[MadSudaca]

This gave me an idea, what about a game that is proceduraly generated in whole, maybe using only the same underlying mechanics, for each run of the game or each person that plays? It’ll probably be possible in not too long with generative AI.

[crq-yml]

UCSC EIS was doing some work on this kind of thing over the past decade:

https://eis.ucsc.edu/

Everything procedural in nature essentially reflects the design philosophy of the creator: that's a fundamental restriction on the Holodeck. The generative approach is actually creatively less productive than a chaos function, because chaos is known to produce interesting long-run patterns, while generative acts more like an interpolation on existing patterns.

[MadSudaca]

Very cool, thanks for sharing!

[doesnt_know]

I understand this isn't exactly what you meant, but The Pokemon Mystery Dungeon[1] series is one interpretation of that idea. Basically a Pokemon roguelike.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Mystery_Dungeon

[bagful]

The “randomizer speedrun” genre involves completing a script-generated ROM hack permuting existing game assets. A randomized ROM might rearrange everything from door warps, enemy locations, boss move-sets, even item effects can be randomized; and importantly the game remains completely solvable.

[aperrien]

Not to be negative, but isn't that the whole category of roguelikes? There are definitely Pokémon roguelikes out there.

[MadSudaca]

Not negative at all. I just learned something new, thanks!

[eddtries]

Rogue likes are good enough, if you build a procedurally generated games it’s very hard to not make it very boring and empty. Many roguelikes do a good job at keeping things fresh enough to replay while not allowing for that.

[yakshaving_jgt]

Unless I’m missing something, Diablo was exactly this.

[MadSudaca]

Diablo II (the one I know), generates maps procedurally. However, the quests, weapon categories, general story, are all the same for each run. I'm talking about taking this concept up a notch. At the very least, have a new story for each run or player.