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Author Topic: Dwarf Fortress meets The Outer Wilds? "Ultima Ratio Regum", v0.10.1 out Feb 2023  (Read 624185 times)

Retropunch

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Re: Ultima Ratio Regum - roguelike/Borges/Eco, v0.6 released!
« Reply #2490 on: April 18, 2015, 04:40:27 am »

This is *much* easier. I've got a chatbot for CyberRogue which seems a lot more realistic (in my opinion) than internet chatbots, as you're talking about stuff in universe. It's situated in a 'physical' space, which makes it much more lifelike. Granted, it's not going to pass the Turing test, but as long as you stay in-universe, it can function well. It grabs bits of the news feed, it has preferences from the consumables available and knows a number of random people in the world that you also know. This definitely transfers to books, so I'm sure the Dr. will be able to turn out some pretty great stuff!

I like that chatbot already - sounds like something I want to have in my game (a logical, if maybe not 100% realistic, universe that reacts to what the player does).

It's certainly not perfect, but it does work for the most part. The best way to do it (which I saw mentioned somewhere else) is to lead the player a little bit. For instance, have an autofiller (like Google) for phrases. So if they type 'Where' it comes up with a list of phrases that will elicit a good response (Where is the food shop, where is the bar, where is npc1...and so on) . This leads the player so they don't struggle to word things correctly, but still allows them a sort of free choice. I mixed this with noun-grabbing, so if they use a noun (any place, item or person really) the chatbot will use a response which references the noun if they know anything about it. Those two approaches combined, mixed with the usual 'I don't want to talk about that' phrases gives a pretty good impression of intelligence.



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With enough work and polish, it could have been a forgettable flash game on Kongregate.

Robsoie

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Re: Ultima Ratio Regum - roguelike/Borges/Eco, v0.6 released!
« Reply #2491 on: April 18, 2015, 05:09:36 am »

I have always been surprised big RPG/openworld type of games that include tons of NPC never used chatbot engines.

While results can sometime be insane and hilarious, sometime you can get a small illusion of an actual ontopic conversation

In my opinion it's a much better idea to deal with conversation with all those generic NPC than having them constantly repeating the limited amount of pre-made answers that make trying to interact with those hundred of NPC completely pointless and uninteresting after you heard those 3 or 4 pre-made answers a dozen of time already from other guys.

So indeed, with a game of the scope of this one, a chatbot engine for the NPC would make it great, something Dwarf Fortress could have benefited too instead of those boring and uninteresting "it was inevitable" or "it's terrifying" repeated premade stuff.

Of course, in the middle some pre-made answers would still be required (pointing to a direction, starting the player on a quest, etc..etc..) but for the daily conversation, a chatbot would be the best choice to make the player believe the NPC he's discussing with is somewhat unique in his faked artificial opinions , making more immersion.
« Last Edit: April 18, 2015, 05:12:07 am by Robsoie »
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Ultima Ratio Regum

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Re: Ultima Ratio Regum - roguelike/Borges/Eco, v0.6 released!
« Reply #2492 on: April 18, 2015, 06:42:05 am »

Will comment once more on this discussion later, BUT FIRST:

After a mere four months of development, I am proud to announce the release of Ultima Ratio Regum 0.7! This release procedurally generates the interiors of every single building in the world – from cathedrals and mansions to slum housing and shops, and everything in-between – and the graphics for a vast range of items and features within those, ranging from ordinary chairs and tables to rare altars and underground sarcophagi. You can download it here (http://www.ultimaratioregum.co.uk/game/downloads/), and read more detail about the release notes below.

This is the last worldbuilding release! From this point onwards I’ll be pushing onto gameplay, starting with NPCs in 0.8. This release now establishes URR as one of the most detailed procedural worlds ever rendered – and one unparalleled in procedural cultural, aesthetic and religious detail – and marks the end of generating the immense world over which the player’s “quest” will play out.

Highlights:

- All buildings now have procedurally-generated interiors, where every single building has its own algorithms, archetypes, and items on the inside. This means everything, from cathedrals to slums, can now be fully explored, and in many cases span over many floors.

- All features within these buildings are also procedurally generated, from the most lowly of chairs, tables and candlestands to the rarest of altars, reliquaries and sarcophagi. All of each are dependent on the cultural norms for each nation.

Full Changelog:

- Procedural generation of cathedrals and religious buildings, distinct for each religion but consist across iterations.
- Generation of religious altars, religious reliquaries, and incense holders.
- Crypts now generate beneath graveyards in monarchies, and underneath cathedrals in theocracies.
- City centers how have all interiors generated for embassies, courts, galleries,  mercenary guilds and mints.
- Generation of large family mansions in upper-class housing districts, for both dominant and “ascending” noble houses.
- Generation of middle-class housing and lower-class housing, as well as slum housing outside city walls.
- Taverns, arenas, jails and slave quarters spawn in lower-class districts in nations with the appropriate policies (taverns, however, are universal).
- Military hospitals, Officers’ Quarters, Stables, Barracks and Armouries can be explored in feudal military districts.
- Shops and warehouses can be explored in market districts, although they do of course currently lack any items!
- Banks spawn in middle-class districts.
- Parliamentary buildings spawn in city centers of democratic nations.
- Farmhouses can be explored in the farms outside cities and towns.
- All buildings in hunter-gatherer nations now generate – longhouses, chieftain huts, and general houses – although they remain currently sparse.
- In fortresses, the player can now explore barracks, housing, and most importantly the oasis-like citadels at their centers.
- Altars for all religions now generate, aesthetically varied according to the archetypes and beliefs of each religion.
- Cathedrals and lesser religious buildings contain procedurally-generated reliquaries, incense holders, ornate vases, and much more, each distinct to a given religion.
- Everyday items like chairs, tables and beds also generate, with shapes and wood types distinct to each nation.
- Several buildings now contain candle stands which offer external sources of lighting that can be seen, even if the tiles between you and them cannot.
- Crypts are filled with sarcophagi, each with a unique generated image, within which is buried a figure from the world’s history.
- Save files are no longer in a single monolithic file, but now spread out so that no matter how many map grids may have been generated in a given playthrough, saving/loading speed never slows down.
- Various bug fixes, improvements, optimizations, etc, and a whole host of under-the-hood things implemented in preparation for 0.8.

I’m now working on 0.8 – the introduction of NPCs, conversations, face generation, clothing, the works – with an approximate target of four/five months from now, give or take. To finish off, here are some nice illustrative screenshots of 0.7 as it currently stands. Enjoy!















« Last Edit: April 18, 2015, 06:58:50 am by Ultima Ratio Regum »
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Robsoie

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Re: Ultima Ratio Regum - roguelike/Borges/Eco, v0.7 released!
« Reply #2493 on: April 18, 2015, 07:12:32 am »

Very good !
I gave a quick try and i'm wondering if i am missing something : is the only way to move between district is to use the space bar navigation ?

I mean i entered my home town checked the buildings found a stair up and a stair down, explored it all but can't seem to find doors/gates/etc... to move to another district, i can only do by pressing space bar ?

EDIT : my bad, just found the gate, can't believe i missed it :D
« Last Edit: April 18, 2015, 07:14:20 am by Robsoie »
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Ultima Ratio Regum

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Re: Ultima Ratio Regum - roguelike/Borges/Eco, v0.7 released!
« Reply #2494 on: April 18, 2015, 07:53:02 am »

Very good !
I gave a quick try and i'm wondering if i am missing something : is the only way to move between district is to use the space bar navigation ?

I mean i entered my home town checked the buildings found a stair up and a stair down, explored it all but can't seem to find doors/gates/etc... to move to another district, i can only do by pressing space bar ?

EDIT : my bad, just found the gate, can't believe i missed it :D

And 'T' to travel!!!
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Retropunch

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Re: Ultima Ratio Regum - roguelike/Borges/Eco, v0.7 released!
« Reply #2495 on: April 18, 2015, 08:16:33 am »

AUHGHAGHA!!!!!!!!! Goodbye cruel weekend, you shall not be missed!
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With enough work and polish, it could have been a forgettable flash game on Kongregate.

Zireael

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Re: Ultima Ratio Regum - roguelike/Borges/Eco, v0.7 released!
« Reply #2496 on: April 18, 2015, 09:19:50 am »

Waargh, this comes out when I have to wrap up the next draft of my MA due Tuesday. Argh!!!
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NullForceOmega

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Re: Ultima Ratio Regum - roguelike/Borges/Eco, v0.7 released!
« Reply #2497 on: April 18, 2015, 09:34:16 am »

I absolutely love that ascii art.
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Scoops Novel

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Re: Ultima Ratio Regum - roguelike/Borges/Eco, v0.7 released!
« Reply #2498 on: April 19, 2015, 03:48:09 am »

Will there be languages? You've got cryptography, you know you want to, i need to learn french
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Ultima Ratio Regum

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Re: Ultima Ratio Regum - roguelike/Borges/Eco, v0.7 released!
« Reply #2499 on: April 19, 2015, 04:22:15 am »

Haha, thanks folks. Hope you're enjoying it! Re: languages, there will be *ancient* languages (which is the crypto part) but not contemporary languages: I just couldn't think of any way to integrate useful/interesting/compelling/non-tedious gameplay into making sense of modern languages which different nations speak, and every idea I could come up with just seemed like it would be crap and profoundly annoying. So: yes, but only ancient ones (though maybe a few surviving worshipers of the most ancient cults might "speak" it too...?)
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The13thRonin

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Re: Ultima Ratio Regum - roguelike/Borges/Eco, v0.7 released!
« Reply #2500 on: April 19, 2015, 06:12:30 am »

If this is not a combat game then what exactly will be the premise of the gameplay?
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Ultima Ratio Regum

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Re: Ultima Ratio Regum - roguelike/Borges/Eco, v0.7 released!
« Reply #2501 on: April 19, 2015, 07:09:30 am »

If this is not a combat game then what exactly will be the premise of the gameplay?

I always refer people to this answer!

http://www.reddit.com/r/roguelikes/comments/2xwl3y/are_there_any_unusual_roguelikes_there/cp47fsg
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Witty

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Re: Ultima Ratio Regum - roguelike/Borges/Eco, v0.7 released!
« Reply #2502 on: April 19, 2015, 01:44:19 pm »

Last time I was reading up on the development posts, there were promises of leading armies, building up your influence, etc. I'm assuming that's no longer the development focus?

Regardless, what I've seen so far is extremely impressive. I do, however, hope this project doesn't go the way of Overgrowth, becoming just another technical marvel with little actual gameplay content. But I've got a good feeling you'll be smart enough to sidestep that pitfall. Best of luck!
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Servant Corps

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Re: Ultima Ratio Regum - roguelike/Borges/Eco, v0.7 released!
« Reply #2503 on: April 19, 2015, 03:06:53 pm »

Last time I was reading up on the development posts, there were promises of leading armies, building up your influence, etc. I'm assuming that's no longer the development focus?
Well, once you know where the item is, you still have to grab it right? That's where the armies and influence-building comes in. :)

EDIT: Or..at least, that's one way to answer it. Previous posts by URR said that he moved away from the armies/influence-building because 4X games has already been done before, while the "cultural-mystery" genre has not yet been made. Better to be unique than to copy the crowd.
« Last Edit: April 19, 2015, 03:12:33 pm by Servant Corps »
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Ultima Ratio Regum

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Re: Ultima Ratio Regum - roguelike/Borges/Eco, v0.7 released!
« Reply #2504 on: April 22, 2015, 06:20:50 am »

Last time I was reading up on the development posts, there were promises of leading armies, building up your influence, etc. I'm assuming that's no longer the development focus?

Regardless, what I've seen so far is extremely impressive. I do, however, hope this project doesn't go the way of Overgrowth, becoming just another technical marvel with little actual gameplay content. But I've got a good feeling you'll be smart enough to sidestep that pitfall. Best of luck!

Correct! (That was a long, long time ago!). Rest assured, it will not :) - I think worldbuilding/technical marvels are interesting, but it's a game I'm after, not a proof-of-concept/sandbox/etc.

Well, once you know where the item is, you still have to grab it right? That's where the armies and influence-building comes in. :)

EDIT: Or..at least, that's one way to answer it. Previous posts by URR said that he moved away from the armies/influence-building because 4X games has already been done before, while the "cultural-mystery" genre has not yet been made. Better to be unique than to copy the crowd.

Couldn't have put it better myself!
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