Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

MSP · 2004-08-04 13:27:28

This is my first time posting on this forum and I apologize if I'm posting in the wrong section. I thought this might be of interest to some of the people on this forum.

I run an open source project called the Mars Simulation Project, which is an agent-based computer simulation of future Martian settlement.

http://mars-sim.sourceforge.net]http://mars-sim.sourceforge.net

We just released a version 2.76 with the following features:

* Settlers have a stress level that can affect their performance.
* Crowding effects in settlements and buildings
* Landmarks displayed on navigator map (Dalen Kruse)
* Settler job specialities such as areologist, doctor, engineer, driver and botanist
* Example settlement templates for larger settlements
* Medical and Botany science research
* Settlement resupply/immigration missions from Earth
* Rover elevation bug fixed

I would appreciate any feedback on the project.

Thanks,

Scott Davis

Rxke · 2004-08-04 15:00:37

Looks good, but i have problems running it under OS X... (still trying to figure out what's wrong, get splashscreen and sometimes other things, but definitely not ok, yet...)

MSP · 2004-08-04 15:14:49

Hmmm...Should be able to click on the executable JAR file (MarsProject.jar) in the main directory to run it on an OSX computer. I haven't had a chance to test it out on an OSX computer for that last couple of versions. We were able to test it at last year's Mars Society convention on a few iBooks.

It requires a 1.4x or newer version of the Java Runtime Environment to run it, but I was under the impression that OSX computers came with that standard.

Let me know if you are able to get it to work. I'll see if any of the other developers can test it on an OSX computer.

Scott Davis

Rxke · 2004-08-04 23:04:35

Indeed: OS X (10.3.4) has JRE 1.4.2_03

but it's probably me having (again) thrown away some JAVA stuff from the HD... (i tend to do that, primitive un-bloating )

Doesn't seem to run from the shell, too, so even more probably some missing stuff on my disk, I'm afraid.

(Edit: posted feedback on the Sourceforge mailinglist, not much use discussing this stuff here, and bore people to tears with console-speak )

Kenshin · 2004-08-05 00:53:27

Got it working no problem on my XP machine.

Very cool little app. I just wish there was a bit more user interaction... at the moment I'm just going to let it run overnight and see if anyone dies.

Very nice work though. What're your plans for it in the future? Will there be more user interaction, such as user-designed missions and such?

Rxke · 2004-08-05 05:13:04

Seems to be working fine one someone else's Mac... So it's a non-issue.

(Edit:) Now it runs here, too. If you have similar problems: repair permissions.

Rxke · 2004-08-05 06:16:20

My first casualty: Kerrie Stolpman, cause of death: gangrene!

MSP · 2004-08-05 09:02:37

My first casualty: Kerrie Stolpman, cause of death: gangrene!

Yep, death has been a great indicator of bugs and poor balance in the simulation since we added it.

Settlers occasionally die of gangrene. This is due to the person getting a laceration or a broken bone that is left untreated for a long time and turns into gangrene. I've noticed this seems to happen when the person is alone at a settlement, or only has a few other people around them and no one is a doctor. I imagine this is due to non-doctors simply not attempting to treat medical problems very often.

I think the fix will be to have non-doctors treat medical complaints more often if there isn't a doctor currently at the settlement, but otherwise leave it to the doctor for the most part.

When settlers die of suffocation or dehydration, it is usually due to a rover accident or possibly due to a bug.

Scott Davis

clark · 2004-08-05 09:16:44

Not sure how it works, but if you have the non-docs treating, you may wish to run a variable where they make the situation worse.

MSP · 2004-08-05 09:29:12

Very nice work though. What're your plans for it in the future? Will there be more user interaction, such as user-designed missions and such?

We're planning on making a rover mission creator/editor tool. The user will be able to create a new mission by choosing mission targets on a map and assign settlers and a rover to the mission. They can also modify existing missions. This will be the main goal of the next version development.

As for future development, we have a lot of ideas we're still brainstorming. Here are some ideas:

* Social relationships between settlers and possibly command structures within a settlement.

* Communication between settlements, rovers and Earth.

* Flesh out science research a bit more, possibly adding breakthroughs and affects of the research on other aspects of the simulation.

* More detailed EVA operations.

* More types of vehicles and equipment.

* Construction of new buildings in a settlement using local resources.

* Manufacturing vehicles and equipment.

* Mining

* Trade economy between settlements.

* Better visualization of settlements in the user interface.

* A more complex weather model for Mars.

* Additional configuration options for the user including mission/activity properties.

Anyway, those are just some of the ideas we have for future development. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Scott Davis

Rxke · 2004-08-05 10:04:40

I've been running it now for over an hour, and i think it has a lot of potential. I'm *really* impressed.
99% of people will be put off by the state of development it is in, now, with little interactivity etc. But the foundation is impressive, and it is just a question of 'bolting-on' extra features.

(I'd love to see RobS's Sunwings implemented, i've been thinking about how to do that, creating a 'wing would be no big problem, but the resupply-missions it flies... Hmmm... )

Scott: good news, you have a fan!

Bad news: it's me!

Kenshin · 2004-08-05 10:31:10

I let it run all night.

6 deaths, 2 from Major Burns and 4 from Suffocation. Oops.

MSP · 2004-08-05 10:37:57

6 deaths, 2 from Major Burns and 4 from Suffocation. Oops.

Well, Mars is a dangerous place. In particular, our virtual Mars is a very dangerous place if you are a virtual settler. :;):

Rxke · 2004-08-05 12:14:27

But if you keep an eye on it, monitor the health- set filter to show it and sort health, so that accidents can be spotted quickly, you can intervene!

For instance, i had this guy in a rover, badly burnt, and health degrading, so i looked up his location, checked his 'crewmates' and checked their skills, the ones with the best medical skills i appointed doctor, and they started tending the wounded guy, wich recovered!

MSP · 2004-08-05 13:15:02

For instance, i had this guy in a rover, badly burnt, and health degrading, so i looked up his location, checked his 'crewmates' and checked their skills, the ones with the best medical skills i appointed doctor, and they started tending the wounded guy, wich recovered!

Heh, I did exactly the same thing a couple of days ago. There were only two people in a small settlement and one of them had a laceration that was degrading. The other person was a botanist and spent all his time tending crops in the greenhouse and ignoring his injured friend. I felt sorry for the poor, injured guy and finally changed the botanist's job to a doctor and he immediately bandaged his friend's injury. I then changed him back to a botanist and all was well.

That is until the injury-prone settler came down with meningitis.

MSP · 2004-08-05 13:29:43

Feel free to join the users mailing list and/or the developers mailing list for the project.

http://sourceforge.net/mail/?group_id=3 … up_id=3286

The users mailing list is mostly project anouncements and help assistance for users. It is moderated as we've been having problems with spam.

The developers mailing list is where we discuss new development in the project. Sometimes it's busy and other times there's a lull.

If anyone would like join the development team and work on the code repository, I'd be happy to set you up through SourceForge.

Scott Davis

Kenshin · 2004-08-05 13:52:47

Well I'm pretty curious about taking a look at the code, since Java is one of the languages I'm best at.

Think I'll download the source and look around tonight.

MSP · 2004-08-05 14:12:14

Kenshin,

The source code is provided in the project download file. There should be build scripts in the scripts directory, including a nice ant build file.

Scott Davis

Kenshin · 2004-08-05 14:55:49

Right, thanks.

I'm at the lab right now so I couldn't check the directory itself. (That's all on my home computer)

I'll poke around tonight if I have time and see what I can learn.

Rxke · 2004-08-06 03:52:04

My coding skills have all withered and died, but I can surely bore you to tears with ideas and suggestions!

(Already terrorizing the mailinglists/forum of the project...)

DERF · 2004-08-07 09:08:20

You should try running scenarious similiar to how the Flashline MARS Station is built, or the desert one, just the for the sake of curiousity. Just my uninhibited 2 cents.

Scott G. Beach · 2004-08-07 12:42:40

Scott:

You wrote that the latest version of your Mars settlement simulator includes “Example settlement templates for larger settlements.” You also wrote that “Any other suggestions would be appreciated.” I suggest that you include a template for a settlement the size of New Euthenia (see http://www.geocities.com/scott956282743 … thenia.htm ).

Rxke · 2004-08-07 13:44:02

DERF: The Mars Analog stations are only errrr.. half analog.They don't have to make their own air, for starters.
But they're great to use as a basis to fine-tune the model on, at least parts of it (like how much energy does the greenhouse need, how much food does it produce?)

In many ways they are already in the sim!
The sim is based on Zubrin's missions, so the first bases are in essence what the Analog Stations try to emulate in real life...

Scott G Beach: the sim has not yet an implementation for geometrically placed buildings. A base is a virtual group of buildings, each with its own function (you could/can make a base with say one habitation module, 52 greenhouses and 120 nuclear reactors, if you wanted to, but then you don't have enough housing for the people that need to run the place etc...) and it calculates various numbers like energy out/input, food production etc...

Once the sim has the ability to allow new buildings to be added, i guess it will really fly, then it's just a matter of writing some extra stuff in the simulation files to make a lot possible (got lots of idea's, that i want to try, heehee... And pretty sure it is doable, even I'm not a JAVA programmer, that stuff looks like scripting- more than programming language...)

Rxke · 2004-08-08 03:09:59

DERF...

I had some fun with the config files, and implementing your idea couldn't be easier.

Currently the base has 4 people in it, as in Zubrin's plans, (phase 1) and initially all the peeps seemed to be doing nothing but tending the greenhouse (logical, setting up shop)
Now two of them are doing exploration mission, heehee...
And in true Zubrin plan-style, a resupply and new crew will be on their way (next year)

The people on the exploration mission are under *a lot* of stress, and everyone is quite tired, at times...

Great sim, really. If you want to try this yourself, open the file in the conf/
folder, called "settlements.xml" with a text-editor, and scroll down to :

<initial-settlement-list>

and delete all but the first one:
<settlement name="random" template="Mars Direct Base (phase 1)">
<location longitude="random" latitude="random" />
</settlement>

'till you reach

</initial-settlement-list>

That way you only have one settlement, as in Zubrin's scenario. Save the file and start the prog, and do a new sim.

(Best to save the original settlements.xml as something like settlementsold.xml so you can go back)

(you can change the "random" stuff to things you want, call it DERF-station Alpha, etc... )

Kenshin · 2004-08-09 13:04:28

Does the settlement location make any difference at this point?

Though I suppose we don't have enough "real data" on Mars to say where there won't be water, it would seem logical that the settlements closer to the poles will have an easier time of that...

Anyway, yeah, I'm going to play around with the templates like you did and see what I can bang up. I've had my own ideas about the initial colonization of Mars I'd like to play around with.

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#1 2004-08-04 13:27:28

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#2 2004-08-04 15:00:37

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#3 2004-08-04 15:14:49

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#4 2004-08-04 23:04:35

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#5 2004-08-05 00:53:27

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#6 2004-08-05 05:13:04

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#7 2004-08-05 06:16:20

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#8 2004-08-05 09:02:37

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#9 2004-08-05 09:16:44

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#10 2004-08-05 09:29:12

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#11 2004-08-05 10:04:40

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#12 2004-08-05 10:31:10

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#13 2004-08-05 10:37:57

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#14 2004-08-05 12:14:27

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#15 2004-08-05 13:15:02

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#16 2004-08-05 13:29:43

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#17 2004-08-05 13:52:47

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#18 2004-08-05 14:12:14

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#19 2004-08-05 14:55:49

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#20 2004-08-06 03:52:04

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#21 2004-08-07 09:08:20

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#22 2004-08-07 12:42:40

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#23 2004-08-07 13:44:02

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#24 2004-08-08 03:09:59

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

#25 2004-08-09 13:04:28

Re: Mars Simulation Project - MSP v. 2.76 released

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