Sundered Starlight an AI-Assisted Story Telling RPG about Overcoming Grief
Musical Score Credits Nathan Jefferson! @mistereagleman
We, as a whole, are nostalgically inspired by meaningful video games that broaden your sense of curiosity and self-discovery. Dungeon Crawler games such as Enter the Gungeon, Legend of Zelda, and Crypt of the Necrodancer are just a few of the more popular options in the ocean of new titles released over our lifetimes. Our group believes the emotional impact video games have on individuals through immersive experiences can be as impactful as more traditional Artistic mediums like film and canvas. By implementing AI we are using it as a vehicle to drive our delivery of this message and hoping to give our audience a portion of compassion from each minute spent completing this project.
Fundamentally, our overall aesthetic approach was to create unique characters and environments that interact with levels of light throughout the course. Our characters are based on the stages of grief, specifically representing: Anger, Denial, Depression, Guilt, and Acceptance.
Using Procedurally Generated Mapping, our page is laid out differently with each refresh of the browser. While it may be dark, there is nothing to fear! NPCs are scattered throughout the cave that your character may run into and begin a conversation. We are using Chat GPT 4.0 to generate dialogue and plot for our audience to engage with in order to learn more about the mysterious cave they've unfortunately found themselves in. There are 5 different NPCs to discover in order to progress through the storyline.
PixieJS, Chat GPT, Asperite, & TexturePacker.
Unfamiliar Software While one member was familiar with PixieJS, the rest of us had never touched the engine before. Chat GPT as a Coding Assistant proved to be extremely helpful in not only automating the script for the game but with aiding in asset design inspiration, instructions, and plot generation. The ShellHacks mentors, likewise, proved an invaluable asset; we received technical advice that helped us avoid several rabbit holes, and moral support that encouraged us on our path.
Group Consistency Starting as a group of 4 made it difficult to reassign roles between our remaining 3 but we understandably were able to know each other's strengths and weaknesses the more we grew to know one another over the weekend. We had never met one another before ShellHacks, but through the ShellHacks Discord server we had the opportunity to get acquainted beforehand, making sure that we all got along properly and had complementary skills.
Pacing & Timing Hackathons are known for being extremely quick, ambitious opportunities for those who are creative-minded and project-oriented. One of the biggest temptations is to make something truly impressive to the biggest audience possible and hope for the best; however, our overall goal was to make something we could be really proud of. By taking a more intimate, simple approach to our theme we were able to spend more time focusing on the nature of our initial message and making sure it translates to our audience.
Chat GPT Integration and Procedural Map Generation AI is one of the most viral sensations in our current history. For us, to be Pioneers of integrating AI intelligence into both Video Games and Art is a prize in itself! It is thrilling to be part of such an evolutionary moment for technology when tools like Chat GPT make it much easier for beginner programmers to build up their familiarity with unique languages.
Things that would have been unthinkably impossible within the 40-hour stretch are now becoming more and more conceivable the further we dive into what AI has to offer.
Sprite Sampling & Level Design Using AI as an 'Idea Generator' proved to make the design aspect of this project much more straightforward for our artist when creating necessary assets that tie the game together. Floor and Wall tiles are modified Bing AI image files and the object assets were inspired by many generated examples to base the artwork. While character creation was entirely original, the personalities and conversations our audience can have with them are generated by AI and provide a whole additional layer of personality to the creatures.
It is an innovative, creative accomplishment posing as yet another example of AI supporting the means of creative expression for all artists alike.
New Experiences and New Hackathon Friendships While we might be experienced Hackers, we have not attended a Hackathon like ShellHacks before. We believe that, in a sense, everyone could benefit from our game's emphasis on a moment of reflection. It was an incredible experience to meet like-minded people and see how learning to understand and empathize with each other leads to a deeper connection and friendship that we could carry out after this weekend is over. It is a memory none of us will forget.
In-Person Hackathon Preparation Stepping outside of your remote space can sometimes prove to be more challenging than anticipated. There are many different things that can unpredictably happen, by accident or not, and all build towards a better understanding of what can be done with proper preparation.
Party Navigation and Leadership Not only is it difficult to meet new people... but having to tell them what to do and how to do it can be much, much harder. Understandably there will always be conflict with multiple creative minds coming together so strongly (and so sleep-deprived!) but it built our momentum to discover what are our weak points and how could we overcome them decisively.
Embracing AI as a Tool, not a Replacement* With the "AI Scare" and the general assumption that Technology is out to dismantle our creative opportunities, it can be difficult to find an audience that can truly appreciate the intricacies of what AI provides. ShellHacks provided our team with an opportunity to dive into AI educationally, inspirationally, and structurally. It is evident in our message and in our methods that we intend to lead by example with what Creativity and AI can become.
We want most for this game to resonate with our audience on a psychological level and give them the opportunity to reflect on the different ways one might experience emotional diversity. Charming designs, intriguing music, and immersive gameplay all create a stage that we've built together in order to connect.
A Special Thank You for Your Consideration Grief is something very well known and yet not fully understood. There may never be a true solution to the challenges you've found yourself encompassed with, Understandably. We can, however, share the weight of those emotions with a little compassion and connection.
In a dark room, find our candles lit just for you.
Thank You ShellHacks!