The happiest man in gaming hates generative AI
It's impossible to not be swept up in Tarn Adams' enthusiasm. To speak to him is to feel like you're talking to the happiest man in gaming. Along with his brother Zach, he's been working on the wonderfully chaotic procedurally generated world of Dwarf Fortress since 2002, and he is far from tired of it. If anything, he's more enthusiastic than ever. Read more
Tarn Adams, the founder of Dwarf Fortress, exudes an infectious enthusiasm that leaves everyone he speaks with feeling positively jubilant. Together with his brother Zach, they have been crafting the procedurally generated world of Dwarf Fortress since 2002, and show no signs of tiring from the task. Adams is particularly excited about the latest addition to the game: a procedurally generated magic system, which he has been dreaming about for some time.
The complexity and chaos involved in this new update are simply astounding, and it is clear that Adams possesses an unwavering passion for the project, undiminished by age or circumstance.
Despite his love for Dwarf Fortress, Adams is troubled by the rise of generative AI in the gaming industry. He feels that this new technology has tarnished the reputation of traditional AI, and he fears that it may be used to replace human workers in various industries, including medical UI. Adams has decades of experience working with procedural generation, and he firmly believes that generative AI would not boost his productivity in Dwarf Fortress.
He also points out that the bloated nature of AI-written code would make for an undesirable game experience.
However, when the conversation turns back to Dwarf Fortress, Adams immediately regains his vibrant enthusiasm. He envisions numerous possibilities for the game, such as adding a complex economic simulation and the addition of boats to transport goods more cheaply. The possibilities seem endless, and Adams expresses his excitement for the continued evolution of the game.
In recent years, the game has garnered a dedicated community that has produced incredible mods and utilities entirely on their own initiative, without any input from Adams. These creations include a Space Invaders computer powered by vampires and a military system run by them.
Adams acknowledges that the procedural tree for the magic update is available for modders to experiment with. The generator is written in Lua, a language that can be modified or entirely rewritten by those comfortable with it. Several successful indie developers who have later moved into publishing have cited the game as an inspiration.
While Dwarf Fortress has generated significant revenue, it has not been enough to make Adams feel flush. Nonetheless, the game continues to support the studio and its artists and audio staff. Currently, around 15 people are working on Dwarf Fortress, making it a large-scale operation. Adams is concerned about potential platform restrictions, such as Microsoft's "Copilot" feature that may force developers to use generative AI to get their games recognized, but he believes that as long as his players remain on Windows, he will not be forced to compromise his creative vision.
Written by urgent.news from GamesIndustry's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
