It’s not that I hate AI, but …
Contrary to what some of my posts might lead you to believe. I am not an AI hater. However, I do realize that we are a far cry from waving our hands and saying,
“Computer, make me a game set in a magical forest.”
And, voila, complete game built!
Not gonna happen.
However, I have been working on using AI in two ways to augment our 7 Gen Blocks game builder. First, we have created several pre-loaded packs of images and sound effects, so you don’t need to create your own. Second, I’m working on coming up with prompts which will give you an almost complete game design. You can see my first attempt below, either as a six-minute video discussing the prompt and where it did and didn’t work, or skip to the bottom and read the prompt.
How I’m Improving on My First Attempt
You can watch the video to see some of the issues in this first prompt. Okay, well it is not my VERY first prompt for a game design, but I have not done a lot and all have had similar results in that the response was a good start but still needed a lot of tweaks before it could be used as a road map to create a game.
Here’s what I’m doing next in my goal of creating a prompt that will produce a nearly complete design:
- Writing prompts like the one below, reading the response and identifying everything I don’t think is optimal, for example, “The start screen should only have the title, a background image and a play icon, no other text.
- Writing a new, very long prompt that includes instructions that address all of the issues I saw.
- Writing three short game designs to use as examples. Fortunately, I have a lot of game design ideas from all of the workshops I have done in the last few months. (More about that in a future post)
- Assessing if the new, expanded prompt plus examples will give me a ready-made design. If not, rinse and repeat with more instructions and more examples.
I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Game Design Prompt: Take 1
Context: I am making a web-based educational game, using an online game builder. The purpose of the game is to teach a specific educational standard with a story background provided.
Instructions: When writing a game design, only use the following blocks:
- Splash Screen Block
- Drag into Categories Assessment Block
- Level Up Screen Block
- Visual Novel Block
- Matching Terms Assessment Block
- Moving Targets Game Block
- Runner Game Block
- Video Block – Include an instructional video or one that tells your game narrative.
- Drag into True or False Assessment Block
- Catching Falling Items Block
- End Game Block
The design should begin with a splash block and end with an end game block. It should begin with either a video block or visual novel block to set up the story. It should include at least one assessment block and one of these game-play blocks; runner, moving targets or catch falling items.
Prompt: Write a game design that teaches the following standard,
“Apply the area and perimeter formulas for rectangles in real world and mathematical problems. For example, find the width of a rectangular room given the area of the flooring and the length, by viewing the area formula as a multiplication equation with an unknown factor.” The story line should be in the context of preparing for winter in the United States in the early 1900s. It should include discussion of at least two of the following; leisure activities, clothing, occupations and differences in winter activities by class, race or geography.