# GOL-005: Motive Field

Persistent motives send crowded units down a smoothed energy substrate and isolated units upward, while remembered arrows carry momentum through local ties.

[Open simulation](https://100gol.com/experiments/005) · [Directory](https://100gol.com/experiments)

## What to explore

Units should remain mobile over a meaningful substrate while every movement can
be explained from bounded local evidence. Population must be conserved, layers
must remain independently reproducible, and an apparent tie must never be
resolved by an invisible global privilege.

## Rules, update order and replay

The world is a toroidal square energy substrate with values 2–5 and a separate
unit layer whose occupied positions hold motive 1–5 plus a remembered compass
arrow. The complete 24-cell radius-two Moore count lowers motive below the low
threshold, raises it above the high threshold, and preserves it in between.
High motive seeks lower energy; low motive seeks higher energy; neutral motive
follows its arrow. Destinations are ranked by energy, Moore-energy sum, proximal
unit count, and clockwise distance from remembered direction. Proposals and
collision retries are synchronous; starting occupied positions cannot be
entered. Exact indistinguishability gives contenders equal treatment, while
legal alternatives may be retried. A successful move records its actual
direction. Replay requires energy terrain state, motives, arrows, generation,
thresholds, terrain mode/pace, dimensions, density, and both seeds. Reset
reconstructs both layers; layer-specific seed actions preserve the other layer.

## Reading the simulation

The substrate remains visible beneath motive-colored units. Inspection pauses
painting, outlines the selected unit's complete radius-two neighborhood, marks a
uniquely resolved destination, and reports energy, current and next motive,
proximal count, arrow, movement direction, intent, and blocking. Written context
states that exact unresolved local equality produces no privileged winner, so
the rule remains understandable without color.

## Reproduce a starting configuration

[Download example JSON](https://100gol.com/api/experiments/005/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).