Euclid

Boredom Needs a Hype Man

OH SHIT THIS THREAD SO HYPE RIGHT NOW

Boredom Needs a Hype Man

Yes.

Boredom Needs a Hype Man

It would make things less boring. Also, I'm bored.

Let's all be hype men for a little bit.

Expiration Date: A Discussion

Survival mechanics and crafting are going to happen, as far as I know. Whether or not base building is a thing is something left unknown currently.

Expiration Date: A Discussion

The video above is a teaser for the upcoming game No Man's Sky, a new project by Guildford-based independent game developer studio Hello Games. In December of 2013, this teaser was revealed at the VGX Awards, an awards show dedicated to video games and their developers that was broadcast on Spike TV. It is, essentially, a procedurally generated open-universe exploration game and, quite frankly, possibly the largest ever, boasting a game world that would take longer for one to even barely come into complete contact with every inch than it would take for our own real sun to die out. How long is that, you might ask?

Almost 585 billion years. Numerical notation: 585,000,000,000. The sun is theorized to burn out and turn into a red giant in approximately 5 billion years. Sean Murray, lead developer at Hello Games, said that it would take 585 billion years to visit the entirety of NMS' "universe" if you visited each and every planet for just one second. To barely scratch the amount of content the game is to contain, it would take 117 times longer than it would take for the sun in our solar system to die. So, how many planets are supposed to be in the game?

18,446,744,073,709,551,616. Almost 18.5 quintillion That is a lot of planets for just one game.

The universe of No Man's Sky is said to be persistent for all players, meaning that every player will experience the same universe, and much (if not all) of it will be uncharted territory, even to the developers themselves, so how will it be possible to keep an entire universe running in-game? Well, with procedural generation. In video games, procedural generation means that artwork and objects are generated into the game algorithmically, rather than having all of it created manually, then prerendered into the game. If it were done manually, the game would probably have a giant installation file, one unrivaled in size for quite a long time. It would also mean that the game would never get done; not in our lifetime, anyway, and I highly doubt that anyone would spend decades on just developing one game. Let's go a little more in-depth with this process.

The developers explained that the generation process would work as if there's a spherical area around each player. To that player, everything within that area is generated according to specific inputs to the game's algorithms. Everything outside of that area doesn't exist. When a player moves from one area to the next, the code -- and everything generated from those input values -- is basically deleted; lost. However, that code isn't entirely lost. Since the algorithms rely on specific inputs to generate what is needed, simply traveling back to an area that the player left will reinstate the code and bring back what was initially generated. This ensures a persistent universe, and not something shaped completely at random. This also ensures that not all of the code is running at once for any one player, especially when it doesn't need to be. If it did, the CPU required to run something of that size is, at this point, probably unfathomable for anyone that owns anything short of a supercomputer.

Let's backtrack to that blistering number of planets. 18.5 quintillion planets. How is this possible? The developers use a 64-bit number to generate the number of planets in the game. Since each bit is binary, and inputs can only consist of ones and zeroes, that's two different inputs. Since there's 64 bits to the number, it would be like multiplying 2 to the 64th power, or 2*2*2*2~ and so on, up to 64 times. The number of planets in the game comes up as a result just a little less than what the result would be if you multiplied 2 to the 64th power; trust me, I've checked, and so can you.

So how much fresh and interesting content can be put into the game? That's really up to the artist(s) to decide. To quote Sean Murray: "I feel this is a game we're going to be working on for a long time." Does this mean that they'll keep adding fresh content to keep us interested, long after the game's release? It's uncertain.

There's still much left unknown about No Man's Sky and, being a fan of the game myself, I can't wait to see what Hello Games has in store, but it begs to wonder how much is too much. There are so many planets in the game; uncharted, unexplored. What's to stop the game from generating a planet and everything on it that is identical to another planet in every single way, except for its color? What if it's completely identical? Can the developers produce enough objects to stop this from happening and, if so, how long will it take? Will they lose their playerbase before that can happen? A lot of these questions remain unanswered, and I suppose getting bored with a game like this all depends on the players themselves.

How do you feel about games of gigantic size? How long can you play one before you get bored, if you ever get bored in the first place? What does it take to keep you interested and engaged in what is mostly a game about exploration? Let me know; I'd love to read your views.

InFamous: Generations

Not much of an intro post, admittedly. Wanted to keep it short and just drop in (seamlessly, I hope).

InFamous: Generations

"I quit."

"You... quit?"

James stood at the table, a large duffel bag resting on top with all his things inside. He didn't bring much; he never had that much he chose to bring in the first place. His boss, Rob, stood in the doorway, eyebrows furrowed in disbelief. He was losing his greatest asset to the team. They stared for what seemed like a while before James moved again, smiling as he placed the last of his things into the bag. "Yeah," he stated, a sense of completion in his voice. "I quit."

Rob was concerned. "But, why, James?"

"It's just..." James trailed off for a moment, thinking about what he said during his times at the radio station. Ever since the rise of the Syndicate, people poked and prodded at him for an opinion, a voice of opposition against the coming tyranny, as if his voice was going to be the one to give them courage. He knew better. They'd need something more than courage to stand against a group that dangerous. They'd need to be a Conduit.

"Look," James replied, zipping up the duffel bag and slinging it over his shoulder. "This place is great. You guys are great; the best I could've hoped for, but my time here is done. I've got to move on." He walked past Rob into the hallway, only getting a few more steps before his boss turned and addressed him again.

"It's the Syndicate, isn't it?"

James stopped in the middle of the hallway, looking at the floor. Rob moved forward and grabbed his ex-employee by the shoulder. "I know you're scared, James. I am, too. Ever since they showed their face, a lot of people have been terrified of what could happen, but if the Conduits would step up and face these monsters, then we all might have chance at surviving."

James thought about the Syndicate, the Rogue Conduits, and the ones like himself that were simply just trying to get by. Curdun Cay rocked them all pretty hard, he was sure. Having been trained by Augustine, and for what? Domination? Fear? Destruction?

"I'll see you around, Rob. Try not to sing the radio station into the ground. We both know you're not the greatest." They both shared a laugh at the joke; whether or not it was the last, James didn't know, but as he left the station, he was left wondering how the city, and the lives within, would be shaped over the coming days.

He found himself on his couch the next day, the time passing him by unknowingly. He halfmindedly plucked the strings on his guitar, staring up at the ceiling and thinking about nothing in particular. The Syndicate threat was rising, and he didn't know where. Supposing it was a much worse decision, James rose from the couch and decided to go sightseeing once again. In a few months' time, he had been fortunate enough to witness some pretty neat things during his travels around New York City, but there were still many things left unseen. One such attraction that had been on his mind was the Museum of Natural History.

It wasn't long before he was standing in the main lobby, a cone filled with strawberry ice cream in his hand and a pair of headphones on his ears, like always. He sung quietly to himself, pausing every so often to lap at the dessert he held. Looking around, he started walking, taking in various exhibits with a smile.

InFamous: Generations

I'd like to get in on this, if there are still any spots left.

EDIT: In case it is, here's a character sheet I worked on. I noticed that someone else tried this, but never finished it, so I wanted to try my hand at it. Hopefully, it's alright.

Character Sheet, Ahoy!

Name:
James 'Kyma' Maddox

---

Age:
24

---

Gender:
Male

---

Appearance:

---

Side:
Neutral

---

Personality:

James is usually an outgoing individual, often around town to explore the sights and, more specifically, the sounds of New York City. He loves the city and its people, even after all the chaos that happened between the Conduits and the D.U.P. years ago. He holds aggression towards normal humans for his imprisonment, but has developed a resolve to let them do what they wish, believing that they'll eventually kill themselves off due to their ignorance. However, his sense of moral direction keeps him up at night, constantly scouring the streets for crime to prevent at any cost. He holds a deep appreciation for ambient noise and music, and is constantly wearing headphones, tuning out most of the city's hustle and bustle. Due to his imprisonment at Curdun Cay, he also tunes out the horrible events he experienced in the prison, as the memories leave him depressed, angry and vengeful.

---

Biography:

James 'Kyma' Maddox was originally born James Murphy, in the small town of New Castle, Pennsylvania. Shortly after his birth, his family began to move from place to place, eventually settling down in Seattle when James was only ten years old. Life was normal for a small period of time before the world was rocked with news about New Marais. It was the first time James would hear the word "Conduit", but it wouldn't be the last. It wasn't long after that when the D.U.P. began wrangling in every conduit they could find that survived the blast from the RFI, housing them in a prison called Curdun Cay. The city, in a matter of days and weeks, went from being peaceful to becoming a police state, constantly watched by the government and patrolled by armored guards. Life more or less remained the same, if only for a little while.

James discovered his abilities at a young age, more by accident than curiosity. During an argument between his parents, one that escalated and got out of hand, James became increasingly distressed and began to cry. The volume of his cries grew exponentially, blowing out the windows of his home and temporarily deafening his parents' ears. Two days later, his parents turned him over to the D.U.P. and their leader, Brooke Augustine. For several years, he was tested and tortured, vivid and haunting memories of the events still plaguing his mind to this very day. When he was 17, he was released without reason, along with many other Conduits, when a man named Delsin Rowe exposed the D.U.P. for what it really was. With nowhere to go, he turned to his parents for help.

His parents were immediately disapproving of his status as a Conduit, which left James homeless. He lived in a shelter for several months while he worked, saving up as much money as he possibly could. The first thing he bought was a name change, officially changing his last name to Maddox, though he has yet to reveal a reason as to why. A few more months of work left him with enough money to rent an apartment. Over time, he developed his abilities to manipulate soundwaves, building up an arsenal of new tricks to use at his will. One such ability is soundproofing, being able to muffle or completely silence any noise at will, and has done this with his apartment, making his side hobby of producing music much easier to do without bothering his neighbors. Due to his powers, he's taken on the nickname 'Kyma', meaning 'wave' in Greek.

Over time, he left Seattle and moved to New York City, taking a chance with what little money he had. Meeting up with a friend of a friend, he shacked up in their house until he made enough money playing guitar on the street to get his life going again. Currently, he works as a radio station DJ at one of NYC's local but lesser-known radio stations, KNYM, as well as producing music from his home as a side hobby, along with frequently practicing on the guitar. He keeps his existence as a Conduit a secret, due to there still being prejudice for his kind from normal humans, but otherwise goes out to enjoy New York City's many attractions and tries to live his life as normally as possible. However, with the rising Syndicate threat on the horizon, as well as new Rogue Conduits surfacing and causing trouble, James is anxious and wondering as to how much longer that normal life will last.

---

Power:
Soundwave Manipulation

James is able to manipulate the frequency, intensity, pitch and volume of soundwaves to initiate a number of abilities.

---

Ability List:

Soundproofing
Soundproofing is an action taken to isolate, muffle, and erase sound so as to make something as silent as possible. James is able to use this ability to mask noises generated from his movements or abilities, as well as silencing any one individual source of sound in the immediate area.

Bass Cannon
The ability to generate a force from a decreased frequency in soundwaves; one of two abilities James is unable to completely soundproof. Using manipulation of soundwave frequency and intensity, James is able to throw a punch that can generate enough of a vibrational force to move and/or impact objects. Its use is more delegated to his melee attacks, providing a fortified strength behind his fists. However, because of his moral standing, he uses it on living people only to temporarily injure and disorient them when in a fight.

Feedback Grenade
The ability to build and condense soundwaves into a projectile, then lob and release as a timed explosive meant to impair, disable and distract; one of two abilities that James is unable to completely soundproof. Similar to a flashbang grenade, a feedback grenade is used to physically impair one's ability to hear, as well as distracting or disabling someone temporarily; the longer the grenade is held, the higher the decibel count is when the grenade explodes. This can serve James well if he needs to get out of trouble quickly.

Ventriloquism
Improving upon the art of ventriloquism, James is able to throw his voice in different locations with different acoustic levels, able to generate echoes when the situation calls for it. It is useful for luring someone away from an area or into an ambush, but the small area of effect can leave him in danger if used incorrectly or if there are too many people around.

Echolocation
The ability to discern the locations of objects and, in this case, people, using sound. By focusing on silence and generating soundwaves, James is able to map out a small, preferably enclosed area and track living people inside that given area for as long as sound is continuously generated. This comes in handy when an alternate route into the area is needed in instances of places being heavily guarded, as well as attempting to locate hidden individuals.

Kyma Cruise
Using a decreased frequency in soundwaves as a propulsion mechanism, James can use this ability to traverse buildings and long distances, as well as a form of levitation when descending from high places. Especially useful when needed to scale a building or cover ground in a quick and efficient manner.

---

Other:

James has a habit of constantly singing, personally on-key. However, when dealing with stressful situations, he tends to sing loudly and off-key as a way to alleviate tension.

The Pillow Fort

Everybody's always takin' naps in my pillow fort.

*cleans up the trash left around, mumbling*

Roleplayer Profile

User Name: Euclid
Join Date: N/A
Writing Level: Casual/Advanced

Genres/Categories:

- Science Fiction
- Survival
- Mystery
- Modern
- Drama
- Adventure
- Metahuman/Superpowered
- Post-Apocalypse
- Alternate Universe
- Realistic
- Slice of Life
- Thriller

Active Roleplays:

- None, yet.

Current Interest Checks:

- Check back in a bit.

Past RPs:

- I don't remember.