Hey!
We’re sending out our first update for October. From now on, we plan to send you highlights and progress graphics every two weeks. Soon, we will also invite you to our updated Discord. We are also launching a Steam tab.
Currently, we are working mainly on two aspects of the project. The first one is the AI, which Jacek Niesterowicz, the scientist responsible for creating the heart of NED, has written more about for this update.
The whole AI-related project demands a few tasks to be done before the beta version starts. The most important and thus the most difficult ones are at the very beginning, and are related to designing the whole engine producing both stories and maps related to them.
We’ve divided the project into main segments:
- quest meta-engine
- tale engine
- map engine
For now, quest meta-engine is a neural network being taught by processing through a number of already written adventures. An adventure is broken down into pieces of information. These are, for instance, what is the main goal, what monsters appear, or what kind of treasures are to be looted, together with short descriptions.
The above mentioned thousands pieces of information are going to be used in the tale engine, which will, most likely, employ deep learning techniques for writing new adventures, which never saw the daylight.
Finally, the outputs from the Quest meta-engine and Tale engine together are used in the Map engine to create neat maps. The resulting maps are derivates of: tales, cleverly mixed ideas used in adventures before, and the room-settings you prefer.
At the moment, we are creating a database structure and assumptions for the operation of the network. We are also building a database of adventures with which we will teach the neural network.
We have decided that the Alpha version of Never Ending Dungeon will generate adventures related to goblins and orcs, which will take place in dungeons.
In the final product, you will be able to choose the setting – e.g., Dungeon – and the adventure theme – e.g., fighting greenskins, vampires, undead, kidnapping, etc. NED will create an adventure based on this!
The second element we are working hard on is 3D graphics, assets, materials, textures, and dungeon visualizations. A new graphic designer, Kate, joined the team at the beginning of the month, and one more person will join us next week, so the work will definitely speed up.
Graphic Work Report:
Over the next two weeks, we will focus on creating the needed items, monsters, and rewards for the goblin adventures. Also, to refine lighting, details, materials. In terms of main software and AI development – we hope to create the first meta-quest using our AI! Keep your fingers crossed! ?
