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There is something spiritual about procedural generation

#1
First off, nice to meet you all. I guess this was meant to be an introduction of sorts, but I don't want to be a waste of space so I'll at least write my reasons to be here.

I haven't experienced so many games that involve procedural generation, so when I first played Minecraft I thought the feeling I'm about to describe was a one-time thing. However, watching the Limit Theory trailers has brought that sensation back in full power.

There is something very special about PCG that I find hard to describe. Somehow, the fact that no human mind has been directly involved in its design makes it different, intimate; it brings up strange emotional responses. From the first nebula I've seen in LT, I've known the game has "that" taste. I'm about to back the kickstarter campaign (still working out how much I'm able to give) but I'll shoot for the alpha access at least, because it has gotten to a point in which games don't draw me anymore unless they have an emotional impact.

I am very eager to play Limit Theory. However... I'm much more hyped about the methods behind it. I'm really involved with artificial intelligence, but I had never delved into approaches like these to game graphics/content and it has opened a new world for me. I totally understand that LT will not be open source, but I'll be very glad to consume any information Josh throws at me/us about procedural generation methods, in order to, hopefully, give my work in the future that emergent "spiritual" feeling.

Thank you Josh for your work. It is very inspiring. I wish you the best of luck!
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Re: There is something spiritual about procedural generation

#3
Interesting point of view, Godwin.

Long time ago I was really into watching stage magic, so I decided I'd learn some. I had a moment of doubt, since I thought I would start to enjoy it less once I knew the details. However, my enjoyment didn't diminish at all, it just... Changed.

I really want to learn how to do this "magic". In fact, I always intended my career to be about adaptive systems, advanced AI, emergent behaviour... And despite the fact that I'm still a newbie (which is slightly annoying considering I'm two years older than Josh =P) the little I know about how these methods work has done nothing to spoil the mistery. If anything, it enhances it. Coding something that, in a way, comes to its own conclusions is spooky in the best of ways...
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Re: There is something spiritual about procedural generation

#6
quickpocket wrote:Now that I think about it, procedural generation is really like space- you are the first person to see the world. I think that's part of what attracts me to minecraft as well, it's really _my_ world. No one else will see it unless someone else uses the same seed, and I can do what ever I want with it.
I couldn't have said it better myself. +1
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Early Spring - 1055: Well, I made it to Boatmurdered, and my initial impressions can be set forth in three words: What. The. F*ck.
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Re: There is something spiritual about procedural generation

#7
quickpocket wrote:Now that I think about it, procedural generation is really like space- you are the first person to see the world. I think that's part of what attracts me to minecraft as well, it's really _my_ world. No one else will see it unless someone else uses the same seed, and I can do what ever I want with it.
+1

Procedural Generation can make a game extremely interesting and amazing if done well. People like new things and since every world/galaxy is new you automatically become interested in it. Like how many times will you visit the same place on games that do not use Procedural generation. Not often since you know all the special things about that place, you remember what to do and what it looks like. In other words it has become old.

FPS games usually get around this by making very fast paced online where it is the other players that you are experiencing for a first time. Every player will play slightly different and present a new challenge to you. Large MMO's generally just add tons of areas and keep expanding the amount of new land so you experience new places.
Limit Theory - The most beast looking Space Sim.

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