The Video Game that Made Elon Musk Question Whether Our Reality is a Simulation

Not real sure where the proper spot for this is so feel free to move mods.

I found this read to be very interesting and one that I have pondered before. There has been a lot of talk on whether or not we truly live in a simulation. I have to think that we do to some extent. Unfortunately it's something to far complex for my brain to comprehend.

I know many of us like our video games and those that play WOW (never have but looks fun) where you virtually live in a fantasy land. It now appears we have another game ready to take a big leap.

In June, a team of programmers will release a ground-breaking new video game called No Man’s Sky, which uses artificial intelligence and procedural generation to self-create an entire cosmos full of planets. Running off 600,000 lines of code, the game creates an artificial galaxy populated by 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 unique planets that you can travel to and explore.

You read that right...that is 18 Quintilian planets. In other words it would take over 4 billion years to explore all of these planets within the code. What's also somewhat of an empty but yet cool probability is you will likely never interact with another player.

The overarching goal for players is to head toward the centre of the universe. This common destination will increase the chance that people will encounter one another on their journey (even if the game sells millions of copies, when your playground consists of 18 quintillion planets, a single encounter is statistically unlikely).

For some reason the last quote really does leave sort of an empty feeling in the pit of your stomach. It's pretty much what we are living right now. I can't imagine how #ing cool it would be to run into another player knowing the odds are overwhelmingly low.

I'm not real sure how well this game will take off in this day in age. I like the idea of exploring but I'm not sure how people will react to not interacting with other people.

Here is an 18 minute game video


anonhq.com...
www.theguardian.com...

a reply to: HawkeyeNation

Been waiting around 2 years for "No Man's Sky". I sure hope it lives up to all the hype but somehow i don't imagine it will through considering its a procedure generated affair. They promise the sun and stars yet rarely achieve the complexity required to carry it off.

I saw that game. Interesting concept. Takes open world gaming to a new level. I'll probably give it a shot.

I'm not real sure how well this game will take off in this day in age. I like the idea of exploring but I'm not sure how people will react to not interacting with other people

You must not be too familiar with Minecraft. I suspect the concept is similar...to a degree.

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: HawkeyeNation

Been waiting around 2 years for "No Man's Sky". I sure hope it lives up to all the hype but somehow i don't imagine it will through considering its a procedure generated affair. They promise the sun and stars yet rarely achieve the complexity required to carry it off.

Ya never heard of it until today and was like damn. I didn't see this but are there plans to have any of the planets with intelligent life at all? Now that would be cool.

I would love to play something like this.
Don't have a machine that will run it though

originally posted by: Rosinitiate

I'm not real sure how well this game will take off in this day in age. I like the idea of exploring but I'm not sure how people will react to not interacting with other people

You must not be too familiar with Minecraft. I suspect the concept is similar...to a degree.

I know a little about it...my son plays it but with that game you can at least play with other players. From what I've read on this one is that you are alone...possibly for-ev-EEEERRRR

What's the point of all this?

Life's too short for all this kinda crap imo.

Each to their own I guess.

originally posted by: the owlbear
I would love to play something like this.
Don't have a machine that will run it though

I was actually surprised to see it's console based or at least this demo was (PS4). I'd have to imagine this will be on PC but maybe not.

originally posted by: Cobaltic1978
What's the point of all this?

Life's too short for all this kinda crap imo.

Each to their own I guess.

Ya that's kind of my thought. I'm a casual gamer. I have 1 game right now that I play and that is Black Ops 3. I like the idea of this game but just not sure if it can pull me in to play long term. Something I'll look to rent first.

a reply to: HawkeyeNation

The one im really waiting on is "Star Citizen". That looks the Bees knees.

Dont know if my I5-2500K 8Gb DDR3 and GTX 770 will be up to the task all the same.

originally posted by: HawkeyeNation

originally posted by: Cobaltic1978
What's the point of all this?

Life's too short for all this kinda crap imo.

Each to their own I guess.

Ya that's kind of my thought. I'm a casual gamer. I have 1 game right now that I play and that is Black Ops 3. I like the idea of this game but just not sure if it can pull me in to play long term. Something I'll look to rent first.

It would take you 4 Billion years to visit every planet, are they having a laugh?

Sure, playing Black Ops until this year's franchise is released, is understandable. This?

Pointless.

Procedural terrain generation is easy to do. Just interpolate between vertices and add random values. Combine that with a initial spherical mesh and you have a planet. Apply some basic astronomy and you generate a solar system. Bit more work and you get galaxies. Combine that with rules from Civilisation and you get a race between planets to conquer or be conquered. That's going to be a cool multi-player game. There's always going to be that paranoia suspicion of "is that a comet or a scout ship"?

a reply to: HawkeyeNation

18 Quintilian planets and not much to do I fear...

-MM

originally posted by: HawkeyeNation

originally posted by: the owlbear
I would love to play something like this.
Don't have a machine that will run it though

I was actually surprised to see it's console based or at least this demo was (PS4). I'd have to imagine this will be on PC but maybe not.

Saw it was coming to ps4 when that video was released a few months back.
Gonna wait for the finished product and the reviews before buying another system. I guess I could always use it for Uncharted 4 as well.

a reply to: HawkeyeNation

I'm pretty sure it'll be on PC as well - I have it on my Steam wishlist, though it's since been removed from the available search. I hope it will come back

But I've been looking forward to this I love exploring in games. And this looks pretty amazing. I don't really care if I ever come across another player, most likely someone with an idiotic name involving douches and cakes, but it does make you wonder if we'll ever cross another "player" in our real universe with odds like that

originally posted by: Cobaltic1978

originally posted by: HawkeyeNation

originally posted by: Cobaltic1978
What's the point of all this?

Life's too short for all this kinda crap imo.

Each to their own I guess.

Ya that's kind of my thought. I'm a casual gamer. I have 1 game right now that I play and that is Black Ops 3. I like the idea of this game but just not sure if it can pull me in to play long term. Something I'll look to rent first.

It would take you 4 Billion years to visit every planet, are they having a laugh?

Sure, playing Black Ops until this year's franchise is released, is understandable. This?

Pointless.

Never seen someone say one game is boring and pointless and then in the same sentence advocate playing black ops 3

Hilarious.

I can't even get my head around how big that number is..
Although back to the original point of the thread, it does somewhat help explain/understand why we have never found life out there or the reason they haven't found us.
We can't even get beyond the very few planets in our solar system.

originally posted by: Psychonautics

originally posted by: Cobaltic1978

originally posted by: HawkeyeNation

originally posted by: Cobaltic1978
What's the point of all this?

Life's too short for all this kinda crap imo.

Each to their own I guess.

Ya that's kind of my thought. I'm a casual gamer. I have 1 game right now that I play and that is Black Ops 3. I like the idea of this game but just not sure if it can pull me in to play long term. Something I'll look to rent first.

It would take you 4 Billion years to visit every planet, are they having a laugh?

Sure, playing Black Ops until this year's franchise is released, is understandable. This?

Pointless.

Never seen someone say one game is boring and pointless and then in the same sentence advocate playing black ops 3

Hilarious.

To some it isn't their cup of tea in terms of game style. I'm somewhat in between I would say but there are a few from just this thread it sounds like would be right up their alley.

You may not have seen this but in the game you can name your discovered planet and any possible species that may have evolved on it. I think that part sounds pretty cool.

originally posted by: Misterlondon
I can't even get my head around how big that number is..
Although back to the original point of the thread, it does somewhat help explain/understand why we have never found life out there or the reason they haven't found us.
We can't even get beyond the very few planets in our solar system.

That number in this game is unfathomable...and just think the number in our universe probably makes that # look small. As I'm typing this you really do get that sense of never finding another intelligent species.