World of Balance is an ecology simulation game project that has been in development for several years. It provides a different, yet interesting approach to the way we analyze the changes of species population in an ecosystem, specifically the Serengeti ecosystem. The combination with game elements allows us to create a virtual ecosystem where users can interact with the environment by introducing different species into the mix to see how it affects the current ecosystem.
Using complex algorithms, we are able to simulate to a high degree how the abundance of species can fluctuate based on the given conditions such as the diversity of species and different parameters, which includes metabolic rates, growth rates, and many others.
Not only can we generate important data for research, we can also see the data visually in real-time by using simple 3D models to represent each species and following the size of the population that we see on our screen.
The gaming aspect is just as exciting as the research aspect where the goal of the game is for the user to manage and maintain a healthy ecosystem using the available resources provided. Every player is given a set of starting species, where the population can increase or decrease overtime. What makes this part a little tricky is requiring the player to interact with this initial ecosystem by introducing new species into the "playing field" to create an even more complex ecosystem.
The better the ecosystem, the more points rewarded. These points are compared against other players to compete for the highest possible score, which is equivalent to having the best maintained ecosystem.
For more information about the game, please explore the various sections of the website.
Click here to go to our Getting Starting Guide.
