Dungeon Quest Online

Chapter 8: Game Design Preparation

Tristen Alexander - Sai Enterprises, HQ

7 years before launch

The car slid to a stop at the security checkpoint a mile from what looked like a dark gray warehouse with security guards in roving patrols, cameras mounted every few feet, and multiple layers of electrical fences surrounding the main building. With all the security, it looked like the building housed prisoners on death row, but in reality it was a secret headquarters for Sai Enterprises, Tristen's company he started out of his apartment building in college. The name didn't hold the same meaning it used to since the technology Tristen created was much more advanced than a "simulated" artificial intelligence. However, it was nostalgic for him and contrary to his marketing teams' wishes, Tristen insisted on the name. It would be a betrayal to himself and his friends if he didn't keep the name.

Tristen couldn't believe it'd only been four and a half years since he graduated college. Yet here he was, driving into a secret research and development facility for the next phase of his company and the start or a project he hoped changed the face of the Earth.

Throughout the last four years he'd refined the technology and created A.I.'s for many areas. He still had his original creation and S.A.I. was now a better GM than he'd ever been. It had its own personality and, thanks to Tyler, often injected a healthy amount of humor into their Dungeon Quest games. They didn't get to play often with everyone so spread out after college.

Tristen lived in Silicon Valley after some tech startups he'd worked with rocketed into the spotlight. Aaron continued to play for the Hornets in San Francisco. Tyler moved out of Tristen's apartment a couple years back and into a penthouse in Vegas. He'd made a "boatload of cash", as he'd called it, and took up the gambling profession full time. Natalia still lived in New York, but he didn't get to see her often as her schedule was always busy with performances and practice.



As Tristen drove through the checkpoint, he thought back to the events that led him here. In college he'd managers and executives from big IT companies approached him about his technology, but he'd never engaged them for business. Instead, he struck out on his own, making his own business dealings, and continuing to improve the technology.

Just a few months after graduating, he'd reached out to the startup he'd told his friends about over pizza. The very next day he'd met with the team and showed his technology and how it'd integrate into the camera. They'd hesitated at first, assuming the manufacturing would set them back too much. Then, they'd need to re-program the internals to work with the camera. That's where Tristen knocked it out of the park. He'd told them, "The processor cost less than ten dollars to manufacture, and it'll interface with your existing software." They looked at him. stunned and a fierce grin split his face in triumph.

After they'd agreed to partner and let him keep his brand, he created a new A.I. processor to put in the camera and also had them install a speaker, microphone, and wireless network card. Once he finished the prototype, the startup team noted how much it improved the functionality of the camera and allowed for hands free operation.

The camera operated using voice controls, but the wireless connection allowed it to interface with any device the user wanted. One feature that Tristen programmed into the A.I. was its ability to create on-demand widgets for the users device of choice. If they connected a desktop, the processor compiled a small executable module downloaded directly from the camera rather than a website. The same was true for mobile devices. He'd added the ability to compile into any format. If a new format became available, he'd issue a software update for the A.I. and support the new platform.

Besides the camera A.I., Tristen created a second processor for the tripod that seamlessly integrated with the hardware. The camera already had a facial recognition option that would snap a picture when someone smiled. Tristen's A.I. learned how to track and recognize someone's face as they moved around and took candid pictures at random whenever someone smiled or faced the camera. The camera could do this itself, but it was stationary. The tripod allowed for a full 360-degree rotation and tracking.