How might a new series of Knightmare look if artificial intelligence was used to create the dungeon? We speak to long-term fan, Andrew, about some of his recent AI experiments.
Fans of Knightmare have long mused about how new technology might prompt a new reawakening for the show. Now, latest advances in AI generative imaging are bringing a whole new world of possibilities to light.
Long-term Knightmare fan Andrew (forum member: Malefact) recently decided to test its capabilities.
He begins by recreating rooms based on iconic Knightmare locations from the early series and quickly finds it quite spellbinding.
"You're feeding your imagination in words and having it replayed back to you graphically in seconds," he says.
"The trick is to use loads of adjectives, as that tends to help it get much closer to something that might be interesting."
Amazing atmospheres
Andrew points to the captivating artwork created by David Rowe and amplified by Robert Harris's Travelling Matte Company as a great inspiration.
"You can evolve all you want - and you should," he says. "But those hand painted rooms from the early series in their luscious colours - they were so impressionable.
"Banburn, Death Valley. They all had that dark fantasy feel that keeps you coming back to marvel at it all again decades later."
The fine art style of the AI samples takes us beyond the glossy computer game cover art that led Tim Child to David Rowe and more towards a Tolkien graphic novel or film-scape.
"That's the look it has to have for a 4K environment," Andrew adds. "It looks fantastical and magical but with some realism as well. You can create amazing atmospheres.
"It might have taken days to produce one like this by hand, but when it's available at this quality at this pace, you can quickly experiment with all sorts of concepts."
You could make it darker
Of course, Knightmare is not just about ambience. You also need perils. Plenty of them.
This seems to spark a different kind of excitement, as these ramp up the gameplay and require a slightly different kind of imagination.
Andrew leads with a bomb room and a long pit, which would require speed and accuracy. This could be replaced by a pendulum too, for a different kind of hazard.
A corridor overlooked by a Sauron-style eye is gripping. It's based on the final encounter in the Knightmare gamebook Can You Beat the Challenge? It suggests the player is being watched in real time by the Opposition.
Even rich ambient rooms could have their perils. In one example, crystals fall from the ceiling and damage parts of the floor. The original series used lasers and fireballs to achieve a similar sort of hazard.
Andrew suggests there is room for making the concept a little darker, if it became for older players. A corridor becomes a prison.
"Imagine a desperate prisoner banging or howling to be let out," he posits.
"Knightmare frequently had people locked up or restrained, but you could make it darker if you wanted to push the limits."
Not about replacing people
Andrew is generally ambivalent about AI, but he sees a great opportunity if it's harnessed the right way.
"It's not a substitute for what a real person can do," he insists. "The results aren't always perfect. I absolutely see this as a tool for people, not a replacement for them."
He's also keen to point out that design is just one part of what makes a good game. Narrative is also important.
"When we think of the history of Knightmare's design, some of those scenes became 'places' with their own characters. We formed attachments to them," he says.
"While there's something exciting about every room being different and random, something would also be lost if every scene was unique."
"But as an experiment, I wanted to generate some ideas and to help myself to imagine what it could look like.
"And there's no doubt, the possibilities design-wise are just phenomenal."
Join us for Part 2, when we talk about the technical challenges involved in making this a reality.
