Douglas
@dmgregory.ca
Game design professor, math and science geek.
Did spreadsheety stuff for Splinter Cell Blacklist, Starlink: Battle for Atlas, and Far Cry 6. Moderator on gamedev.stackexchange.com
Formerly @D_M_Gregory on Twitter (he/him/his)
Did spreadsheety stuff for Splinter Cell Blacklist, Starlink: Battle for Atlas, and Far Cry 6. Moderator on gamedev.stackexchange.com
Formerly @D_M_Gregory on Twitter (he/him/his)
Reposted by Douglas
What we needed: A useful index of all human knowledge, easily usable to go right to the source.
What we got: A medicore redditor that read every wikipedia page with marginal comprehension and really wants you to like them.
What we got: A medicore redditor that read every wikipedia page with marginal comprehension and really wants you to like them.
November 12, 2025 at 5:25 AM
What we needed: A useful index of all human knowledge, easily usable to go right to the source.
What we got: A medicore redditor that read every wikipedia page with marginal comprehension and really wants you to like them.
What we got: A medicore redditor that read every wikipedia page with marginal comprehension and really wants you to like them.
Reposted by Douglas
We don't use generative AI at either Minor Key Games or Question. Partly on principle, and partly because we're really good at what we do.
We don’t use generative AI at Strange Scaffold and I can confirm that a *lot* of other studios are not—whether indie or AAA.
Get outta here with this normalization bullshit.
Get outta here with this normalization bullshit.
“It’s important to assume every game company is now using AI.” Nexon CEO comments on role of human creativity as AI tools become the norm
automaton-media.com/en/news/its-...
automaton-media.com/en/news/its-...
November 12, 2025 at 4:09 AM
We don't use generative AI at either Minor Key Games or Question. Partly on principle, and partly because we're really good at what we do.
Reposted by Douglas
In case anyone ever asks, I *have* written a material generator and a music generator for Eldritch 2, but that's not AI. That's me taking all the things I personally know about those things, and writing my own tools to make the process a little faster and easier for myself. It's still 100% me, baby.
November 12, 2025 at 4:15 AM
In case anyone ever asks, I *have* written a material generator and a music generator for Eldritch 2, but that's not AI. That's me taking all the things I personally know about those things, and writing my own tools to make the process a little faster and easier for myself. It's still 100% me, baby.
Reposted by Douglas
I would agree, and also say that proc gen *is* a form of AI, it's just that genAI has now become interchangeable with the term and nuance has been lost despite the fact that creative computing and algorithmic art has existed for decades
A big reason proc gen feels so different to AI in spite of superficial similarities is exactly this!!
Proc Gen systems reflect the interests and creative preferences of the tool makers, whereas AI is catch-all sludge that reflects no specific point of view. It’s not remotely the same!
Proc Gen systems reflect the interests and creative preferences of the tool makers, whereas AI is catch-all sludge that reflects no specific point of view. It’s not remotely the same!
In case anyone ever asks, I *have* written a material generator and a music generator for Eldritch 2, but that's not AI. That's me taking all the things I personally know about those things, and writing my own tools to make the process a little faster and easier for myself. It's still 100% me, baby.
November 12, 2025 at 9:02 AM
I would agree, and also say that proc gen *is* a form of AI, it's just that genAI has now become interchangeable with the term and nuance has been lost despite the fact that creative computing and algorithmic art has existed for decades
Reposted by Douglas
J
F
C
AI investment and the desperate need to find *any* use for it has rotted so many damned brains in the government that they're not even trying to slap a sticking plaster on a bullet injury anymore, they're attempting to put a prawn sandwich on a decapitation wound and call it progress.
F
C
AI investment and the desperate need to find *any* use for it has rotted so many damned brains in the government that they're not even trying to slap a sticking plaster on a bullet injury anymore, they're attempting to put a prawn sandwich on a decapitation wound and call it progress.
With the caveat that it's impossible to know what is really happening from such a short story, this is clearly a terrible idea www.theguardian.com/education/20...
All schools in England to be given AI-generated pupil attendance targets
Unions decry move, saying it will put more pressure on headteachers without tackling absence from classrooms
www.theguardian.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:37 AM
J
F
C
AI investment and the desperate need to find *any* use for it has rotted so many damned brains in the government that they're not even trying to slap a sticking plaster on a bullet injury anymore, they're attempting to put a prawn sandwich on a decapitation wound and call it progress.
F
C
AI investment and the desperate need to find *any* use for it has rotted so many damned brains in the government that they're not even trying to slap a sticking plaster on a bullet injury anymore, they're attempting to put a prawn sandwich on a decapitation wound and call it progress.
Reposted by Douglas
Okay. Bluesky T&S? I read this post, and I have thoughts. I will give those thoughts from the position of someone who does like microblogging platforms, but is concerned with where things are going.
Even though I'm not an expert, please listen to what I have to say in this thread. (1/19)
Even though I'm not an expert, please listen to what I have to say in this thread. (1/19)
False attribution. If a person is suspended it is because of their identity? Could it not be because of their content? I wrote about it here aaron.leaflet.pub/3m52nqqmk322v
Moderating With Humans, For Humans - Trust Issues
aaron.leaflet.pub
November 12, 2025 at 1:20 AM
Okay. Bluesky T&S? I read this post, and I have thoughts. I will give those thoughts from the position of someone who does like microblogging platforms, but is concerned with where things are going.
Even though I'm not an expert, please listen to what I have to say in this thread. (1/19)
Even though I'm not an expert, please listen to what I have to say in this thread. (1/19)
Reposted by Douglas
Ambrosia Sky has puzzles that reminded me of working in Watch Dogs 2, which was easily a highlight of my career
Mixing simple puzzles with story reveals this way was so much fun
youtu.be/_zAjQk63fCA?...
Mixing simple puzzles with story reveals this way was so much fun
youtu.be/_zAjQk63fCA?...
"Man Vs. Machine" WD2 Level Design Breakdown
YouTube video by dustmap
youtu.be
November 12, 2025 at 1:32 AM
Ambrosia Sky has puzzles that reminded me of working in Watch Dogs 2, which was easily a highlight of my career
Mixing simple puzzles with story reveals this way was so much fun
youtu.be/_zAjQk63fCA?...
Mixing simple puzzles with story reveals this way was so much fun
youtu.be/_zAjQk63fCA?...
Reposted by Douglas
love to unearth a 3 year old plea for help
November 12, 2025 at 2:29 AM
love to unearth a 3 year old plea for help
Reposted by Douglas
to put this another way, people turn to AI because they don't want to be wrong
assuming it's even correct, until not knowing affects us nothing in us will change. if AI gets it right, we stay wrong, like being able to misspell a word close enough for spell check, we'll fumble it the same next time
assuming it's even correct, until not knowing affects us nothing in us will change. if AI gets it right, we stay wrong, like being able to misspell a word close enough for spell check, we'll fumble it the same next time
glad to see pushback
learning and skill growth happen when what we knew going into a problem weren't enough to answer and move on. AI flatters you to feel you know enough to get an answer out (often not right, but even if it were!), user doesn't have to become more capable, becomes dependent on it.
learning and skill growth happen when what we knew going into a problem weren't enough to answer and move on. AI flatters you to feel you know enough to get an answer out (often not right, but even if it were!), user doesn't have to become more capable, becomes dependent on it.
‘Study after study shows that students want to develop these critical thinking skills, are not lazy, and large numbers of them would be in favor of banning ChatGPT and similar tools in universities’, says @olivia.science www.ru.nl/en/research/...
November 11, 2025 at 11:48 PM
to put this another way, people turn to AI because they don't want to be wrong
assuming it's even correct, until not knowing affects us nothing in us will change. if AI gets it right, we stay wrong, like being able to misspell a word close enough for spell check, we'll fumble it the same next time
assuming it's even correct, until not knowing affects us nothing in us will change. if AI gets it right, we stay wrong, like being able to misspell a word close enough for spell check, we'll fumble it the same next time
Reposted by Douglas
This is the scam I had! Hopefully helps folks
November 12, 2025 at 12:23 AM
This is the scam I had! Hopefully helps folks
Reposted by Douglas
Friendly tip for folks. My discord got hacked yesterday and my computer was acting funky ever since. Turns out it was malware installed through a blender file I bought as part of an asset pack on CG Trader. I didn’t know blender files were being used this way, but I figured I’d spread the word.
November 11, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Friendly tip for folks. My discord got hacked yesterday and my computer was acting funky ever since. Turns out it was malware installed through a blender file I bought as part of an asset pack on CG Trader. I didn’t know blender files were being used this way, but I figured I’d spread the word.
Reposted by Douglas
@gamediscoverco.bsky.social did you see this post from the GenExile dev, and how they sold 300 copies with 30k wishlists at launch? www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/co...
From the gamedev community on Reddit: I spent 7 years making Generation Exile, a solarpunk city-builder. Trailers in PC Gaming Show June ‘24 & ‘25. Top 70 most played demo during our Next Fest. Did al...
Explore this post and more from the gamedev community
www.reddit.com
November 11, 2025 at 11:17 PM
@gamediscoverco.bsky.social did you see this post from the GenExile dev, and how they sold 300 copies with 30k wishlists at launch? www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/co...
Reposted by Douglas
I've spent 20 years helping new engineers start careers, tip from a top recruiter: there's never any shortage of people who can write code that works (or do the art needed, etc), her challenge is finding people who can do that AND anyone wants to work with, friendly, communicate, take feedback
+alt
+alt
November 11, 2025 at 9:16 PM
I've spent 20 years helping new engineers start careers, tip from a top recruiter: there's never any shortage of people who can write code that works (or do the art needed, etc), her challenge is finding people who can do that AND anyone wants to work with, friendly, communicate, take feedback
+alt
+alt
Reposted by Douglas
😍 great news!!
we just finished a huge project: all of the paid zines at wizardzines.com now have a transcript for screen reader users!!!
If you bought a previous version of the zines and don't have the transcript, you can email us at support@wizardzines.com to get it. More here: wizardzines.com/accessibility/
If you bought a previous version of the zines and don't have the transcript, you can email us at support@wizardzines.com to get it. More here: wizardzines.com/accessibility/
November 11, 2025 at 7:54 PM
😍 great news!!
Reposted by Douglas
Here is your report from rural America: Conspiracy theories swirl: Two I heard this week: either they want to push people to rebel so they can invoke the Insurrection Act, or they want us all so broken that we do not have the energy to defend our rights.”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
I’m an American relying on food stamps. This country has turned us into lab rats
I’m one of 41 million people who need Snap to make ends meet. For weeks, the administration has turned our survival into a game: will they eat, or won’t they?
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Here is your report from rural America: Conspiracy theories swirl: Two I heard this week: either they want to push people to rebel so they can invoke the Insurrection Act, or they want us all so broken that we do not have the energy to defend our rights.”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Reposted by Douglas
The Conservative Party Has a Violence Problem
When former Con MP Chris d’Entremont crossed the floor to join the Liberals, he didn’t just change parties — he unleashed a fury that says more about today’s Con movement than about him. Within hours, he was getting death threats. #cdnpoli
When former Con MP Chris d’Entremont crossed the floor to join the Liberals, he didn’t just change parties — he unleashed a fury that says more about today’s Con movement than about him. Within hours, he was getting death threats. #cdnpoli
November 11, 2025 at 4:09 PM
The Conservative Party Has a Violence Problem
When former Con MP Chris d’Entremont crossed the floor to join the Liberals, he didn’t just change parties — he unleashed a fury that says more about today’s Con movement than about him. Within hours, he was getting death threats. #cdnpoli
When former Con MP Chris d’Entremont crossed the floor to join the Liberals, he didn’t just change parties — he unleashed a fury that says more about today’s Con movement than about him. Within hours, he was getting death threats. #cdnpoli
Reposted by Douglas
If you spin yourself a quasi-religous worldview with _yourself_ as the center and don't realize it? You're the problem.
November 11, 2025 at 5:55 PM
If you spin yourself a quasi-religous worldview with _yourself_ as the center and don't realize it? You're the problem.
Reposted by Douglas
here is the graph data structure (triplestore) i have. it is optimised for certain lookups/queries. if i represent triangles with properties i don't really need to add anything to the data structure. i only need to enforce some restrictions. eg. no more than two properties (faces) per vertex pair
November 11, 2025 at 6:08 PM
here is the graph data structure (triplestore) i have. it is optimised for certain lookups/queries. if i represent triangles with properties i don't really need to add anything to the data structure. i only need to enforce some restrictions. eg. no more than two properties (faces) per vertex pair
Reposted by Douglas
if speaking out and being loud about TGA and its gross mishandling of the Future Class makes me less employable, that says more about our industry and the people in positions of power than it does me. i have a platform, i'm privileged that i feel safe to speak up. think about folks who might not.
November 11, 2025 at 6:05 PM
if speaking out and being loud about TGA and its gross mishandling of the Future Class makes me less employable, that says more about our industry and the people in positions of power than it does me. i have a platform, i'm privileged that i feel safe to speak up. think about folks who might not.
Reposted by Douglas
If video games aren't art, then explain this...
November 11, 2025 at 5:53 PM
If video games aren't art, then explain this...
Reposted by Douglas
At risk of flogging a dead horse: this whole letter is a reminder that the creative process is an end in and of itself, and vital to self-actualisation. You can’t experience BECOMING, as he puts it, by outsourcing it to ChatGPT.
In 2006 a high school English teacher asked students to write to a famous author & ask for advice.
KURT VONNEGUT - born 103yrs ago today - was the only one to respond.
His reply was a doozy.
KURT VONNEGUT - born 103yrs ago today - was the only one to respond.
His reply was a doozy.
November 11, 2025 at 10:44 AM
At risk of flogging a dead horse: this whole letter is a reminder that the creative process is an end in and of itself, and vital to self-actualisation. You can’t experience BECOMING, as he puts it, by outsourcing it to ChatGPT.
Reposted by Douglas
Bluesky suspended Sarah Kendzior today for no reason whatsoever. She just shared excerpts of her articles, which were as always incisive and not offensive at all. Hey @pfrazee.com this is super not OK. I know her- we've interacted a fair bit via chats and her work is essential.
November 11, 2025 at 5:02 AM
Bluesky suspended Sarah Kendzior today for no reason whatsoever. She just shared excerpts of her articles, which were as always incisive and not offensive at all. Hey @pfrazee.com this is super not OK. I know her- we've interacted a fair bit via chats and her work is essential.
Reposted by Douglas
I also know of publishers who have submitted games to competitions and generated the submission info with AI rather than asking the actual devs.(the resulting blurb was full of errors ofc)
November 11, 2025 at 7:26 AM
I also know of publishers who have submitted games to competitions and generated the submission info with AI rather than asking the actual devs.(the resulting blurb was full of errors ofc)
Reposted by Douglas
Friends! On November 19th at 16:00, in Auditorium 3 at the ITU, we are hosting a talk by Florence Smith Nicholls. The talk is titled How to be a video game archaeologist. You can read about it here: digitalplay.itu.dk/event/floren...
How To Be A Video Game Archaeologist - A talk by Florence Smith Nicholls | Center for Digital Play
How To Be A Video Game Archaeologist - A talk by Florence Smith Nicholls
digitalplay.itu.dk
November 10, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Friends! On November 19th at 16:00, in Auditorium 3 at the ITU, we are hosting a talk by Florence Smith Nicholls. The talk is titled How to be a video game archaeologist. You can read about it here: digitalplay.itu.dk/event/floren...