Assuming the existence of 1xn spaceships, the existence of 2xn spaceships is trivial.
But 2xn spaceships are interesting for practical reasons, mainly on its length, as they could be much shorter.
It's mostly because of non-destructive reading, i.e. using a bunch of *WSSes to read a 2xn tape of blocks while moving them without destruction:
Code: Select all
x = 54, y = 23, rule = LifeHistory
.6A$A5.A$6.A$A4.A$2.2A2$41.6A$40.A5.A$46.A$40.A4.A$42.2A2$52.2C$52.2C
3$10.A$8.A3.A30.5A$13.A22.A5.A4.A$8.A4.A20.A3.A8.A$9.5A25.A2.A3.A$34.
A4.A4.A$35.5A!
Code: Select all
x = 21, y = 3, rule = B3/S23
2bo$obo3b3o2b2o6b2o$b2o8b2o6b2o!
#C [[ STOP 11 ]]
Code: Select all
x = 187, y = 91, rule = B3/S23
2o$2b3ob3ob3ob3ob3o2b3o3b2ob2o2b3o22b2o3b2ob2o2b2o3b3o4b2o2b2o7b3o3b2o
3b2o3b2o3b2o2b3o3b2o3b3o3b2o7b2o9b3o2b2o3b2o12b3o$2o27b2ob2o6b3o2b3ob
3o2b3o4b2o3b2ob2o2b2o10b2o2b2o3b3o7b2o3b2o3b2o3b2o8b2o9b2o2b3o2b2o3b3o
8b2o3b2o3b3o2b3o86$2o$2b3ob3ob3ob3ob3o2b2o9b2ob2o2b2o7b2ob2o11b3o13b2o
3b3o2b2o2b2ob2o3b2o3b3o8b2o2b2o14b2o10b2o3b3o2b2o3b2ob2o3b2o$2o21b2o4b
3o2b2ob2o2b2o2b3o2b2ob2o2b3ob3o7b3ob3o4b2o8b2o2b2ob2o3b2o7b3o4b2o2b2o
2b3o3b3o3b2o3b3o4b2o8b2o3b2ob2o3b2o!
1. Which design can take full advantage of the doubled thickness? Notice that the whole spaceship don't have to move in the direction that it points, it could even travel obliquely.
2. Must the *WSS generators be transparent? In other words, is it possible to employ non-transparent generators?
3. How much construction power does a slow salvo of *WSS have? The signal types in it may be severely restricted (e.g. the whole salvo consists only the two types of signals above).
4. How can a bunch of spaceships read a tape, while returning *WSSes with full construction power, which is encoded on the tape?
Minor questions:
1. Could snakes play any role in the tape? So far, my *WSS emitter search is restricted on blinkers and blocks.
2. Develop 2xn clean fuses which can burn at any given speed, used for timing.
EDIT: Found a new emitter:
Code: Select all
x = 181, y = 3, rule = B3/S23
2o$2b3ob3ob3ob3ob3o2b3o3b2o3b2o3b3o6b2o7b2o9b2o2b2o2b2o11b3o3b2o13b2o
8b2o2b2o3b3o14b2o2b2ob2o8b2ob2o3b2o3b2ob2o$2o27b2o3b2o7b3o2b2o2b3o2b2o
3b3o3b2o2b2o2b2o3b3ob3o7b2o4b3ob3o2b2o3b3o2b2o2b2o7b3o3b3o4b2o2b2ob2o
3b3o2b2ob2o3b2o3b2ob2o!
Code: Select all
x = 180, y = 3, rule = B3/S23
2o$2b3ob3ob3ob3ob3o2b3o8b2o2b2ob2o3b3o2b2o2b2o8b3o8b2o8b3o2b2o7b2o21b
2o2b3ob3o2b2ob2o3b2o2b2o12b2o7b2o4b3o$2o25b3o4b2o2b2ob2o8b2o2b2o4b3o5b
3o4b2o2b3o8b2o2b3o2b2o2b3ob3o2b3o2b3o2b2o11b2ob2o3b2o2b2o2b3ob3o3b2o2b
3o2b2o!