user16651: Based on a recent set of questions asked about Artificial Life, it appears that it is a subject that is primarily Computer Science-based.
It also does not appear that in the manner that the questions are being asked, that there is a direct question to understand the actual workings of Evolution and Natural Selection as evidence shows that it has worked through out the history of life on Earth. 
The questions have tended more towards a speculative nature, with parameters set that do not faithfully model the facts of Evolution on Earth. If the OPs are not simply asking for clarification about the underlying biology and mechanisms of Evolution, then they are asking about things that should be considered off-topic for the site.
While some of these questions are interesting thought experiments, they do not appear to be on-topic for a site that provides fact-based answers to questions about Biology. We can only speculate what the results would have been if we changed a parameter of evolution, and as such, would have to leave the realm of fact-based answers.
We have similar guidelines on the help-center regarding bioinformatics

Questions on interdisciplinary subjects like bioinformatics are also welcome, as long as they focus on the biological part of the subject.


user1590: I made a meta post about non-biological questions featuring biological things being of topic, which I think is of relevance here.
ALife questions are on topic if, and only if, they focus on the biological aspects. For example, the question "If evolution is not about improvement why is there so much improvement?" is/was a biological question. Darwin had the exact same question, he realised that the frequency with which we see adaption must have an explanation, that is, selection is one mechanism of evolution. So the answer to the question is to explain the difference between the concepts of evolution and adaptation. 
Just as with bioinformatics questions, if they are non-biological questions then they are off topic.
The trick is getting to the core of the question, often ALife questions are lengthy and cryptic. It would help to have users streamline their questions to make the core question obvious. I think this would also help in the battle against poor quality answes as the post would be less attractive to opinion based answers.

16651: <p>Based on a recent set of questions asked about Artificial Life, it appears that it is a subject that is primarily Computer Science-based.</p>

<p>It also does not appear that in the manner that the questions are being asked, that there is a direct question to understand the actual workings of Evolution and Natural Selection as evidence shows that it has worked through out the history of life on Earth. </p>

<p>The questions have tended more towards a speculative nature, with parameters set that do not faithfully model the facts of Evolution on Earth. If the OPs are not simply asking for clarification about the underlying biology and mechanisms of Evolution, then they are asking about things that should be considered off-topic for the site.</p>

<p>While some of these questions are interesting thought experiments, they do not appear to be on-topic for a site that provides fact-based answers to questions about Biology. We can only speculate what the results would have been if we changed a parameter of evolution, and as such, would have to leave the realm of fact-based answers.</p>

<p>We have similar guidelines on the help-center regarding bioinformatics</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Questions on interdisciplinary subjects like bioinformatics are also welcome, as long as they focus on the biological part of the subject.</p>
</blockquote>
 1590: <p>I made a <a href="https://biology.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/3111/not-all-questions-featuring-something-biological-are-biology-questions">meta post</a> about non-biological questions featuring biological things being of topic, which I think is of relevance here.</p>

<p>ALife questions are on topic <em>if, and only if</em>, they focus on the biological aspects. For example, the question "<em><a href="https://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/42050/if-evolution-is-not-about-improvement-why-is-there-so-much-improvement">If evolution is not about improvement why is there so much improvement?</a></em>" is/was a biological question. Darwin had the exact same question, he realised that the frequency with which we see adaption must have an explanation, that is, selection is one mechanism of evolution. So the answer to the question is to explain the difference between the concepts of evolution and adaptation. </p>

<p>Just as with bioinformatics questions, if they are non-biological questions then they are off topic.</p>

<p><strong>The trick is getting to the core of the question</strong>, often ALife questions are lengthy and cryptic. It would help to have users <strong>streamline their questions to make the core question obvious</strong>. I think this would also help in the battle against poor quality answes as the post would be less attractive to opinion based answers.</p>
