diff --git a/resources/rules.txt b/resources/rules.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3c27eb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/resources/rules.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,182 @@
+## Vegetation rules
+;; rules which populate the world with plants
+;; Occasionally, passing birds plant tree seeds into grassland 
+;;    (fn [cell world] (cond (and (= (:state cell) :grassland)(< (rand 10) 1))(merge cell {:state :heath})))
+
+if state is grassland then 1 chance in 10 state should be heath
+
+;; heath below the treeline grows gradually into forest, providing browsing pressure is not to high
+;;    (fn [cell world]
+;;      (cond (and
+;;              (= (:state cell) :heath)
+;;              ;; browsing limit really ought to vary with soil fertility, but...
+;;              (< (+ (get-int cell :deer)(get-int cell :sheep)) 6)
+;;              (< (get-int cell :altitude) treeline))
+;;        (merge cell {:state :scrub})))
+
+if state is heath and deer are fewer than 6 and altitude is less than 150 then state should be scrub 
+
+;;    (fn [cell world] (cond (= (:state cell) :scrub) (merge cell {:state :forest})))
+
+if state is scrub then 1 chance in 5 state should be forest
+
+;; Forest on fertile land grows to climax
+;;    (fn [cell world]
+;;      (cond
+;;        (and
+;;          (= (:state cell) :forest)
+;;          (> (get-int cell :fertility) 10))
+;;        (merge cell {:state :climax})))
+
+if state is forest and fertility is more than 5 then state should be climax   
+    
+;; Climax forest occasionally catches fire (e.g. lightning strikes)
+;;    (fn [cell world] (cond (and (= (:state cell) :climax)(< (rand lightning-probability) 1)) (merge cell {:state :fire})))
+
+if state is climax then 1 chance in 500 state should be fire
+
+;; Climax forest neighbouring fires is likely to catch fire
+;;    (fn [cell world]
+;;      (cond
+;;        (and (= (:state cell) :climax)
+;;             (< (rand 3) 1)
+;;             (not (empty? (get-neighbours-with-state world (:x cell) (:y cell) 1 :fire))))
+;;        (merge cell {:state :fire})))
+
+if state is climax and some neighbours are fire then 1 chance in 3 state should be fire
+
+;; After fire we get waste
+;;    (fn [cell world] (cond (= (:state cell) :fire) (merge cell {:state :waste})))
+
+if state is fire then state should be waste
+
+;; And after waste we get pioneer species; if there's a woodland seed
+;; source, it's going to be heath, otherwise grassland.
+;;    (fn [cell world]
+;;      (cond
+;;        (and (= (:state cell) :waste)
+;;             (not
+;;               (empty?
+;;                 (flatten
+;;                   (list
+;;                     (get-neighbours-with-state world (:x cell) (:y cell) 1 :scrub)
+;;                     (get-neighbours-with-state world (:x cell) (:y cell) 1 :forest)
+;;                     (get-neighbours-with-state world (:x cell) (:y cell) 1 :climax))))))
+;;        (merge cell {:state :heath})))
+
+if state is waste and some neighbours are scrub then state should be heath
+if state is waste and some neighbours are forest then state should be heath
+if state is waste and some neighbours are climax then state should be heath
+
+;;    (fn [cell world]
+;;      (cond (= (:state cell) :waste)
+;;        (merge cell {:state :grassland})))
+
+if state is waste then state should be grassland
+
+;; Forest increases soil fertility
+;;    (fn [cell world]
+;;      (cond (member? (:state cell) '(:forest :climax))
+;;        (merge cell {:fertility (+ (get-int cell :fertility) 1)})))
+
+if state is in forest or climax then fertility should be fertility - 1
+
+## Herbivore rules
+;; rules describing the impact of herbivores on the environment
+    
+;; if there are too many deer for the fertility of the area to sustain,
+;; some die or move on.
+;;    (fn [cell world]
+;;      (cond (> (get-int cell :deer) (get-int cell :fertility))
+;;        (merge cell {:deer (get-int cell :fertility)})))
+
+if deer are more than fertility then deer should be fertility / 2
+
+;; deer arrive occasionally at the edge of the map.
+;;    (fn [cell world]
+;;      (cond (and (< (count (get-neighbours world cell)) 8)
+;;                 (< (rand 50) 1)
+;;                 (> (get-int cell :fertility) 0)
+;;                 (= (get-int cell :deer) 0))
+;;        (merge cell {:deer 2})))
+
+if x is 0 or y is 0 and deer are 0 then 1 chance in 5 deer should be 2 
+        
+;; deer gradually spread through the world by breeding or migrating.
+;;    (fn [cell world]
+;;      (let [n (apply + (map #(get-int % :deer) (get-neighbours world cell)))]
+;;        (cond (and
+;;                (> (get-int cell :fertility) 0)
+;;                (= (get-int cell :deer) 0)
+;;                (>= n 2))
+;;          (merge cell {:deer (int (/ n 2))}))))
+
+if fertility is more than 10 and deer is 0 and some neighbours have deer more than 2 then deer should be 2
+
+;; deer breed.
+;;    (fn [cell world]
+;;      (cond
+;;        (>= (get-int cell :deer) 2)
+;;        (merge cell {:deer (int (* (:deer cell) 2))})))))
+
+if deer are more than 1 then deer should be deer * 2
+
+## Predator rules
+;; rules describing the impact of predator behaviour on the environment
+;; wolves eat deer
+;;     (fn [cell world]
+;;      (cond
+;;       (>= (get-int cell :wolves) 1)
+;;       (merge cell {:deer (max 0 (- (get-int cell :deer) (get-int cell :wolves)))})))
+
+if deer are more than wolves then deer should be deer - wolves
+
+;;      ;; not more than eight wolves in a pack, for now (hack because wolves are not dying)
+;;      (fn [cell world]
+;;        (cond (> (get-int cell :wolves) 8) (merge cell {:wolves 8})))
+
+;; if there are not enough deer to sustain the population of wolves,
+;; some wolves die or move on. (doesn't seem to be working?)
+;;    (fn [cell world]
+;;       (cond (> (get-int cell :wolves) (get-int cell :deer))
+;;         (merge cell {:wolves 0})))
+
+if wolves are more than deer then deer should be 0 and wolves should be deer
+
+;; wolves arrive occasionally at the edge of the map.
+;;    (fn [cell world]
+;;      (cond (and (< (count (get-neighbours world cell)) 8)
+;;                 (< (rand 50) 1)
+;;                 (not (= (:state cell) :water))
+;;                 (= (get-int cell :wolves) 0))
+;;        (merge cell {:wolves 2})))
+
+if x is 0 or y is 0 and wolves are 0 then 1 chance in 5 wolves should be 2 
+
+;; wolves gradually spread through the world by breeding or migrating.
+;;    (fn [cell world]
+;;      (let [n (apply + (map #(get-int % :wolves) (get-neighbours world cell)))]
+;;        (cond (and
+;;                (not (= (:state cell) :water))
+;;                (= (get-int cell :wolves) 0)
+;;                (>= n 2))
+;;          (merge cell {:wolves 2}))))
+
+if state is not water and wolves is 0 and some neighbours have wolves more than 2 then 1 chance in 5 wolves should be 2
+
+;; wolves breed.
+;;    (fn [cell world]
+;;      (cond
+;;        (>= (get-int cell :wolves) 2)
+;;        (merge cell {:wolves (int (* (:wolves cell) 2))})))
+;;    ))
+
+if wolves are more than 1 then wolves should be wolves * 2
+
+## Initialisation rules
+;; Rules which deal with state 'new' will waste less time if they're near the
+;; end of the file
+if state is new and altitude is less than 10 then state should be water
+if state is new and altitude is more than 200 then state should be snow
+;; another comment
+if state is new then state should be grassland
diff --git a/src/mw_parser/bulk.clj b/src/mw_parser/bulk.clj
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..753a009
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mw_parser/bulk.clj
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+;; parse multiple rules from a stream, possibly a file - although the real
+;; objective is to parse rules out of a block of text from a textarea
+
+(ns mw-parser.bulk
+  (:use mw-parser.core
+        mw-engine.utils
+        clojure.java.io
+        [clojure.string :only [split trim]])
+  (:import (java.io BufferedReader StringReader)))
+
+(defn comment? 
+  "Is this `line` a comment?"
+  [line]
+  (or (empty? (trim line)) (member? (first line) '(nil \# \;))))
+
+(defn parse-string 
+  "Parse rules from successive lines in this `string`, assumed to have multiple
+   lines delimited by the new-line character. Return a list of S-expressions."
+  [string]
+        ;; TODO: tried to do this using with-open, but couldn't make it work.
+  (map parse-rule (remove comment? (split string #"\n"))))
+
+(defn parse-file 
+  "Parse rules from successive lines in the file loaded from this `filename`.
+   Return a list of S-expressions."
+  [filename]
+  (parse-string (slurp filename)))
+
+(defn compile-string
+  "Compile each non-comment line of this `string` into an executable anonymous 
+   function, and return the sequence of such functions."
+  [string]
+  (map compile-rule (remove comment? (split string #"\n"))))
+
+(defn compile-file 
+  "Compile each non-comment line of the file indicated by this `filename` into 
+   an executable anonymous function, and return the sequence of such functions."
+  [filename]
+  (compile-string (slurp filename)))
+
+
+  
+  
+;;  (let [lines 
+;;        (doall (with-open [rdr (reader filename)] (line-seq rdr)))]
+;;    (map parse-line lines)))
+
+;;(defn parse-string
+;;  "Parse rules from successive lines in this `string`"
+;;   [string]
+;;   (parse-from-reader (BufferedReader. (StringReader. string))))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/mw_parser/core.clj b/src/mw_parser/core.clj
index bad6049..c696499 100644
--- a/src/mw_parser/core.clj
+++ b/src/mw_parser/core.clj
@@ -188,11 +188,11 @@
         (= have-or-are "have")
         (let [[property comp1 comp2 value & remainder] rest]
           (cond (and (= comp1 "equal") (= comp2 "to"))
-            (gen-neighbours-condition comparator quantity property value remainder =)
+            (gen-neighbours-condition comparator quantity property value remainder '=)
             (and (= comp1 "more") (= comp2 "than"))
-            (gen-neighbours-condition '> quantity property value remainder >)
+            (gen-neighbours-condition '> quantity property value remainder '>)
             (and (= comp1 "less") (= comp2 "than"))
-            (gen-neighbours-condition '< quantity property value remainder <)
+            (gen-neighbours-condition '< quantity property value remainder '<)
             ))))))
   
 (defn parse-some-neighbours-condition
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@
     (parse-comparator-neighbours-condition (concat '("more" "than" "0" "neighbours") rest))))
 
 (defn parse-simple-neighbours-condition
-  "Parse conditions of the form '...6 neighbours are condition'"
+  "Parse conditions of the form '...6 neighbours are [condition]'"
   [[n NEIGHBOURS have-or-are & rest]]
   (let [quantity (first (parse-numeric-value (list n)))]       
     (cond
@@ -215,10 +215,10 @@
         (let [[property comp1 comp2 value & remainder] rest]
           (cond (and (= comp1 "equal") (= comp2 "to"))
             (gen-neighbours-condition '= quantity property value remainder)
-;;            (and (= comp1 "more") (= comp2 "than"))
-;;            (gen-neighbours-condition '> quantity property value remainder)
-;;            (and (= comp1 "less") (= comp2 "than"))
-;;            (gen-neighbours-condition '< quantity property value remainder)
+            (and (= comp1 "more") (= comp2 "than"))
+            (gen-neighbours-condition '> quantity property value remainder '>)
+            (and (= comp1 "less") (= comp2 "than"))
+            (gen-neighbours-condition '< quantity property value remainder '<)
             ))))))
   
 (defn parse-neighbours-condition