Comments on: My generation: How Indie Game Makers are Embracing Controlled Chaos http://boingboing.net/2009/10/12/my-generation-how-in.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:57:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: phillryu http://boingboing.net/2009/10/12/my-generation-how-in.html#comment-610834 phillryu Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-610834 A great example of some skill and control mixed with a lot of luck/randomness resulting in a super addictive product: pachinko games / Peggle. I think our brains like to believe we've made the perfect shot when a random ball takes out half a level, and it only helps when Peggle SHOWERS you with positive feedback at the end of every match. (If you haven't played it, it blasts Handel's Messiah, exploding rainbows, and showering confetti at you while it bullet-time zooms to the ball hitting your last target.) A great example of some skill and control mixed with a lot of luck/randomness resulting in a super addictive product: pachinko games / Peggle. I think our brains like to believe we’ve made the perfect shot when a random ball takes out half a level, and it only helps when Peggle SHOWERS you with positive feedback at the end of every match. (If you haven’t played it, it blasts Handel’s Messiah, exploding rainbows, and showering confetti at you while it bullet-time zooms to the ball hitting your last target.)

]]> By: 8Bitz Jack http://boingboing.net/2009/10/12/my-generation-how-in.html#comment-611872 8Bitz Jack Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-611872 Zactly what these guys seem to be up to.. Old school point n clickage!!! http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPhone/Badge+of+Carnage/news.asp?c=15732 Zactly what these guys seem to be up to.. Old school point n clickage!!!

http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPhone/Badge+of+Carnage/news.asp?c=15732

]]> By: Simeon http://boingboing.net/2009/10/12/my-generation-how-in.html#comment-611624 Simeon Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-611624 I finally got around to installing Spelunky a couple of weeks ago and have played a couple of hundred games (it keeps count). It really is fantastically challenging, punishing you with instadeath for an ill considered move. Randomly generated environments require original solutions to the problems at hand, rather than relying on memorisation of layouts. The capacity for a procedural game to be suprising is what keeps me coming back for more. In Nethack you know there's a fork to the gnome mines on lvl 3 and the oracle on 6. With Spelunky things get interesting once you get down to lvl 5 a couple of times. Apart from certain waypoints the journey will be different each and every time. I finally got around to installing Spelunky a couple of weeks ago and have played a couple of hundred games (it keeps count). It really is fantastically challenging, punishing you with instadeath for an ill considered move.

Randomly generated environments require original solutions to the problems at hand, rather than relying on memorisation of layouts. The capacity for a procedural game to be suprising is what keeps me coming back for more. In Nethack you know there’s a fork to the gnome mines on lvl 3 and the oracle on 6. With Spelunky things get interesting once you get down to lvl 5 a couple of times. Apart from certain waypoints the journey will be different each and every time.

]]> By: hdon http://boingboing.net/2009/10/12/my-generation-how-in.html#comment-611635 hdon Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-611635 <a href="http://olofson.net/kobodl">Kobo Deluxe</a> is another game that uses this technique. Even some of the multimedia is procedurally generated (sounds and music IIRC.) The game is a good deal simpler than some of the others mentioned here, but it's worth checking it out if you haven't seen it. Kobo Deluxe is another game that uses this technique. Even some of the multimedia is procedurally generated (sounds and music IIRC.) The game is a good deal simpler than some of the others mentioned here, but it’s worth checking it out if you haven’t seen it.

]]> By: julianz http://boingboing.net/2009/10/12/my-generation-how-in.html#comment-611124 julianz Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-611124 Nice article. I'm a little surprised there's no mention of Elite, which used procedural techniques to generate the whole galaxy in which the game takes place. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_%28video_game%29 This extract talks more specifically about how they did the procedural stuff. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2003/oct/18/features.weekend Nice article. I’m a little surprised there’s no mention of Elite, which used procedural techniques to generate the whole galaxy in which the game takes place.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_%28video_game%29

This extract talks more specifically about how they did the procedural stuff.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2003/oct/18/features.weekend

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/10/12/my-generation-how-in.html#comment-610869 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-610869 If you like platformers - try Runman Race around the World- http://whatareyouwait.info/ If you like platformers – try Runman Race around the World-
http://whatareyouwait.info/

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/10/12/my-generation-how-in.html#comment-610876 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-610876 The recent winner of Microsoft's "Dr. Dobbs Challenge Deuce" game development contest was a procedurally-generated puzzle game called "BlockRogue." Here is its entry at the Procedural Content Generation wiki: http://pcg.wikidot.com/blockrogue The recent winner of Microsoft’s “Dr. Dobbs Challenge Deuce” game development contest was a procedurally-generated puzzle game called “BlockRogue.”

Here is its entry at the Procedural Content Generation wiki:

http://pcg.wikidot.com/blockrogue

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/10/12/my-generation-how-in.html#comment-610706 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-610706 Don't forget Warning Forever, which looks similar to Captain Forever but instead creates evolving end bosses, based on your strategy of defeating them. It's awesome. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warning_Forever Don’t forget Warning Forever, which looks similar to Captain Forever but instead creates evolving end bosses, based on your strategy of defeating them. It’s awesome.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warning_Forever

]]> By: l'elk! http://boingboing.net/2009/10/12/my-generation-how-in.html#comment-610715 l'elk! Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-610715 yesssss! spelunky! i spent months playing that game and even after beating it i still come back for more. not many games have such a rewarding replay value. yesssss! spelunky! i spent months playing that game and even after beating it i still come back for more. not many games have such a rewarding replay value.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/10/12/my-generation-how-in.html#comment-611744 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-611744 canabalt reminds me of spy hunter... canabalt reminds me of spy hunter…

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/10/12/my-generation-how-in.html#comment-612282 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-612282 What about Dwarf Fortress? The entire world is generated from scratch, everything from the geography to the history of each civilization. What about Dwarf Fortress? The entire world is generated from scratch, everything from the geography to the history of each civilization.

]]> By: muteboy http://boingboing.net/2009/10/12/my-generation-how-in.html#comment-611782 muteboy Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-611782 Elite used procedural generation, but the galaxy was the same every time. It wasn't random. The PG was used to cram the locations and descriptions into a small space. Excellent game though! Elite used procedural generation, but the galaxy was the same every time. It wasn’t random. The PG was used to cram the locations and descriptions into a small space. Excellent game though!

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