What happens if the main interface of a strategy MMO is not a traditional game client, but a conversation with an AI?
That is the idea behind Exodus-Protocol.
We are building a persistent multiplayer space strategy game where players explore a shared galaxy, colonize planets, build structures, mine resources, research new technologies and eventually command fleets and fight other players.
The unusual part is how you interact with it.
Instead of navigating dozens of traditional game screens, you interact with an AI agent. You can ask what is happening on your planets, request information about resources, decide what to build, inspect the galaxy or eventually give orders to your fleets.
The AI is not the game itself. Behind it is a persistent simulation with its own rules, resources, technology trees, fleets, travel times and other human players. The galaxy continues running whether you are there or not.
On our website we have an indication of what goes on in the galaxy at the moment, keep in mind this is still only us testing, we're not yet open for other players. https://www.exodus-protocol.com/
We are also experimenting with mixing conversation and visual gameplay. When a response becomes too complex for text alone, the AI can show interactive visual elements directly inside the conversation: planets, resources, structures, fleets and eventually larger parts of the galaxy.
Another part of the experiment is how we are building the game. We are a very small team using AI throughout development: specifications, coding, testing and parts of the visual-production process. One of the questions we want to explore is how far a small experienced team can push a project of this scale when AI becomes part of the development workflow rather than just an occasional tool. Our goal is to share as much knowledge as we can through posts on our website. This is not only about the usage of AI, but also about gameplay challenges we're facing.
We are still very much in development. At the moment we already have the persistent galaxy, planets, resources, mining, structures and a large part of the progression system working, and we are now moving deeper into units, fleets and combat.
I’ll use this devlog to share the progress as we build it: new systems, experiments that worked, things that failed, design decisions and some of the technical challenges behind making an AI-driven MMO actually work.
AI in game development is an interesting and sometimes controversial topic. Whatever your view on it, we believe these tools are going to become an increasingly important part of how games are built.
That is one of the reasons we started Exodus-Protocol.
The project is not only about creating a type of game we have not really seen before. It is also about documenting the journey: what AI makes possible, where it falls short, what changes in the development process, and what we learn along the way.
Whether the project will ultimately succeed is still unknown.
The bigger question for us is:
"Can a conversation with AI become a real game interface rather than just a gimmick?"
That is what we are trying to find out, keep you posted!
