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[adriaans]

Hi,

On my previous FYP (Final year project/research dissertation) I got so stuck in that I decided to switch and do something less programming based (was doing anticipatory AI before;  "An investigation into Anticipatory AI in RTS games") and I was thinking why not do something more close to something I actually know a lot about and love.

Due to thus "loosing" 4 months, I need to come up with a new research topic very quickly, and I was thinking since this community is so creative why not ask you guys to help throw out some ideas.

My main issue is it has to be specific, something that can be 'investigated' and written about and then either proving/disproving or supporting a hypothesis etc. While I can think of so many topic areas, I can never get the specifics down. (Once that is done though I can generally work very fast and effectively).

My first thought was regarding the LP's/Succession games, the community interaction and how the community stories tie in with the game, etc. But I cant think of a specific research question...

So I was wondering if this creative community, that figures out ways of draining oceans at will, farming merpeople, magma cannons, succession games, etc, could throw out ideas for me, however crazy some may be? (Ideally something that could be used as a topic for an academic paper )

Thank you if you contribute!


Edit: Forgot to mention one criteria, It has to be related to gaming or game development.

[GoombaGeek]

What adamantine would act like in real life (with its complete shear resistance), and there's already a thread about it too! (Apparently it would create ultrasonic vibrations, so playing an adamantine guitar would cut your fingers off.)

I was also reading some pretty cool stuff about using bacteria to refine sulphur from pyrite this morning, but that doesn't really matter (or does it? it's your dissertation :U).

[adriaans]

Oh crap, forgot to mention one criteria :oops:, it has to be related to games or games development. Sorry about forgetting that!

[GoombaGeek]

Oh crap, forgot to mention one criteria :oops:, it has to be related to games or games development. Sorry about forgetting that!

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Okay, well, maybe something about voxels. I like voxels.

[GalenEvil]

Procedural world generation using voxels! Always a fun topic and there are several games you could cite for research. Also there is a large amount of previous research available on Voxels and square/cube based world environments that you may be able to build upon

[Akhier the Dragon hearted]

   Hmm, choosing a topic is something I have some problems with as well when it comes to papers and such. If you need something you can get down to the nitty gritty and prove or disprove it gets harder as it eliminates the wishy washy subjects you can just massage till the paper looks good. Since you have already shown interest in the LP and  Succession types of game maybe something to deal with how when a game is complex enough and is passed around the potential for unforeseen events normally impossible. In other words in simpler games where everything you need to know is basically right in front of you the only surprise comes from normal in-game events even if you have not played the save up until that point. With games like DF and maybe some of the Civ games, if your handed a save file because you can't possibly know everything its possible to end up in situations outside of normal game parameters. Such things as how in Succession games a previous overseers megaproject could have a flaw in it which allows a flood when you pull the entrances lever. In normal play this wouldn't happen as you would avoid this or at least know about it but because of how complex the setting is and the fact you have not played it up until then allows for what is basically a trap to be set without the intent to trap nor some game gen process to be used to form the situation.
   Just to note though I don't really know what you need for your work so this may be a bad topic and if you can it is probably a good idea to have any idea you have looked over by someone that can verify that its a good topic.

[10ebbor10]

There was another DF inspired paper thingy, but I can't seem to find it.

[adriaans]

Procedural world generation using voxels! Always a fun topic and there are several games you could cite for research. Also there is a large amount of previous research available on Voxels and square/cube based world environments that you may be able to build upon

Definitively an interesting area for sure.

   Hmm, choosing a topic is something I have some problems with as well when it comes to papers and such. If you need something you can get down to the nitty gritty and prove or disprove it gets harder as it eliminates the wishy washy subjects you can just massage till the paper looks good. Since you have already shown interest in the LP and  Succession types of game maybe something to deal with how when a game is complex enough and is passed around the potential for unforeseen events normally impossible. In other words in simpler games where everything you need to know is basically right in front of you the only surprise comes from normal in-game events even if you have not played the save up until that point. With games like DF and maybe some of the Civ games, if your handed a save file because you can't possibly know everything its possible to end up in situations outside of normal game parameters. Such things as how in Succession games a previous overseers megaproject could have a flaw in it which allows a flood when you pull the entrances lever. In normal play this wouldn't happen as you would avoid this or at least know about it but because of how complex the setting is and the fact you have not played it up until then allows for what is basically a trap to be set without the intent to trap nor some game gen process to be used to form the situation.
   Just to note though I don't really know what you need for your work so this may be a bad topic and if you can it is probably a good idea to have any idea you have looked over by someone that can verify that its a good topic.

That is definitively something I would love to do, but defining an actual research question around it is giving me a headache trying to figure out how to word it.
Everything has to be given the OK by my supervisor anyway, so no worries there , when discussing wanting to do something like this earlier today my supervisor said it shouldn't be a problem as long as I could come up with the research question/topic/title/thingy next so that it would prove to be a viable area/endevour.

There was another DF inspired paper thingy, but I can't seem to find it.

Would love to read that if anyone can remember the name of it, or alternatively know where to locate it.

[Just Some Guy]

Dwarf Fortess is kinda like A Modest Proposal, if you think about it. Maybe something like that?

[Akhier the Dragon hearted]

   Hmm,  a research question would be hard to figure out. I will give it a try and see if anything sticks not that I am any good at the stupid things.
"Depth based complexity allows for events beyond the normal scope of game play"
"A game having more critical information then a person is capable of remembering at once allows for circumstances to develop which are beyond any programmed events allowing for truly unplanned situations"
   Another thing you could look at is the old saw about there being no win condition, only losing and losing is fun. Something along the lines of when a game has no true win condition and only self set goals the end effect is greater involvement and more creativity. Of course with that you can add in stuff about Minecraft as well and probably also something about how while tapping  the same experience, Terraria isn't able to keep people the same way because of having end goals and a state in which you have finished it.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Dwarf Fortress has a lot you can talk about. Its commitment to realism despite the genre, Toady's priority of Features>Minor bugs, the lack of a win condition, the utter sandboxiness...

[adriaans]

The open ended no win condition gameplay is a very good point actually, that could tie nicely in along with the rest as a potential cause, and if I add some sections for the nature of the AI it could become a pretty good piece.

[10ebbor10]

Link

Google sholar is a wonderfull thing. Don't know how usefull it'll be.