Random Terrain
A random repository of interests and information.

"Morning Dew" — a bad lip reading of Bruno Mars, featuring Lady Gaga and Jay-Z (I Like Spastic Golden Toys)

 

 

 

What is Replayability?

Replayability is a Choose Your Own Adventure book on steroids. In classic games, controlled randomness is used to place enemies, objects, platforms, rooms, characters, bonus items, bonus areas, and so on. In more modern games with a story and a big Hollywood-style ending, not only are things such as enemies, locations, and important objects placed using controlled randomness, the actions of the player affect the plot. There are many alternate branches the player can take which lead to other branches and the game continues like that until one of the many alternate endings is reached.

 

 

 

What is Controlled Randomness?

The randomness is limited to a preset number of choices, similar to traditional dice that are limited to only 6 numbers or a traditional deck of cards that are limited to 52. The spine-chilling power of randomness is reined in and carefully used to make games more enjoyable by giving players a fresh experience where it's all about playing and not about memorizing placements and patterns. Controlled randomness can be used in various ways, including selecting enemy starting positions and placing platforms, rooms, bonus items and so on.

 

Controlled Randomness doesn't have to be just a preset number of random choices. A form of artificial intelligence can be mixed in with those choices when needed. For example, when a platform in a platform game is placed, the program will need to 'think' about where to put the next platform according to the rules the programmer set up about minimum/maximum spacing and so on.

 

 

Related Link:

Randomness and Replayability

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