paper: Fix -- 16 The Statement of Need could be more clearly structured...

Author: jackiekazil

paper/paper.md

@@ -57,12 +57,12 @@ preferred-citation: article
 Mesa is an open-source Python framework for agent-based modeling (ABM) that enables researchers to create, analyze, and visualize agent-based simulations. Mesa provides a comprehensive set of tools and abstractions for modeling complex systems, with capabilities spanning from basic agent management to sophisticated representation of spaces where agents interact. First released in 2014 and published in @masad2015 (with updates published in @kazil2020), this paper highlights advancements and presents Mesa in its current version (3.1.4) as of 2025.
 
 # Statement of need
-Agent-based models (ABMs) are composed of autonomous heterogeneous agents interacting locally with other agents. These interactions give rise to emergent phenomena. The aggregate dynamics of a system under study emerge from these local interactions [@epstein_axtell_1996; @epstein1999]. This type of modeling quickly grew more sophisticated, requiring frameworks to execute them. This led to the establishment of [NetLogo](https://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo/) and [MASON](https://cs.gmu.edu/~eclab/projects/mason/).
+Agent-based models (ABMs) are composed of autonomous, heterogeneous agents interacting locally with other agents. These interactions give rise to emergent phenomena. The aggregate dynamics of a system under study emerge from these local interactions [@epstein_axtell_1996; @epstein1999]. This type of modeling quickly grew more sophisticated, requiring frameworks to execute them. This led to the establishment of [NetLogo](https://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo/)in 1999 and [MASON](https://cs.gmu.edu/~eclab/projects/mason/) in 2003.
 
-However, before Mesa, there was no modern Python-based framework for ABMs that integrated with the scientific Python ecosystem. Since its creation in 2014, Mesa has been applied to modeling everything from economics and sociology to ecology and epidemiology and has been cited in more than 500 papers and 800 authors. With its most recent major release, Mesa has advanced usability and stabilized functionality. These features include enhanced management of agents, data collection advancements, an improved visualization framework, and making it easier for researchers to create and analyze complex simulations.
+NetLogo is the most widely adopted tool and the first to make ABMs accessible, but it only allows for small models. MASON is Java-based, allowing for advancements in scalability and speed above NetLogo, but MASON is difficult for non-programmers. Both of these tools did not serve models over HTTP, which allows for hosting models on the web, nor did they take advantage of the rich scientific Python ecosystem. In response to these needs, Mesa was created with the goal of accessibility -- targeting both beginner and advanced programmers. The major release of Mesa 3 provides advanced usability and stabilized functionality. These features include enhanced management of agents, data collection advancements, an improved visualization framework, and making it easier for researchers to create and analyze complex simulations.
 
 # Applications
-Mesa has been applied across diverse domains, including:
+Since its creation in 2014, Mesa has been applied to modeling everything from economics and sociology to ecology and epidemiology and has been cited in more than 500 papers and 800 authors. Mesa has been applied across diverse domains, including:
 
 - Infrastructure resilience and post-disaster recovery planning [@sun2020post]
 - Market modeling, including renewable energy auctions and consumer behavior [@anatolitis2017putting]