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Exploring the Intersection of AI-Assisted Map Planning and Among Us: Bridging Virtual Worlds through Technology
<categorytree depth=0|mode="pages">Category:Mapping_Exercises</categorytree>


Introduction:
Midjourney and ChatGPT examples of map planning
In recent years, the gaming landscape has witnessed a surge in both the sophistication of artificial intelligence (AI) and the popularity of multiplayer games. Among Us, a multiplayer online game developed by InnerSloth, has taken the gaming community by storm with its intriguing blend of social deduction and strategy. Concurrently, advancements in AI have led to the development of AI-assisted map planning systems, which have applications ranging from urban development to logistics. This essay aims to explore the fascinating intersection between AI-assisted map planning and Among Us, highlighting the potential synergies and implications for both gaming and real-world applications.


AI-Assisted Map Planning:
AI-assisted map planning refers to the utilization of artificial intelligence algorithms to optimize routes, design layouts, or analyze spatial data for various purposes. In urban planning, for instance, AI can help city officials optimize traffic flow or plan efficient public transportation systems. Similarly, in logistics, AI-powered systems can streamline delivery routes and minimize costs. These technologies leverage data analytics, machine learning, and optimization algorithms to generate solutions that are often beyond the capabilities of traditional human planners.


Among Us:
[[Blanket]] is my first map made from start to finish using AI to help plan ideas. I used AI to enhance my workflow, it did not replace any aspect of my workflow. Midjourney taught me that what I desired was [[Low Key Lighting]] and incandescent lighting; or that is to say full spectrum lighting in contrast to the limited spectrum of fluorescent bulbs.  
Among Us is a multiplayer game set in a space-themed environment where players take on the roles of crewmates aboard a spaceship or impostors disguised as crewmates. The crewmates' objective is to complete tasks around the ship while identifying and eliminating the impostors, who aim to sabotage the mission and kill crewmates without being detected. The game's popularity stems from its emphasis on social interaction, deception, and deduction, making it a captivating experience for players worldwide.


Linking AI-Assisted Map Planning and Among Us:
At first glance, AI-assisted map planning and Among Us may seem unrelated. However, a closer examination reveals intriguing parallels and potential connections between the two domains.


Navigation and Strategy:
I knew going in I wanted an office look and feel, but there was going to be a level design shakeup for my officer paradigm. After a few tries on Midjourney, I found what I was looking for. I think AI is sometimes used improperly, and as you can see I have used it to enhance my workflow and to more efficiently find my direction. The way the AI images look and my map Blanket looks are not at all the same, that is because I am always working from my memory and not trying to copy an image. AI images are also not very spatially intelligent, a careful observation can sometimes reveal there are physical impossibilities or improbabilities.  
In Among Us, players must navigate through the spaceship's map efficiently to complete tasks or carry out sabotage. Similarly, AI-powered navigation algorithms aim to optimize routes for efficiency and resource utilization in various contexts, such as transportation or logistics. The strategic element in planning optimal routes in AI systems mirrors the strategic decisions players make in navigating the game environment to achieve their objectives or outmaneuver opponents.


Spatial Analysis and Deductive Reasoning:
AI-assisted map planning involves spatial analysis to understand the layout of an environment and make informed decisions. In Among Us, players use deductive reasoning and spatial awareness to identify impostors based on their movements and actions within the game map. AI algorithms can similarly analyze patterns of movement or behavior to detect anomalies or predict future actions, which resonates with the deduction process employed by players in identifying impostors.


Dynamic Environments and Adaptive Algorithms:
When it came to texture creation, AI came in handy again. Goldsrc relies heavily on texture expression, and what I do is take an AI image I like and then build the image out into 3D in the scene. This breaks away from it being just a generated image. If you consider where we come from, taking photorealistic pictures and trying to downscale them to Goldsrc, this is the same principle that always existed. You want images without predefined shadows, and that are not overly detailed and present in a large exaggerated frame. For example a window in Goldsrc Counter-Strike realistically is always at least 10 feet in the air at the highest. This is because a player will jump on the windowcill, and standup. You take into account what the player needs and bend the world around it, so you get the aesthetic of everything being enlarged.  
Among Us features dynamic gameplay where situations evolve rapidly as players complete tasks or carry out sabotage. Similarly, AI-assisted map planning systems often operate in dynamic environments where conditions change unpredictably, requiring algorithms to adapt and reoptimize plans in real-time. The ability of AI algorithms to dynamically adjust routes or strategies aligns with the dynamic nature of gameplay in Among Us, where adaptability and quick thinking are essential for success.


Implications and Future Directions:
The convergence of AI-assisted map planning and Among Us opens up exciting possibilities for both gaming and real-world applications. By leveraging techniques from AI and gaming, developers can create more immersive gaming experiences with advanced AI-driven NPCs (non-player characters) or procedural generation of game environments. Moreover, insights gained from studying player behavior in Among Us could inform the design of more robust AI algorithms for spatial analysis and decision-making in real-world scenarios.


Furthermore, the gamification of AI-assisted map planning could enhance user engagement and facilitate knowledge dissemination in fields such as urban planning or logistics. By incorporating gaming elements into AI-driven planning tools, stakeholders can interact with complex data more intuitively and collaboratively, leading to more informed decision-making and innovative solutions.
This is where Counter-Strike 2 falls on its face, the developers simply do not know how to make Counter-Strike maps any longer, and perceive 'realism' to be some sort of guiding light -- and it's not. I'm teaching you what Counter-Strike mapping really is, and it ''bends'' to the players reality and needs, producing in the end an ''abstraction of reality,'' not realism.


Conclusion:
 
The intersection of AI-assisted map planning and Among Us exemplifies the interdisciplinary nature of technology and its potential to bridge virtual worlds with real-world applications. By drawing parallels between gaming strategies and AI algorithms, we can gain new insights into both domains and pave the way for innovative advancements in gaming, urban planning, logistics, and beyond. As technology continues to evolve, the synergies between AI and gaming hold promise for shaping a more connected and intelligent future.
 
Here are some Midjourney Prompts I used for environments:
[[File:Low Key night time winter scene.png|thumb|Midjourney prompts]]
 
Here are some Midjounrey Prompts I used for textures:
 
I used Wally software for WAD generation and editing, and Paint.net for photo editing. Both softwares are completely free.
 
Scaling textures in Goldsrc is extremely challenging at first, because a brick wall does not present the way you would think. The bricks themselves if they were made the correct dimension would produce a visual repeating effect because the base texture resolution is generally below 256x256. To compensate the brick facade dimensions are enlarged and exaggerated, producing a convincing and stylized version of reality that works with the engine limitations.
 
Even if you were smart enough to bypass engine limitations and use 4K textures, the game would not look better. This is a misunderstanding I am trying to teach, that reality is an abstraction, not realism. You will never develop charm unless you embrace restrictions.
 
 
 
Show pictures of players standing in "anticipatory points". The map is contructed around there being limited exposure points while still seeming real.
 
Show how verticality was incorporated without introducing overhead danger, effectively condensing the map while not making a sacrifice. There are clear AWP lanes, and clear rifle routes. The map is designed to be understood in layout within just a few rounds played on each side.  
 
When the players spawn, all of their choices become visible to other players immediately, in fact during freezetime you can read the intentions of the players. In Dust1 this was not possible to do, in Dust2 this was possible to do.
[[File:Cs Blanket Midjourney Low Key concept.png|thumb|This lighting was inspirational and influenced my design and discovery of Supersaturation Theory, derived from the Supernormal Stimulous observation.]]
Changing height levels never involves a ladder, and is instead an environmental storytelling element. The once in 100 years snowfall had created an enormous snow drift to collect onto the face of the building, effectively blocking off the first story in many parts, enabling people to walk up to the second story. This is a restriction I impose on myself to create interesting level design. There is 1 ladder in the map, and it is a beautiful work of art. The ladder truly does serve the pupose of both looking beautiful, and acting as a ladder.
 
Building charm into the map so that it felt like an original Counter-Strike map was done specifically in a few areas. When you spawn as a CT, there are several lighting techniques that are convenying information to the player. The player learns the following instantly:
 
Dark = safe
 
Light = danger
 
Glowing Red Tail Lights = area of interest
 
Inside Building = bad guys
 
What should we do = Surround the building
 
The map does not try and trick you in any way.
 
Show Subtle Half-Life reference which is an important anchor into the Counter-Strike universe.
 
[[Half-Life is Counter-Strike]]
 
What movie most infuenced this map? Snow Day [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0184907/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1]
 
In what other ways did I capture charm of the original Counter-Strike?
 
I embraced prefabs, especially old Half-Life ones like the coffee maker. [[Positions of Anticipation]]
 
[[Prefabs Before Models]]
 
Easter Eggs
 
[[Adding Your Pets To Maps]]
[[File:Blanket 1.png|thumb|I always talk to God and praise Jesus when I map]]
References to God 
 
[[Inviting-God]]
 
[[Building-Churches-For-God]]
Temp
 
[[Category:Mapping_Exercises]]

Latest revision as of 10:05, 7 February 2024

Midjourney and ChatGPT examples of map planning


Blanket is my first map made from start to finish using AI to help plan ideas. I used AI to enhance my workflow, it did not replace any aspect of my workflow. Midjourney taught me that what I desired was Low Key Lighting and incandescent lighting; or that is to say full spectrum lighting in contrast to the limited spectrum of fluorescent bulbs.


I knew going in I wanted an office look and feel, but there was going to be a level design shakeup for my officer paradigm. After a few tries on Midjourney, I found what I was looking for. I think AI is sometimes used improperly, and as you can see I have used it to enhance my workflow and to more efficiently find my direction. The way the AI images look and my map Blanket looks are not at all the same, that is because I am always working from my memory and not trying to copy an image. AI images are also not very spatially intelligent, a careful observation can sometimes reveal there are physical impossibilities or improbabilities.


When it came to texture creation, AI came in handy again. Goldsrc relies heavily on texture expression, and what I do is take an AI image I like and then build the image out into 3D in the scene. This breaks away from it being just a generated image. If you consider where we come from, taking photorealistic pictures and trying to downscale them to Goldsrc, this is the same principle that always existed. You want images without predefined shadows, and that are not overly detailed and present in a large exaggerated frame. For example a window in Goldsrc Counter-Strike realistically is always at least 10 feet in the air at the highest. This is because a player will jump on the windowcill, and standup. You take into account what the player needs and bend the world around it, so you get the aesthetic of everything being enlarged.


This is where Counter-Strike 2 falls on its face, the developers simply do not know how to make Counter-Strike maps any longer, and perceive 'realism' to be some sort of guiding light -- and it's not. I'm teaching you what Counter-Strike mapping really is, and it bends to the players reality and needs, producing in the end an abstraction of reality, not realism.


Here are some Midjourney Prompts I used for environments:

Midjourney prompts

Here are some Midjounrey Prompts I used for textures:

I used Wally software for WAD generation and editing, and Paint.net for photo editing. Both softwares are completely free.

Scaling textures in Goldsrc is extremely challenging at first, because a brick wall does not present the way you would think. The bricks themselves if they were made the correct dimension would produce a visual repeating effect because the base texture resolution is generally below 256x256. To compensate the brick facade dimensions are enlarged and exaggerated, producing a convincing and stylized version of reality that works with the engine limitations.

Even if you were smart enough to bypass engine limitations and use 4K textures, the game would not look better. This is a misunderstanding I am trying to teach, that reality is an abstraction, not realism. You will never develop charm unless you embrace restrictions.


Show pictures of players standing in "anticipatory points". The map is contructed around there being limited exposure points while still seeming real.

Show how verticality was incorporated without introducing overhead danger, effectively condensing the map while not making a sacrifice. There are clear AWP lanes, and clear rifle routes. The map is designed to be understood in layout within just a few rounds played on each side.

When the players spawn, all of their choices become visible to other players immediately, in fact during freezetime you can read the intentions of the players. In Dust1 this was not possible to do, in Dust2 this was possible to do.

This lighting was inspirational and influenced my design and discovery of Supersaturation Theory, derived from the Supernormal Stimulous observation.

Changing height levels never involves a ladder, and is instead an environmental storytelling element. The once in 100 years snowfall had created an enormous snow drift to collect onto the face of the building, effectively blocking off the first story in many parts, enabling people to walk up to the second story. This is a restriction I impose on myself to create interesting level design. There is 1 ladder in the map, and it is a beautiful work of art. The ladder truly does serve the pupose of both looking beautiful, and acting as a ladder.

Building charm into the map so that it felt like an original Counter-Strike map was done specifically in a few areas. When you spawn as a CT, there are several lighting techniques that are convenying information to the player. The player learns the following instantly:

Dark = safe

Light = danger

Glowing Red Tail Lights = area of interest

Inside Building = bad guys

What should we do = Surround the building

The map does not try and trick you in any way.

Show Subtle Half-Life reference which is an important anchor into the Counter-Strike universe.

Half-Life is Counter-Strike

What movie most infuenced this map? Snow Day [1]

In what other ways did I capture charm of the original Counter-Strike?

I embraced prefabs, especially old Half-Life ones like the coffee maker. Positions of Anticipation

Prefabs Before Models

Easter Eggs

Adding Your Pets To Maps

I always talk to God and praise Jesus when I map

References to God

Inviting-God

Building-Churches-For-God Temp