Games that Don't Fake the Space

Jacob Geller2 minutes read

No Man’s Sky and FUEL offer vast virtual landscapes, creating illusions of endless space through clever programming and strategic design. Game developers use techniques like procedural generation, illusions, and accessible environments to immerse players in expansive worlds and challenge traditional gaming boundaries.

Insights

  • Game developers often utilize procedural generation and clever programming to create vast virtual spaces that offer the illusion of size and scale, enhancing player experience through the manipulation of in-game environments.
  • The speaker, during a talk at the Durham Public Library, highlighted the significance of game analysis and endorsed Nebula for exclusive content, emphasizing the growing interest in exploring and understanding the intricate world of gaming from both a player and developer perspective.

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Recent questions

  • How do game developers create illusions of vast spaces?

    By using clever programming and shortcuts.

  • What is the significance of the Shepard scale in game design?

    It creates a sense of endless descent.

  • How does enabling flying in a game impact the player's experience?

    It breaks progression but reveals an expansive world.

  • What is the focus of the indie game Babbdi?

    Exploration in a vast, lawless cityscape.

  • What is the impact of the game Fuel's procedurally generated map?

    It feels huge due to satellite data and manageable size.

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Summary

00:00

Vast Game Worlds: Illusions of Infinite Space

  • No Man’s Sky is a space game with 18 quintillion planets, approaching the number of planets in the universe.
  • FUEL, a racing game by Asobo Studios, has a map of 14,400 square kilometers, larger than Skyrim and GTA5 combined.
  • Asobo Studios also developed Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, featuring a 1:1 scale model of Earth.
  • The Crew games cover the entire United States but are smaller than FUEL, with exaggerated landmarks and distances.
  • FUEL, despite its flaws, feels big due to its vast map and limited gameplay options.
  • Daggerfall, a game from 1996, is as large as Great Britain but lacks impact due to procedural generation.
  • Minecraft worlds can be larger than Earth but lack authorship, diminishing their impact.
  • Fuel's map, though procedurally generated, feels huge due to satellite data and manageable size.
  • Game developers often create illusions of vast spaces through clever programming and shortcuts.
  • Silent Hill 2's Historical Society level creates a sense of endless descent, using a Shepard scale musical illusion.

15:48

Exploring Boundless Worlds in Video Games

  • NaissanceE has no invisible walls, offering a challenging experience with no security.
  • Enabling flying in the game breaks progression but reveals an expansive world beyond normal sight.
  • The game features a dark, detailed electrical canyon with hidden elements.
  • Babbdi, an indie game, focuses on exploration in a vast, lawless cityscape.
  • Every building in Babbdi is accessible, emphasizing the realism and freedom of exploration.
  • Anor Londo in Dark Souls is an illusion, with hidden depths and surreal boss battles.
  • Gwyndolin in Dark Souls creates an illusionary fight in an endless hallway.
  • The game Fuel allows driving through vast digital landscapes, reflecting on the balance of false and true in art.
  • The speaker gave a talk at the Durham Public Library, discussing game analysis and promoting Nebula for exclusive content.
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