Factoids


Factoids are small pieces of information representing what Running Reality knows of reality. The more factoids we feed it, the better the world in Running Reality actually reflects reality.

Overview

Running Reality internally represents the timeline of world events as a collection of objects which have states, transactions, data, etc. However, collecting information about world events to load into Running Reality is rarely so structured. More likely, little pieces of information are collected from a variety of sources. The information may be grouped by source because you are reading a book that references lots of information. Or you are looking at a series of maps. Or looking at a reference book that contains information on the economies of the world in 2007. Regardless, the information Running Reality needs is not going to fit into the nice rigid structure the Running Reality engine requires.

A Running Reality world is comprised of user layers, user factoids, and the baseline factoids.

Factoids are small pieces of information, each representing a "fact." Well, the information may not be fact, but Running Reality treats any such factoid as representing the best possible understanding of history. They can be created in any order, from any source.

The anatomy of a factoid

An example of a factoid (actually a small factoid group) is as follows:

List format:

On 1/1/614BC, [Assyrian Empire][Government] destroyed by [Median Empire]

XML format:

<Factoid object="Assyrian Empire" date="1/1/614BC" > [Government] destroyed by [Median Empire] </Factoid> Factoids have a state (object on a date), content (referring to data or to an event), and a fidelity (including a citation and any uncertainty in the content).

Factoids come in three types: data factoids, event factoids, and special factoids. Data factoids would be in the following formats: <Factoid object="Name" date="date" > [Relationship] has dataname = datavalue </Factoid> <Factoid object="Name" date="date" > [Relationship] is [related object name] </Factoid> <Factoid object="Name" date="date" > [Relationship] exists </Factoid> <Factoid object="Name" date="date" > [Relationship] said "quote" </Factoid> Event factoids would be in the following formats: <Factoid object="Name" date="date" > [Relationship] actionverb preposition [related object name] </Factoid> <Factoid object="Name" date="date" > [Relationship] actionverb preposition [related object name] and [related object name] </Factoid> <Factoid object="Name" date="date" > [Relationship] actionverb preposition [related object name] preposition [related object name] </Factoid> Special meta-data factoids would be in one of the following formats (with or without dates): <Factoid object="Name" > type = the full name of a type, such as City or Nation <Factoid object="Name" > altname = another spelling of this object's name <Factoid object="Name" > color = #FFFFFF

Currently handled factoids

The following factoids are enabled and being handled by the Running Reality engine. All other factoids are currently ignored by the engine. Slowly, as the engine is solidified, the list of factoids it handles will grow rapidly. Note that you can create factoids for future capabilities, but the exact format for these factoids may need to evolve a bit.

[object] type = the full, long name of a type, such as City or Nation [object] subtype = the short name of a subtype, for those types that allow subtypes (e.g. buildings) [object] altname = the alternate name of the object [object] color = #000000 hexadecimal representation of the color [object] exists [Nation][Government] established capital at [other object] [City or Nation][Government] has constitution = republic/democracy/other [City or Nation][Government] founded by [other object] [City or Nation][Government] destroyed by [other object] [City or Nation][Government][Budget] has revenues = 1000000 [City or Nation][Government][Budget] has expenditures = 1000000 [City or Nation][Government][Budget] has debt = 1000000 [City or Nation][Government][Budget][Education] has expenditures = 1000000 [City or Nation][Government][Budget][Military] has expenditures = 1000000 [City or Nation][Government][Legislature] has [City or Nation][Government][Executive] has [City or Nation][Government][Judiciary] has [City or Nation][Population] has population = 1000000 [City or Nation][Population] has density = 100/km2 [City or Nation][Population] has birth rate = 1% [City or Nation][Population] has death rate = 1% [City or Nation][Population] has growth rate = 1% [City or Nation][Population] has languages = list [City or Nation][Population] has literacy = 1% [City or Nation][Population] riot [City or Nation][Population] plague arrives [City or Nation][Economy] has gdp = 1000000 [City or Nation][Economy] has growth rate = 1% [City or Nation][Economy] has imports = 1000000 [City or Nation][Economy] has exports = 1000000 [City or Nation][Economy] has unemployment rate = 1% [City or Nation][Economy] has inflation rate = 1% [City or Nation][Economy] has labor = 1000000 [City or Nation][Territory] has area = 1000km2 [City][Territory] has location = (latitude,longitude) [Nation][Territory] has regions = (latitude,longitude) (latitude,longitude) (latitude,longitude)... [object][Location] has location = (latitude,longitude) [movable object][Location] has movement = (latitude,longitude) +1.00d (latitude,longitude)... [City][Structures] has density = 2.0x [City][Structures][Street] has route = (latitude,longitude) (latitude,longitude)... [City][Structures][Neighborhood 1] has density = 2.0x [City][Structures][Neighborhood 1] has regions = (latitude,longitude) (latitude,longitude)... [City][Structures][Neighborhood 1] has orientation = degrees clockwise from north [City][Structures][Neighborhood 1] has pattern = grid, organic, or none [City][Structures] great fire [City][Structures] earthquake [route object][Route] has route = (latitude,longitude) (latitude,longitude) (latitude,longitude)... [Building][Structure] has pattern3d = pattern [Building][Structure] has floors = 1 [Building][Structure] has height = 100m [Building][Structure] built by [other object] [Building][Structure] begin construction [Building][Structure] finish construction [Building][Structure] destroyed by [other object] [Building][Structure] retired [Building][Structure] abandoned [Building][Structure] has pattern3d = pattern [Building][Owner] is [other object] [Building][Owner] bought by [other object] [Building][Owner] sold by [other object] [Building][Tenant] is [other object] [Building][Tenant] rented by [other object] [Vehicle][Structure] has pattern3d = pattern [Vehicle][Builder] built by [other object] [Vehicle][Owner] chartered by [other object] [Vehicle][Owner] captured by [other object] [Vehicle][Owner] bought by [other object] [Vehicle][Owner] sold by [other object] [Vehicle][Captain] is [other object] [Vehicle][Captain] begin voyage known as [event name] [Vehicle][Captain] end voyage [Vehicle][Captain] is [other object] [Army][Units] has strength = 10000 soldiers/mounted/vehicles [Army][Units] has casualties = 10000 soldiers/mounted/vehicles [Army][Units] has reinforcement = 10000 soldiers/mounted/vehicles [Army][Units][10th Cavalry] has location = (latitude,longitude) [Army][Units][10th Cavalry] has movement = (latitude,longitude) +1.00d (latitude,longitude)... [Army][Units][10th Cavalry] has strength = 10000 soldiers/mounted/vehicles [Army][Units][10th Cavalry] has deployment = 100m line @ 45degrees [Army][Government] is [other object] [Army][Government] organized by [other object] [Army][Government] disbanded by [other object] [Army][Government] captured by [other object] [Army][Government] destroyed by [other object] [Army][Leader] is [other object] [Army][Engagements] battle against [other object] at (latitude,longitude) known as [event name] [War][Engagements] battle by [first object] against [other object] at (latitude,longitude) known as [event name] [Volcano][Geology] eruption has vei = 1 to 5 [Person][Family] birth to [other object] and [other object] [Person][Family] death [Person][Family] marriage to [other object] [Person][Family] divorce from [other object] [Person][Family] widowed from [other object] [Person][Belief] has religion = religion [Person][Education] has degree = [school or university][degree] [Person][Employment] has occupation = occupation [Person][Employment] begin term as [organization][title] [Person][Employment] end term as [organization][title] [Person][Employment] begin reign as [nation][title] [Person][Employment] end reign as [nation][title]