Rules vs. Story
Welcome to the dev log for Living Echoes!
We are building something we’ve always dreamed of: an app that puts a Game Master in your pocket. Whether acting as a narrator for an interactive audiobook or a GM for a full-blown RPG session, Living Echoes uses advanced language models to bring stories to life through voice.
But creating an AI Narrator brings us to one of the oldest debates in tabletop gaming: Rules vs. Story.
Today, we want to share a look behind the curtain at how we are approaching game mechanics, the challenges we face, and where we are heading.
The Challenge: The Narrator vs. The Calculator
Our primary goal is immersion. Since you communicate with Living Echoes via voice, the conversation needs to flow naturally.
If a game system is too heavy on statistics—complex math, endless modifiers, and constant table-checking—two problems arise:
Technical Load: The model has to track massive amounts of numerical data, which can occasionally lead to hallucinations or calculation errors.
Narrative Breakers: Constant "stop and check" moments kill the mood. We want you to feel like you are in a story, not doing tax returns.
However, we can’t just remove the rules entirely. Players crave progression. You want to feel your character grow from a novice to a legend. You want to slay bigger monsters, unlock cooler abilities, and see your reputation in the world grow. Without mechanics to support that growth, a long campaign can feel flat.
Where We Are Now: The Power of FU RPG
Currently, our prototype creates narratives based on an open-source, simplified version of FU RPG (Freeform/Universal RPG).
We love this system for a few reasons:
Descriptor-based: Instead of saying you have "Strength 18," you simply say you are "Strong as an ox." This is incredibly easy for a Large Language Model (LLM) to understand and weave into a story.
Narrative Flow: It resolves actions quickly, keeping the focus on the description of the outcome rather than the math behind it.
For "interactive books" or "one-shot" adventures (single sessions where the immediate plot is king), this system is perfect. It allows for high-octane drama without the bogged-down mechanics.
The Missing Piece: Long-Term Progression
The downside of the current simplified system is that it lacks deep progression. It’s hard to simulate the "Zero to Hero" journey found in classics like D&D or Pathfinder using only freeform descriptors.
We know that for Living Echoes to power a massive, multi-threaded campaign, we need a system that offers more crunch—but without sacrificing the fluidity of voice conversation.
The Road Ahead
We are currently in an intense R&D phase. We are looking for the "Holy Grail" of rulesets: a model that supports deep character growth and tactical challenges, but remains invisible enough not to disturb the narrative flow.
To find this, we are going back to basics. We are actively playtesting various Open Source RPG systems manually—rolling dice at a real table with friends—to deconstruct what makes them tick and identify which mechanics translate best to an AI environment.
We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we are thrilled to be exploring this uncharted territory. We want Living Echoes to be the best of both worlds: the freedom of a story and the thrill of a game.
Stay tuned for more updates as we roll for initiative on development!
