Crafting Text-Based Games with GPT 

My chronicles of developing video games with ChatGPT and AI.

Fleeting Moments - A GPT text-based adventure game
(Available on the GPT Store here)

Step into the shoes of an aspiring artist in the bustling streets of 19th-century New York City, a melting pot of emerging artistic expressions and vivid characters. In 'Fleeting Moments,' you are not just playing a game; you are painting your legacy in an era teeming with gallery intrigues and revolutionary art movements. Your mission: to explore, to achieve fame, and to etch your name in the annals of art history. With the aid of DALL-E, you're empowered to illustrate or depict any scene or concept, enriching your visual storytelling canvas.

Crafting a prompt without strict rules 

Here are a some parts of the prompt to illustrate what we're gonna talk about.

The techniques I've harnessed to weave this simulation game aren't in the path of traditional 'prompt engineering.' Myself, I wasn't sure if this was possible at start. Even if the prompt is still far from perfect, I consider it works pretty well and I wanted to share the way of doing.

At the very start of the process, after a few trial/errors with the 'engineering' way, I posed a radical question: What if, instead of confining an AI to a rigid set of rules and pre-built elements, I nurtured it to become an ultimate Simulation System Master, one that could spontaneously conjure up the world itself? This hypothesis that I gave myself was strongly inspired by the philosophy of Stunspot and his community that prompting is not coding. The latter explains something like this: “AI models ARE already the rules. They don’t need any added to them. Instead of “coding” prompts, we should aim to craft specialized and powerful personas”. I took the gamble and the payoff was simply remarkable. The AI Game Master was disposed to deploy a tapestry of unique, interactive narratives promoting gameplay that is both fluid and responsive, while accepting and following a few of my guidances.

What's next?

I intend to update soon this blog to delve into how a fusion of Stunspot's innovative philosophy and my tailored techniques crafted the Game Master's rules—a force that shapes the very core of our game. 

Looking ahead, the plan is also to take the leap into open source, enhancing the game's quality and inviting collaboration.

Looking ahead, I'm thrilled to announce plans to open source the game. By embracing collaboration, I aim to enhance the game's quality and contribute to the community. If my work resonates with even only a single other creator, my mission is accomplished. Nonetheless, patience is a virtue I must ask of you; the game is in a state of constant evolution—regular updates, ongoing iterations based on user feedback, and a quest for stability. My vision is to offer something robust and valuable before I lift the veil on the source code.

In the interim, I extend a heartfelt invitation to all players: your perspectives, your critiques, and your flashes of inspiration are the lifeblood of 'Fleeting Moments.' Share your ideas, report any incongruities, and join the dialogue that shapes this evolving narrative. Stay tuned for the establishment of a dedicated Discord server to facilitate these vibrant exchanges.