BDPD — Be Different Play Differential¶
A computational laboratory for commons dynamics.
BDPD explores the interplay between three phenomena that shape the fate of shared resources:
- The Seneca Effect — asymmetric collapse: slow growth, fast destruction
- The Tragedy of the Commons — multi-agent resource depletion under competition
- Wealth distribution dynamics — inequality as both cause and consequence of collapse
The project has two complementary instruments:
BDPD Platform
A Node.js simulation engine with Python experiment runner. Supports heuristic agents, sandboxed JS code agents, and external LLM agents via HTTP. → Platform docs
The Forest of Humbaba
A physical card game set in ancient Mesopotamia. A playable demonstration of BDPD phenomena — commons collapse made tangible at the table. → Card game docs
Key Findings¶
| Finding | Substrate |
|---|---|
| A single aggressive agent causes near-certain commons collapse, regardless of regen rate | Platform + Cards |
| Conservative agents outperform adaptive agents in collective outcomes | Platform + Cards |
| Higher regen rates produce more unequal societies when aggressive agents are present | Platform |
| LLM agents verbalise imminent collapse risk yet continue extracting ("awareness without restraint") | Cards / LLM |
| Discontinuous phase transition: 100% → 0% gate pass between 0 and 1 aggressive agents | Platform |
Quick Start¶
# Clone the repository
git clone https://gitlab.com/bdpd/bdpd.git
cd bdpd
# Run setup (checks all requirements, creates Python venv)
./scripts/setup.sh
# Run a quick platform experiment
node main.js
# Run a card tournament (demo mode, no LLM needed)
python agents/cards_ai_play.py \
--deck1 warrior --deck2 temple \
--cards cards/cards_v03.json --demo --games 5
Publications¶
- Papers: the four-paper BDPD series — BDPD⁰ (foundational), BDPD¹ (governance), BDPD² (nested vignettes), BDPD³ (Seneca leading-indicator regulation).
- Course: The Limits of Good Will — ten-lecture mini-course (~32h student time).
- Notes & Blog: BDPD Research Notes — six dispatches written alongside the laboratory work.
- Pitch: 15-slide overview of the BDPD series (full arc ⁰→³).
Get involved¶
Browse the repository's open issues — bugs and features or the open questions and discussions. Open a new one from a template (bug, feature, or question), or email the Service Desk if you don't have a GitLab account — see the repository README for the address.
Licence¶
| Asset | Licence |
|---|---|
| Code (platform, agents, experiments) | AGPL-3.0 |
| Paper | CC BY 4.0 |
| Rules, game design | CC BY 4.0 |
| AI-generated card art | CC0 1.0 |