User:Goldenratio/OCA

In my old days, I used to investigate OCA. Despite what I said before, OCA is quite nice for CA newcomers - the skill requirement is much lower compared to CGOL, rulegolfing is fun, and there's nothing quite like seeing a new oblique ship pop up in an apgsearch haul. Let's recap on my best OCA discoveries, from July 2020 up to early 2021.

Essentially all of these discoveries are in isotropic non-totalistic rules (INT). It's not that I wasn't interested in other rules - it's just that I didn't bother to learn notation for ruletables/LTL/etc, and making patterns in rules with many states is quite cumbersome in my opinion. The only exception appears to be wwei23's Symbiosis, which will not be covered here as I don't think it deserves a spot.

Without further ado, let's begin. We start in late July 2020, when the Speed Demonoid and 17-glider RCT didn't exist yet, and the Sandbox on the forums was still in a state of relative calamity...

July 2020

VesselLife

See User:Goldenratio/VesselLife (incomplete). VesselLife is probably my rule with the greatest traction among the community (though it's effectively dead as of late 2021, something which inevitably happens to almost all INT OCA rules), and coincidentally it's also one of my first (I found a few discoveries in other rules before I joined the forums on July 26th, which are now lost.)

B3-q4jk5ek/S236ci7e

Pattern collection I made back when I found the rule. Other than the rake, the star is undoubtedly the tiny T ship reflector:

x=64, y = 38, rule = B3-q4jk5ek/S236ci7e 3$29b3o12b4o$22bo5bo2bo11bo4bo$2bo9b3o6b3o7bo11bo4bo$b3o8bo8b3o7bo12b 4o$bo11bo16bo10$16b2o$16b2o$23b2o8b2o$22b3o7b3o$23b2o8b2o8$58b2o$58b2o 3$59b2o$58bo2bo$59b2ob2o$59b2ob2o$61bo![[ THEME 6 GRID THUMBNAIL THUMBSIZE 2 HEIGHT 500 WIDTH 700 ]]

August 2020

B3-cky4i/S2-k3-k4i5aen6k (StarryNight)

The other rule I found with a forum thread, which unfortunately died pretty quickly.

Catagolue

thread

x = 369, y = 40, rule = B3-cky4i/S2-k3-k4i5aen6k 3$211b3o16b3o71b6o$211b3o16b3o$211b3o16b3o4$205b3o28b3o$179bo25b3o28b 3o$178b2o25b3o28b3o$111bo67bo174b2o$56bo14bo39bo182bo59b2o$55bobo3bo4b o3bobo36bo3bo50b3o98bo28bo$37b2o17bo4bo4bo4bo37b5o51bo99b2o27bo$36b4o 21b6o42b5o151bo28bo$9b2o6b2o275bo69b2o$8b3o6b3o16b4o71bo182bo69b2o$9b 2o6b2o17bo2bo16b3o10b3o13bo2b3o13b3o3b3o3b3o206bo$6bo14bo10bob2o4b2obo 14bo10bo13b2o5bob2o11b2o2bobobo2b2o207bo$5bo2bo2bo4bo2bo2bo8b2obo6bob 2o13bo10bo12b2o9b2o7b2ob2ob3ob3ob2ob2o9bo5b8o5bo175bo31bo$5bo2bo2bo4bo 2bo2bo8b2obo6bob2o13bo10bo13b2obo5b2o11b2o2bobobo2b2o11bobo4bob4obo4bo bo174bo31bo$6bo14bo10bob2o4b2obo14bo10bo16b3o2bo12b3o3b3o3b3o11bo5b8o 5bo175bo31bo$9b2o6b2o17bo2bo16b3o10b3o39bo70bo142bo31bo$8b3o6b3o16b4o 141b3o86bo86bo$9b2o6b2o90b5o155b2o86bo$36b4o21b6o42b5o54bo101bo$37b2o 17bo4bo4bo4bo37bo3bo54b2o35b3o28b3o$55bobo3bo4bo3bobo38bo56bo36b3o28b 3o$56bo14bo39bo93b3o28b3o4$211b3o16b3o77b6o$211b3o16b3o$211b3o16b3o! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] High period oscillators (p14, p14, p15, p18, p30, p37, p49, p66, p122, p128, p280), low period is not interesting (click above to open LifeViewer)

x = 288, y = 58, rule = B3-cky4i/S2-k3-k4i5aen6k 188bo3bo$187b3ob3o65bo7bo$188b2ob2o65b3o5b3o$258bobo2bo2bobo$257b2obob 3obob2o$260bobobobo$186bo2bobo2bo65bo2bo2bo$185b2obobobob2o63b2o5b2o$ 184b2o2bo3bo2b2o14bo3bo45bo3bo$186b9o15b7o42bo2b3o2bo$188b5o16bo3bo3bo 40b4o3b4o$58bo3bo147bobobobo41b2obobobob2o$57b3ob3o199bo$58b2ob2o123b 3o3b3o17bobo47bobo$186bo7bo16bobobo45bo3bo$95bo3bo85b2o2bobo2b2o16b3o 46bo3bo$94b7o84b2obo3bob2o64bo5bo$56bo2bobo2bo28bo3bo3bo87b3o18b2o3b2o 43b2o3b2o$55b2obobobob2o27b2obobob2o83bo4bo4bo14b2o3b2o$54b2o2bo3bo2b 2o26bo7bo86bo3bo18b5o43bo7bo11b3ob3o$56b9o119bob2o5b2obo14bobobo41b3o 7b3o8bobo3bobo$32bo11bo13b5o29b2o7b2o81bo11bo38bo2bo18b3o7b3o8bo7bo$ 31b3o9b3o46b2o3bo3b2o81bobo7bobo13b2o3b2o16b2ob2ob2o38bo5bo$31bobo2bo 3bo2bobo14bo30b2o3bobo3b2o10bo8bo61bo9bo14b2o3b2o15bo8bo40bo$30b2obob 2obob2obob2o12b3o31bobo3bobo12bo8bo87b2o18b4o4b4o15b3o5b3o$33bobob3obo bo47bo2b2obob2o2bo9bobo6bobo60b4o3b4o14bo22bo6bo19bo5bo10b3ob3ob3o$33b o3bobo3bo49bobobobobo36bo46bo9bo14b2o20bo8bo16bobob3obobo8bo2bo3bo2bo$ 3o14bo3bo10b2o9b2o13bo3bo27b2obobo3bobob2o11bo4bo15bobo22b3o44bo2bo19b ob2o2b2obo18bobobobo10bob3ob3obo$o15b3ob3o9b3obo3bob3o14b3o13b3ob3o11b o2b3o2bo14b2o2b2o39bobobo20b2o5b2o18bo18bo8bo17b2obobob2o14bo$bo15b2ob 2o15b3o34bobobobobo14bo15b12o12b3o21b2ob2o21b2o3b2o20bo45bobobobo$33bo 9bo15b3o13bo2bo2bo10bo4bo4bo9bo5b2o5bo35bobobo21b2o3b2o17bobo16b2o10b 2o15b2obobob2o$59b3o30b2ob2ob2ob2o9b3o8b3o36b3o22b7o16b2o2bo45bobobobo 14b3o$37bobo18bo3bo28bobob5obobo8b2o10b2o9b2o3b2o44bo7bo15b3obobo13b2o 10b2o15b2obobob2o$33b5ob5o14b5o34bo14b2o10b2o9bo2bo2bo43bo9bo18bo45bob obobo$31b2o2bo5bo2b2o44b2o2b3ob3o2b2o8bo10bo12b3o45bo9bo14bobo3b2o12b 2o10b2o15b2obobob2o$31bo3b3ob3o3bo13bobo50bo12bo33b2o25b2o5b2o65bobobo bo14b3o$33bo3b3o3bo14bobobo27b2o11b2o7b2o10b2o33b2o24bobo5bobo13b2o5b 2o12b2o10b2o15b2obobob2o$30b2o5bobo5b2o11bo3bo49b2o10b2o64bo69bobobobo $91b5o3b5o80b2o9b2o12b2o5b2o12b2o10b2o15b2obobob2o$37bobo18b2ob2o29b4o 3b4o157bobobobo14b3o$92bo2bo3bo2bo81b2o9b2o12b2o5b2o12b2o10b2o15b2obob ob2o$59b3o198bobobobo$59b3o34b3o85b2o9b2o12b2o5b2o12b2o10b2o15b2obobob 2o$58bo3bo32bo3bo160bobobobo14b3o$58bo3bo33b3o85b2o9b2o12b2o5b2o12b2o 10b2o15b2obobob2o$58bo3bo197bobobobo$58bo3bo34bo86b2o9b2o12b2o5b2o12b 2o10b2o15b2obobob2o$95b2ob2o160bobobobo14b3o$59bobo34b3o85b2o9b2o12b2o 5b2o12b2o10b2o15b2obobob2o$58b5o33bobo161bob3obo$58bobobo121b2o9b2o12b 2o5b2o12b2o10b2o16bo5bo$258bob7obo12b3o$184b2o9b2o12b2o5b2o12b2o10b2o 14b4o3b4o$261b5o$184b2o9b2o12b2o5b2o12b2o10b2o12b3o9b3o$256bobo4bo4bob o10b3o$182bobo11bobo8bobo7bobo8bobo12bobo16bobo$182b2o13b2o8b2o9b2o8b 2o14b2o17bo! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] Spaceships (c/4d, 2c/4, 3c/6, 4c/8, c/3, 2c/6, c/4, 5c/20) and wickstretchers/puffer (2c/4, c/3, c/5, 2c/4, 4c/8) (click above to open LifeViewer)

x = 65, y = 20, rule = B3-cky4i/S2-k3-k4i5aen6k 12bo$13b2o$13bo$11bo3bo$10b3ob3o2bo2bo$11bo3bo44bo$13bo31bo14bo$12b2o 30b3o13bo$14bo29bobo10b3ob3o$42b2o3b2o11bo$41b2o5b2o10bo$3b3o36b2o3b2o 11bo$2bo2bo38bobo$2bo2bo38b3o$bo5bo37bo17b2o$obo3bobo54b2o$bo5bo33b2o$ 3bo2bo34b2o$3bo2bo$3b3o! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] p18 gun and 2c/52 backrake (for more guns/rakes, see thread.) These are two of the few patterns on this page not discovered by me - in this case AbhpzTa and FWKnightship. (click above to open LifeViewer)

B35e/S2-i34q6c (GMO tlife)

Only 2 transitions (both additions) to tlife. So called because the c/5 T ship is replaced with a different 2c/5 ship (the same one you saw in B3-q4jk5ek/S236ci7e above.)

Catagolue

Main objects (glider, ant, T, 4c/54 ship, p64 OMOS):

x=50, y = 10, rule = B35e/S2-i34q6c 27bobobobo$27b2o3b2o$27bobobobo2$10b2o4bo30bo$9b2o4b3o28b3o$3o5bo6b3o 27b2ob2o$o8b2o$bo22b2ob2o3b2ob2o$24b2ob2o3b2ob2o! #C [[ THEME 6 THUMBNAIL THUMBSIZE 2 ]]

20c/370d and 34c/1518d natural diagonal puffers:

x=140, y = 16, rule = B35e/S2-i34q6c 2b3ob4ob5o113b2ob6obo$bobo3bob4ob2o112bob3ob3obo$2ob2obo2b2o2bobo109bo 3b2o3bo2b2o$4b2o5b3obo111b3obo2b2o2b2o$b3obob3o2bo2bo109b3o2b6obobo$2o 3bobo4bobo109bo2b6o2b2o2bo$7bo2bob2obo110b2o3b2o2b3o$3bobo5bo3bo108b2o 4b4o3b2o$4obo4b5o113bobobo2b2o2bo$b2ob4o2bo2b2o109b5o3bo3b3o$bob4obo4b 2o110b4ob3o2bo3bo$2o4bo2bobo2b2o108b4ob4o2b4o$3b7o3b2o109b3obo2bo4bo$o bobo6b3obo112bo3bo4bobo$2o2b2o3bo4bo111b2o2bo7bo$o2bo5bo2bo2bo108b2o2b 2o2b2o3bo! #C [[ THEME 6 THUMBNAIL THUMBSIZE 2 HEIGHT 400 WIDTH 600 ]]

B2n3-q5y6c7/S23-k (DryVesselLife)

In August 2020, there was also a trend to investigate "dry" variants (+B7) of rules. The "dry" version of VesselLife is far from dry of patterns, however. It has seven natural simplified spaceship speeds, including a puffer and a knightship:

x = 97, y = 15, rule = B2n3-q5y6c7/S23-k 11b2obo$11b2o2bo$13bo2bo$12b2o2bo$12b2ob2o20bo32b3o4b3o$36b3o31bobo4bo bo$35bo3bo15bo3bo9bo3bo2bo3bo8b2o$4b2o29b5o14b3ob3o9bobo4bobo9b2o4b2o$ 5bobo29bo18bobo12bo6bo17bo$5bobo29bo18bobo34b3o$6b2o28bobo16b2ob2o33b 3o$36bobo35b2o$bo72b2o$2o$obo! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] The seven natural velocities (c/4d, c/22d, (2,1)c/44, 6c/17 puffer, 2c/6, 2c/10, 2c/22) (click above to open LifeViewer)

x = 201, y = 35, rule = B2n3-q5y6c7/S23-k 172b2o19b2o$172b2o19b2o$133b3o$47b3o10b3o59bo23bo$10bo3bo31b2obo10bob 2o57bobo9bobo9bobo$10bo3bo32b3o10b3o59b2o9bobo9b2o$10bo3bo151b2o10bo9b o10b2o$10bo3bo118b3o30b2o9b2o9b2o9b2o$10bo3bo27bo24bo66bo43bo9bo$41b3o 22b3o$8bo7bo24bobo22bobo$7bobo5bobo23b3o22b3o104bo19bo$6bo2bo5bo2bo75b 2ob2o73b3o17b3o$7b2o7b2o75bo5bo$5o15b5o69bobobo$94bo3bo21bob2obo17bob 2obo$95b3o22bo4b2o15b2o4bo$120bob2obo17bob2obo$5o15b5o$7b2o7b2o$6bo2bo 5bo2bo73b2o5b2o$7bobo5bobo74b2o5b2o$8bo7bo24b3o22b3o103b3o17b3o$41bobo 22bobo104bo19bo$10bo3bo26b3o22b3o65bo$10bo3bo27bo24bo65b3o$10bo3bo163b o9bo$10bo3bo107b2o9bobo9b2o19b2o9b2o9b2o9b2o$10bo3bo32b3o10b3o58bobo9b obo9bobo18b2o10bo9bo10b2o$46b2obo10bob2o58bo23bo$47b3o10b3o70b3o3$172b 2o19b2o$172b2o19b2o! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] Some interesting oscillators not present in ordinary VesselLife (p11, p20, p27, p55, p119) (click above to open LifeViewer)

x = 10, y = 15, rule = B2n3-q5y6c7/S23-k 4bo$3bobo$4bobo$4bob2o$7b2o$6bob2o$7b2o7$2o$2o! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] An amusing eater for the knightship (click above to open LifeViewer)

Catagolue

Much later, yujh would use variants of DryVesselLife to achieve rules with even greater numbers of natural speeds (see this rule for example).

Other miscellaneous discoveries

Other discoveries that aren't in rules covered above. These rules haven't been investigated much.

x = 4, y = 3, rule = B34jk6n/S23-y4iy8 b3o$o2bo$2obo! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] 10c/20 direct MWSS rake in an explosive rule (rule: B34jk6n/S23-y4iy8) (click above to open LifeViewer)

x = 5, y = 7, rule = B2n3-cq4e5y6c7c/S23-k 2o$2o3$3bo$3b2o$3bo! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] p696 statorless gun (engine period 232 with period tripling reaction), was in my signature for some time (rule: B2n3-cq4e5y6c7c/S23-k) (click above to open LifeViewer)

x = 3, y = 3, rule = B3-cn5jy/S2-n3-y4i 2bo$b2o$2o! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] A rule in which HWSSs are very common because of this predecessor (rule: B3-cn5jy/S2-n3-y4i) (click above to open LifeViewer)

September 2020

LeapLife

I ran a random glider search, resulting in these syntheses (quadpole, random p3, random p4, another random 4, mold, nontrivial p42)

x=117, y = 74, rule = B2n3/S23-q 52bo$53bo$51b3o19bo$obo69bo16bo$b2o69b3o15b2o$bo87b2o4bobo$96b2o$96bo 7$11bo58b2o$12bo56b2o$10b3o58bo4$12bo91b3o$12b2o90bo$11bobo27b2o62bo$ 42b2o$41bo69b2o$110b2o$112bo3$27bo$26b2o$26bobo6$63bobo$63b2o$64bo26bo bo$92b2o$92bo6$63bobo$63b2o$64bo3$32bo59bo$30b2o61bo$31b2o33b2o23b3o$ 66bobo$9bo56bo$10b2o$9b2o$101b2o$101bobo$21bo79bo$20b2o$20bobo3$15b3o$ 15bo$16bo87bo$103b2o$53b2o48bobo$44b2o6bobo59b3o$43bobo8bo59bo$45bo69b o! #C [[ THEME 6 THUMBNAIL THUMBSIZE 2 HEIGHT 500 WIDTH 700 ]]

Chunky SL rule

A fun rule (B3-e5a/S2-n3-q4w5i), unfortunately it's pretty boring outside of these objects:

x=55, y = 9, rule = B3-e5a/S2-n3-q4w5i 49b6o$16b5o12b6o2$6o3$16b5o$33b6o$49b6o! #C [[ THEME 6 THUMBNAIL THUMBSIZE 2 HEIGHT 500 WIDTH 700 ]]

(Is that it? Looks like I wasn't very active in September 2020, almost definitely because of school)

October 2020

Another trend in the second half of 2020 was "mirror" rules. AFAIK it is unknown who discovered the tiny reflector -

x=7, y = 7, rule = B3-kq4j/S23 5bo$4bo$4b3o3$2o$2o! #C [[ THEME 6 THUMBNAIL THUMBSIZE 4 ]]

- there's a forum post about the simplest rule supporting it (B3-kq4j/S23, aka MirrorLife) dating back to February 2016 (before Golly even natively supported isotropic non-totalistic rules). It's quite possible that it was rediscovered many times in the years since.

B3-kq4j5r67/S2-i34q6ak7c

The most well-explored rule during the resurgence of mirror rules was MirrorTLife (B3-kq4j/S2-i34q), which combined the classic MirrorLife with the c/5 T ship of the venerable tlife. I didn't contribute too much to that rule (just a few syntheses) but did find a variant, which I considered pretty interesting:

x=52, y = 38, rule = B3-kq4j5r67/S2-i34q6ak7c bo13bo33bo$3o11bobo31bobo$obo11b3o30b2ob2o$3o12bo31b2ob2o$47b2ob2o$31b 2o15bobo$30b2o17bo$15bo13b2o$14b2o13bo$14bo24$3bo17b5o$2b2o17b2ob2o$b 2o20bo$2b2o17b2ob2o$3bo17b5o! #C [[ THEME 6 THUMBNAIL THUMBSIZE 2 HEIGHT 500 WIDTH 700 ]]

(2c/6, 16c/48, 3c/21d, reaction producing two 15c/49s, p54, p60 which is just two p54s colliding)

These new objects are in addition to the standard MirrorTLife fodder (the T, reflector, and T-to-G).

B2i3-kq4j5y7/S2-i34centw5e (Hundredmirrorlife)

Another section on someone else (Moosey)'s rule! This rule was also a MirrorLife variant.

The main thing here was spaceship syntheses:

x=184, y = 148, rule = B2i3-kq4j5y7/S2-i34centw5e 163bobo$163b2o$164bo2$152bo$150bobo$151b2o13bo$166bobo$166b2o2$154bo8b o$155b2o6bobo$154b2o7b2o$75bo$74bobo39bo$74b2o2b2o36bobo57bo$61b2o3b2o 10b2o36b2o57bo$61b2o3b2o107b3o$135b2o35bo10bo$135bo24b2o9bo9b2o$112b2o 22bo23bo10b3o8b2o$112b2o23bobo21bo$55b2o7bo7b2o64b2o22bobo$55b2o6bobo 6b2o89b2o$19bo42bobobo$19bobo39bobobobo$15b2o2b2o41bobobo$14b2o39b2o6b obo6b2o30b3o65bo$16bo38b2o7bo7b2o32bo64b2o$6bo98bo65bobo$4bobo122bo$5b 2o121bobo46b3o$128b2o47bo$b2o58b2o3b2o110bo$obo58b2o3b2o$2bo71bo$73b2o $73bobo2$134b3o$134bo$135bo36$43b2o$42bobo$44bo9$92bo$90bobo$91b2o12$ 14bo$15bo$13b3o4$37bo$37bobo$37b2o$109bo$108bo$108b3o$118bo$118bobo$ 108b2o8b2o$109b2o$108bo4$115b3o$117bo$116bo2$13bo$13b2o$12bobo2$33bo$ 32b2o$32bobo2$75b3o$77bo$76bo9$142b2o$142bobo$142bo! #C [[ THEME 6 THUMBNAIL THUMBSIZE 2 HEIGHT 500 WIDTH 700 ]]

(19G 2c/44d, 4G c/6o, 7G 2c/8o later reduced here to 6G)

November 2020

B2n36-an/S23-kq5r7e8

A LeapLife relative I found when trying to combine VesselLife with LeapLife. It has many natural spaceships, including two knightships:

x=109, y = 11, rule = B2n36-an/S23-kq5r7e8 39b3o52bo$27bo12bo24bo16b3o8bobo$26b2o10bo25b3o6b3o6bo2bo6b2ob2o10b2o$ 26bobo10bo13b2o8bo3bo5bo2bo5bo9bo3bo8bo2bo$18bo20bo12bo2bo7b5o5bo8bo3b o5b2ob2o8bo2bo$17b2o11b2o21b3o7b5o5bo8bo9b2ob2o8bobo$4bo12bobo10bobo 29b2o3b2o5bobo6bobo7b3o$2bobo26bo62bo$b2obo2$3o! #C [[ THEME 6 THUMBNAIL THUMBSIZE 2 HEIGHT 500 WIDTH 700 ]]

(5c/26d, c/4d, c/4d wickstretcher, (2,1)c/8, (2,1)c/29 c/2, 2c/4, 13c/38, 2c/14)