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Dyanmically Created Content.. Dungeons
I have forever dreamed and hoped that developers would be willing to create dynamic Content that is procedurally generated according to a rule set defined by an array in the AI.
1.) Currently in games if you enter dungeon a today and its configuration is set you get the mobs and rooms arranged in a certain way. Every time you enter it is the same so you easily develop a set proven strategy to skip mobs and bosses that don't drop what you want and after 2 weeks it is stale.
2.) Instead of this we can at a minimum generate the dungeon on the fly with a different map, mob and patrol placement and different boss set up. We can even change out the skills the mobs or Boss will use in the fight thereby making each entrance a unique adventure. Further it is possible to easily set difficulty levels by adjusting which mobs are in the instance based upon any number of factors. So in summary.
Map generation, Patrol content and placement, Bosses and mechanics, loot tables, difficulties and even modifying the parameters based up on party members reputation and node alignment for that area (whether the associated node is developed or not) Destructible voxel based content could be fun as well with switches and traps rewarding (or challenging the party) the player accordingly.
I can guarantee that each encounter will be unique and fun. Development could begin by create the structure to support this on a single instance and then retooling as you go.
If procedurally generated maps are a problem creating several different maps with path markers for mob travel and simulation should be fairly straight forward.
i sincerely believe this is the next and potentially most immersive future for game.
1.) Currently in games if you enter dungeon a today and its configuration is set you get the mobs and rooms arranged in a certain way. Every time you enter it is the same so you easily develop a set proven strategy to skip mobs and bosses that don't drop what you want and after 2 weeks it is stale.
2.) Instead of this we can at a minimum generate the dungeon on the fly with a different map, mob and patrol placement and different boss set up. We can even change out the skills the mobs or Boss will use in the fight thereby making each entrance a unique adventure. Further it is possible to easily set difficulty levels by adjusting which mobs are in the instance based upon any number of factors. So in summary.
Map generation, Patrol content and placement, Bosses and mechanics, loot tables, difficulties and even modifying the parameters based up on party members reputation and node alignment for that area (whether the associated node is developed or not) Destructible voxel based content could be fun as well with switches and traps rewarding (or challenging the party) the player accordingly.
I can guarantee that each encounter will be unique and fun. Development could begin by create the structure to support this on a single instance and then retooling as you go.
If procedurally generated maps are a problem creating several different maps with path markers for mob travel and simulation should be fairly straight forward.
i sincerely believe this is the next and potentially most immersive future for game.
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Comments
But its already gonna be more procedural than most game, just by virtue of the node system. Hopefully that will accomplish some of the goals.
I like this idea @Uzial.
I can see how some would get frustrated by not being able to farm it once mechanics were down, but I think that's the traditional grindy aspect of MMOs that we're trying to get rid of?
On the other hand I'd like to have some really nicely done set in stone dungeons as well. You know pretty with all the fixings epic puzzles, hard bosses and the like. Mix er up.
There is nothing exciting without the prospect of surprise and danger around the next bend in the tunnels!
Fixed and dynamic content can work well together even in a seamless streamed environment. Simple examples harken back to games like EQ and Asheron's Call Vanilla where nighttime brought out deadly monsters like undead etc.. who if the unaware traveler blindly walked out into the dark they would find them selves back at the life stone missing half their armor and begging folks in town to form a party and help them with a corpse run. This can be adjusted for day night cycles as well as the seasons and game events such as the accidental unearthing of deity, power, or object when a node is expanded over a piece of holy, unholy and territory belonging to another faction or race or power. The Exciting thing is you can weave evolving and seasonal changes into the story at any time. The folks at Turbine did this in a brilliant way with new content (story, mobs, the creation and destruction of towns) albeit static ( come on it was 1999 and they were streaming a contiguous non-instanced world before anyone thought of it and we were on dialup) every 45 days like clockwork for 18 years. I know that Steven and his crew or at least i have faith that they are capable of doing the same.
We have the engine and the scripting knowledge to make all this happen with Unreal's version 4.xx engine and it will be animated and engaging in a new and exciting way.I am not saying developing the trees is always easy for th story telling and decision based AI it takes a bit of planning but once the structure is in place you can easily add, remove and change content. the writers, story tellers and artists can then be allowed to let the story fly and sit back and watch a truly unique and interactive world play out in the community, with all the excitement and intrigue that is brought out by the player base. Personally as a developer i think it would be excited to twist the story just as the player base thought they had figured it out. Imagine as we believe we have dungeon A on farm and a node pops or a world event happens and we enter it and get chased out be a whole new enemy who showed up and drug us back to the early content (we loved) we thought we had forgotten and is now a problem lol. There are so many opportunities I smile just thinking about it.
Fixed and dynamic content can work well together even in a seamless streamed environment. Simple examples harken back to games like EQ and Asheron's Call Vanilla where nighttime brought out deadly monsters like undead etc.. who if the unaware traveler blindly walked out into the dark they would find them selves back at the life stone missing half their armor and begging folks in town to form a party and help them with a corpse run. This can be adjusted for day night cycles as well as the seasons and game events such as the accidental unearthing of deity, power, or object when a node is expanded over a piece of holy, unholy and territory belonging to another faction or race or power. The Exciting thing is you can weave evolving and seasonal changes into the story at any time. The folks at Turbine did this in a brilliant way with new content (story, mobs, the creation and destruction of towns) albeit static ( come on it was 1999 and they were streaming a contiguous non-instanced world before anyone thought of it and we were on dialup) every 45 days like clockwork for 18 years. I know that Steven and his crew or at least i have faith that they are capable of doing the same.
We have the engine and the scripting knowledge to make all this happen with Unreal's version 4.xx engine and it will be animated and engaging in a new and exciting way.I am not saying developing the trees is always easy for th story telling and decision based AI it takes a bit of planning but once the structure is in place you can easily add, remove and change content. the writers, story tellers and artists can then be allowed to let the story fly and sit back and watch a truly unique and interactive world play out in the community, with all the excitement and intrigue that is brought out by the player base. Personally i like the thought as a content creator to twist the story on the players when they think they have it figured out lol
Fixed and dynamic content can work well together even in a seamless streamed environment. Simple examples harken back to games like EQ and Asheron's Call Vanilla where nighttime brought out deadly monsters like undead etc.. who if the unaware traveler blindly walked out into the dark they would find them selves back at the life stone missing half their armor and begging folks in town to form a party and help them with a corpse run. This can be adjusted for day night cycles as well as the seasons and game events such as the accidental unearthing of deity, power, or object when a node is expanded over a piece of holy, unholy and territory belonging to another faction or race or power. The Exciting thing is you can weave evolving and seasonal changes into the story at any time. The folks at Turbine did this in a brilliant way with new content (story, mobs, the creation and destruction of towns) albeit static ( come on it was 1999 and they were streaming a contiguous non-instanced world before anyone thought of it and we were on dialup) every 45 days like clockwork for 18 years. I know that Steven and his crew or at least i have faith that they are capable of doing the same.
We have the engine and the scripting knowledge to make all this happen with Unreal's version 4.xx engine and it will be animated and engaging in a new and exciting way.I am not saying developing the trees is always easy for th story telling and decision based AI it takes a bit of planning but once the structure is in place you can easily add, remove and change content. the writers, story tellers and artists can then be allowed to let the story fly and sit back and watch a truly unique and interactive world play out in the community, with all the excitement and intrigue that is brought out by the player base. Personally i like the thought as a content creator to twist the story on the players when they think they have it figured out lol