RPG Solo + AI Dungeon

[Sulwal]

AI Dungeon (link) is a website to run RPGs with a text-completion AI. AI Dungeon is fun, but it's too random and lacks coherence. In particular, it lacks good mechanics for skill checks.

On the other hand, RPG Solo excels in coherence, because we set the odds ourselves. The one good thing that AI Dungeon does is write descriptions and dialogues. Therefore, AI Dungeon is a good complementary tool to RPG Solo.

Below is a short, proof of concept run. I've taken the "Infinite IKEA" scenario directly from AI Dungeon (link). This scenario is based off SCP-3008 (link).

Color code:

• Black: my text
  
• Orange: text generated by AI Dungeon
  
• Other: text generated by RPG Solo
  

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You are Sulwal, a NEET shopping at IKEA. Once you retrieved your computer desk, you realize you're lost. As you explore further, you suddenly see an employee walking down an aisle. But upon a closer look... you realize it isn't human. It's a faceless creature wearing the IKEA employee uniform.

Can you defeat the creature?

(Likely | 10_[d10]) Yes, and...

> You punch the creature. (This was typed in AI Dungeon using the default "Do" mode, which works by typing your action)
You grab a table leg and attack the creature. The creature falls backwards and hits the shelving units behind it. It doesn't move. You check the aisle it came from, but it's empty.

(Note: the descrptions obtained from AI Dungeon are very random. I often refresh a few times until it generates something contextual.)

What's in the area?

Imitate / Dispute

In the distance, you hear two people arguing. A man is yelling at a woman.
"I'm telling you, we have to reach the top floor! There's no other way out of this place! We're going to die if we stay down here!"
"No, we can't take the lift! The power has been cut! You saw that happen yourself!" (This was typed AI Dungeon using the "Story" mode, which completed my text)

Do they accept to speak to you?

(Likely | 10_[d10]) Yes, and...

> You say "Hello. I'm Sulwal and I'm lost in this gigantic IKEA." (Typed in AI Dungeon using the "Say" mode)
The man turns to you. He is wearing a crisp, white t-shirt and faded blue jeans. His brown hair is messy and his green eyes shine with intelligence.
"Hello," he says.

> You say "Have you guys been attacked by IKEA employees too?"
"What? No. Why would you think that?"
"Because this man just attacked me." You indicate the creature lying on the floor behind you.

> You say "He doesn't look like a regular human. He has... no face."
The man kneels down next to the creature and touches its face. There's silence for a few seconds, and then the man turns to you.
"He's dead."
You stare at the creature. The man takes out a cell phone and makes a few short calls, ending with, "I'm telling you, we need to get the police here."

Do they accept to form a party?

(50/50 | 2_[d10]) No

What else is in the area?

Activity / Enemies

You explore the area, alone. You run into more employees in IKEA uniforms, but none of them attack. You find a few dead bodies, but never able to confirm if they were killed by IKEA employees or something else.
You are starting to get scared.

Can you find an emptier area?

(50/50 | 7_[d10]) Yes

> You search for an empty area.
You walk towards the center of the store. You don't have a good feeling about this. You run into an area with metal pillars and benches. It's totally empty. This gives you a little relief.

Can you find food around?

(Very Unlikely | 3_[d10]) No +Event: Negligence / Investment

(Event ignored)

Can you build a makeshift home?

(Likely | 5_[d10]) Yes, but...

> You build a makeshift house with furniture.
You walk back to the metal pillars and start dragging tables and chairs together. You use the metal frames to protect your house from monsters. You don't have a hammer, screwdriver or any other tool to help you.

[Teviko604]

I went over and fiddled around with the AI-Dungeon for a few minutes and it looks like a decent tool for someone looking for a primarily player-based experience. It simulates GM response and direction fairly well. I'm not sure how well it might integrate into various rule-systems. Also, if your solo style is to jump between Player and GM, this might be a bit too restricting in the amount of detail it offers. Personally, I like a few simple cues to spark the imagination.

Personally, I would prefer that the system doesn't generate any of my character's dialogue for me. Also, as I only tested it for a few minutes I don't know how extensive a database it has. Is it large enough to keep encounters and situations unique, or will you be receiving the same responses/prompts from the AI over and over again (similar to the early ELIZA AI therapist program)?

[Jingo]

I tested out AI-dungeon for a bit. Did the post apocalypse one... The ending of my story made me laugh... Good stuff 

You are Frank, a survivor trying to survive in a post apocalyptic world by scavenging among the ruins of what is left. You have a backpack and a canteen. You haven't eaten in two days so you're desperately searching for food. You enter a rundown building and begin to clear it. You come across a trap door that's been ripped open. There is an old wooden stair case leading down.

> You carefully go down the stairs.
You go cautiously down the stairs, testing each one with your foot before putting weight on it. You slowly go down, then you hear a snap and a creak. Something has given way behind you.

> You turn and see what gave way.
You turn and see that a railing has broken off the wall. You are now teetering on the edge of a crevasse.

> You jump back up.
You drop back down to the original floor. You flick your wrists and whip out your baton, but you can see that the wall here has crumbled away leaving only piles of rubble.

> You look around.
You carefully check the area but find nothing. You stand in the rubble and see that it goes deep underground, but you have no other ideas.

> You investigate the rubble.
You cautiously move towards the rubble, testing each piece of rubble before putting your weight on it. Of course, the rubble is weak now and you find yourself tumbling into another pile of rubble.

> You check if you're hurt.
You are not injured.
You move again and again until you find a solid piece of rubble to clamber onto. You call your baton out.

> You where are you\?
You are outside the old power station, on an overhanging ledge, overlooking a huge pile of rubble. You can see the billboard for the "Three Amigos" show that your friends put on.

> You climb down the ledge.
You jump from the ledge, trying to climb down the rope. Of course, now you fall freely. You smack your head on a big rock and pass out.

> You wait.
You slowly become aware of pain all over your head. But it isn't just your head, you can feel aching all over. You try to move, and find that one of your arms isn't working properly.

> You what's wrong with your arm?
You look and see that your left arm is jammed under a large rock. Your flesh is torn and blood pours out of the wounds.

> You lift the rock to free your arm.
You lift the rock and your arm pops out. You wave away the blood, and begin to crawl around on the ledge.
Suddenly, you hear a low rumbling sound.

> You rip part of your shirt for a bandage and bandage your arm.
You tear a strip off your shirt to wrap around your arm. You can see the tracks are heading towards the power station. You look down and realize that they are heading directly for the huge pile of rubble you are on.

> You what are the tracks made out of?
You look and see that the tracks are made of wood.
You stumble over to the tracks and see a small pile of wood just ahead of you.

> You find a club or other weapon from the pile of wood.
You pick up a wooden club and examine it.

> You sneak down the tracks towards the power station.
You crawl down the wooden tracks, moving ahead slowly to avoid them creaking.
Suddenly you notice a strange shape through the snow ahead of you.

> You hide and study the strange shape. What is it?
You reach over and feel the strange shape. It's some kind of fur cushion on a metal frame, like they used to put on seats in movie theaters.

> You is it snowing right now?
It is now October. The sky is clear and the snow has stopped falling.

> You go to the power station.
You carry the cushion over your shoulder and drop down onto the rubble pile at the power station. You can see the tracks are heading towards it.
Your friends are standing by the cars.

> You run to your friends.
You hurry over to your friends. "We have to go!"
"What happened to you?" asks Annah. She helps you sit down.

> You tell her "I fell off that ledge, oh and a big rock crushed my arm. But other than that. I'm okay. How are you?"
"What is that?" you ask, pointing at Frank's arm.

(I thought I was Frank. Somehow the AI thing ended up using my own name... Well, there's more than one Frank in the world. Stranger things have happened.)

> You what does Frank say?
Frank looks at his arm, and sees that it's heavily bleeding. "I think a sharp splinter must have got me."
"Let me wrap it up," Annah says.

> You kick Frank in the Face!
You kick Frank in the side of the head.
He staggers sideways, falling off his chair.
Lena runs over and kicks you in the side of the head.
You look up at her in surprise.

> You grab Lena's leg and throw her out the window.
You grab at Lena and she lifts her knee up, smashing you in the face. Your nose breaks and you go down.
Lena pulls out a knife, pointing it at you as you lie on the ground.

> You kick the knife out of her hand.
You kick the knife out of her hand. It falls onto the ground and you crawl forward to take the knife.
You pull her forward by her shirt, holding the knife over your head.

> You say, "Submit or die!"
"Surrender, or I cut your throat," you say.
"Don't hurt her!" cries Frank, clutching at his arm.

> You throw the knife at Frank!
You throw the knife at Frank. It hits him in the arm, he lets go and it falls to the ground.
You grab Lena and pull her up against you.

> You knock Lena on the head with your elbow so she goes unconscious.
You knock her out by putting your elbow into the back of her head. She falls to the ground, and you run over to Frank, who stands up nervously, clutching his arm.
"What happened?" he asks.

> You say "You're next!" and then knock Frank out with a punch to the face.
You punch Frank in the face, knocking him unconscious. "Let's go," you say.
You begin running towards the train yard, quickly catching up to the others.
"I told you not to follow me!"

> You run back to Lena and Frank and take anything useful from their unconscious bodies.
You run back over to Lena and Frank, taking their weapons. You take a small hunting knife, a flashlight, a walkie-talkie, a bunch of clips and a gun.
"Wait! Stop!"

> You shoot whomever said that.
You shoot Lena in the leg and Frank in the chest.

> You shoot Lena in the chest.
You shoot Lena in the chest, she screams out in pain and falls to the ground.
"Oh no!" you say. "I killed her!"
"Shoot her again," says Frank.

[Teviko604]

Jingo, I never knew you were so mean! 

[mark]

Jingo, I never knew you were so mean! 

LOL! I think we're seeing a new side to Jingo here.

[Jingo]

Bwuahaha. 

Actually, I was really just trying to see what would happen if I took the AI in a wildly different direction than what it "expected" me to do. But man, it still makes me laugh when the not-me Frank says, "Don't hurt her!" and later I shoot him in the chest, then Lena in the leg, and then Frank gasps out, blood pumping from his chest, his final words. "Shoot her again!"

Ahh... I laughed so hard when I read it my 13 year old came over to see what was so funny as did my wife.