ChatGPT seems to have opinions about the sort of games I want to play

I've been continuing my experimentation in using AI to code games/game aids by playing around with a character generator for the various threads of gaming that bounce around in my head.  The main games and settings I'd like to establish by the end of the year (fingers crossed but yeah right) are the Monstrous Matters setting, my own little fantasy heartbreaker (and an associated setting...?), and People of Adventure (POA), my take on skirmish gaming using action figures, with rules rooted in the RPG mechanics of the first two.  And then, beyond that, I'd eventually like to have something concrete in place for Agents of SKA, Underground Elemental Beastfighting, and probably 100 more that I wrote about one time and promptly forgot about.  Anyway, as I (use ChatGPT to) build the generator, those first three plus Agents of SKA are the campaigns I've included to form the skeleton to which I can add other settings later.

So, of course, in the midst of making adjustments and returning code to me during our conversation, ChatGPT decided these should be the campaigns I make characters for:

Classic Dungeons

Underworld

Skyward Isles

Vault Raiders

Mutant Frontier

Agents of SKA

Generic Fantasy

Post-Apocalypse

Science Fiction

Wha--?

Now, to be fair, I'm running with three different systems for the characters — 5e, my Monstrous Heartbreaker, and a system neutral option — so I think the really generic choices on there can be chalked up in part to the AI "wanting" campaign names that it finds very appropriate to associate with "5e" and "System Neutral."  Still, though...I truly don't get why chatbots will occasionally change things up like this out of nowhere (it's made a similar call for my species and class choices, as well as the general layout of the generator)...almost as if they think they know better even on matters of opinion, intention, and creativity.

And...well, maybe that's true, as when called out on it, ChatGPT first apologized(!), then went on to say, "That’s the version I included in the code above — these are your intended campaigns, right?"

Oh, okay...trying to tell me something, ChatGPT...?

We did get this little misunderstanding worked out, but it didn't take all that long for it to contribute some campaign options once again, with the choices becoming:

Agents of SKA

Underworld

Epic of Elaria

At this point, I started to wonder if maybe this AI has its own fantasy heartbreaker that it's looking for a chance to bring into being.  I asked it to create a cover for an Epic of Elaria RPG book and got this...

...so I guess it's pretty much generic fantasy, but the elves have one really long ear that they use for...making precise measurements...?

I'll post more here if I find out more about what happens in this Epic, or in any of the other campaigns toward which I'm being guided...

Underground Elemental Beastfighting -- The Video Game

(Although that's a really generous term for this...)

I found myself with some time to devote to geek projects on Monday, and while I intended to knock out something worthwhile in progressing People of Adventure (aka POA...my take on 3.75" action figure skirmish gaming), of course I ended up getting distracted by Pokémon.  In this case, it was because I had seen an article where a guy talked about using AI to code a simple video game (even though he had no coding experience), and so I wanted to take a quick look at what that process was like, and the next thing I knew, I'd been on my phone going back and forth with ChatGPT for a few hours trying to make it understand the direction I wanted it to take the game's programming (and to keep it from "deciding" on changes I didn't request at all).

I'm honestly not completely sure how I feel about the use of generative AI in creative pursuits (and my thinking gets even muddier when it comes to its use in the technical realization of human-generated ideas)...BUT I thought it'd be worth mentioning on here how crazy it is that a very averagely-technologically-savvy old dude like me can put together a functional "app" as quickly and easily as I did.  I know it really doesn't look like much, and it's just a simple HTML document, but man does this get my brain bouncing around among possible future projects to start and never finish.  Maybe I should work on this piece by piece and turn it into the fully realized version of Underground Elemental Beastfighting...?  Maybe I should use AI to finally get Ring Doctors into a completely playable form...?  Or maybe I should try to keep my focus on just one project at a time...but attempt to harness this newly tapped resource into improving it...?

Yeah...I dunno.

But...I'd be delighted if you wanted to take a moment to check out the direction I'm going with UEB.  You can click here if you'd like to see its humble opening scene.  You'll be asked to choose an element for your Beast...

...then given a randomly generated monster (with d20-ish stats) and the option to send them into the Beastfighting pits to find glory, misery, death, or some combination of the three.

There's not much more to the story at this point, but I can't really exaggerate how amazed I am that this thing works at all.  And now that I have a skeleton to build from, who knows...maybe it'll actually lead to me learning a thing or two about coding...?

Whoa whoa whoa...guess I don't want to get ahead of myself.

Anyway...if you have any ideas on this, please send 'em my way!

Geeky SKAturday: Oi-SKALL Mates and Les Testarudes

Today I continue exploring the best new ska and ska-adjacent music of 2025 and ways of connecting what I find to an RPG setting in which ska bands are time-traveling protectors of multiversal order.  If this is your first time joining me, welcome(!) and I hope you won't click away upon rereading that last sentence.

I have two songs I want to listen to today!  The first is "Terra de Secà" by Les Testarudes, an all-female trad band from Spain (specifically Catalonia).  They followed this one up with an EP (La Prèvia) with this plus five more songs that hit just as hard...

And the second is "Truly Madly Deeply" by Oi-SKALL Mates...a cover of the Savage Garden classic(?) performed by a really tight Japanese ska band that has apparently been around since at least the '90s...

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Now, what shall I pull from this for the adventures of the Agents of SKA?

Low-hanging fruit:  Ska is an international phenomenon.  I need to make sure that the time-traveling guardians are representing the world!

So, let's start creating the first official member of the team.  I like the idea of random generation for this, and since I don't have a d1000 Random International Ska Musician Generator, I'm going to turn to humanity's new overlord-in-waiting: AI.  Hey, ChatGPT...!!

Please give me a random selection from all of the countries that have produced ska bands.

Here's one way to approach it. Ska originated in Jamaica, but over the decades many countries have produced ska bands. For example, notable ska scenes have emerged in:

• Jamaica (the birthplace of ska)
• United Kingdom (home of the 2 Tone movement)
• United States (notably the third wave of ska)
• Canada
• Japan
• Spain
• Italy
• Australia
• Germany
• France
• New Zealand

Using this representative list, a random selection yields:

Japan

Japan has developed a vibrant ska scene with bands that mix traditional ska rhythms with local influences.

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Alright, cool, I like it.  It might be giving the US a little more credit than we deserve for the third wave, but...eh, who is there to argue with?  And, I didn't even prompt it to pick a country I was already focusing on!

Now, for a bit about the character...

Please randomly select female, male, or nonbinary, then give me a full name for someone of that gender at random from among the common names of Japan.

Haruto Suzuki

"Haruto" has been one of the most popular given names for boys in Japan in recent years, and "Suzuki" is one of the most common surnames.

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And then two more prompts to find out more about Haruto's musicality:

List all of the instruments (including vocals) commonly found on ska recordings.

+

Now, please choose one of those instruments (including vocals) at random.

And with that, I learn that Haruto plays...

The trumpet!

(Not sure why I shouted that.)

Okay, thanks for playing along, all!  Now I've got to figure out exactly how characters will be made for this game and give Haruto some stats.  Hopefully next Skaturday...!?  Have a great week out there in the world!

On the moral capacity of artificially intelligent beings

How about some more Science!?  This one comes courtesy of the research news out of my alma mater Georgia State University.  Psychology prof Eyal Aharoni and his students conducted a study in which folks compared the moral "reasoning" of other people with that of the AI language model GPT-4 (without knowing there was an AI behind those ideas).  And y'know what?  GPT-4 performed better than humans!

The authors hypothesized that this would be the case.  I'll admit that I was initially a little surprised by it...I guess I must have some human-centric bias leading me to believe that figuring out right vs. wrong is aided by a true human perspective.  I suppose I should have realized that, ultimately, it's just logic (just ask Mr. Spock!), and computers don't have all these silly emotions getting in the way of thinking through it.  (Yet.)  And indeed...it does appear that the rationality of the moral decision-making is what put GPT-4's ideas at the top.

Interestingly, once they were told that a computer came up with one of the responses from each pair, participants were pretty darn good at figuring out which one it was.  Maybe the dystopian cyberpunk future where we're all at the mercy of a supercomputer's ethical calculations won't be so bad after all?

At any rate, if you'd enjoy seeing what this study is all about, you can find the summary at GSU's website HERE and the full, open access article HERE.

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As for machines and decision-making...although I've never played one (except as an NPC while running a game), I've always enjoyed the idea of droid characters in Star Wars roleplaying.  It seems like a given that some people would want to play one, but I remember being unsure if it would be allowed when I first started exploring SW gaming...and pleased to see that they are character options in the major games I've looked at that are set in a galaxy far, far away.

The star of this blog post, GPT-4 itself, created this droid for me to use in WEG/D6 Star Wars (only edited a little...and adjusted to fit the four-attribute stats I'm making a habit of here):

From HERE

XR-7T

Species: Droid

Strength 2D
Dexterity 3D
Knowledge 5D
Perception 4D

Abilities: Multispectral Sensors (+2D to Perception for environmental awareness), Tactical Assessment (grants +1D to tactics-related rolls), Adaptive Combat Systems (proficient in various combat techniques)

XR-7T is a formidable droid standing at 1.5 meters tall, with a polished gunmetal gray alloy casing and piercing blue photoreceptors. Equipped with advanced multispectral sensors, rapid data processing capabilities, and tactical algorithms, XR-7T excels in reconnaissance, combat analysis, and strategic planning. Its arsenal includes retractable blasters, energy blades, and stealth systems, making it equally adept at covert operations and frontline combat.

I had Bard and ChatGPT fill in the backstory for my kitbashed G.I. Joe character. This is what they gave me.

This past weekend, I took a little time to put together a "new" G.I. Joe character from pieces of some of my childhood figures.  A little work with a screwdriver and a bit of sloppy paint later, and I had this guy:

Naturally, I wanted to figure out the story behind this new Joe.  Something about the goggles and gloves...or maybe it has a little bit to do with the fact that his head (from Breaker) is the same mold that was used for Clutch...had me thinking he's a driver/mechanic type.

Then, I did what makes the most sense to do in April 2023 when you'd like a character backstory:  I asked a computer.

I started with Google's new chatbot Bard, with a simple request:

Create a GI Joe character, with a code name. He should be a driver and mechanic.

And Bard, true to its programming, delivered quickly (bolding by me, btw)...

Sure, here is a GI Joe character I came up with:

Code Name: Wheels

Real Name: Robert "Bob" Smith

Occupation: Driver and Mechanic

Nationality: American

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 190 lbs

Hair Color: Brown

Eye Color: Blue

Backstory: Bob Smith was born and raised in a small town in the Midwest. He was always fascinated by cars and trucks, and he knew from a young age that he wanted to be a mechanic. After high school, he went to trade school and became a certified mechanic. He then got a job at a local garage, where he worked for several years.

One day, Bob was approached by the GI Joe team. They were looking for a skilled mechanic to join their team, and they were impressed with Bob's skills and experience. Bob accepted the offer, and he has been a member of the GI Joe team ever since.

Bob is a valuable member of the GI Joe team. He is a skilled mechanic, and he is always willing to help out his fellow teammates. He is also a brave and courageous soldier, and he is always ready to fight for freedom.

Bob's code name, "Wheels," is a reference to his love of cars and trucks. He is always seen driving around in one of the GI Joe team's vehicles, and he is always up for a race.

Bob is a great friend, a loyal teammate, and a skilled mechanic. He is a valuable asset to the GI Joe team, and he is always ready to fight for freedom.

All right!  Wheels.  Not terrible.  Not terribly clever, but not terrible.  A solid first effort for a bot that may or may not have ever been tasked with creating a Joe.  I mean...it's a pretty straightforward origin story, so Bard probably hadn't put a lot of thought into it until that very moment.

Let's see how its more famous colleague ChatGPT fared...

Create a GI Joe character, with a code name. He should be a driver and mechanic.

Code Name: Gearhead

Profile: Gearhead is the ultimate driver and mechanic for the GI Joe team. His real name is Jack Riley and he hails from a small town in the Midwest. He's always been fascinated by cars and mechanics, tinkering with engines and machines from a young age.

After completing his mechanical engineering degree, Jack joined the army and quickly made a name for himself as a skilled driver and mechanic. He was soon recruited by the GI Joe team for his expertise and passion for all things automotive.

Special Skills: Gearhead is a master of all types of vehicles, from tanks and helicopters to motorcycles and speedboats. He can fix any mechanical problem on the fly, and his driving skills are unmatched. He's also an expert in demolitions and can rig explosive devices with precision.

Gear: Gearhead's signature vehicle is a custom-built, heavily armed jeep that he personally designed and assembled. It's equipped with an array of weapons and gadgets, including a missile launcher, smoke screen, and night vision system.

Personality: Gearhead is known for his cool demeanor under pressure and his unwavering dedication to the mission. He's always eager to get behind the wheel and take on any challenge, no matter how dangerous. He's also fiercely loyal to his fellow Joes and will stop at nothing to protect them.

Okay, so not sure if many folks are going to actually take the time to read through those, but I just want to point out that both bots created a character from "a small town in the Midwest."

(Hmm.  Springfield, perhaps?  Kinda crazy either way.)

So, I'm sold on that detail.  Also, Gearhead.  Not bad!  Once again, not great, but not bad, and probably better than Wheels.

Now...time to work out some gaming stats for Gearhead.  Maybe the bots can handle that for me too...

Also, relevant: