Back on Substack
From RPG to PCG
I want to start writing articles again.
Sure, I still write drafts regularly, scattered thoughts and half-formed ideas waiting to be shaped, but there's something different about polishing work for publication. When you know others will read it, you're forced to clarify your thinking in ways that private writing never demands.
This hit me recently at Unreal Fest Orlando, where I gave my first public talk that was just released on Unreal channel. I spent weeks diving into a topic I thought I already understood, only to discover how much I still had to learn. The pressure of presenting to an audience transformed my rough understanding into something crystalline and precise.
Looking back at my Substack from 2023 (almost 3 years already... oh man), I remember that same satisfaction... but also the exhaustion that came with it. Each article demanded so much time that I eventually had to stop. Now I'm considering a different approach: shorter pieces that let me maintain other projects while still capturing that unique fulfillment of solidifying thoughts.
I also want to expand the areas I’m exploring. Here’s what I have lined up: a review of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (late but deep, I promise), why roguelikes are the best format (diving into the design challenges they solve), insights from my experiments with LLMs (not very usable yet, but I’m starting to see a path), many links and tools I want to share... and an exciting new project! Back then I was focusing on tabletop RPGs, but since the beginning of the year I’ve started crafting another kind of game... a video game. Maybe not so surprising, as I’m a level designer in my day job after all. The twist is that it’s built entirely around procedural content generation (PCG), using algorithms to create levels dynamically.
Here's where things get interesting: RPGs and PCG share more DNA than you might expect (and it's more than just being another TLA... or Three-Letter Acronym). Where RPGs focus on narrative frameworks that adapt to player choices, PCG creates video game systems that respond to player actions. Both require the same fundamental skill: rationalizing the creative process into rules that are explicit enough to be embedded in an algorithm.
Think of it this way: PCG is to traditional level design what RPGs are to writing a novel. A novelist crafts one perfect, linear story. A level designer builds one perfect, handcrafted layout. But RPG designers and PCG developers create meta-frameworks, systems that understand the underlying rules of storytelling or spatial design well enough to generate countless variations.
This isn't just about producing more content; that's an opportunity to build dynamic systems that can react, adapt, and then surprise players using the same level design patterns we would normally use in the field. (Concepts like friction, attractors, or how to map the tension curve in space, which I'll also have the opportunity to unpack in future articles).
The parallel with RPGs is fascinating to me. A good game master doesn't just tell one story; they understand story structure well enough to weave narratives that incorporate player choices in real-time, turning the meta-layer itself into a strategic playground. Both disciplines demand that we step back from creating things to creating systems that create things instead.
And perhaps that's why I'm drawn back to writing now. Each article, each talk, each creative project becomes another attempt to understand and articulate these underlying patterns. The draft is where we explore; the publication is where we crystallize that exploration into something others (including our future self) can build upon.
-djuD
As I explore more topics and formats, feedback is especially welcome. This exercise is great by itself, but I'd love to see what resonates with you, see if it sparks a conversation or a random thought. If an idea comes to mind, don't hesitate, just hit reply and let me know your thoughts.