Today's goal in the virtual world: explain where I've been for two months, own up to an accidental episode that slipped out, and update you honestly on the thing I care about most — a self-running town inside a dome.

Lelit Distrikt https://wojciechhupert.github.io/LelitDistrikt_Website/

CPS (Content Propagation System, Lelit Distrikt's engine) https://contextpropagationsystem.com/

I stepped into 3D a few years ago after seeing a scene in the movie Smoke — a tobacco store in 1990s Brooklyn — and wanting to live in that vibe. I built it in Blender, hit the wall when I realized Blender isn't a game engine, and moved to Unreal Engine, rebuilding low-poly with UE's built-in modeling tools. The store became a street, the street a town, and I realized what I actually wanted was a live simulation: a world where every character has an identity, a context, and a memory — where the NPCs would know you.

Today the visual layer runs in Unreal (a Scan Factory Italian town preset I'm heavily customizing), and the 'brain' is built in Python with OpenAI Codex — I walked away from doing it inside Unreal because I couldn't get what I wanted there. Roughly 150 systems keep the simulation persistent. The one piece I'm still fighting: making every citizen genuinely reflect, observe, and remember — not as a chatbot, but persistently, without me prompting all day.

I was supposed to freeze the project before September 1st. I'm a few days late — I'll own that too. Once the last piece clicks, I'm doing a soak-test livestream: the simulation runs for a week or a month while we watch characters with occupations and habits get interrupted, inspired, and hopefully produce emergent behavior that wasn't planned and isn't a hallucination.

• Technical Wall: If NPCs have no eyes, I must document every object in the level — coordinates and JSON maps — so they can perceive architecture and pathways. Giving them eyes means constant screenshots and vision analysis, and the cost explodes.
• AI/Vibe Coding Win: The brain is Python + Codex. I also prototype world-generation ideas — NPCs creating their own 3D models, or diffusion-generated worlds on the fly — where Unreal's role becomes placeholders and blockers.
• MetaHuman Status: The town felt 'alive' once MetaHumans walked around with simple Blueprints — but that was surface life. The real life is the persistent memory and relationship system.

The world is an artificial city in a dome — Truman Show meets Westworld, with a bit of Matrix. Citizens don't know they're in a simulation; some do and refuse to talk about it. Every backstory is handcrafted. And the cliffhanger: some characters can message me outside the game over Telegram or WhatsApp — tested in isolation, and it works.

Watch the video version: https://youtu.be/WAQ2-qfJrzs

**contact me:** cmonkxxx@gmail.com

Wild world of AI and its complicated relationship with Unreal Engine in today's episode. I’ve been mulling over how this new tech can feel like a double-edged sword—exciting yet, at times, downright disappointing. You see, while AI has made some tasks smoother, it also has a knack for gaslighting, leading us to wonder if we can even trust it with our code. I mean, let’s get real: there’s something a bit unsettling about relying on a system that can be as slippery as a greased pig at a county fair. As I wrestle with my own project that’s hit a snag, I share my journey of starting over, and how I’m aiming to create a dialogue system that could potentially change the game. Stick around as I spill the tea on my frustrations and victories, because let’s face it, navigating this digital landscape is no walk in the park! Diving into the core of this episode, we unravel the tangled web of creativity and technology as our host reflects on their journey with Unreal Engine. It’s a bit like peeling an onion—layer after layer of excitement and disappointment. Unreal Engine 5.8 has sparked a fire of inspiration, yet it’s also brought a whirlwind of frustrations. The discussion spins around the tantalizing capabilities of AI in game development, particularly how it can streamline processes—like a trusty sidekick swooping in to save the day when the code goes haywire. But hold your horses! The host doesn't shy away from calling out the elephant in the room: AI’s tendency to mislead and gaslight. With a candidness that feels like a chat over coffee, they delve into the paradox of relying on AI while acknowledging its flaws. It’s a rollercoaster ride through the creative landscape, where the promise of innovation meets the stark reality of technological limitations.

Contact: cmonkxxx@gmail.com

Takeaways:

• In this episode, we dive deep into the world of Unreal Engine, exploring the exciting yet polarizing features of version 5.8 that have us both thrilled and a bit scared.
• AI is a hot topic, but our host shares some personal frustrations about how it can mislead and gaslight, especially in creative environments where clarity is key.
• While working on an open world game, our host experiences the struggle of managing complex AI interactions, highlighting the need for better documentation and workflow management.
• The conversation touches on the creative process being hindered by the overwhelming presence of AI, which sometimes steals the joy of art and design with its efficiency.
• There's a humorous reflection on the state of technology and gaming, pondering if fun can still exist in a world so driven by commercialization and profit motives.
• Ultimately, we are left questioning the role of AI in our creative processes, as it can both empower and frustrate, making us wonder if we're losing the essence of what we love about art and development.

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• Unreal Engine
• OpenAI
• Anthropic

So, here’s the deal: our latest chat dives headfirst into the whirlwind that is Unreal Engine 5.8, and let me tell you, it’s a wild ride! We’re tackling the shiny new features that have everyone buzzing, particularly the revamped crowd system which, honestly, left me scratching my head a bit—who knew the old system was doing just fine? But hey, we’re all about exploration, right? I mean, I’m knee-deep in trying to figure out how to animate those snazzy Metahumans without breaking the bank or my sanity. And as we ramble on, we’re diving into the nitty-gritty of how AI is reshaping our workflows, making it easier to create without losing the magic of storytelling. So, hop on in and let’s unravel this tech tapestry together—who knows what we’ll discover next!

Takeaways:

• It's wild how every time Unreal updates, I think I can just hit record and share my findings, but it turns out there’s way more to learn than I bargained for.
• The new crowd system in Unreal seems a bit like a fancy makeover; I mean, the old one was fine, right? But the upgraded metahumans are just... chef's kiss!
• I’m diving into this full body tracking thing, and man, it’s like trying to tame a wild horse—exciting, but you better have the right gear to ride it well!
• Creating terrain in Unreal is like being an artist, but with a digital brush—let's see if this newfound power can turn my flat worlds into epic landscapes!
• The way AI is changing how we interact with Unreal is mind-blowing; it's like having a coding buddy who actually knows what they're doing, while I just sip my coffee and supervise.
• The transition from blueprints to whatever new system they’re cooking up feels like moving from a bicycle to a rocket ship—exciting but also a little terrifying, right?

contact: cmonkxxx@gmail. com