Quotes
Quotes you can attribute to creator Rhys Gray
I built Eigengrau’s Generator because I wanted a generator that was more than just a couple of words flung together- something that had a level of reason and logic behind what it generated, a less-than-random random generator.
The first time that I realised that there was a real interest in the generator was just after I installed Google Analytics, and found that my Reddit post had brought over ten thousand people to my website.
The full name, “Eigengrau’s Essential Establishment Generator” is sort of a homage to the fun alliterative titles found in D&D- things like “Mordenkainen’s Magnificent Mansion”, etc. Eigengrau is a German word that translates roughly to the grey colour that you see when you close your eyes. I picked it as a sort of way of putting my mark on the generator, my last name being Gray.
Eigengrau’s Generator was my first coding project- I started as a total beginner. I wish I could say that I was a quick study, but in reality, I just got by with sheer stubbornness and perseverance.
The generator uses a complex set of systems at both the macro and micro level, combined with a bit of randomness to determine the resultant town- I like to joke that it’s the world’s longest “if” statement!
I’m incredibly proud of the community that has developed around the Generator- it’s amazing to see so many people pitch in and put their heads together to come up with ideas. Many hands make light work, and that’s especially useful when you’re doing things like filling out the biographies of the Greek pantheon.
I spent a lot of time playing Nethack as a kid, and always enjoyed how a story could coalesce out of some relatively simple mechanics. I found that same enjoyment building the generator, finding happy little accidents when a town would generate something particularly strange or funny.