# GOL-004: False Neighborhood

Every cell obeys Life-like rules while choosing between its visible Moore neighborhood and eight persistent strangers elsewhere in the field.

[Open simulation](https://100gol.com/experiments/004) · [Directory](https://100gol.com/experiments)

## What to explore

The game should make topology itself editable and inspectable without turning
the canvas into an unreadable hairball. Local and graph counts must remain
separate observations, and a compelling regime should allow remote influence to
nucleate or anchor form rather than simply replace spatial coherence with noise.

## Rules, update order and replay

The visible world is a square binary lattice. Each cell also owns eight distinct
directed graph neighbors chosen by `networkSeed`; the cell itself and its eight
toroidal Moore neighbors are excluded, so graph edges are genuinely remote even
when the visible boundary mode is finite. Every dead/alive count clause is
enabled by the birth or survival mask and independently chooses local or graph
count as its source. Matching local and graph clauses combine with OR semantics
and are reported as Local, Graph, Both, or Neither. Steps are synchronous and
the graph never evolves. Replay requires occupancy, graph, generation, topology,
all four masks, field profile, and the independent world/network seeds. Reset
reconstructs both layers; New world preserves the graph and Rewire graph
preserves the current board.

## Reading the simulation

Inspection pauses painting, outlines the selected cell, distinguishes its local
and graph neighbors, and draws only its eight outgoing graph edges. Written
state reports local count, graph count, current and future state, and the exact
Local/Graph/Both/Neither match. Selective inspection was chosen over drawing the
complete dense graph because the latter would conceal rather than explain
topology. The legend and text preserve meaning without relying on color.

## Reproduce a starting configuration

[Download example JSON](https://100gol.com/api/experiments/004/configuration). Import it using Share & reproduce in the simulation controls. It starts paused at Step zero. Files contain rules and initial conditions, not evolved boards or manual edits. See [format, limitations and automated access](https://100gol.com/agents).