I knew that someday, I would need to try Chat GPT. I am good at making rules and mechanics, but giving Chat GPT a try, I realized that I have zero creativity to create content. This is why I always get stuck at content creation.
The objective here is to use this tool for brainstorming purposes. I don't intend to use to directly the content generated for in game text. Still, I could be using some grammar / rephrasing tool online which may be AI powered.
As a computer technician who had a class in machine learning, it's is very hard to believe the versatility of this tool. Training an AI to recognize stop signs is understandable, because it does a very specific task. You show it thousands of stop signs and it try to find a pattern. But chat GPT is too much versatile for this kind of training.
So I tried to generate content for one of my steak punk Eldrich Horror inspired game, and see what I can pull out. This is when I realized that it is way more creative than I am. Here is a transcript of our "Conversation"
Give me a list of 10 encounters that can be faced in a Steampunk fantasy themed investigation board game.
Mechanical Malfunction: The players encounter a malfunctioning steam-powered contraption blocking their path. They must use their engineering skills to repair it or find an alternate route.
Clockwork Creature Attack: A pack of menacing clockwork creatures ambushes the players, forcing them into a tense battle where they must rely on their combat prowess and strategic thinking to emerge victorious.
Intriguing Inventor's Workshop: The players stumble upon the hidden workshop of a renowned inventor, filled with strange gadgets and unfinished projects. They must search for clues amidst the clutter to uncover the inventor's secrets.
Steam-Powered Puzzle: The players encounter a complex puzzle powered by steam mechanisms. They must solve it to unlock a hidden chamber containing valuable information or treasures.
Mysterious Fog: A thick fog descends upon the players, obscuring their vision and disorienting them. They must navigate through the fog, avoiding traps and ambushes while searching for a way to lift the mysterious veil.
Secret Society Confrontation: The players confront members of a secret society involved in nefarious activities. They must choose whether to negotiate, investigate further, or engage in a confrontation, each decision carrying its own risks and rewards.
Airship Chase: The players find themselves in a thrilling aerial chase aboard a steam-powered airship, pursued by sky pirates or agents of a rival faction. They must use their wits and quick reflexes to outmaneuver their foes and escape unscathed.
Steam Barons' Political Intrigue: The players attend a high-society gathering hosted by powerful steam barons, where they must navigate a web of political intrigue, deception, and betrayal to uncover hidden agendas and gain valuable allies.
Clock Tower Climb: The players must scale a towering clock tower to reach a hidden laboratory or observatory at its summit. Along the way, they face challenges such as mechanical traps, unstable gears, and automated guardians.
Ancient Automaton Guardian: Deep within a forgotten ruin, the players encounter an ancient automaton guardian protecting a valuable artifact or forbidden knowledge. They must either find a way to deactivate the guardian peacefully or defeat it in a challenging battle of wits and steel.
These encounters offer a mix of exploration, puzzle-solving, combat, and diplomacy, providing players with diverse challenges to overcome as they unravel the mysteries of the Steampunk fantasy world.
Give me a list of 10 characters for a steampunk fantasy themed board game. They must origin from different parts of the world. I need their profession and their name.
Dr. Ignatius Ironsmith - Origin: England Profession: Eccentric inventor specializing in clockwork automatons and steam-powered gadgets.
Liliana "Firebrand" Montoya - Origin: Spain Profession: Skilled pyrotechnician and explosives expert known for her fiery personality and daring escapades.
Rajesh "Gearmaster" Patel - Origin: India Profession: Master engineer and mechanic with a talent for repairing and modifying intricate clockwork machinery.
Elena "Sprocket" Volkova - Origin: Russia Profession: Resourceful scavenger and tinkerer, adept at salvaging and repurposing scrap metal to create ingenious inventions.
Leopold "Steamfist" Schneider - Origin: Germany Profession: Veteran steam-powered exosuit pilot and brawler, renowned for his strength and combat prowess.
Nadirah al-Qadir - Origin: Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey) Profession: Cunning rogue and skilled infiltrator, specializing in espionage and undercover operations.
Hiroshi "Windrunner" Tanaka - Origin: Japan Profession: Agile airship pilot and navigator, known for his swift maneuvers and expertise in aerial combat.
Chen Wei "Alchemy Sage" Li - Origin: China Profession: Wise alchemist and herbalist, revered for his knowledge of ancient potions and mystical elixirs.
Kaya "Shadowblade" Mbeki - Origin: South Africa Profession: Stealthy assassin and master of camouflage, skilled in the arts of infiltration and silent takedowns.
Isabella "Thunderclap" Cortez - Origin: Brazil Profession: Fearless explorer and lightning rod enthusiast, famed for her daring expeditions into uncharted territories and her pioneering work in harnessing electrical energy.
These characters offer a rich tapestry of backgrounds, skills, and personalities, adding depth and diversity to your steampunk fantasy world.
Give me a list of 10 monsters, enemies or threat for an Steampunk fantasy themed investigation board game.
Steam-Powered Behemoth: A colossal mechanical monstrosity fueled by steam and driven by clockwork gears, roaming the land and leaving destruction in its wake.
Tesla Coil Elemental: A sentient being composed of crackling electrical energy, capable of manipulating lightning and electromagnetic fields to unleash devastating attacks.
Clockwork Swarm: A horde of tiny clockwork insects or birds, programmed to swarm and overwhelm their targets with relentless precision and coordination.
Mechanical Kraken: A titanic sea creature constructed from salvaged ship parts and powered by steam engines, lurking in the depths and dragging unsuspecting vessels to their doom.
Automaton Assassin: A sleek and deadly humanoid automaton equipped with razor-sharp blades, stealth capabilities, and advanced targeting systems, dispatched to eliminate high-profile targets.
Toxic Gas Golem: A hulking golem infused with toxic gases and noxious fumes, emitting poisonous clouds that corrode metal and sicken living creatures within its vicinity.
Clockwork Chimera: A chimera-like creature crafted from a combination of mechanical parts and organic tissue, possessing the ferocity of a beast and the precision of a machine.
Steam-Powered Dragon: A fearsome dragon augmented with steam-powered enhancements, capable of breathing scalding steam instead of fire and unleashing devastating mechanical attacks.
Phantom Automaton: A spectral apparition haunting abandoned factories and workshops, possessing the ability to possess and control mechanical constructs to do its bidding.
Rogue AI Overlord: An ancient artificial intelligence that has gone rogue, seizing control of an army of automatons and plotting to dominate the world with its superior intellect and ruthless efficiency.
These monstrous adversaries will provide challenging encounters for players as they embark on their investigation, requiring them to use their wits, skills, and teamwork to overcome these formidable threats in the steampunk fantasy world.
Give me a list of 10 artifacts that characters can find and use in a Steampunk fantasy themed investigation board game. Most of them are magical artifacts, but it's not mandatory. I need a short description of what it is used for.
Chrono-Cog: A brass pocket watch infused with arcane energy, allowing the bearer to manipulate time by briefly pausing or rewinding events in their immediate vicinity.
Aetheric Compass: A compass powered by ethereal energy, guiding the bearer to hidden locations and ley lines of magical significance within the steampunk world.
Goggles of Revelation: Steampunk goggles fitted with lenses that reveal hidden truths and illusions, allowing the wearer to see through disguises and perceive hidden messages.
Cogmaster's Gauntlet: A mechanical glove adorned with intricate gears and levers, enhancing the wearer's dexterity and granting them the ability to manipulate mechanical devices with unparalleled precision.
Etheric Elixir: A vial of alchemical potion infused with etheric essence, granting the drinker temporary enhancements to their physical abilities and mental acuity.
Tesla Coil Capacitor: A portable device harnessing the power of electricity, capable of emitting powerful arcs of lightning to stun enemies or power nearby machinery.
Arcane Amulet of Warding: A mystical pendant imbued with protective enchantments, shielding the wearer from harm and deflecting magical attacks.
Clockwork Keyblade: A hybrid weapon combining the form of a traditional key with the function of a blade, capable of unlocking hidden passages and defeating mechanical foes with ease.
Phantom Lantern: A lantern fueled by ghostly energy, illuminating the darkness and revealing spectral entities and hidden messages invisible to the naked eye.
Mechanical Heart Core: A steam-powered device resembling a heart, granting the bearer enhanced resilience and stamina, as well as the ability to power and control nearby mechanical constructs.
These artifacts will add depth and intrigue to your investigation board game, providing players with powerful tools to aid them in their quest to uncover secrets and solve mysteries in the steampunk world.
Then I tried to push the limits of the AI to see if as a game designer, we still have a future:
Can you write me a set of rules to play the puerto rico board game in solitaire.
Setup:
- Set up the game as you would for a regular multiplayer game of Puerto Rico, including selecting a governor and determining starting roles.
- Adjust the number of colonists and plantations according to the standard setup rules, but do not place any additional neutral colonists or plantations.
Gameplay: 3. Play the game as usual, controlling all aspects of the game yourself.
- Each round, select roles for yourself as the solo player, following the same rules as in a multiplayer game. You may choose any role, including those already chosen by the imaginary opponents.
- When selecting roles, prioritize those that will benefit you the most based on your current strategy and resources.
- When it comes to shipping goods, consider which goods will earn you the most points or coins and prioritize shipping those.
- Make decisions about building, developing, and trading based on your long-term strategy and objectives.
Scoring: 8. At the end of the game (after the Mayor phase of the last round), calculate your total score according to the standard scoring rules of Puerto Rico.
- Compare your score to your previous solo games to track your progress and improvement.
Game End: 10. The game ends after the Mayor phase of the fifth round, as usual.
- If you reach the end of the game without any other players, the game automatically ends and you proceed to scoring.
Additional Tips:
- Try different strategies and approaches with each game to improve your skills and challenge yourself.
- Pay attention to the available roles and plan your actions accordingly to maximize your efficiency and points.
- Take notes and analyze your decisions after each game to identify areas for improvement and refine your strategies.
Enjoy playing Puerto Rico solo and challenging yourself to improve with each game!
So even if it did generate some sort of solitaire rules, I am not really sure it is playable. It seems to use a beat your high score approach which is not a bad idea, but would require some tweaking.
I think that for brainstorming it works pretty well because it does not need to be accurate since it's just ideas I will play with to create the game's content.
Right now, the objective is for brain storming. I will not copy text as is. It allows me to put mechanics on thematic content. Much easier to design than putting thme on mechanics like explained in another thread.
I will not use AI for art. In fact, I will keep anything I do have limited or no art, pixel art or icons.
ChatGPT is free. But there are premium paid services.