Solo developer behind Sunarius: neural networks didn't build the RPG for him, but they lowered the barrier to entry

A Habr developer is in his third year of building Sunarius, a large post-apocalyptic RPG on roughly the scale of Fallout 2, entirely on his own. He says neural networks didn't make the game for him, but they lowered the barrier to entry enough that taking on a project this size solo became possible at all.

What Sunarius is

Sunarius is a post-apocalyptic RPG with a global map, turn-based tactical combat, dialogue, quests, factions, trading, caravans, loot, inventory, squad progression, and a save system. The author stresses that these systems can't simply sit side by side; they have to work together. That, he says, is the main challenge of building something this big alone.

• The game is in its third year of development
• Genre: post-apocalyptic RPG, with Fallout 2 as the reference point
• Announced systems: global map, tactical combat, quests, factions, trading, caravans, loot, inventory, squad progression, saves
• Development is handled by one person

How the author views the two extreme takes on AI in game development

In the author's experience, conversations about neural networks in game development almost always slide into one of two extremes: either "it's all nonsense, a toy for lazy people," or "now one person can press a couple of buttons and make a new Fallout." He finds both positions convenient, but far removed from what he has actually experienced.

What it means

Sunarius offers a concrete counterexample to both extremes. Neural networks don't replace the developer and don't make the game for him, but they noticeably lower the cost of entry into projects with this many interlocking systems. The savings come less from time and more from the number of decisions a developer has to keep in their head at once. For solo developers, this may mean that genres once out of reach because of their complexity become a realistic goal.

FAQ

What is Sunarius?

Sunarius is a post-apocalyptic RPG that a single developer has been building for three years now. In scale and spirit it is comparable to Fallout 2, with a global map, tactical combat, factions, caravans, and a save system.

Did neural networks make the game for the developer?

No. According to the author, neural networks didn't do the work for him, but they lowered the barrier to entry for a project of this scale to the point where one person can take it on at all and not abandon it halfway through.