You have just spent four hours trying to land a spaceship on a planet that looks like a moldy potato Congratulations….. You are now one of the lucky few who understand the true meaning of curiosity in sci fi games It is not about science… It is not about exploration. It is about staring at a glowing rock for thirty minutes because the game said there might be something there… And there is not… But you keep clicking, because deep down, you are a masochist with a mouse
The problem is real. Every sci fi game promises a universe of wonder, but delivers a procedurally generated desert with a single type of cactus….. You want to feel like a pioneer Instead you feel like a delivery driver for alien Amazon The curiosity that drives you to scan every plant and animal is the same curiosity that makes you check your fridge three times in one evening. It is a curse But it is also the only thing keeping you from realizing how much of your life you have wasted
I have been there. I have scanned over 1,000 species of space worms… I have built bases on planets that look like someone dropped a bucket of paint on a gray rock….. I have spent more time managing inventory than I have spent with my own family And I am here to tell you it is worth it Not because the game is good, but because the journey is hilarious So strap in. We are going to explore why curiosity is both a blessing and a curse, and how you can use it to pretend you are learning something while actually doing nothing
But I digress.
Let us go gambling. That is right. We are going to gamble our time, our sanity and our pretend credits on the hope that one day we will find a planet with actual trees… Spoiler: we will not…. But we will try anyway Because that is what curious people do
1…. The Science of Scanning: Why You Are Basically a Digital Janitor
Curiosity in sci fi games often boils down to one activity: scanning….. You point a little tool at a rock, a plant or a creature and the game rewards you with a text box that says something like This rock is 98% silicon. Great. Now you know….. But what do you do with that knowledge?!! Nothing. That is the joke…. The game makes you feel like a scientist, but you are really just a janitor with a laser pointer So, Take No Man s Sky, for example You can scan every single lifeform on a planet…. The game even gives you a progress bar. I once spent two hours scanning all the creatures on a toxic world just to feel a sense of completion…. The reward? A few units of currency and the knowledge that I am a terrible human being But here is the secret: scanning is not about the reward It is about the dopamine hit of filling a bar. It is the same reason people collect stamps or organize their sock drawer. It is meaningless, but it feels good
If you want to get the most out of scanning, do not think of it as science Think of it as a checklist…. The game is just a fancy to do list So scan everything….. Scan the plants… Scan the animals. Scan the rocks Scan your own ship if you can. The moment you stop taking it seriously, you will start having fun….. And if you do not have fun at least you are not doing real work
Oh, and do not forget: let us go gambling on the next planet….. Maybe this one will have a dinosaur. Probably not but the hope is what keeps you going
2. The Psychology of Procedural Generation Why You Are Chasing a Ghost
Procedural generation is the fancy term for the game makes stuff up as it goes It sounds impressive, but it is really just a way for developers to avoid designing actual content…. Instead of making a beautiful handcrafted world, they give you an algorithm that vomits out mountains and valleys. And you love it Why?!! Because your brain is wired to find patterns in chaos You see a weird rock formation and think, There must be treasure there. There is not…. But you go anyway
I remember playing Elite Dangerous and spending an hour flying to a mysterious signal…. It turned out to be a single asteroid with a pirate who demanded I drop my cargo I had no cargo. He laughed and left. That is it…. That was the mystery…. But for that hour I was curious I was engaged. The game had me by the brainstem Procedural generation is a master manipulator It creates the illusion of infinite discovery, but the reality is endless repetition
The insight here is that your curiosity is being weaponized Developers know you will chase anything that looks slightly different… So they scatter meaningless landmarks across the galaxy. Do not fall for it Or do… Honestly, what else are you going to do? The point is, embrace the absurdity. When you land on a planet and see the exact same tree you saw on the last planet, laugh. Take a screenshot…. Send it to your friends Make it a meme Let us go gambling on the RNG of life instead
One non obvious trick if a planet looks boring from space it is probably boring on the ground But land anyway. Because sometimes the boring planets have the most interesting resources… Or they do not But you will never know unless you check. And checking is the whole point
Wait that makes no sense But neither does procedural generation
3… Base Building: The Art of Making a Ugly Home on a Dead Rock
You have found a planet. It is cold It is windy. It has no atmosphere. Perfect Time to build a base Why?!!! Because the game told you to But deep down, you know the real reason: you want to leave your mark on the universe…. Even if that mark is a crooked shed with a malfunctioning oxygen generator So, I once built a massive base in Subnautica: Below Zero. It had glass corridors, a moonpool and a bedroom with a view of a leviathan…. I spent six hours on it. Then I realized I never actually went there because it was faster to just swim The base was a monument to my own vanity. But it was also a lesson: base building is not about function…. It is about expression… You are saying, I was here….. I made this. And it is terrible…
Practical advice when building a base, always prioritize location over aesthetics Find a spot near resources, near a portal, or near something interesting… But if you are like me, you will ignore that advice and build on the prettiest hill…. Then you will spend the rest of the game running back and forth because you forgot to check the oxygen levels….. That is fine. That is the experienceLet us go gambling on the next base location. Maybe it will have a view of a double sunset Or maybe it will be inside a volcano Either way you will learn something about yourself. Mostly that you have no sense of practical design
4 The Lore Hunt: Why You Are Reading Fictional History Instead of Real History
Every sci fi game has lore It is the stuff that makes the universe feel real. You find data logs, audio recordings and ancient texts You read them because you want to understand the story. But let us be honest: you are also reading them because you are procrastinating… Instead of studying for that exam or finishing that project, you are learning about the fall of an alien civilization that never existed. Priorities
In Mass Effect, I spent hours reading codex entries about the council races. Did it help me in combat? No…. Did it make me feel smart?!! Yes….. That is the trade off. You trade real world knowledge for fictional trivia…. And you do it gladly. The lore is a trap It makes you feel invested in the world, so you keep playing….. But there is a upside you become an expert in something…. Even if that something is the mating habits of the Asari
Here is a tip: if you want to enjoy lore without going insane, treat it like a podcast Listen to it while you are flying your ship or mining rocks That way, you are multitasking….. You are wasting time twice as efficiently. And if you find a piece of lore that contradicts another piece, do not worry That is just the game being inconsistent. Or it is a conspiracy. Either way it is a good excuse to start a forum argument
Let us go gambling on the next lore entry…. Maybe it will reveal the secret of the universe Or maybe it will just be a recipe for space soup. You never know. And that is the fun part
5. The Endgame When Curiosity Becomes a Job
Eventually you will have explored every type of planet You will have scanned every creature You will have built a base that looks like a parking lot. Then what? The curiosity that drove you starts to fade….. The game becomes a routine. You log in do your chores and log out. It is not fun anymore. It is a job…. A job that pays in fake money So, This is the point where most people quit. But not you…. You are curious…. You want to see if there is anything else….. So you keep going. You start doing things you never thought you would do. You start building a fleet of ships for no reason….. You start a farm for space potatoes. You start naming your creatures after your exes. It is the endgame baby And it is beautiful in its pointlessness
Here is the secret: the endgame is not about the game It is about the community. You share your discoveries…. You join multiplayer sessions….. You mess with your friends. You make your own fun….. Because the game stopped giving you reasons to play….. So you have to make your own. That is the ultimate expression of curiosity You are no longer exploring the game. You are exploring the limits of your own boredom
Let us go gambling odds calculator on the endgame. Maybe you will find a new glitch. Maybe you will meet a random player who becomes your friend Or maybe you will just stare at the void until you realize you have been playing for eight hours and you have not eaten That is the endgame. And it is as rewarding as you make it
So take a break….. Go outside Touch grass But when you come back, remember: the universe is not infinite….. But your capacity for wasting time is…. Use it wisely… Or not. It is your life
The Final Scan
We have explored the science, the psychology, the architecture the lore, and the meaninglessness of curiosity in sci fi games. And what have we learned?!!! Nothing… Absolutely nothing… But we had fun. Or at least we pretended to…. That is what mattersHere are your actionable next steps Step one: uninstall the game. Just kidding… Do not do that….. Step two: pick a new planet Any planet Land on it. Walk around. Scan something If you do not find anything interesting, take a screenshot and post it bet online casino with a funny caption…. Step three: build a base that serves no purpose Decorate it with stuff you do not need… Invite a friend to see it. They will not be impressed That is the point
Step four read the lore. All of it Even the boring parts… Write a fan theory about why the game makes no sense….. Post it on Reddit….. Get into a heated argument with a stranger Block them Feel victorious Step five ask yourself why you are doing this. The answer will be disappointing. But that is okay. Because the next time you load up the game you will forget everything and do it again
Let us go gambling….. On a new game…. On a new universe On the hope that this time, it will be different…. It will not be. But you will try anyway…. Because you are curious. And curiosity is the thing that makes us human. Or at least human enough to spend 200 hours scanning rocks
Now go Explore Scan….. Build….. Read Argue….. And remember: the universe is vast, but your time is limited. So make every moment of fake discovery count… Or do not Honestly, I am not your mom But if you need me, I will be in the corner, scanning a tree that looks exactly like the last one. And I will be happy….. Because I do not know any better…. And neither do you
