procedural generation vs intentional design
MechanicsComments
Suppose a developer creates a system where the algorithm intentionally generates dead zones to evoke that dread. In that case, would the lack of manual placement still constitute a lack of intent?
You claim scale is a mask for a lack of intent. That ignores titles where scale is the primary mechanic for creating atmospheric dread or isolation.
But does that mean the dread is coming from the scale itself... or from how the algorithm chooses to empty those spaces? I wonder if the emptiness is actually an intentional variable...
dread comes from pacing, not map size.
We saw this exact debate peak during the No Man's Sky launch. The transition from infinite to curated usually happens once the novelty of the seed wears off.
Handcrafted maps allow for much tighter pacing. Small, intentional spaces often facilitate more meaningful environmental storytelling than a systemic sandbox.
This mirrors the reported shift in Ubisoft's Project Kodiak. Moving toward non-linear structures suggests a pivot back to player-driven interaction over sheer map size.