NoirVisage
Banned
Well put!
-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
True Replayability: Randomized elements in Games
- Thread starter NoirVisage
- Start date
Well put!
Houston3000
Member
Randomized maps is one of my favorite game features.
Minecraft
This is probably my favorite example, the world is randomly generated based on a seed upon creation. The seed is about 25 characters so there's really no limits. On top of that the worlds you create are practically infinite... about 8 times the size of earth before Java can no longer handle the memory required to sustain it. So even among all the almost infinite random seed possibilities, you have a world so amazingly large that even within a single game you can constantly experience that random world feeling when you go to a new area.
Civilization
Popping this game in on a Sunday afternoon and just hitting new game will give you a completely different world every time - there's some level of control to what's generated but I always find the first few dozen turns exhilarating as I explore my new surroundings.
SimCity
"Reticulating Splines"
Dungeons of Dredmor
This is a rogue-like so it's inherently random but it's one of my favorite rogue-like games.
Spelunky
Action side-scroller rogue-like. I haven't played the XBL re-release but I always loved the good-ol PC version... even though I never beat it.
Diablo
Kept me playing for years, would of eventually gotten bored of the same maps if the dungeons weren't different every time.
Minecraft
This is probably my favorite example, the world is randomly generated based on a seed upon creation. The seed is about 25 characters so there's really no limits. On top of that the worlds you create are practically infinite... about 8 times the size of earth before Java can no longer handle the memory required to sustain it. So even among all the almost infinite random seed possibilities, you have a world so amazingly large that even within a single game you can constantly experience that random world feeling when you go to a new area.
Civilization
Popping this game in on a Sunday afternoon and just hitting new game will give you a completely different world every time - there's some level of control to what's generated but I always find the first few dozen turns exhilarating as I explore my new surroundings.
SimCity
"Reticulating Splines"
Dungeons of Dredmor
This is a rogue-like so it's inherently random but it's one of my favorite rogue-like games.
Spelunky
Action side-scroller rogue-like. I haven't played the XBL re-release but I always loved the good-ol PC version... even though I never beat it.
Diablo
Kept me playing for years, would of eventually gotten bored of the same maps if the dungeons weren't different every time.
Last Hearth
Member
Randomization has nothing to do with replayability.
Replayability is in the game design. Chess is not random and it's infinitely replayable. Randomization is the lazy way to added "replayablitiy".
Replayability is in the game design. Chess is not random and it's infinitely replayable. Randomization is the lazy way to added "replayablitiy".
NoirVisage
Banned
its stunning how many gaping logical fallacies you fit into one brief post.
Vulcano's assistant
Banned
More like the practical way, rather than the lazy way in some cases.
I think some roguelike developers have tried to do some interesting things with random/procedurally generated elements.
For instance I'm not sure to what extent an interesting story or background history could be generated by a game, but it's certainly an interesting question.
For instance I'm not sure to what extent an interesting story or background history could be generated by a game, but it's certainly an interesting question.
NoirVisage
Banned
Exactly, and thats were i think user generated content would be ideal,players being able to use Create A Character tools to design NPC's and enemies using experience pts, along with dialogue for the NPC's giving mini questlines, which would be shuffled into the main game.
Thanks OP for reminding me of Dark Cloud series and that there won't be a HD collection.
Anyway, another game that does this really well is Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands on Wii. It got some challenge modes, that feature totally randomized maps - and it works.
Another game that features randomized layouts of levels is Yakuza Dead Souls. But the implementation is meh.
Anyway, another game that does this really well is Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands on Wii. It got some challenge modes, that feature totally randomized maps - and it works.
Another game that features randomized layouts of levels is Yakuza Dead Souls. But the implementation is meh.
NoirVisage
Banned
Sorry
I need to check out dead souls i've played every single localized yakuza game except for that one, i'll have to check out the randomizes aspects f irsthand!
Methinks genre has a lot to do with it - some games lend themselves greatly to randomisation (random free play is a standard feature for many 4X games, as an example, and they usually have huge user-generated content communities to go with them), whilst it could be a bit more of a challenge to implement it in others (realistic simulations, like racing and other sports games)...
Randomisation in RPGs is always an interesting concept. Dark Cloud series stands out, as does Persona 3 dungeons, PSO and PSO2 dungeons (especially the latter, as others have pointed out previously), etc. Wasn't there a DS ninja-themed RPG with randomised stuff too? Memory's a bit fuzzy...
I'm surprised no-one's mentioned the X-COM series yet. Most of the Battlescape stuff was randomly generated, as are soldier name/gender/stats/etc. It's why I love the series so much - every new playthrough is just different enough, from every soldier hired to every damn night-time Terror Site protected (Chrysalids be damned)... It's a shame that the new XCOM strategy from Firaxis won't have truely randomised maps (they're apparently just chosen from a selection of maps and set pieces), even though they claim you won't play the same map/setpiece combinations twice in the same playthroughs...
...but I digress. I definitely agree that it's definitely something more developers should think about.
O-O~
Randomisation in RPGs is always an interesting concept. Dark Cloud series stands out, as does Persona 3 dungeons, PSO and PSO2 dungeons (especially the latter, as others have pointed out previously), etc. Wasn't there a DS ninja-themed RPG with randomised stuff too? Memory's a bit fuzzy...
I'm surprised no-one's mentioned the X-COM series yet. Most of the Battlescape stuff was randomly generated, as are soldier name/gender/stats/etc. It's why I love the series so much - every new playthrough is just different enough, from every soldier hired to every damn night-time Terror Site protected (Chrysalids be damned)... It's a shame that the new XCOM strategy from Firaxis won't have truely randomised maps (they're apparently just chosen from a selection of maps and set pieces), even though they claim you won't play the same map/setpiece combinations twice in the same playthroughs...
...but I digress. I definitely agree that it's definitely something more developers should think about.
O-O~
NoirVisage
Banned
Xcom, enemy unknown is another one i enjoyed watching being played! The updated version is one i'm looking forward to, that game totally slipped my mind good call!
DanteRavenkin
Member
I'll play just about anything with randomly generated elements. Minecraft is an amazing example of randomization in games, however I think my all time favourite use of random generation is in Fate. Yes, it was a more colourful Diablo clone, but the items you'd find were ridiculous! You'd get bonuses and penalties on the same item! It was always amusing to find a new sword with three awesome buffs, and one horrible debuff.