Quite a few years ago, I was very excited about a project called No Man’s Sky, No Man’s Sky and No Man’s Sky Grammar Based Universe. For me this represented the very first wide-open Grammar Based Universe. You may be asking, “What is a grammar based universe?” If you follow the prior link you’ll be inundated by a long winded answer. For the short attention spanned present, a grammar based universe is a fancy way of describing a procedurally-driven world. There is a lot of confusion between the terms Procedural and Automated, and there are some very big differences. Procedural means the implementation of a set of rules and expressions which complement an artists’ skills far beyond what she could create unaided. The important factor here is without human input, there can be no procedurally created worlds. Automation is allowing the computer to create with human assistance. Without going into too much theoretical detail, automation cannot efficiently create realistic CGI worlds. Only when the processes are procedural can life be breathed into the CGI creations.
No Man’s Sky represented the very first Grammar Based Universe or an entire alternative reality created by artists with the aid of a set, (a very complicated set), of rules and expressions. Regretfully, when the game came out, the gamers were not thrilled. While the Universe itself was impressive, the game-play was not. I did not purchase the game myself so I cannot judge for myself. However, No Man’s Sky appears to be rising from the ashes and being re-released as a VR game. Not only has the game received a google of improvements, it is now multi-player. This is even more exciting since now Not only is No Man’s Sky the first grammar based universe, it is also the first grammar based immersive experience theme world. While I am assuming it still maintains its procedurally driven origins, it now maintains the three fundamental rules of being an immersive experience theme world. A theme world is any collection of all possible human experiences related to a similar concept yet bound rigidly by one central story, theme or cannon; the theme world heart.
No Man’s Sky is A Theme World – The entire experience is based on the spirit, of exploration and discovery of the the entire universe.
No Man’s Sky Is physical. Being shifted to VR projects the third person, over the shoulder experience, into the first person. Equipped with CGI hands, the participant is now empowered to explore the universe from the first person perspective.
No Man’s Sky Is Collaborative. The gameplay is now multi-player. Participants may now explore and , “do things” in the universe either by themselves or with their buddies.
No Man’s Sky Is Unrepeatable. The entire universe is open for exploration such that no two world necessarily need to be the same. I am not sure of the exact number but I believe there is not enough time in the history of the universe to explore every one of the world No Man’s Sky creates.
No Man’s Sky is an at home, or non-location-based experience. However, I am very excited for the game to achieve popular status. I want the audience to develop a taste for massive world discovery. The exploration of an open world with occurring events is the spirit of iMyth and I believe this type of experiential media will gain in popularity.
As this type of media continues to grow in popularity, iMyth will continue to generate new grammar based universes based in different theme worlds; some familiar and some new. With the iMyth arena, the exploration of these theme worlds can not only happen from the home but in location-based facilities where participants can participate in the fullest immersive sensory experience possible.
