
A state of focused awareness on a subset of the available sensation perception information. A key function of attention is to identify irrelevant data and filter it out, enabling significant data to be distributed to the other mental processes.
Perception
the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the presented information or environment.
Thought
consciouscognitive processes that can happen independently of sensory stimulation.
Holds information, derived from the senses, less than one second after an item is perceived. The ability to look at an item and remember what it looked like with just a split second of observation, or memorization, is the example of sensory memory. It is out of cognitive control and is an automatic response.
Working Memory
Allows recall for a period of several seconds to a minute without rehearsal. Its capacity, however, is very limited.
Long Term Memory
Can store information for a much longer duration, potentially for a whole life span.
Judgement
Evaluation
Reasoning
Computation
Problem Solving
Decision Making
Comprehension
Production of Language
Heavy cognitive activities wear the agent out. Sleep purges toxins from the brain and makes the agent refreshed
and renews cognitive ability.
Emotions
Emotions begin in the body, influenced by environmental stimuli.
The brain responds to low-level perceptions, which translate into persistent characteristics (e.g. fear).
These emotions can potentially become visible via behaviors (e.g. crying, laughing, running away).
There is a chain of concepts:
Stimuli -> Sensations -> Emotion -> (Moods | Feelings/Beliefs) | Behavior
An emotion is a lasting characteristic of an agent's state. Emotions are initiated by sensations.
Each primary emotions may have a variable intensity (e.g. fear). The various degrees of a primary emotion are called secondary emotions.
Fear Secondary Emotions Example
Fear Amount
Secondary Emotion
0.1
Caution
0.2
Caution
0.3
Worry
0.4
Worry
0.5
Anxiety
0.6
Anxiety
0.7
Dread
0.8
Panic
0.9
Horror
0.10
Terror
An agent could have an irrational fear of something (i.e phobia) that invokes a higher fear response than other agents.
Primary emotions may also be defined such that two of them may not be present at the same time. These pairs are called complementary emotions.
Moods
A mood is a complete set of emotions that constitutes someone's mental state at a particular time.
A mood is represented as a set of primary emotions, each with their degree of secondary emotion.
The combination of the primary emotions produce complex emotions (e.g. love, optimism, depression)
Feelings
A feeling is a persistent association of an emotion with a class of object (e.g. food, house, institution, location, another agent, a concept).
They can be expressed about the past or future. They do not rely on the current agent's state.
Examples: pity, love, hatred, affection
Look at this list.
Beliefs
How the agent sees their world. This applies to their own sense of self ( I am a good person), how they see others, their political leanings, and religious practices.
Behaviors
tbd
D & D Character Rules
One thought is to leverage D&D as a template for thinking through generating characters.
The D&D rule set is available as a free PDF.
D&D Characters are defined by:
Race (Dwarf | Elf | Halfling | Human)
Class (Cleric | Fighter | Rogue | Wizard)
Age
Height
Weight
Eye Color
Skin Color and Complexion
Hair Color, Length, and Style
Personality
Background/Backstory
Equipment
Attributes (Strength | Dexterity | Constitution | Intelligence | Wisdom | Charisma).
These can be increased as the player levels up.
Skills: (See skills table below)
Skills are abilities that have their effectiveness determined by the related attribute value)
Armor Class
Spell Casting Ability Level
Initiative: This determines the order of creatures turns in combat.
Speed: How fast the player can move.
Available Attacks and Spells
Other Proficiencies and Languages
For example, a character may learn how to ride a horse.
Equipment
Personality Traits: Classic D&D allows 4 player defined traits.
Ideals: Classic D&D allows 3 player defined ideals.
Bonds: Classic D&D allows 3 player defined bonds (alliances with other players)
Flaws: Classic D&D allows 3 player defined flaws.
Features & Traits: Classic D&D allows many player defined features and traits.
Allies & Organizations: The groups the character is positively associated with.
D&D Skills to Driving Attribute Table
Skill
Controlling Attribute
Acrobatics
Dexterity
Animal Handling
Wisdom
Arcana
Intelligence
Athletics
Strength
Deception
Charisma
History
Intelligence
Insight
Wisdom
Intimidation
Charisma
Investigation
Intelligence
Medicine
Wisdom
Nature
Intelligence
Perception
Wisdom
Performance
Charisma
Persuasion
Charisma
Religion
Intelligence
Sleight of Hand
Dexterity
Stealth
Dexterity
Survival
Wisdom
Disco Elysium's Cognitive Model
DE uses a dice role mechanic to determine if the player can unlock challenges.
A challenge is limited to a particular character attribute type.
Two six-sided dice are rolled.
The players score is calculated by: Skill Level + Modifiers (clothing, thoughts, etc) + Dice Role
Rolling snake eyes is an automatic failure.
Rolling two sixes is an automatic win.
Intelligence
Logic
Encyclopedia
Rhetoric
Drama
Conceptualization
Visual Calculous
Psyche
Volition
Inland Empire
Empathy
Authority
Esprit De Corps
Suggestion
Physique
Endurance
Pain Threshold
Physical Instrument
Electro-chemestry
Shivers
Half Light
Motorics
Hand/Eye Coordination
Perception
Reaction Speed
Savoir Faire
Interfacing
Composure
The difficulty of the challenges are on this scale.
I want to explore systemic simulations. That is simulations composed of interconnected systems. Perhaps the starting point for this is to consider the systems that a single agent is composed of. As a way of moving forward, create a new sim. This sim is focused on a single Agent and provides ways to inspect and influence the agent's thoughts, mood, and beliefs.
Tasks
Complex System
An agent is composed of multiple internal systems. Consider each human system. Each system requires certain things to exist. For example the digestive system requires an entity to have a mouth, oesophagus, and stomach. The food the entity consumes must be able to be broken down by the mouth, fit though the oesophagus (choking), and be digestible (makes sick, poisons) and results in excrement and urine.
Mental/Psychological Systems There is the conscious and unconscious mind. Cognitive psychology applies system thinking to focus on the mental processes that affect behavior. They tend to focus on a three stage model of human memory. Per Wikipedia
Cognition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognition Cognition refers to "the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses". It encompasses all aspects of intellectual functions and processes.
Heavy cognitive activities wear the agent out. Sleep purges toxins from the brain and makes the agent refreshed and renews cognitive ability.
Emotions
Emotions begin in the body, influenced by environmental stimuli. The brain responds to low-level perceptions, which translate into persistent characteristics (e.g. fear). These emotions can potentially become visible via behaviors (e.g. crying, laughing, running away).
There is a chain of concepts: Stimuli -> Sensations -> Emotion -> (Moods | Feelings/Beliefs) | Behavior
An emotion is a lasting characteristic of an agent's state. Emotions are initiated by sensations. Each primary emotions may have a variable intensity (e.g. fear). The various degrees of a primary emotion are called secondary emotions.
An agent could have an irrational fear of something (i.e phobia) that invokes a higher fear response than other agents.
Primary emotions may also be defined such that two of them may not be present at the same time. These pairs are called complementary emotions.
Moods
A mood is a complete set of emotions that constitutes someone's mental state at a particular time.
A mood is represented as a set of primary emotions, each with their degree of secondary emotion. The combination of the primary emotions produce complex emotions (e.g. love, optimism, depression)
Feelings
A feeling is a persistent association of an emotion with a class of object (e.g. food, house, institution, location, another agent, a concept). They can be expressed about the past or future. They do not rely on the current agent's state.
Examples: pity, love, hatred, affection Look at this list.
Beliefs
How the agent sees their world. This applies to their own sense of self ( I am a good person), how they see others, their political leanings, and religious practices.
Behaviors
tbd
D & D Character Rules
One thought is to leverage D&D as a template for thinking through generating characters. The D&D rule set is available as a free PDF.
D&D Characters are defined by:
D&D Skills to Driving Attribute Table
Disco Elysium's Cognitive Model
DE uses a dice role mechanic to determine if the player can unlock challenges.