Terra Beta
In its own cannon, Terra Beta is a God simulator designed by a higher entity to test the capabilities of the creatures from the world it has created (aka the player.) It offers players a set of parameters from which to build a world, then takes them on a journey through the world they have created. Within the game, these journeys are intended to explore the ethical, technical, and existential challenges of each possible world. Choice not only determines which world a player winds up with, but the very way they are able to interact with both the world, and the game itself. There are ways to play that uncover easer eggs and hidden fourth wall breaks, there are ways to play that are driven by story and characters met along the way, and there’s a way to play that follows the idea of the derive: letting the act of meandering through choices lead you where it may. Choosing to be kind, curious, and reasonable will produce a very different experience than choosing chaos, but for the most part, neither is categorized by the game as “good” or “bad” other than in a few moments where a narrator, speaking through the game, pops up to reprimand you.
All images generated in Dream by WOMBO.
Instructions: Use system settings to assign a level (1-3, ranging from weakest to strongest) to each of the four variables. Combine levels of variables based on imagined planet outcome, (IE to make a water world, set water to three for no land masses) Once all variables have been assigned, click the coordinating list of numbers in the Terra Viewer. (If the combination of numbers you’ve selected aren’t there, it hasn’t been added yet. This is still a prototype. Pick the closest combination you can.)
Comments
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This idea is really cool! The number of options you gave is also really impressive. I didn't see the link so much to ethical and morality based decisions or to player journey. As a start of something that will develop into this later its really engaging though!
Your world-building skills are fantastic! I'm impressed with how many paths you've thought out and the way that it's executed. I'm interested to know more about these worlds, and more about your planning process.
I think a little more in-game explanation / context could be helpful for the audience, but maybe the "search-and-find" idea is more of what you're going for?
I love the idea that the audience is the god, and that creating a world is so algorithmic and code-based. I would like to know more about the gods that we are!
I was astonished by the depth of this game. By the time I got to a certain planet it just kept going and going with different options and I wanted to continue learning more about it.
I created this world: Heat - 2, Death - 2, Probability -3, Water -3. From there however, I was only able to explore 1311, 3131, and 3333. I think that the naming of these different worlds is an issue because it was unclear to me what exactly I was clicking on until I got to planets that had actual links. I'm also unclear as to why there are so many numbers that don't have any links in them.
For the most part, I explored the candy planet the most and this is where I was the most enthralled. Again, the depth you've incorporated into this section is amazing, and I truly felt like one misstep could set me down the wrong path. Therefore, it is risky to make any choice without thinking about its consequences.
I will say that at the very beginning of the game, it was unclear to me what I was supposed to do or what my aim was having not read the introduction beforehand. I also found this to be a problem going forward, since I understand the simulation aspect of the game (an interesting feature that made me not want to fail the system), however, I wish this area was explored more, and I didn't understand what I, as a God, was ultimately trying to achieve.
As far as technical notes go, there were a couple paths in the candy planet that seemed to abruptly end without anything left to click on, not even a SIMULATION FAILURE.
This is super cool!! It's super impressive how many different variants and options there are for the planets, and the different outcomes each of them have based on your actions. I think it's a great idea, and it has a lot of potential in terms of expansion or other games you could create with this same idea.
I love the concept and I think you are well on your way to your goal! What you have created so far is a wildly ambitious project and what you have completed so far is extremely interesting; I look forward to the future of this game if you choose to continue this.