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Here's how 'Minecraft' creates its gigantic worlds
Have you wondered how Minecraft can produce massive worlds that are still chock-full of little details, like elaborate cliff faces and waterfalls? PBS' Game/Show is more than happy to explain in a new video. As you'll see below, Mojang's game relies on procedural generation, which automatically creates environments and objects that are at once random, but guided by rules that maintain a consistent logic. Mountains are always rocky and sprinkled with snow, for example, while the low lands are typically full of grass and trees.
Sandvox SkySaga hits alpha in the UK
Sandvox SkySaga has officially entered alpha, says developer Smilegate. The team announced the start of the testing phase over social media yesterday and today: Great news! We've just started up the Alpha servers (UK only still, I'm afraid), and from now on they'll be running 24/7 (with the exception of maintenance periods!). You read that right: The alpha's open only to UK players right now, though we've had reports that there's no IP blocking just yet. Release is still set for next summer. The game is a voxel-based sandbox with the usual trapping: crafting, harvesting, combat, arena PvP, and an "evolving" online world shaped by the players themselves.
Players power direction of Oort Online's development
Oort Online's dev team is not content to make this voxel sandbox in the isolation of its ivory tower (or the corner of a deserted warehouse, whatever may be), but it has been asking for constant input from backers for the direction of the game's development. "As the game currently stands, the playable features are quite contained as we've been focusing on establishing the core MMO services and game engine," the devs posted. In a recent backer survey, 43% of those surveyed asked for the devs to prioritize the creation of character races out of the four options presented. In addition, the team said that some of the biggest priorities for a 1.0 release include resource gathering, crafting, and PvE combat. At the bottom of the list? "Real money purchases -- I want short cuts!" Oort Online is a "universe-sized" sandbox that's currently in alpha testing and has raised over $123,000 in crowdfunding. [Thanks to Jose for the tip!]
SkySaga videos encourage you to explore its world
We've got more to share today about SkySaga, that new sandvox that's trying to woo the Minecraft crowd. Radiant Worlds has released a new pair of videos this week that show off the game's playful and exploratory nature. In the videos, you'll follow a trio of adventurers around as they navigate the various biomes of the world and get into nasty scraps with mean foes. Of course, the biggest mystery here might be, "Where are their arms and legs?" See it all after the break!
SkySaga bringing a colorful sandvox to you next summer
Happy Monday! We even got you a gift: the reveal of a new procedurally generated sandbox called SkySaga. You don't have to feel as if you need to get us anything in return, however. Radiant Worlds announced last week that it has started work on an "evolving" online world called SkySaga. The team promises that the story and land of SkySaga will be shaped by the heroes during their journeys. It will contain a lot of the sandbox staples, including voxel terrain, harvesting, and crafting. The game will also include PvP battle arenas. Currently, the plan for SkySaga is to begin closed alpha testing in the UK "very soon" and release sometime next summer. We've got an early gameplay video for you to check out after the break. [Source: Radiant Worlds press release]
Atmospheric bounty hunter White Space explained in dev diary
Curve Studios Design Director Jonathan Biddle discussed the alpha version of his latest game White Space in a new developer diary video. In it, bounty-hunting players fly from one pretty, polygonal, procedurally-generated planet to the next to take down their targets.
Making music in a Kinect-powered sandbox (video)
Tucked away under a tent at Expand 2014 was perhaps the coolest exhibition on the show floor: Sand Noise Device, a literal interactive sandbox experience. No, this isn't a new Grand Theft Auto; it's powered by hacked gaming tech, though, including an Xbox 360 Kinect sensor and a PlayStation Eye camera. Watching it in action immediately brought memories of Xbox 360 classic Geometry Wars to mind, actually. A ring radiates out from a center origin point, and when it hits the glowing, multicolored pucks (that are tracked for position by the PS Eye), a series of particles start shooting outward.
It takes billions of years to see all of No Man's Sky
The universe is a pretty big place, and No Man's Sky's development team wants to replicate its span as best as it can. It's ambitions were grand enough for Hello Games' Sean Murray to say that the universe in No Man's Sky is "infinite" when it was revealed for PS4 at E3 in June. Of course, the game isn't really "infinite," and Hello Games is fully aware of that, and ultimately wants the game to "surprise" players. The developer addressed that late last week with IGN, discussing its previous use of a 32-bit number to automatically generate the planets in the game. "With that 32-bit number it would take you four or five thousand years to see every planet if you spent only a second on each one," it said. See? Not infinite. However, the developer noted that it is now using a 64-bit number to procedurally produce No Man's Sky's universe, which means it will take roughly five billion years to see each planet in the game. The still-not-infinite-but-rather-huge universe of No Man's Sky will arrive on PC after it launches on PS4, though it's unknown just when that will be. [Image: Hello Games]
Lionhead, EA vets reveal RPG sandbox title, Oort Online
Wonderstruck, a studio largely comprised of ex-Lionhead and ex-EA employees, is toiling away at Oort Online, an open world, voxel-based sandbox RPG that's bound to draw the Minecraft comparison. So what's the deal with this one? The Oort, a race once savvy with exploration, tooled around with a previously-untouched universe, which may or may not have anything to do with their extinction. Their legacy remains, thanks to temples and monuments strewn across Oort's procedurally-generated worlds, which you can brave alone or raid with friends in the name of loot. You'll likely be safer traveling with a group though, because these worlds are home to The Protectors, a five-class race created by The Oort to protect the lands you'll also populate. Titans are king of the Protector species, looming over temples to guard the rarest, shiniest loot. Naturally, it wouldn't hurt to have some of that, so players are free to chase treasures as they wish, claiming land for themselves with beacons, joining guilds, earning experience and crafting weaponry along the way.
Oort Online strives to create a 'universe-sized' sandbox
Why should your sandbox MMO be confined to one measly world? That's the premise of Oort Online, an upcoming sandbox title that involves several worlds that can be explored, conquered, and molded by players. In this voxel-based game, players will exist on the same server and can choose to fight a nasty galaxy-spanning race called the Protectors or carve out a slice of land on which to build a masterpiece. "We think fans of procedural games are going to love Oort Online! We're making a universe-sized sandbox and giving players control over what happens," developer Wonderstruck said. Oort Online has been in development for six months and is available right now as an early access prototype for funders who spend $95 or more. The crowdfunded project also has cheaper tiers for alpha and beta access and promises a package of goodies (including a chance to win instant access) for those who send out a tweet promoting the game. Get a sneak peek of Oort Online in a dev video after the break!
E3 2014: No Man's Sky gets a new trailer
Procedurally generated space exploration sandbox No Man's Sky resurfaced at E3 yesterday with a new trailer and a commitment to launching first on the PlayStation 4. The sci-fi title blew us away late last year with its first trailer, and even though it probably won't fit everyone's definition of an MMO, we're keeping tabs on it due to its multiplayer ripple effect and its vast gameplay space. You can watch the new clip after the break!
Dieselstormers starts a firefight in a city full of oil
None of the conversations we've heard about pollution have ever brought up the whole "oil can totally turn you into orks" thing, but now that Dieselstormers has cleared its funding goal on Kickstarter, it's a reality the diesel-fueled town of Ravensdale will face. Naturally, the remaining humans are up for sorting things out with guns in a solo or co-operative, side scrolling manner, but with their city speckled with oil canisters and goop pits, mashing triggers won't always be the best strategy. Missions focus on assassinating, sabotaging or liberating targets, but optional goals like timed objectives can be tackled in exchange for bonuses. Revisiting cleared stages might not feel entirely redundant, either - the city blocks of Ravensdale have an element of procedural generation to them. The Kickstarter page describes levels as being built from "different layers" of architecture that provide a "constantly shifting and growing context" for ork-targeting shootouts. Dieselstormers will let its heroes mix-n-match gun components to tailor an arsenal to their personal play style, but bringing friends along will allow for use of the Arc Connector. This ball of destruction is tethered to all players and can be guided toward enemies to dish out damage, provided the squad controlling it is capable of the involved teamwork. It's upgradable with stackable mods across all players, too, so every team's go-to finisher won't be the same spectacle. Although Dieselstormers is bound for Steam, developer Black Forest Games assures it will release a DRM-free version "as soon as the sales success makes it viable to set up this infrastructure ourselves." Dieselstormers has its sights on an initial PC launch with Mac and Linux versions following, but Black Forest is "planning for" Xbox One, PS4 and Wii U as well. [Image: Black Forest Games]
MMO Mechanics: Procedural generation is the future
MMOs are infamous for the exorbitant amount of both time and money that is required to make a fantastic end product. Much of this effort and expenditure goes into producing very specific content such as leveling zones, quest chains, and dungeons. The classic themepark MMO in which all the rides are carefully engineered and maintained is compelling for a time, but the content therein tends to take longer to create than it does to exhaust. This invariably leads to redundant content that ends up on the scrapheap once it has been enjoyed for a time. Procedural generation corrects much of this redundancy by providing essentially limitless variations of content, adding replayability and variety to the usual MMO repertoire. It also opens up some unique mechanics, like Elite: Dangerous' planned procedurally generated galaxy that is a full-scale replica of the Milky Way. In this week's MMO Mechanics, I will look at how the genre is evolving because of how accessible procedural generation techniques have become to developers. I'll also explore how this might affect the future of MMOs by examining the mechanics that upcoming titles will incorporate.
Noir Syndrome offers a new murder mystery with every play
Noir Syndrome is a novel take on a classic of the storytelling genre. Instead of offering players a single murder mystery, it uses procedural generation to randomize clues, suspects and victims each time you play. Beyond its randomized killings, Noir Syndrome also offers a number of other features you wouldn't expect from a game with such a pixelated, spartan aesthetic. According to the IndieDB entry on Noir Syndrome, despite its procedurally generated nature, all objects in the game are persistent, creating the illusion of a functioning, open world until you start a new game and everything is rebuilt from scratch. In this world, players are tasked with seeking out clues, then using these clues to nail suspects, but the game also offers players the freedom to ignore the central murder mystery in favor of exploration or gunning down random bystanders. Currently, you can find Noir Syndrome in the Steam Greenlight queue. Like all Greenlight games, it must attract a certain number of affirmative votes before earning the right to be listed on the Steam marketplace. While that means there's going to be a wait for the final, retail version of Noir Syndrome, you can attempt to gain access to a beta release of the game by following the instructions in this IndieDB entry. [Image: Glass Knuckle Games]
Sir, You Are Being Hunted dev drops Permutation Racer prototype
Big Robot, developer of the procedurally-generated survival game Sir, You Are Being Hunted, has released a free prototype of a racing game called Permutation Racer for PC and Mac. This isn't so much about getting the best times on tracks after spending weeks memorizing them, though - Permutation Racer is about blazing through sections of procedurally-generated track before the timer reaches zero. Clearing each checkpoint grants players a bit of extra time, and collecting the stars strewn across pathways will fill a boost meter that makes reaching the next section a bit more feasible. You can race across Permutation Racer's endlessly colorful track through the download links in Big Robot's announcement. Big Robot is also welcoming any thoughts, bug reports, screenshots or high score competitions you'd like to share on its forum.
Starbound beta starts today
Starbound developer Chucklefish began sending out beta keys for the PC, Mac and Linux game today. Those who backed the space-faring exploration game should see a Steam key in their inboxes momentarily, and the developer says a direct download version of the game will be available "as soon as we are able to efficiently provide it." The Terraria-like game's official site reveals that over $2.6 million was raised by 124,176 backers in the developer's ongoing crowdfunding efforts. Starbound features procedurally-generated worlds in which players must gather supplies to take on quests. The "story in a sandbox" game received a new trailer to commemorate the launch of its beta version, which features some of its side-scrolling action.
Blizzard talks procedural and player-created content in WoW
In an interview with Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Lead Content Designer Cory Stockton spoke about the challenges of producing content fast enough to keep up with the rate at which players consume it. Aside from their desire to move up to yearly expansions, one of the things they have had discussions about is adding procedurally-generated content to the game. "People just burn through our content so fast, if we could build enough content, we would," Stockton said. "Procedural content is totally something we've talked about." However, he was quick to point out that randomized content would not replace any of their handcrafted content. Cory Stockton I think what we'd like to do is say we can still have our seven or eight dungeons, but then over here we've got some crazy procedural supplement. Maybe the dungeon is random, maybe the boss is randomized with different [abilities] – how ever we could do that. But I think that'd be a cool supplement to the handcrafted stuff. Because I think that's what sets us apart. source Having dungeons or scenarios change up slightly every time you enter them could certainly make re-running them a little more fun. You could speculate all day about what they could do with this -- alternate paths through a dungeon, dynamic events, randomized trash and bosses, environmental gameplay, and much more.
MMO sandbox TUG launches its Kickstarter
If you're the sort of sandbox aficionado who's more into crafting and exploration than griefing, then this post is for you. Brand-new to Kickstarter today is an MMO called, well, The Untitled Game, or TUG for short. Inspired by the likes of Minecraft, Zelda, and EVE Online, TUG promises an immersion-driven, "massive procedurally generated world to explore" along with such features as combat, crafting, building, an organic UI, modding tools, hidden civilizations, animal taming, "logic engineering," day/season cycles, realistic weights, support for roleplayers, and no DRM. Like rival Shroud of the Avatar, TUG will be playable solo, on a private server, and on the official MMO server. Developer Nerd Kingdom styles itself as "a collective of scientists, researchers, technologists, economists, content creators, artists, modders, and gamers from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds" with a "deep passion for the nerdery of academic sciences, art, and technology," but in spite of its academic background, the studio promises a survival sandbox/multiplayer RPG hybrid without all the associated spreadsheets and number-crunching. The game is targeting 2015 for launch with an alpha this coming July; the digital download edition of the game can be secured for as little as 10 bucks on Kickstarter now. See whether the videos behind the break don't convince you.
Elite: Dangerous Kickstarter page updates with early procedural footage
Elite: Dangerous has updated its Kickstarter page with another video featuring creator David Braben. Normally this would be exciting news, but since the game is little more than theory at this point, the video is little more than seven minutes of Braben talking about how awesome it's going to be. There is a wee bit of footage featuring procedurally generated rocks, stars, and clouds (all of which look, well, early), but it seems as if we're a long ways from proper gameplay footage and feature sets. The good news is that Braben is quite enthusiastic and that the project is about halfway to its fund-raising goal with 49 days to go. You can view the video in its entirety after the break.
David Braben is kickstarting a new multiplayer Elite sequel
Elite and its sequel Frontier: Elite II were arguably two of the most influential early space games ever made. They dropped the player into an immense sci-fi sandbox with just a tiny ship and a handful of credits. You could work your way up to larger and larger hauling ships, fight off pirates intent on taking your loot, travel the stars in search of lucrative deals or just wormhole into deep space. If that sounds familiar, it's because Elite was part of the inspiration for sci-fi MMO EVE Online. Space in Frontier was especially deep, with a full-scale galaxy containing 100 billion stars and several empires with their own legal systems and trading outposts. Players could choose to raid other ships or play it straight, mining moons, scooping fuel from gas giants, and landing on planets to survey them for materials. The magic that made this colossal universe possible was procedural generation and some incredibly good programming by developer David Braben. Today David took to Kickstarter to launch possibly the most anticipated sequel in the history of sci-fi sandbox games. Elite: Dangerous promises a Frontier-style sandbox with modern 3D graphics, a ton more content, and a seamless peer-to-peer multiplayer experience with no lobbies. Whether this will qualify as an MMO or not remains to be seen, but the project promises to blur the line between what is and isn't massively multiplayer.
