Sui Generis - Update #18 - Development Update

Kostaz informed us we missed the development update of Sui Generis from last week. Next to the development update they also mention moving to a new location.

Nothing is more important than populating the world with diverse characters. The physique and inventory system we talked about in previous updates will accomplish this and implement many of the game's most important features.
We had to revise our initial design as it proved impractical, the assets we had also proved unsuitable. We now have a functional system, much higher quality models and have made various improvements to how they work in game.
The revised system uses a square physique graph where the two axes represent muscularity and fat. We had to use significantly more morph targets than we planned but we now have the full range of physiques for both male female characters with excellent results. Here are some examples of different physiques outputted by the completed system.

Click on the link to actually see those examples.
More information.

It remains to be seen how all this will turn out in terms of gameplay, writing, and content. But technology-wise these guys sure know their stuff.

In case anyone is as interested as I am there's a great thread here full of quotes regarding the actual game.

While I agree that most of what we've seen so far is focused on the technological side of things I am mostly interested in their handing of combat. Given that combat is the by far the main and arguably the only meaningful way of interacting with the world in most RPGs I can certainly see great potential in a physics based system rather than one limited by animations. Basically no matter how the game turns out to be the possibility of other studios using the technology if they decide to license it is incredible.
.

Originally Posted by GhanBuriGhan
It remains to be seen how all this will turn out in terms of gameplay, writing, and content. But technology-wise these guys sure know their stuff.

Yes - I was amused by the start of the Tides KS video, where the kid questions the idea that writing could take months. Think, that's right though and you've got to get the ideas and the world right up front. Maybe the devs have underestimated just how much work is involved in that? The tech does look pretty impressive though.

Originally Posted by Roq
Yes - I was amused by the start of the Tides KS video, where the kid questions the idea that writing could take months. Think, that's right though and you've got to get the ideas and the world right up front. Maybe the devs have underestimated just how much work is involved in that? The tech does look pretty impressive though.

Well, based on what I am reading in the insider forum, they are shooting for a very dynamic, modeling driven system that basically creates situations and events on the fly, instead of actually designing side quests. Radiant AI on steroids, basically. And they do apparently have the main story laid out, but it will work similarly, with protagonists having specific goals, but choosing the way to reach tem based on their AI, with the player having a chance to play a role, or just to watch as events unfold. Will it work? Will it be fun? No idea, but I love that they are trying.

What the King of the Wild Men said. It could be truly great or the wheels could fall off Either way, I won't be disappointed in backing this project. I couldn't resist. These guys are being so ambitious, they deserved a chance to pull it off, in my view.

The world will be much like Earth, except all the men have been castrated.

Yeah. I hope it works out for them.

Originally Posted by GhanBuriGhan
Will it work? Will it be fun? No idea, but I love that they are trying.

They made hairs physic work in an almost 100% procedural game. I think they can do it. At least, they are working on their technical strengths and trying to do something they don't have any talent in.

Very nice technology indeed. Too bad (for me) they choosed not to go the first-person perspective way…

I'm really glad these guys got funded, and I'm glad I contributed my piddly amount.

This project is what Kickstarter was made for. I have no idea if a good game will result, but I won't consider it a waste if it doesn't.

Madoc is a bonafide code jockey, and their ambitions are sky-high. These guys deserved a shot, and I'm glad they got it…

Really wish they would get Duke Patrick/spookyfx of TES modding to do the combat. If you've tried his OB/Skyrim mods, you'll see he's the perfect man for the job. It would be kind of a pity to have tech like that then make it work like a simple hack and slash.

Their approach is fundamentally different from Bethesda's approach.

Bethesda wants to build a world bottom to top. NPCs shall farm food, food that shall be distributed around to feed the NPCs. Trade shall ensue etc

Causes and effects are linked in an obvious manner.

Food shortage happens due to bandits' activity. You give a septim to a beggar. He might use it to buy price inflated food (depending on his personality) You do not give a septim. The beggar might steal food. A guard (rules enforcer) might pass by and arrest the beggar. You might decide to sneak in in the jail to deliver him.

The reward is a highly credible world, easy to work with and opening heaps of possibilities.

Sui Generis'approach is different. The world shall generate events with no causes coming from the world and the NPCs will navigate through the combination of events.
The main problem will probably be to achieve balance in the generation of events in order to give credibility to the world.

Originally Posted by ChienAboyeur
Sui Generis'approach is different. The world shall generate events with no causes coming from the world and the NPCs will navigate through the combination of events.
The main problem will probably be to achieve balance in the generation of events in order to give credibility to the world.

From what I read on the insider forum (do you have access CA?), which I don't want to directly quote here, that is not true. The examples given there are actually very close to what you describe for TES above.