Feature-based search

Fleshing out an idea is fun. Just like reading the start of a story–new lore drops and shapes what can happen next in the story. An idea can run in dozens of different directions. In the beginning the idea has no shape and as I imagine one potential dimension or another, it opens and closes other possibilities.

I call this a feature-based search. How does one navigate to a destination when the destination is unknown? Trial and error leaves too many paths to walk. Instead I follow my feelings as I imagine features of the preferred solution. The features point to the solution.

Imagine playing a civilization-building game with a randomly generated world. Where should we build the village?

• Near a water source
• Open space
• Near natural resources
• Away from other villages

As we search for a location with these features, we may compromise on some features or adjust others. Maybe one location is near another village but there’s a natural barrier between them. The destination is discovered when it feels right.