It’s been a little quiet on the surface, so I wanted to share what’s been taking shape behind the glass.
At a high level, I’ve been reworking one of the most fundamental parts of the simulation:
Neeblies are becoming more self-directed.
Less “follow a script.”
More “decide, learn, adapt.”
This is groundwork, not a playable update yet.
You won’t see these changes in your current build—but they’re what the next major updates are being built on.
🌿 A Shift in How Neeblies Think
Until now, Neeblies mostly responded to the world in fairly predictable ways. What’s changing is where decisions come from.
Going forward:
Each Neeblie decides when something is worth thinking about
Needs aren’t simple on/off states, but competing pressures
Past experiences matter
Personal tendencies matter
The world presents situations.
Neeblies decide how (or if) to respond.
This opens the door to behavior that feels observed, not authored.
🧠 What This Makes Possible
This foundation allows Neeblies to:
React differently to the same situation
Learn from outcomes over time
Develop preferences instead of fixed routines
Pass useful behaviors to offspring
Form local patterns that persist across generations
You won’t see explicit rules like:
“Go eat now.” “Return home.”
Instead, behavior emerges from:
“Something feels off → I remember what worked → I try.”
That’s where the magic starts to happen.
🔧 What’s Actively Being Built
There are two threads of work moving together:
1. The Long-Term Model
This defines what “fully alive” Neeblies should look like:
Motivation driven by layered pressures
Short-term awareness, long-term memory
Learning through success and failure
Young Neeblies imitating successful adults
A small set of simple actions combining into complex behavior
This work sets the destination, even if not everything arrives at once.
2. The Practical Foundation
This is the version that noticeably changes the game:
Neeblies choose when to evaluate their situation
Perception, memory, learning, and imitation are now distinct systems
The world can signal changes, but Neeblies decide whether they matter
Old scaffolding and temporary systems are being removed to make room
This is the groundwork future updates will build on.
🌸 You’ll Start Noticing Subtle Things
As this rolls forward, expect small but telling shifts:
Certain beds developing familiar gathering spots
Neeblies favoring places or routines that worked before
Juveniles mirroring behaviors of thriving adults
Patterns forming naturally, not because they were defined
Even the world itself is beginning to reflect repeated Neeblie behavior in quiet ways.
🛠️ Still in Progress
There’s more to do before this fully blooms:
Rare, surprising moments driven by curiosity
Tuning how learning carries across generations
Making these behaviors readable without over-explaining
Balancing so the system feels organic, not chaotic
But the foundation is real now — not experimental.
🧭 The Direction, Simply Put
The Neeblarium is moving toward a world where behavior is discovered, not prescribed.
You won’t be told:
“This Neeblie does X.”
You’ll notice:
“That’s… interesting. They learned something.”
And that’s the line I’m building toward.
More soon.