Termites
By: Dan Englender (TCPA)
Version: 1.0
Requires: Ion 1.0+ (and the Ti-83 or TI83 Plus on which it is loaded)
Size: 251/256 (83/83+)

What:
Termite is just a simple simulation of some incredebly dumb 'termites'.  All these termites do is run around carrying wood chips (aka black pixels) from spot to spot.  If a termite runs into a wood chip, and is not currently carrying a wood chip, it will pick up the chip and continue wandering.  If it runs into a wood chip, but is already carrying a chip, it will put down the chip it was carrying, and continue wandering.  They wander around rather randomly, although the outcome is not quite as random.  

Next:
When you start the program, you'll notice a brief pause, and then a bunch of random dots on the screen.  If you have already done this, you probably noticed that there was a distinct lack of movement of the screen...the dots are just sitting there.  The fact of the matter is they are not just sitting there, these chips (you're the black dots are chips, the termites themselves are invisable) are being hurried about from place to place by the termites.  However, the display only updates when you press the enter key.  Why on earth would I do a silly little thing like that?  The reason behind this is that the termites can get much more movement in if cpu time doesn't have to be wasted updating the display.  If you really want to see things happen in realtime, just hold down the enter key.  

So..:
You'll notice that as time goes on the termites, with their random movement, actually gather the chips into shapes that could be best described as piles.  Before you start complaining of the lack of piles on your screen, be warned that for all the chips to develop into one large pile (which usually does happen, eventually) it takes a *long* time.  But if you give it a minute of two, you'll definitly be able to see piles starting to form.

Blah:
In case you were wondering, there are 500 wood chips, and 50 termites.  If you like, you can change these values (and change the termites' walking patterns) by modifying a few values in the source code.  If you hadn't figured it out yet, clear quits the program.  Also, as a nifty little thing, if you hold down the del key during the pause at the beginning of the program (which is when those 500 random dots are being generated), pic1 will be loaded (if it exists) instead of a random screen.

History:
1.0 -- 
-It works, really...

Thanks: (Yeah, I gave up on four letters, ah well)
-Joe Wingbermuhle - For Ion, and for finially believing me that the bug was in Ion, not in termite.

The End


