What is Synthetic Selection? Game Dev Log 0

[@Dartnitt]

Procedural animation is the way, it looks amazing and the idea of being able to gather parts from bosses to then build your own machines sounds exciting and rewarding. I was getting little worried after no updates for such a long time but its good to know game is still in the works

[@freescape08]

I agree, this brings back memories of an old Flash game, I think it was called bubble tanks, but that got stale quick because there were only so many upgrade paths. I like that this looks like it's more open to emergent gameplay.

[@yakson_dugong]

You need to play rain world

[@averageyoutubehandle497]

​@@yakson_dugong rain world is nothing like this.

[@yakson_dugong]

​It uses the same type of animation but in a 2D platformer which IS nothing like this but the animation st​yle is the same also rain world is a good game @@averageyoutubehandle497

[@man-ii9ik]

​@@averageyoutubehandle497it uses procedural animation as well

[@Syz_gy]

That one clip of the blue orb player rolling around, and suddenly extending tendrils to start moving by swinging is legitimately some of the coolest content I've seen. That's trailer-worthy. I'll definitely be following this. The rest of the footage looks stunning, and I'm really excited to see where it'll all go.

[@MaxReallyDoesntCare]

Agreed

[@FreddyFasbear_orhorela]

absolutely correct

[@panampace]

This guy just casually dropping one of the most ambitious projects I’ve ever seen

[@teagledabeagle]

He just made the first update, you can sign up to the beta

[@thatonegamer5937]

Wow, this looks very intriguing! I think you could definitely add a Rain World-esque element to it and make the world it's own ecosystem.

[@francis2410]

The procedural animation immediately made me think about Rain World too. I really think it would have a lot of potential in making an ecosystem full of different creatures made by different combinations of pieces.

[@Vic_PT]

Totally, and perhaps even add some sort of mutation and evolution system

[@majesticeagle5461]

No, why would you want him to ruin the game? I have rethought what I said and come to the conclusion that it was severely misguided and wrong, I have only played the game for an hour, not long enough to have a fully formed opinion, the only reason I hated is because it’s unfamiliar and I suck, I’ll try the game out again and will update this comment after playing at least 10 hours, that sounds long enough. Until then I won’t make any points in my argument because that requires an opinion to be had, which I have tried to wipe clear as of now for Rain World. Alright small update, I still haven’t played for 10 hours because I’m stupid and can’t remember anything, but I have played for about 2 more hours than before now, and I’m genuinely enjoying it, I still haven’t progressed much but I’ll update when I have, I’m glad some of yous convinced me to play it again :)

[@majesticeagle5461]

@@francis2410Don’t encourage it

[@majesticeagle5461]

@@Vic_PTno

[@mydude6374]

I miss devs that mainly focused on physics and gameplay mechanics trying something new and experiment.....this looks amazing, cant wait to play it

[@mydude6374]

@@Alfred-Neuman 🤡

[@Acromonium]

@@Alfred-Neumanwhat is bro yapping about

[@Alfred-Neuman]

@@Acromonium Don't you also love spending hundreds of dollars on game skins to show other players how cool you are?

[@Acromonium]

@@Alfred-Neuman no.

[@Alfred-Neuman]

@@Acromonium Is this because you cannot afford to be cool? I can send you a few skins if you want... What games are you playing?

[@craftex1018]

This is honestly the most stunning and interesting idea I've seen in a LONG time. Definitely going to keep my eye on this for a WHILE!

[@davisburnside9609]

It may feel like a passion project but dude you've seriously struck gold with this one! Best of luck to you on your dev journey, I hope to see your games in the big leagues soon.

[@Kerravitar1545]

I completely agree)

[@pt-xl7wo]

Can't wait to play this! Been following this since 2020 and I am as hyped as ever!

[@Kerravitar1545]

I completely agree))!!

[@Serge4444]

as a biotechnologist this is AWESOME, i love it. you indeed took inspiration from life. keep doin it! nature can give you even more inspiration! i can give you some bio facts to think about for more content, environment and mechanics for this future masterpiece: **plants** are also alive, some of them react to **sound** as other organisms would do. viruses multiply using and consuming other organisms. Cordiceps are real shrooms. ants are almost a smart hivemind, they organize farms, graveyards, and alliances. they expand their territory with time but they move following others' path with chemicals. they re constantly in war with other ants' spieces. in an ecosystem, if there are few plants, herbivores can t reach a big number and carnivores will have an hard time. plants have an enormous variety of defense systems, from simbiosis with carnivores, to cannibalism inducing chemicals for insects. there would be more. hopefully you get some inspiration from these!

[@JzaloStreams]

I love the way your mind thinks! Everything you wrote is fucking awesome! 🥹

[@Serge4444]

@@JzaloStreams thanks!

[@mohammadbuhamad7744]

what is a biotechnologist

[@Serge4444]

@@mohammadbuhamad7744 like a biologist but we actually try to use living being to do things. Like for example designing genetically modified Bacteria to make insulin for diabetic people. or completly purple tomatos ahah

[@mohammadbuhamad7744]

@@Serge4444 honestly sounds like a really interesting profession. Kudos mate.

[@crow2596]

this is without a shadow of a doubt one of the coolest games/game concepts i've seen in a very long time.

[@zezinhofulanoninguem]

why youtube thinks this is shadow of the colossus

[@derekng7803]

Maybe because hr mentioned it?​@@zezinhofulanoninguem

[@zezinhofulanoninguem]

@@derekng7803 idk i didn't even watch the full video and don't remember shit now

[@policedutylens]

trailmakers

[@JesseP.Watson]

Yes... Spore, Kerbal, Captain Forever are longstanding favourites of mine and this looks like it could top the lot in the obsessive tweaking stakes.

[@29Geckos]

Oh. My. God. This is by far the most unique take on a game that I’ve ever seen, and at the same time it looks like exactly what’s been missing in the gaming world… amazing.

[@beachtroll4023]

cringe

[@Dark_Vekx]

​@@beachtroll4023right back at you

[@aclutchboy5389]

@@beachtroll4023 agreed to some degree

[@beachtroll4023]

Mirror@@Dark_Vekx

[@PherPhur]

It's very Tears of the Kingdom-ish

[@arattactician5697]

This is exactly why I LOVE indie developers, they come up with crazy cool ideas and keep games fresh and interesting.

[@xboxproto]

As someone that is a huge fan of spore-like games, you have me hooked. I will be keeping a close eye on this games development and i can almost guarantee you that i will get the full release. Im definitely making sure i keep track of the dev logs. Good luck on the long journey that is game development, hoping to see synthetic selection on steam!

[@potionmaster3793]

I love that you can use the tools your enemies have when you beat them. Reminds me of a game called TerraTech

[@Rainbowplayz-ix5ix]

I just wanna make that eldritch orb thing with the tentacles and put guns on it

[@jojitcamero1705]

It's like terratech on steroids

[@a7om7777]

TerraTech Worlds coming out soon

[@TheGhostie]

Dude PLEASE don’t give up on this, this looks absolutely fascinating to me, and something I could very easily fall in love with. KEEP YOUR DREAMS ALIVE PLEASE!!!

[@kobinator6001]

I’ve been following this game for a while, but seeing this vehicle building system has got me insanely hyped. I’ve been dreaming about this sort of thing for years but haven’t had the game dev skills to make it, so seeing someone do it with such incredible execution has got me so excited

[@derickd6150]

Same! If I had ever found the time or will, this would have been the kind of thing I went for too. It's so great to make a set of powerful tools and then let the community improve your game. Sure fire way to make an insane game

[@zrATT_]

This is like robocraft with spore level of customisation

[@jzerious4523]

The creative, technical, and artistic execution of this absolutely ingenious concept has completely blown my mind.

[@buboniccraig896]

I LOVE THIS SO MUCH, the way these tentacles have such cinematic movements has me in awe I just hope theres harder difficulty options, I want a challenge and to truly master these mechanics because they look really really fun

[@XynTbl]

[@damprat141]

I absolutely cannot wait to see how this turns out , im just a massive sci fi merd, especially for speculative biology and the way it could interact with technology. The artstyle and sheer scale is incredible

[@donkekung4150]

Oh hello there, I too am a merd

[@damprat141]

@@donkekung4150 the one spelling mistake I missed lol

[@donkekung4150]

@@damprat141 it's okay it happens all the time

[@ΓιώργοςΣωμαράκης-ξ3ψ]

new armored core looks amazing, i knew they would go above and beyond and try a more alien look

[@TalkierSnail016]

Dude, this game genuinely looks so unique. That animation at 1:26 made my jaw drop.

[@amatorciast2589]

I remember watchig your work some years ago and I'm so happy that i got some new on that! I have a little request, if You care to listen. When you eventually release the game, could You please include a gamemode/campaign resembling some of the older posts? I mean a shooter, where you, a human-like creature fight some majestic monsters. To be honest, this is what interests me the most. I understand that the point of the game is supposed to be centered around creation using gradually inreasing understanding of the systems, but I think that such gamemode with pre-made content, that the player can immediately consume would be nice and motivating. Anyway, I wish You a good day (:

[@Makan_Gilani]

Thank you for the kind words! Some great points, and you're right on the money. In my mind there will be 3 types of players who will play this game: Pilots, Tinkerers, and Engineers. The Engineers are the hard-core builders who want to build something new from the ground up. Tinkerers are the players who want to mix and match parts from other people's builds to fit what they're trying to do. And lastly, Pilots are the ones who just wanna kill some big ol' baddies and explore. They'll be able to play the game using the creations that they find in the environment, or ones that other players have shared there (something like soapstone in Dark Souls). My goal is to have the building system be simple enough that anyone can do it and have it feel like you're just swapping parts in a game like Armored Core or Swapping Gear in an RPG. As for the Humanoid creations, in the video there is a more humanoid-style mech and I'm working on including more "base" templates that resemble a more classic player character. But again, still early days. Let's see what people think from the first rounds of testing

[@ekulgaming6867]

@@Makan_Gilani okay first off i love the concept and it looks amazing. if you want to add more to the pilots realm, a campaign or open world survival with a humanoid mech that stays almost the same with maybe a few parts or mods unlocking as you go(maybe after boss battles and would let you access new areas or smth). this still keeps that core gameplay of building, and keeps up with short attention spans of most gamers. If you want it even more dynamic you could make it similar to the main mech in Titanfall 2 campaign (BT 7274) where it kind of develops a personality and you get connected to it. anyway im looking froward to this game

[@tasteyfoood]

Just seconding this comment. Even just having those demos stapled on would be nice

[@QUBIQUBED]

@@Makan_Gilani Yo can we make a humanoid vehicle in the game with the parts? If we can't, you should add something to make that possible!

[@connormullin4547]

@@Makan_Gilani If you aren't already you should look at Legend of Zelda - Tears of the Kingdom, and Banjo Kazooie - Nuts and Bolts for ideas on how to structure this. They both had pretty simple but powerful build systems, templates, environmental vehicles, like you are saying. There are other games that have done this kind of thing too but I think these two made it the most accessible.

[@vanadios4480]

Can't wait to play this! Been following this since six minutes and twenty-eight seconds ago and I am more hyped than ever! (Seriously tho this looks sick af) also, I’d love to see all the different pieces and their uses in a separate video (if this isn’t all) and I’d suggest really making a butt load of pieces, like a real shit ton of ‘em or/and even create an interface for the player to design their own pieces without other pieces. Also, this game seems sick as a multiplayer experience so I would love to see that, like battling your friends with your original creations. I definitely want to see where this game is going!

[@Rkyiel]

This is stupidly cool. This is very inspiring. "The most fun game, is game dev" is an amazing quote

[@xdsloth5199]

I am completely awestruck, no words for this masterpiece.

[@Andre_Sargeant]

I remember being amazed by those first early clips you showed, it really was a big inspiration showing that indie devs could achieve something akin to shadow of the colossus. Great to see a video going more into your thought process and I look forward to the game!

[@Makan_Gilani]

Thank you! Big fan of your game as well :)

[@thaddeusyoungman4922]

This looks absolutely unbelievable. What a creative and incredible game this looks to be. We need more devs like this im so very excited to see how this progresses. It already looks fantastic the gameplay looks so fun and unique and I love the graphics as well

[@tee1532]

This looks amazing. The way those tentacle monsters move and attack is terrifying. The grappling hook movement looks fantastic fun. The gameplay footage is addictive to watch

[@TGT30]

Maybe you’d like Rain World? It also uses procedural animation, and it has cool grappling.

[@iHeartGameDev]

Your work has inspired multiple videos on my channel. Awesome to see you resurface!! Thanks so much for your hard work and I can't wait to follow along with your journey!

[@Makan_Gilani]

Thank you! Love your videos, always super high quality :)

[@QUBIQUBED]

@@Makan_Gilani Imagine if Synthetic Selection was turing complete...

[@Smolters]

looks absoulutly incredible and hop i can get picked for alpha testing, i love games like these, agin grate work and love what you guys do

[@Vic_PT]

Can't wait to play this. Main assembly's building, DRG's ambiance, Rain World's depth an a taste of what Robots Forever could have been.

[@ryancurry4857]

I've been here since one fo the first reddit posts, and I've been through almost all of the tests, and I gotta say it's awesome to see how much loser this has gotten to completion! how much its grown, and I'm excited to stay beside it and see where it goes!

[@five5tar10]

These are some of the coolest game mechanics I’ve ever seen combined! I am unbelievably excited to play this!

[@MechMaster-]

I am completely speechless the animations look SO good and the current state of different parts and how you can make your own parts made of them is really good, as someone who plays a lot building and designing games such as scrap mechanic , trailmakers and is quite experienced with logic gates and programing stuff id love to see this game finished, hell i might even donate :)

[@wonderguardstalker]

Boy feel like I’ve been seeing footage of this for 10 years. Very interesting

[@TeenyTony]

Am I the only one who has been looking for to devlogs for this game?! IT LOOKS AMAZING, I saw those original clips a while back and after doing more research thought it was just a one time thing, I am so happy the yt algorythm recommended this to me. Keep up the good work and don't get to stressed about finishing the game.

[@Aviivix]

This super reminds me of the wacky creature-esque things I'd try to build in Beseige sandbox worlds. Excited to see more!

[@sphereron]

Wow, I'm super excited about this! I remember seeing one of your dev videos that went viral. I'm glad you saw this vision through

[@thomassvanesrensen3233]

This looks like a mix between Besiege, Robocraft and Spore. I totally love it! The way you described how rewarding it is to develop, test and optimize a machine really resonated with me. There aren't a lot of games centered around this type of gameplay, and very few have this level of creative freedom and intuitive design. I cant wait to follow your journey and hopefully play it sometime

[@zarro110]

Cool video! Excited to see how this game progresses in the future.

[@NeoWisp777]

Bro! I have been seeing the progress since you started! You have gotten so far in your creation! Congrats and I hope you get far I wanna play this game when its complete!!

[@UnderdogDen]

I think what you have is probably a revolutionary concept, been following this ever since 2020, sick stuff!

[@pootman1012]

procedural animation is something very intriguing to me, it adds a variety of unexpected, yet somewhat foreseeable moves, makes you think instead of just remembering boss patterns. i love it

[@TGT30]

My favorite game, Rain World, uses it heavily.

[@lulute8]

What you really need now is a good marketing a project like this needs more attention

[@Flint_Mischiff]

I've never been so instantly hyped for something, everything about this looks and sounds so cool!

[@paquixyz4000]

SAMEEEE I'M LITERALLY, SO hyped for this game, I can't wait.

[@theunicyclist3440]

I'm so glad we've gotten another update. From the moment I saw the game for the first time, I knew this game was gonna be amazing. So excited for the future of this game.

[@danny.belanger]

TAKE MY MONEY

[@AgentOttsel]

Looks great! Definitely the best use of procedural animations I've seen so far!

[@Mr.Mariecocckie]

This is super impressive and fascinating, just the aerodynamic blocks blowed my mind the creative possibilities is incredible this is such a unique and interesting project will definitely follow it to see the finale product

[@AllisterVinris]

Aaaand subbed. This game looks awesome. Looks like Spore and besiege had a child and I'm all for it!

[@subhach9487]

Great to hear that the project is still alive. Your procedural animation video has inspired us a lot (me and my friends ) to learn more about procedural animation. We tried to replucate small clip from the video (the snake part where it tries to attack the player and reforms ) for our mini project in college ,then the pandemic came we left it the middle . Thanks for the update.❤

[@Neekalos]

This game looks unreal! Been waiting since I saw a Reddit post about it back in 2020. Can't wait for the open alpha!

[@TonyStark-qe3kd]

The printer system sounds also really cool in combination with the sandbox and creatures

[@justdont_lol]

this looks like perfect combination of some of the best features in games. procedural animation from rain world, making things from tears of the kingdom, combat kinda like risk of rain 2??? i am officially hyped!!

[@tcharlesleonardo1681]

Best games ive ever played

[@lonejohnwolf]

WHY HAVE I NEVER HEARD OF THIS GAME BEFORE?! Dude this game looks AMAZING! This is THE most unique game I have seen in a VERY long time!

[@brozejn]

This is amazing, it's like sci-fi scrap mechanic with printers and evolution. LOVE IT! Also, the hook-swing or what you want to call it, that shit is such a dope way to move around. Please make maps that fits that movement style :D

[@baltcito263]

This is so cool! From a physical engineering perspective, I could lose my self in trying out everything. Well done! Can’t wait to see this finished, good luck !

[@whiteboy4045]

This looks like the game I would need to finally fulfill my childhood dream of seeing an omnidroid in a videogame. Coolest robot ever

[@jazzhar]

As a gamedev student everyone has a dream game, and he's casually building mine. Wish I could help built it! Looking forward to see wat's next.

[@icescreamkung276]

Hope he have some plan to recruit other dev then. It’s good to make your dream comes true with other people when they have the same goal 😊

[@Rainworldiscool]

0:24 I would listen to an hour long version of this

[@dimreddi359]

Same

[@WetAdek]

This looks fucking awesome! I hope this goes far because I definitely want to play it.

[@idk_something301]

My man dropped this amazing video and dipped, wtf bro!

[@kidfantastic2775]

It takes time bro just like gta 6 the longer we wait the better

[@Telesto_Timelost]

1:09 this is the most insane enemy I’ve ever seen

[@mr.manpanman8860]

i have never wanted a game more in my life than now with this masterpiece of both clever thought and execution

[@vakuzar]

Super interesting

[@itro3118]

i need a release date :(

[@JeffLikesArson]

The release date is 3065

[@dependent-ability8631]

release dates kill indie games

[@starblast16]

A really cool concept! Looking forward to seeing it develop further!

[@Powermongur]

Imagine this in VR. This would be an absolute top hit.

[@coderaven1107]

Shouldnt be that hard to be honest. Interaction and Replayability would be different and I wonder from which perspective you would look, as third person perspective could feel weird. But apart from that if they have a VR and a normal version in mind from the start, I think its comparably easy to add.

[@captain_fisher_price]

A cool thing that could be added is a food chain and fear system. the more creatures you kill, the more they fear and respect you, thus moving you up the food chain.

[@riohudson9612]

Incredible! A game like this could push the envelope of sandbox gaming. Being able to design, copy, and evolve both vehicles and creatures and even entire levels through nothing but sheer procedural generation is a staggering feat. Even as simple blocks with different colors and number values this game looks interesting. Just the slightest artistic design or charming stylization to all the different parts could open a pandora's box of beauty alongside the already boundless creativity and ingenuity possible with this.

[@alexmaples2678]

When's the next vid?

[@apersonwithastockimage6289]

When can I buy this???

[@Pi-Sti]

this is amazinggg, when is the next devloggg?????😭😭

[@jetpackdino5703]

Using building blocks to make your own mechanisms through refinment was the best part of Robocraft. I spent hundreds of hours building the craziest shit. Before the devs ruined it, of course. This looks like that but dialled to eleven, so I look forward to this project.

[@mho...]

this is the best evolution of the scrap-mechanic idea ive seen so far! Specially that 1:07 "tentacle Walker"'s movement is amazing!

[@endornaut]

I can't describe how happy this video made me. I loved those viral videos back at the time and always wished to see more from the creator and eventually just gave up expecting anything else. I don't care if I like what this eventually becomes or not, I'm just glad something else got created along those -needless to say hella creative- lines. This has so much potential!

[@jaxondumo]

this is such an incredible concept and deserves more attention!

[@TABs-lu8os]

I just wanted to say, PLEASE do not feel pressured to make the game look likerealistic or fancy in any way. I honestly feel that as of looking at it now the style youve made is amazing and makes the game more intersting than if it had fancy textures. This is probobly the best video i have seen today. LOVE IT!!!

[@DrewVanCamp]

Gorgeous! What I really want is this as a toolkit for building creatures and vehicles and gadgets within my own games. But your game also looks amazing.

[@Dazzletoad]

Phenomenal 😵 thank you for the video, and the insight into game development from your perspective. Looks amazing 👍🏻

[@Helldiver-000]

I remember seeing the bird and snake one years ago, I’m so happy you’re still working and I’m excited for release ❤

[@Beyhan1]

Ngl some graphical enhancements and new genetic sequences to increase the variety of movement and attacking the opponent will make this game a hit. Keep it up mate. I can see this is a shiny gem from miles away!

[@fanciestbanana4653]

Even in this early alpha version of your project the gameplay already looks epic. I like how your huge enemies have a heft and swiftness to their attack, it makes them seem vicious.

[@jamescryer2356]

The animations at the beginning were my inspiration to dive into game design. I can't tell you how excited I am to see this happening.

[@mdntsyntx]

Oh MAN! I remember seeing that snake clip back in high school, your stuff is what inspired me to become the game dev I am today. This is great! I'll be watching :)

[@turnipslop3822]

This is an awesome concept and I am extremely excited for it to release! I do want to add that I really hope you return to the huge bird catching the giant snake idea someday. That looks so epic and built into an openworld ecosystem sandbox game would be genuinely so exciting to explore. I love game worlds that make you feel small with huge scale surroundings, and the monster hunter/shadow of the colossus vibe is sick!

[@judahmcneel45]

This^^^^ I love the animations of the old giant creatures and it would feel truly amazing with the scale

[@random_dwed]

the best physics ive ever seen, freely moving and predictable routes to jump and ... awesome. looking forward to it.

[@VRDaD]

This is incredible. Awesome concept!

[@johnconnor2626]

You've opened my eyes, as a solo struggling indie game dev wannabe, with this masterpiece of a video, you cleared so much confusion that was stagnating my progress. Thank you.

[@YokoBomo]

your presentation skills are impeccable, always a pleasure to watch!

[@noahbrasmonteirozino8703]

this is the kind of idea that makes videogames beautiful. loved the increase sense of immersion from being chased by a thing which is much less scripted than a lot of game enemies

[@marcusaureliosantosbarbosa5025]

You're doing an amazing job!! The game most imagined is now being developed, where you can create your own character, mobs and boss battles, and everything within the game! I wonder how would it be called when it get more polished.

[@eikida]

I totally agree with the point that the ‘game’ of being a developer is the most fun. I am programming a small 2D Sokoban-like game for myself WITHOUT any engines. The time you invest in your labour of love is worth so much more than the end result. It's like raising your own child and being proud of it.

[@Bo-kq8tn]

this makes tears of the kingdom's building system look like a coughing baby, holy moly! I remember seeing your procedural animation gifs a long while ago, I'm really glad you went this object building route instead of another generic "kill this monster" game. This seems like a really fun sandbox system to play in and I can't wait to see where you take it!

[@justaspoopyghost8879]

I'm getting a ton of Little Big Planet vibes in the creation system, and I couldn't be more ecstatic. This looks absolutely amazing, please don't quit!

[@Kyocus]

This is the most refreshing and exciting implementation of principles into new game mechanics I've ever seen!

[@brodiscool2752]

The printer block is pretty much the sole reason why this retracts itself from other sandbox creation games, super genius. 9/10

[@Settiis]

False, it’s the procedural animation

[@brodiscool2752]

@@Settiis In my opinion.

[@hulkgloeckle4249]

I believe that you are making a game that makes you slowly evolve with each take down and with each new part you can create something better

[@MALW.RE-U.SERR13]

I can not express how hyped this makes me! I would 100% play and stream this ALL night!

[@cptstbd]

I can’t even begin to say how much I love this. It scratches an itch in my brain I didn’t know was even there