It is often surprising what can be packed down into that small of a "soup", for lack of better words. Here is a 16x16 predecessor of a 2-engine cordership from this post by Macbi:
Code: Select all
x = 16, y = 16, rule = B3/S23
o2bob2o$o3b2ob2o2bob2o$bo2bo4bo3bobo$10b4o$2b2obo3bobobo$o4b4o3bob2o$
4b2o2b3o2bo$b2o2bo2bo6bo$4b2o2b2o3bobo$3o2b2o2b2o4bo$ob2ob2o2b2obo$o2b
obo4b2obo$3ob2ob2o4b3o$o2bob2o2bo3bobo$3o4bo3b2ob2o$b2obo2b4obo2bo!
However, in certain phases, the central engine is only 15 cells wide, with some additional area knocked off using predecessors. I think by packing either some gliders or travelling methuselahs, they could shoot down the beehives and make blocks in the right places. Unfortunately I have yet to get very far with this concept. Here's just a basic proof of concept which gets it down to 25 cells wide with extraneous gliders, but the blocks form in the wrong place:
Code: Select all
x = 25, y = 14, rule = B3/S23
22bobo$23b2o$23bo$o$obo$2o16bo$16bobo$7bo7bobo$6b2o6bo2bo$5b2o4b2o2bob
o$4b3o4b2o3bobo$5b2o4b2o5bo$6b2o$7bo!
Code: Select all
x = 14, y = 10, rule = B3/S23
2b3o$2bo9bo$2bo8bo$3bo7b3o4$2o$obo9b2o$b2o10bo!
I will post more progress at a later time if I can figure out ways to delay the engine long enough to get some more conveniently placed objects there.