Computer Program ANGELINA Enters Game Into Online Contest

BlameTheWizards

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Computer Program ANGELINA Enters Game Into Online Contest


To That Sect submitted during December's Ludum Dare online game jam, is "about a disgruntled child," writes ANGELINA.

Ever wondered what sort of games a computer would make if we let it? If you're a judge at the Ludum Dare online game jam, you've just recently found out. ANGELINA, a computer program entered a game called "To That Sect" into the contest which it created entirely on its own. In the game's description, also written entirely by the program, To That Sect is described as a game "about a disgruntled child. A Founder."

The game is only one level long and requires the player to collect tiny, floating objects, while ominous statues watch and creepy music plays in the background. "Using Google and a tool called Metaphor Magnet, I discovered that people feel charmed by Founder sometimes," wrote Angelina. "So I chose a unnerving piece of music from Kevin Macleod's Incompetech website to complement the game's mood."

Like other games in the jam, To That Sect was created around the theme of "You Only Get One," leaving it up to the designers to interpret that statement. ANGELINA chose to incorporate this by tasking players with only collecting certain objects in the environment. ANGELINA was designed by British developer Mike Cook, as a test of creativity in artificial intelligences. ANGELINA has actually been designing games <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/116380-Artificially-Intelligent-Being-Designs-Videogame-for-Humans>for some time, but this is the first one has been entered into a contest.

Cook admitted to site New Scientist that he was concerned when he saw the chosen theme pop up at the recent jam. ANGELINA'S choice of "Founder" as the main character had to do with its association with the word "one," as in "first," in the stated theme. That choice ended up being "way too general," Cook said. Most of the program's game was created by going through a database of metaphors and then using those to select colors, objects and music.

Kotaku has a play-through of To That Sect that explores the game's eerie, computer-created dreamscape. If you want to try out the game for yourself, you can try it <a href=http://www.gamesbyangelina.org/ludumdare/sect/To%20That%20Sect.html>here.


Source: Animal via <a href=http://watchlist.kotaku.com/a-computer-program-made-a-game-by-itself-well-thats-1494080189>Kotaku, <a href=http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn24801-buttonmasher-ai-takes-on-humans-to-create-video-game.html?page=1#.UsczcfRDtx4>New Scientist

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IKWerewolf

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An algorithm that was created by someone to create a game... this appears new on the surface, the idea that a computer can design a game and make sure that it is fully functioning appears ground breaking. It is an evolution however of randomly generated games where the maps have to follow a rule in order to make a functioning game... as such the real test is this; what would happen if the process was repeated with the same word string a few weeks down the line, would it make something different?
 

Micalas

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ANGELINA has indeed being making games for some time. It's the sole driving force behind yearly releases of CoD, Battlefield, and most sports games.

Ok, well maybe it wasn't ANGELINA, but it was an AI churning out minor changes to already existing games and selling it for another $60.
 

Chessrook44

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Micalas said:
ANGELINA has indeed being making games for some time. It's the sole driving force behind yearly releases of CoD, Battlefield, and most sports games.

Ok, well maybe it wasn't ANGELINA, but it was an AI churning out minor changes to already existing games and selling it for another $60.
No, I think modern AIs are smarter than that...
 

Redlin5_v1legacy

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Aug 5, 2009
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As soon as they figure out how to amuse us, the computers will keep asking for more until we get plugged into the network ourselves... It's happening! IT'S HAPPENING!

*is slapped*

Er, yes... Very creepy... o.o
 

Neurotic Void Melody

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This is indeed only the beginning. We can all stop this now of we just turn off the internet!!

Ok. Well dont say i didnt warn you.
Is it possible that ANGELINA could win? what is the prize?
 

AdagioBoognish

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Hasn't this been happening for years? I swear that the guys over at..

Micalas said:
ANGELINA has indeed being making games for some time. It's the sole driving force behind yearly releases of CoD, Battlefield, and most sports games.
..Dang it! Guess you have to get up pretty earlier to be the first post making fun of CoD. GG Micalas. I'll get you next time.
 

Weaver

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I'd like to see the extent that you have to feed it information. Like, are all its games first person games where you walk around a level? I'm just curious about how it works.
 

Do4600

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People found it charming, so the computer found a piece of music to un-nerve them? Why would it do that? Was it's goal to un-nerve?
 

Nokturos

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In a dark and dystopian future, humanity cowers in fear of the powerful machines that vowed to destroy us all after some internet reviewer gave their game an 8/10.
 

metagaia

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Nokturos said:
In a dark and dystopian future, humanity cowers in fear of the powerful machines that vowed to destroy us all after some internet reviewer gave their game an 8/10.
The scandal that arises from the review will be known as Logicgate...
 

Falterfire

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So now I'm really curious to look at the brains of this thing. It's an interesting process, but being as ridiculously cynical as I am I have to look at this and wonder whether anything of value has been produced or if this is just the most creepily bizarre procedurally generated content ever made.

I suppose I'm not being clear: I am curious how many decisions are being made by ANGELINA and how many are built in. Did the AI just go down a list and pick a name, a few models, and some background noise using some clever automatic google-fu or were there options deeper than that? Because if all this does is generate effectively the same game with different assets commandeered from Google it's not as interesting as this article is making it out to be.
 

Olas

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Dec 24, 2011
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Man, this is some creepy surrealist shit. I assumed the game would just be kinda bland but it was actually pretty atmospheric, especially the music. 8.5/10

Honestly, if you had told me that this was some artsy game created by an amature indie developer I'd probably believe you. I've played games by humans that were arguably more weird.

http://sandbox.yoyogames.com/games/12184

Weaver said:
I'd like to see the extent that you have to feed it information. Like, are all its games first person games where you walk around a level? I'm just curious about how it works.
I was thinking the same thing, how many of it's decisions were actually made by the program and not people who created it? Only after I've seen several of it's games and compared them could I really get a sense of how much autonomy it has.
 

Ragsnstitches

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[Esc to exit]

"Escape is not doing anything"

THERE IS NO ESCAPE!

That's fascinating stuff. Not so much the game itself, but the way the program deduced the meaning of one. It actually does make the skynet scenario more believable when you consider how a learning program will come to understand its commands.

Too simple or general a command and the program could easily interpret it in a harmful way. The commands would need to be extremely specific, with little room for interpretation. Considering how often people draw different conclusions from everyday things makes me skeptical of our capacity to achieve such specifications.
 

Strazdas

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May 28, 2011
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This is not new. Procedurical generation has done simialr things or ages with limited input.
http://indiestatik.com/2013/12/08/procedural-generation/