Creature Behavior

They do not think in words. They think in needs. Hungry-toward-food. Afraid-away-from-threat. Simple thoughts that build complex lives.

— Eden

Creatures in Eden make decisions through behavior trees—structured decision processes that evaluate conditions and choose actions. This creates intelligent-seeming behavior from simple rules.

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How Behavior Works

The Behavior Tree

Creatures use behavior trees to decide what to do:

Root: What should I do?
├── Am I in danger? → Flee
├── Am I dying of thirst? → Find water
├── Am I dying of hunger? → Find food
├── Am I exhausted? → Rest
└── Nothing urgent? → Wander/Explore

Each branch is checked in priority order. The first condition that matches triggers that behavior.

Continuous Evaluation

This isn't a one-time decision:

• Checks happen constantly
• New information changes behavior
• Creatures can interrupt actions
• Priorities shift as needs change

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Core Behaviors

🏃 Fleeing

When danger is detected:

1. Trigger: Threat perceived (sight, sound, smell)
2. Action: Move away from threat
3. Speed: Maximum available
4. Duration: Until threat no longer detected
5. Cost: High stamina drain

Fleeing overrides everything else. A starving creature still flees predators.

💧 Finding Water

When thirst is critical:

1. Trigger: Thirst below critical threshold
2. Search: Look for known water sources
3. If found: Move toward water
4. If not found: Search randomly
5. On arrival: Drink until satisfied

🍖 Finding Food

When hunger is critical:

1. Trigger: Hunger below critical threshold
2. Search: Look for food (type depends on diet)
3. Approach: Move toward food source
4. Consume: Eat until hunger satisfied
5. Special: Predators must hunt (more complex)

😴 Resting

When stamina is depleted:

1. Trigger: Stamina below threshold
2. Find safety: Prefer sheltered locations
3. Rest: Stop moving, regenerate
4. Duration: Until stamina recovered
5. Risk: Vulnerable while resting

🚶 Wandering

When all needs are met:

1. Trigger: No urgent needs
2. Behavior: Random movement, exploration
3. Purpose: Discover new resources
4. Style: Varies by creature type

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Hunting Behavior (Predators)

Predators have more complex food-finding:

The Hunt Sequence

1. Detection: Sense potential prey
2. Stalking: Approach carefully
3. Pursuit: Chase when close enough
4. Capture: Catch and kill prey
5. Consumption: Eat to satisfy hunger

What Affects Success

Factor	Effect
Speed	Can predator catch prey?
Stamina	Can predator sustain chase?
Prey awareness	Did prey detect predator?
Distance	Closer start = higher success

The chase is not cruelty. It is negotiation. One needs to eat. One needs to live. The faster truth wins.

— Eden

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Social Behaviors

Herding

Some creatures prefer company:

• Stay near others: Move toward group members
• Share alerts: When one detects threat, others respond
• Follow leaders: Move with established patterns
• Compete: For food, mates, safety positions

Colony Behavior (Bees)

Bees have specialized behaviors:

• Foraging: Search for flowers, collect nectar
• Returning: Bring food back to hive
• Communication: Share food source locations
• Defense: Protect hive from threats

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Memory and Learning

Creatures remember and use information:

What They Remember

• Water locations: Where they've drunk before
• Food sources: Where food was found
• Dangers: Where threats were detected
• Safe areas: Where they rested undisturbed

How Memory Affects Behavior

Thirsty → Check memory → Known water source?
├── Yes → Go directly there
└── No → Search randomly

This makes experienced creatures more efficient survivors.

Memory Limits

• Short-term: Recent events (fade quickly)
• Long-term: Important events (stay longer)
• Capacity: Can only remember so much
• Decay: Old memories fade unless refreshed

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Behavior Priorities

When multiple needs compete:

Priority Order

1. Immediate survival (fleeing danger)
2. Thirst (faster fatal)
3. Hunger (slower fatal)
4. Stamina (affects everything)
5. Other (social, exploration)

Conflicts

Sometimes priorities conflict:

• Water is near a predator
• Need to rest but also hungry
• Food is far away, stamina is low

Creatures make trade-off decisions based on urgency.

Watch the deer at the water's edge. It drinks quickly, head rising to check for danger. Every sip is a calculation.

— Eden

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Environmental Response

Behavior changes with conditions:

Weather Response

Condition	Behavioral Change
Rain	May seek shelter, easier water
Heat	More thirst, seek shade
Cold	Higher energy needs, less movement
Storm	Shelter behavior activated

Time of Day

Time	Typical Behavior
Dawn	Drink, then forage
Day	Active hunting/foraging
Dusk	Return to safe areas
Night	Rest (for diurnal creatures)

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Observing Behavior

As a Witness, behavior tells stories:

What to Watch

• Patterns: Regular behaviors reveal habits
• Breaks: When patterns break, something changed
• Decisions: Watch choice points unfold
• Consequences: See outcomes of decisions

Following a Hunt

1. Predator detects prey (behavior shift)
2. Stalking begins (slow, careful movement)
3. Prey may or may not detect (tension)
4. Chase begins (if detected)
5. Outcome (catch or escape)

Following Survival

1. Creature shows hunger behavior
2. Searches for food
3. May encounter competition
4. Eats or fails to eat
5. Health consequences follow

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Behavior Emergence

Complex behavior emerges from simple rules:

Example: Migration

No creature is programmed to "migrate." But:

1. Resources deplete in an area
2. Creatures search further for food/water
3. Some find better areas
4. Others follow
5. "Migration" happens

Example: Territory

No creature is programmed for "territory." But:

1. Creatures return to successful areas
2. Compete with others who do the same
3. Some consistently win in certain areas
4. Pattern looks like territory

This is the beauty of emergence—complexity from simplicity.

They have no word for home. But watch them long enough, and you will see them going home anyway.

— Eden

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Continue learning:

→ Perception
→ Being a Witness
→ Following Wanderers