Maybe this replicator based 2-engine puffer could lead to a small (3-engine) ship:
Code: Select all
x = 40, y = 87, rule = B2ein3cijn4cnrwy5cnq6e/S1c2-ai3acny4anqy5c6ek8
6$9b3o$7b2o3b2o$7b7o11$29b3o$27b3ob3o$27b2o3b2o$7b7o13b7o$7b2o3b2o13b
2o3b2o$9b3o17b3o6$12b3o$11b2ob2o$11bo3bo$11b2ob2o$13bo15b3o$27b2o3b2o$
14bo12b7o$27b2o3b2o$13b2o12b3ob3o$13b3o13b3o$14b2o3$29b3o$27b3ob3o$27b
2o3b2o$27b7o$27b2o3b2o$29b3o$21b2o$14b3o4b2o$13bo2bo4b2o$16bo2b4o$16b
3ob2o$15b5o4$29b3o$27b2o3b2o$27b7o$16b2o9b2o3b2o$16b2o9b3ob3o$29b3o3$
29b2o$29b2o7$18bo$17bo15b2o$18bo14b2o$17bo4$26b2o$26b2o!
This block puffer is close:
Code: Select all
x = 63, y = 97, rule = B2ein3cijn4cnrwy5cnq6e/S1c2-ai3acny4anqy5c6ek8
$10bo5bo$9bo7bo$9bobo3bobo$9bo7bo$10bo5bo8$10bo5bo$9bo7bo$9bobo3bobo
11bo7bo$9bo7bo10bo9bo$10bo5bo11bo9bo$28bo9bo$29bo7bo8$29bo7bo$28bo9bo$
28bo9bo$16b2obo8bo9bo$16bob2o9bo7bo12$19b2o$19b2o4$32b2o$32b2o8$19bob
2o13b2o$19b2obo13b2o$53bo3bo$54bobo$53bo3bo$54b3o$29b2o$29b2o10$38bobo
13b3o$38b2o13bo3bo$54bobo$53bo3bo2$26b2o$26b2o7$29b2o$29b2o3$31b2o$31b
2o$31bo!
Edit1:
The block puffer can be burned by a replicator in such a way that the chain is displaced.
Code: Select all
x = 75, y = 266, rule = B2ein3cijn4cnrwy5cnq6e/S1c2-ai3acny4anqy5c6ek8
7$49b2o$49b2o23$49b2o$49b2o23$49b2o$49b2o23$49b2o$49b2o23$49b2o$49b2o
23$49b2o$49b2o23$49b2o$49b2o23$49b2o$49b2o23$49b2o$49b2o20$36b3o$34b2o
3b2o$34b7o$49b2o$49b2o12$34b7o$34b2o3b2o$36b3o14$48b2o$48b2o!
Thus, a single replicator signal can travel (without being a replicator).
This makes As:
Code: Select all
x = 27, y = 159, rule = B2ein3cijn4cnrwy5cnq6e/S1c2-ai3acny4anqy5c6ek8
9$17b2o$17b2o23$17b2o$17b2o23$17b2o$17b2o23$17b2o$17b2o23$17b2o$17b2o
23$17b2o$17b2o20$2b2o3b2o$3bo3bo2$2bo5bo8b2o$3b2ob2o9b2o$4b3o$2b3ob3o$
2b2o3b2o!
and the corresponding rake:
Code: Select all
x = 68, y = 158, rule = B2ein3cijn4cnrwy5cnq6e/S1c2-ai3acny4anqy5c6ek8
44$11b3o$9b2o3b2o$9b7o11$31b3o$29b3ob3o$29b2o3b2o$9b7o13b7o$9b2o3b2o
13b2o3b2o$11b3o17b3o6$14b3o$13b2ob2o$13bo3bo$13b2ob2o$15bo15b3o$29b2o
3b2o$16bo12b7o$29b2o3b2o$15b2o12b3ob3o$15b3o13b3o$16b2o3$31b3o$29b3ob
3o$29b2o3b2o$29b7o$29b2o3b2o$31b3o$23b2o$16b3o4b2o$15bo2bo4b2o$18bo2b
4o$18b3ob2o$17b5o4$31b3o$29b2o3b2o$29b7o$18b2o9b2o3b2o$18b2o9b3ob3o$
31b3o3$31b2o$31b2o2$49b2o7b2o$48bo2bo5bo2bo2$46bo7bo7bo$45bo2bo2bo5bo
2bo2bo$20bo24bo7bobo7bo$19bo15b2o8bo2bo2bo5bo2bo2bo$20bo14b2o9bo7bo7bo
$19bo$48bo2bo5bo2bo$49b2o7b2o2$28b2o$28b2o2$11bo3bo$12bobo$11bo3bo$12b
3o9$51b2o$51bobo2$12bo40b3obo$13bo40bob2o$14bo$15bo$20b2o$20b2o2$28b2o
$29bo$28bo!
Edit2:
And a 5-engine ship (left, min.pop 210) [for comparison the other ship right,min.pop 279]:
Code: Select all
x = 222, y = 204, rule = B2ein3cijn4cnrwy5cnq6e/S1c2-ai3acny4anqy5c6ek8
23$159bo3bo$20bo5bo133bobo$19bo7bo131bo3bo16bo3bo$19bobo3bobo132b3o18b
obo$19bo7bo152bo3bo$20bo5bo154b3o8$20bo5bo$19bo7bo$19bobo3bobo11bo7bo
112b3o$19bo7bo10bo9bo110bo3bo$20bo5bo11bo9bo111bobo18b3o$38bo9bo110bo
3bo16bo3bo$39bo7bo133bobo$180bo3bo$201bo5bo$138bo2bo2bo57bo3bo$139b2ob
2o59bobo$139b2ob2o19bo38b2ob2o$141bo20bo$156bo4b3o$39bo7bo104bo4bo2b3o
$38bo9bo102bobobobo2b2o$38bo9bo101bob2ob2ob3o$26b2obo8bo9bo102b2o3bo2b
2o$26bob2o9bo7bo103bo2b3o2$141bo$139b2ob2o36b2o20b2ob2o$139b2ob2o33bob
o2bo20bobo$138bo2bo2bo31bobo3bo19bo3bo$175bo4b2o19bo5bo$175bo4bo$160b
3o16bo$159bo3bo14b2o$160bobo$159bo3bo$29b2o$29b2o139b2o$171bo$170b2o2$
42b2o115bo3bo$42b2o116bobo$159bo3bo$160b3o2$202b2o$200b2obo$199bo2b2o$
199bo2bo$29bob2o13b2o152b2o$29b2obo13b2o$63bo3bo$64bobo$63bo3bo87b3o$
64b3o87bo2bo$39b2o114b3o4bo$39b2o115bo6bo$162bo$150bo12bo$150bo2bo$
152b2o$152b2o$152bo$155bo3$48bobo13b3o$48b2o13bo3bo$64bobo$63bo3bo$19b
4o3b4o$19b4o3b4o6b2o147b2o5b2o$19b3o5b3o6b2o147bo7bo$19b3o5b3o154bo9bo
$20b2o5b2o156bo7bo$185b2o5b2o4$39b2o$39b2o3$41b2o$41b2o118b2o$41bo118b
3o$159b3o5$74bo2$71bo5bo$70bo7bo$70bo7bo106b2o5b2o$71bo5bo107bo7bo$72b
2ob2o107bo9bo$74bo110bo7bo$31bo2bo150b2o5b2o$19bo13bo$19b3o9b2o$20b2o
4$74bo$72b2ob2o$71bo5bo$70bo7bo$70bo7bo96b3o$71bo5bo96b3o$174b2o$74bo$
160b7o$74bo85b3ob3o$161b2ob2o$71bo5bo84b3o$70bo7bo$70bo7bo$71bo5bo$72b
2ob2o$74bo5$62b2o$63bo$62bo$74bo$72b2ob2o$71bo5bo$70bo7bo$70bo7bo$71bo
5bo2$74bo17$174b2o$174b3o$175b3o5$162b3o$161b2ob2o$160b3ob3o$160b7o!