PTH Next steps: Procedural Generation
Tarn Adams is a steeley eyed missle man
Ive wanted to do procedural generation for a long time and its a subjec that has always fascinated me. The math and concepts have always eluded my free time and brain capacity. So whilst I’ve currently got both of those I decided to read his book (https://www.amazon.com.au/Procedural-Generation-Design-Tanya-Short/dp/1498799191 Its not an afilliate link).
I didn’t want to procedurally generate the world entirely, so I went with the maps and map stories instead.
After creating a little python tool I was able to start. the first versions were - as expected - quite rough
But very quickly I was able to get them to be more organic, rounded and more in line with the kinds of interesting things players want to see, the enemies they should encounter and all the bits inbetween.
The final variations were a little of both. But ultimately I kept all three styles of shapes.
Dungeon Stories
In the book and in his interviews Tarn talks about core concepts:
- Emphasize Simulation Depth: True variety comes from deep, interconnected systems (such as history, economy, and lore) rather than surface-level or cosmetic randomization.
- Avoid the “10,000 Bowls of Oatmeal” Problem: Initial procedural algorithms are usually flawed and produce uniform results; keeping them engaging requires extensive post-facto tuning, adding structural complexity, local variations, and multi-layered parameters.
- Foster Emergent Narratives: Interesting procedural content lets players discover unique, human-like stories and bizarre chain events organically (e.g., a meeting of dwarf barristers being interrupted by a rude dog) rather than relying on scripted beats or generative AI slop.
- Playtest Through It Yourself: You know a procedural system works when you have played through it yourself repeatedly and can spot genuine, cool narrative beats forming naturally.
- Enable Real Discovery: Because generated worlds aren’t hand-placed by a designer, players can experience genuine, unscripted discoveries that no one else has ever seen before.
The next step will be to treat the dungeons as atheir own little world and generate stories that make them compelling and interesting to explore.
Watch this space ;)
EP out!