Simulation size is a parameter that allows the user to alter the max limit on how large or small their world is. This allows for more pellets and Bibites to exist in one world.
The parameters is expressed in units (u) which is the distance unit in The Bibites. As a reference, a mature bibite (with a growth of 1.0) and a genetic size of 1.0 will measure 10u.
It is to be noted that those boundaries are not enforced (except if the Automatic Void Avoidance option is enabled) and bibites are free to venture out of the designated area, but developments outside of the bounds are limited by the fact that no food will grow there.
The total amount of energy in the simulation can be calculated using this formula:
TE = Biomass Density * Simulation Size2
Impact on the Simulation[]
Simulation size does in fact have a significative impact on how Bibites evolve, but a smaller world size may create an effect similar to Fosters' rule (also known as the Island effect). This small world-size could in theory limit resources such as pellets, which in turn may force Bibites into becoming smaller and a lower overall population size due to the selective pressures at hand. Bibites may resort to cannibalism as a way of countering overpopulation.
However, Simulation size has a direct effect on the genetic diversity across the bibite population. A bigger size allows for more possibilities of isolation and thus divergent evolution.
This is one of the settings which has the biggest impact on the simulation performances since the simulation size is squarely correlated to the amount of pellet and bibites that will be existing. Doubling this parameter will approximately quadruple the accessible simulation area and subsequently the number of entities (and thus quadruple the load on the machine).
Recommendations[]
It is recommended to start with a low value and gradually work your way up to test what your machine is capable of handling.
Starting with too high a value could cause serious problems.