Epic: Predator-Prey Dynamics System

[and3rn3t]

Epic: Predator-Prey Dynamics System

Labels: epic, area:ecosystem, priority:high, effort:XL
Milestone: Q3 2025: Enhanced Ecosystem

Overview

Implement hunting behaviors, food chains, and ecosystem balance mechanics to create realistic predator-prey relationships.

User Stories

• As an educator, I want to show predator-prey relationships in the simulation
• As a student, I want to see realistic food chain dynamics
• As a researcher, I want to model population balance

Acceptance Criteria

• Carnivorous organisms can hunt herbivores
• Food chain hierarchy is configurable
• Population balance is maintained automatically
• Visual indicators show hunting behavior
• Energy system supports realistic metabolism

Tasks

• Create BehaviorType enum and interface extensions
• Implement hunt() method in Organism class
• Add prey detection algorithm using spatial partitioning
• Create energy system for organisms
• Add visual hunting indicators

Definition of Done

• All sub-tasks completed
• Unit tests written and passing
• Integration tests validate ecosystem balance
• Documentation updated
• Performance impact assessed