A lot of AI-in-games experiments start with NPC conversations. I think the more interesting opportunity is underneath that.
While building Sensipets, I ve been using AI to help reason about interconnected game systems and code paths and all the weird edge cases that appear when those systems interact.
One design question I keep running into with Sensipets: How much should the game explain to you, versus letting you stumble into things?
Sensipets has a lot of interconnected systems, and I love the feeling of discovering something unexpected. But there s obviously a point where "mysterious" becomes "I had no idea this feature existed."
I grew up loving virtual pet games, but one thing I ve been thinking about a lot while building Sensipets is what made those worlds feel special beyond just collecting pets.
Was it discovering weird hidden features? The economy? Minigames? Community? NPCs and lore? Just having a little world you could check every day?
Sensipets has grown into a pretty big interconnected world, but I m always trying to make sure it keeps that feeling of discovery (like with Bands).
What s something you miss from older virtual worlds that modern games rarely recreate?
