but not so much when it creates something unique but not particularly significant (No Man's Sky, Minecraft). I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this, and to understand further what role procedural generation will have in your game.
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the silly answer to this is that i feel the 10,000 bowls of oatmeal framing is unfair to oatmeal: oatmeal is really good.
aug 7, 2025, 4:09 am • 2 0 • view
but that actually gets at a more in-depth answer, which is that i think a reason generated output can feel meaningless is if it lacks meaning, an expressive reason to be. or it might indicate that the presentation isn't supporting it enough. it's really an art or design answer rather than technical.
aug 7, 2025, 4:09 am • 4 0 • view
i think it's a lot like the problem of drawing repeating patterns. yes, a lot of patterns can repeat. but can you make a repeating pattern which draws the attention to relevant details, which has sub-structures which are worthy of attention within each iteration, which is relating to repetition well
aug 7, 2025, 4:11 am • 6 1 • view
i think there's multiple parts to it the novelty of a generative game world won't feel greater than it will in a directly authored one for the amount of work that went in. in fact generators are a lot of extra work to get right, and combinatoric possibilities aren't novel to the end player
aug 7, 2025, 8:55 am • 0 0 • view
i think what you gain though is vast freedoms in latitude for player expression within that space, a robustness and spatial breadth that allows them (or natural events in the world itself) to destroy or remake that space when engaging with it with action principles they wouldn't otherwise have
aug 7, 2025, 8:55 am • 0 0 • view