Update – Latest Generator!

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Yes, if you’re over at Seventh Sanctum you know I’m working on a Reality Show Generator.  Here’s the latest update.

This one involved me doing more in-depth data analysis before building it.  In many cases (not all) I sort of dive into the generator and build as I analyze.  In this case I stepped back and broke the data down – something I usually only do for generators with more obvious patterns like the Magical Power Generator.

The results were:

  1. The breakdown was revealing.
  2. The breakdown was really boring to do after awhile.
  3. The breakdown worked and let me build the generator very fast.
  4. Once I started building the generator, I could make it “richer” in data, patterns, etc. very quickly.

Short form – doing an early, organized analysis of data for a generator pays off, but it’s not as exciting as doing it by the seat of my pants.  On the other hand, this was less frustrating than the Plot Twist Generator.

So, anyway, if you want a preview of what this generator will do, here’s some results:

  • Best Women Of Vancouver
  • Bizarre Stories of the South American Navy
  • Brazilian Cop
  • Brazilian Teacher
  • British Film
  • Confirmed Records of London
  • Confirmed Women Of New York
  • Fish Killer
  • France’s Next Top Boy
  • Husband Grandparents of France
  • I married a Millionaire: Britain
  • I married a Star
  • Japanese Computer Man
  • Miami Scalpers
  • North American Sister Change
  • Rescue Person
  • Sibling Academy
  • The Next Best Grandfather
  • The Queen of Lawyers
  • True Hunters Of France

– Steve

Procedural Content – An Invisible Service

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A friend of mine recently found Jukedeck – a service that will randomly generate music for you.  Depending on your membership you get to download randomly made music and have assorted rights to it.

It’s fairly obvious from my work at Seventh Sanctum that I love randomized stuff.  Also as I’m a big proponent of Roguelike games and procedural content in things like Borderlands, I’m really biased.

But looking at Jukedeck I began thinking that they (and me to an extent) have explored procedural content as a service.  I mean yes assorted generator-makers like myself have done that before.  But I don’t think people have thought about it as deeply as could be.

Procedural generation, at its best, involves researching data, parameters, and patterns.  It involves finding ways to make them into code that delivers something recognizable.  It is work, it is art, and it is critical to certain artistic forms.

(Hell, it’s pretty much core to No Man’s Sky).

However, procedural generation rarely gets appreciated.  We’re used to it, having seen it make dungeons and weapons in our games from decades, or simply create stuff for pen and paper RPGs with dice rolls.  We take it for granted because it doesn’t stand out, it’s integrated into some media – or we are used to seeing it treated in a funny way, from randomizing errors to brain-shaking numbers of game possibilities being touted.

Jukedeck, by making procedural content a service, made me “see” procedural generation a bit clearer.  It is a service in some cases (I know, I provide it).  It is core to some media.  We’re just so used to it we don’t see it – or see what goes into it.

Step back for a bit and ask just what role it’s played in your life . . .

  • Steven Savage

The (Literal) Joy Of Networking

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So over Thanksgiving I did some networking. I should note it’s no exactl intentional – I do it automatically as I like it

A lot of people don’t like Networking, and my theory on that is simple – we get taught to make a natural human activity (socailizing) into work. It’s not fun which is what it should be.

Over Thanksgiving:

  • I met Neale Bayly, who does motorcycle demonstrations for good causes, writes on his experiences, and in general seems to be someone who would normally be fictional character. Turns out he’s real, very cool, and we chatted after meeting during a delayed plane. It was fun, I got inspired, and of course I followed him.
  • * Meanwhile on twitter over the holiday I noticed Magencubed made comments on superheroes. That resonated with my recent analyses of Concrete Revoluio, and we traded some commentary. Just random twitter opened my mind – and I learned a lot.
  • Finally, on the flight back I had a chance to talk with a gentleman working in branding (as we discussed things privately, I won’t mention his name, but we’re connecting on LinkedIn) and we had a marvelous discussion about Hasbro and other companies in fascinating branding efforts.  But often Hasbro because damn.

Three connections, three different people, just because I was open to networking and it was fun. Really, it was natural.

And that’s when Networking is best. I could talk techniques, I could talk methods, but the thing is be open to Networking. Be open to connect when it’s there, be interested in people, socialize.

And when you’re not wanting to be social? That’s fine. Find what works for you.

Networking is an art, and an individual one at that.  Know when you need to express it.

– Steven Savage