Summary
Many games use procedural generation to create a game world algorithmically, starting withEliteway back in 1984. But this isn’t the only way that this kind ofdynamic contentcan be used in games. Some games have used procedural generation to create sounds or music on the fly, and, surprisingly, the first game to do this wasPong, in 1972. Then there are games that use algorithms to create aspects of the story, plot, or narrative.
Story elements that can be generated randomly include quests,NPC interactions, and how story arcs connect, for example. This results in games that never play the same twice, with each playthrough changing in some way. From the earliest days of gaming to the modern era,these are the games that pioneered the concept of procedural storytelling.
8AI Dungeon
Prompt-Driven Story Generation
AI Dungeonis atext-based adventurethat can be played on a browser. The player follows a story arc that is entirely procedurally generated. When starting a game, the player answers several questions and even has the option of defining their own adventure if they so choose.
The result is a classic adventure game that is completely tailored to how the player wants their story to unfold. Furthermore, the AI behind the game will change the narrative in real time based on the decisions the player makes and the actions they take while they are playing. No two playthroughs will ever be the same.
7Rogue AI Simulator
Procedurally Generated Plot
Rogue AI Simulatoris a game that relies on narrative to engage the player, with the plot being entirely procedurally generated. This is an impressive feat for a game that is very story-focused. As the player progresses through the game, the story is written based on the actions anddecisions of the player.
New story arcs and quests are generated on the fly, and become highly personalized based on what the player has been doing in the game up to that point. The result is truly dynamic and emergent storytelling.
6StoryNexus
Generate And Then Play Narrative-Driven Games
StoryNexusis a web-based platform for creating and playing procedurally generated games. The player is free to choose from any of the games already created, or to define and generate their own. If they choose the latter option, they are asked for a title, an overview of what the story should be about, and the end goal for a successful playthrough. Further details such as the name of the main protagonist, gender, age, and role can also be answered.
Once a game has been created or loaded, it will play very much like a classic text adventure, except the interface prompts the player to decide from several courses of action, rather than typing in a text prompt.
It must be said thatFallout: New Vegasdoesn’t use procedural generation to create the entire plot of its campaign. However, it does use this technique for dynamically creating faction quests, and the way that these missions pan out can impact how the game progresses.
Decisions that players make can have an impact on the quest paths available to them. This impact has a ripple effect on the way that the overall story develops, and what happens to the player in the end. The result is a game that never plays the same way twice, and can turn out some surprisingly emergent gameplay at times.
King of Dragon Passis primarily a strategy game, but with certain aspects of the roleplaying genre included as well. The player takes control of a clan in this game, and the decisions they make during encounters and other game events have an impact on how the story unfolds.
The game generates quests and scenarios dynamically, creating emerging stories that will likely never be repeated, no matter how many times the player replays the game.King of Dragon Passwas a pioneering title in its day, using procedural generation to shape the story as the player progresses.
The Shrouded Isleis astrategy gamewith a dark and foreboding setting. The entire story in this game is procedurally generated. Every time the player starts a new game, all the villagers that the player will interact with are generated randomly.
These villagers will have their own personalities, sets of skills, and other traits that will have an impact on how they interact with the player. Furthermore, all the quests and events that the player will come across are also generated automatically, rather than being scripted.
Tales of Maj’Eyalfollows theroguelike formatof gameplay, and brings in some cool procedurally generated storytelling to the table as well. In fact, the entire game uses algorithmic generation for the map, locations, and dungeons alongside the storytelling aspects of the game.
Every quest, dialogue option, and world event are dynamically created, which means the game is entirely different in every way during each playthrough, from the game world to the narrative.Tales of Maj’Eyalshows just how far developers can go in creating dynamic gaming experiences without scripting anything at all.
1Zork
Fully Dynamic Story
Zorkis a very old game, and also one of the very earliest games to use procedural storytelling. The developers describe the experience as an interactive fiction game. The game world itself is pre-defined, and does not use procedural generation. However, most other aspects of the game do.
The story the player uncovers, as well as the puzzles and interactions they will go through, are all dynamically created on the fly. The result is a game that never plays the same twice. Considering thatZorkwas first released in 1977, this was quite an achievement at the time.
