The Shadows of Osiris - Diary

The Shadows of Osiris – Diary

This is the first ever game that I have developed on my own.  I have previously been involved at a conceptual level and in terms of trouble-shooting on some games that have been developed within The Icehouse collective http://theicehousecollective.weebly.com/  that I am a member of.

This  game is an entry to YazJam IV – AI Powered https://itch.io/jam/yazjamiv and also to the The Black Cube 10th Anniversary Jam https://itch.io/jam/bc10

Storyline

Story prompt – ChatGPT – Prompt A games storyline based upon the Egyptian book of the dead with a solid black cube as the focus.

This generated a full storyline, including an Overview, Storyline, Gameplay (including third-person exploration, puzzle-solving, and intense combat sequences) which I subsequently simplified by changing the name of the player and ignoring his profession, and dropping the combat sequences.

Title: "The Shadows of Osiris"

Overview: "The Shadows of Osiris" is an immersive action-adventure game set in ancient Egypt, inspired by the Egyptian Book of the Dead. The game revolves around a powerful artifact known as the Solid Black Cube, which holds immense mystical energy. As the player, you embark on a perilous journey to unravel the mysteries of the afterlife, battle sinister forces, and ultimately restore balance to the world.

Storyline: You assume the role of Amun, a young and ambitious archaeologist who stumbles upon the Solid Black Cube during an excavation near the Valley of the Kings. Unbeknownst to you, the cube possesses the ability to connect the living world with the realm of the dead. This attracts the attention of nefarious entities seeking to exploit its power for their own dark purposes.

The full transcript is at the end of this diary. No other AI text creating engines were used, as I felt that the ChatGPT output met all of my needs.

My storyline was enhanced by reference to three of the Ancient Egyptian Funerary texts:

The Egyptian book of the dead https://archive.org/details/egyptianbookofde0000unse_i0n3

The Book of Am-Tuat - The Egyptian Heaven And Hell - Vol 1 https://archive.org/details/the-egyptian-heaven-and-hell-vol-1

The Book of Gates - The Egyptian Heaven And Hell - Vol 2 https://archive.org/details/the-egyptian-heaven-and-hell-vol-2/mode/2up

and my existing knowledge of Ancient Egypt.

The majority of the riddles within the game were also generated using ChatGPT: Prompt twelve ancient Egyptian riddles along with their answers

This proved less successful than the storyline prompt, as some of the riddles could not have existed in Ancient Egypt (e.g. one which had a solution of keyboard). Several iterations generated sufficient riddles that could have existed then.

The riddles at the Weighing of the Soul (room 6) and the last room (room 12) were based on a traditional prayer (room 6) taken from the book of the dead, and a well-known riddle (room 12) supposedly based upon the book of the dead. Optional answers were derived by me.

Images

Visual Prompts – 12 Rooms  Each room represents one Hour of the passage through the Book of the Dead – See THE BOOK AM-TUAT and the Book of Gates

• https://deepai.org/machine-learning-model/3d-character-generator
• https://www.bing.com/images/create?

The inside of an ancient Egyptian tomb

The darkened inside of an ancient Egyptian tomb

The darkened inside of an empty ancient egyptian tomb

inside of an empty ancient egyptian tomb

inside of an empty ancient egyptian tomb with heiroglyphics on the walls

inside of an empty ancient egyptian tomb with heiroglyphics on the walls with low soft lighting from one side

Image prompts – Black Cube Fragments (1 in each of the 12 rooms)

https://deepai.org/machine-learning-model/contemporary-architecture-generator

https://www.bing.com/images/create/

long dark tunnel entrance to Egyptian tomb black cracked surfaces on all walls

a black obsidian cube buried in desert sand

twelve individually separated black puzzle pieces spread over a single surface which when combined would form a black obsidian cube

a barren desert scene of sand with dark ridged hills in the near distance at the base of one ridge is a single intensely bright point of light

a barren desert scene of sand with dark ridged hills in the near distance with a sunrise at the centre

Character Images

https://www.bing.com/images/create/

Ancient Egyptian (Room resident details from storyline) in hieroglyphic style

https://magicstudio.com/imagine/images

Thoth – Egyptian Deity Thoth

All images were saved as .jpg, then edited (crop, contrast, size) to .png using Photoshop

I found Bing suited my needs best as it was easy to use, offered multiple results and suited my aesthetic.

Audio Prompts

• Mubert
• An eerie echo shudders delicate watery effects twinkle sense of unease a hint of a melody higher, and higher choral surge rises up Synthetic shimmers lap the shore, subtle percussive bubbles spatter (part of a review of Rubycon by Tangerine Dream
• Delicate watery effects twinkle through the emptiness. Where is this? There is an almost tangible sense of unease pervading the air;
• synthesizers oud flutes cymbals eerie echo delicate watery effects twinkle sense of unease a melody higher, and higher choral surge rises up Synthetic shimmers lap the shore
• A caravan travels through the desert as layered synthesizers gradually increase in watery waves and a jingling rhythm builds beneath
• (Selected) A bird flies over the desert as layered synthesizers gradually increase in watery waves and a solemn rhythm builds beneath.

Exported to Audacity, modified (tempo reduced, pitch raised) and saved as .mp3

https://creators.aiva.ai/ was used at first but I found it limited (in my view) and was restricted in the length of created files.

All files were stored in a dedicated folder then copied to the required folders within the game engine used (Ren’Py) and a backup created.

I found Ren’Py relatively easy to follow (I have done some basic HTML before, which I found similar), and used trial and error to make the elements work like I hoped they would (or as near as possible).

I would like to thank the other members and Friends of TheIcehouse for their consistent help, advice and encouragement.

Roger

Story prompt – ChatGPT – A games storyline based upon the Egyptian book of the dead with a solid black cube as the focus

ChatGPT

Title: "The Shadows of Osiris"

Overview: "The Shadows of Osiris" is an immersive action-adventure game set in ancient Egypt, inspired by the Egyptian Book of the Dead. The game revolves around a powerful artifact known as the Solid Black Cube, which holds immense mystical energy. As the player, you embark on a perilous journey to unravel the mysteries of the afterlife, battle sinister forces, and ultimately restore balance to the world.

Storyline: You assume the role of Amun, a young and ambitious archaeologist who stumbles upon the Solid Black Cube during an excavation near the Valley of the Kings. Unbeknownst to you, the cube possesses the ability to connect the living world with the realm of the dead. This attracts the attention of nefarious entities seeking to exploit its power for their own dark purposes.

The discovery of the cube inadvertently triggers a chain of events that disrupts the delicate equilibrium between the realms, plunging Egypt into chaos. The veil between the living and the dead becomes thin, allowing restless spirits and malevolent creatures to roam freely in the mortal realm.

Guided by the spirit of an ancient pharaoh, Osiris, you must embark on a dangerous quest to restore order and prevent the world from descending into eternal darkness. Armed with your wits, an array of mystical artifacts, and the knowledge of ancient spells, you set out to navigate treacherous landscapes, solve intricate puzzles, and confront formidable foes.

Throughout your journey, you encounter various iconic Egyptian gods and mythical creatures, each with their own unique abilities and motives. You must negotiate alliances, acquire divine blessings, and harness the power of the gods to overcome challenges and gain insight into the nature of the Solid Black Cube.

As you delve deeper into the mystic realms, you uncover the secrets of the Egyptian Book of the Dead and learn how it can be used to manipulate the fabric of reality. Your actions and choices affect the balance between life and death, leading to multiple branching paths and different outcomes.

The ultimate goal is to prevent the Solid Black Cube from falling into the wrong hands and restore harmony to Egypt. Along the way, you must confront your own mortality, face personal challenges, and make sacrifices in the pursuit of saving your homeland and the souls of the departed.

Gameplay: "The Shadows of Osiris" offers a combination of third-person exploration, puzzle-solving, and intense combat sequences. Players can traverse sprawling ancient Egyptian environments, from pyramids and temples to vast desert landscapes and ethereal underworld realms.

The Solid Black Cube serves as a focal point of gameplay mechanics, allowing players to interact with both the living and the dead. It grants access to otherworldly abilities, such as communing with spirits, manipulating time and space, and channelling ancient spells.

Puzzles and challenges are intricately woven into the storyline, drawing inspiration from Egyptian mythology, hieroglyphics, and the Book of the Dead itself. Solving these puzzles and overcoming obstacles requires a combination of critical thinking, logic, and clever use of acquired powers.

Combat encounters involve facing off against mythological creatures, spectral enemies, and corrupted beings. Players can utilize a variety of weapons, including traditional Egyptian weapons and mystical artifacts imbued with the power of the gods. Strategic combat, dodging, and mastering supernatural abilities are essential to succeed in battles.

Conclusion: "The Shadows of Osiris" offers an immersive journey through ancient Egypt, blending captivating storytelling, rich mythology, and challenging gameplay. Through the exploration of the Egyptian Book of the Dead and the enigma of the Solid Black Cube, players uncover the secrets of the afterlife and the significance of life itself.