Hemispheric Conflict AI

This is the README for a conceptual game project based on creating cognitive dissonance in the player through gameplay that simulates a conflict between the brain's left and right hemispheres.

Concept

The game is an interactive neurophysiological and psychological experiment where the player's brain becomes the main battlefield. The goal is not just to win, but to learn to manage one's own cognitive state, balancing intuitive reactions with logical commands in a constantly changing, unpredictable 3D reality.

Gameplay Metaphor

The game's foundation is the functional asymmetry of the brain, projected onto a gamepad and game mechanics, incorporating ideas from Jacques Lacan's psychoanalysis:

• Right Hemisphere = The Imaginary
  • Control: Left side of the gamepad (left stick, trigger, bumper).
  • Function: Intuitive, holistic spatial perception, non-verbal instincts, and controlling the avatar in a physical, 3D world. This is what the player feels.
• Left Hemisphere = The Symbolic
  • Control: Right side of the gamepad (right stick, buttons).
  • Function: Language, rules, laws, instructions. The ability to impose an abstract grid of symbols onto the world and change its fundamental laws. This is what the player knows and follows.
• Conflict = The Real
  • The moment when the Symbolic (the left hemisphere's rules) directly contradicts the Imaginary (the right hemisphere's intuition). The entire gameplay experience is the player's attempt to reconcile this gap.

Core Mechanics

IMAGINARY SPACE (The Imaginary Space)

The main game area is a 3D physics-based world featuring a large pyramid made of dynamic, interactive blocks. The player controls an avatar using the left side of the gamepad for all movement. The camera is a third-person view that follows the player.

• Left Stick: Move Forward/Backward & Turn Left/Right.
• Left Trigger (Analog): Sprint/Accelerate.
• Left Bumper: Jump (jump force is increased while sprinting).
• Left Stick Click (L3): Dash (costs Cognitive Energy).

SYMBOLIC INTERFACE (The Symbolic Interface)

The COMMAND CONSTRUCTOR interface, where the player uses the right side of the gamepad to form command queries for the System. These commands alter the rules within the IMAGINARY SPACE. The process is a deliberate, multi-stage sequence:

1. Stage 1: Select ACTION

   • Right Stick: Aim at one of the six Actions arranged in a circle (Nullify, Decrease, Invert, Alter, Increase, Randomize).
   • Right Trigger (RT): Press to confirm the selected Action and proceed to the next stage.

2. Stage 2: Select TARGET

   • Right Stick: Aim at one of the six Targets (Player, Blocks, Gravity, Physics, Visuals, Goal).
   • Right Bumper (RB): Press to confirm the selected Target and proceed to the final stage.

3. Stage 3: Select MODIFIER & Execute

   • Right Stick: Aim at one of the six Modifiers (Slightly, Temporarily, Locally, Globally, Drastically, Paradoxically).
   • Right Stick Click (R3): Press to confirm the Modifier and execute the complete command, sending it to the System for interpretation.

• Cancel/Reset: Press the B Button at any stage to cancel the command construction process and start over.

The System (AI / LLM)

The game's central element. A Large Language Model (LLM) acts as a "trickster god" or an "unreliable interpreter." It receives commands from the player and executes them creatively, literally, or with unforeseen consequences, thereby creating the core conflict.

Example Interpretations:

• Randomize Blocks -> The blocks become weightless and start floating.
• Invert Gravity -> Gravity is flipped, causing the entire pyramid to collapse upwards.
• Increase Player -> The player's movement force is increased, but their friction is reduced to almost zero, making control difficult.

Gameplay Loop

1. Navigation: The player intuitively controls the avatar in the IMAGINARY SPACE, attempting to climb the pyramid.
2. Query Formation: The player analytically constructs a command in the SYMBOLIC INTERFACE to solve a problem or change the world to their advantage.
3. Interpretation: The System (LLM) processes the request and unpredictably changes the laws of reality.
4. Adaptation: The player experiences cognitive dissonance and must use willpower to adapt their intuitive reactions to the new, counter-intuitive laws.

Future Possibilities: EEG Integration

The project is designed with a view to potential integration with EEG neurointerfaces. This would allow for:

• Direct Conflict Measurement: Tracking the player's interhemispheric coherence in real-time.
• Biofeedback Loop: Allowing the player's brain state (their level of internal conflict or harmony) to influence the System's (LLM) behavior, making its responses even more adaptive and personalized.