Comments on: Hello world! http://www.splatnull.com/2009/08/22/hello-world/ Programming, gaming, and everything geek. Mon, 12 Apr 2010 13:07:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: kramen http://www.splatnull.com/2009/08/22/hello-world/comment-page-1/#comment-5 kramen Fri, 11 Sep 2009 03:13:42 +0000 http://www.splatnull.com/blog/?p=3#comment-5 @ Zilchius. this is kramen1 (twitter)- i want to work with someone who does coding for iPhone apps. we have a couple projects to get started on. email me kramen@gmail.com for more details if ur or any of ur friends wud like to work on this with us. @ Zilchius. this is kramen1 (twitter)- i want to work with someone who does coding for iPhone apps. we have a couple projects to get started on. email me kramen@gmail.com for more details if ur or any of ur friends wud like to work on this with us.

]]> By: Zilchius http://www.splatnull.com/2009/08/22/hello-world/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Zilchius Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:54:09 +0000 http://www.splatnull.com/blog/?p=3#comment-3 <a href="#comment-2" rel="nofollow">@Gazz</a> The drawback of processor power is usually a one shot thing. You'll see it in the loading time when the computer generates, or unpacks all of the data you're about to see. The content can also be generated at runtime, but you're going to see a major performance hit if it’s more than just one or two things. I am familiar with .kkrieger, and would agree that it's sort of a novelty rather than an example of a full featured game. But it shows the truly impressive nature of procedural generation in its ability to make compact files. Two prime examples of procedural content in a commercial title are Spore and FUEL, though many other titles use the technique. Spore uses procedural content for the textures, animations, and overall personality of the creatures you create. It's the only way they could allow you to feel like you've actually created your own creature here, and takes away any limit that might be caused by designers or artists trying to create that content for all the different types of creatures you could create (never mind that it would probably be impossible for them to do within their own lifetime). FUEL on the other hand uses it much in the same way I am here, to generate terrain. Their game has 14,000 square kilometers of play area, which consists of a number of unique areas inside of it. They almost let you drive as far as you want in any direction, and it will take literally 2 hours to get from one corner of the map to the other. The trick here is that each zone has its own algorithm to generate that particular area, and then an artist can go in and add a couple of unique spots to this area (such as a base camp). But I believe all of the terrain, trees, roads, and random buildings are procedurally generated, if not also the races themselves. Obviously both of these are scalable and will take work off of the artists so that they may work on getting more details into the game. While neither game is exceptionally popular, they show that this technique is used in the industry. In fact, the forests in Oblivion are procedural as well, made to mimic how forests actually grow, taking into account erosion and such forth. This is more often the use of the technique, being as that once again, building a forest by hand is time consuming and a waste of an artist. If you're interested in seeing more, I've found a list of full motion videos that are procedurally generated here: http://www.pouet.net/prodlist.php?order=views @Gazz The drawback of processor power is usually a one shot thing. You’ll see it in the loading time when the computer generates, or unpacks all of the data you’re about to see. The content can also be generated at runtime, but you’re going to see a major performance hit if it’s more than just one or two things.

I am familiar with .kkrieger, and would agree that it’s sort of a novelty rather than an example of a full featured game. But it shows the truly impressive nature of procedural generation in its ability to make compact files. Two prime examples of procedural content in a commercial title are Spore and FUEL, though many other titles use the technique.

Spore uses procedural content for the textures, animations, and overall personality of the creatures you create. It’s the only way they could allow you to feel like you’ve actually created your own creature here, and takes away any limit that might be caused by designers or artists trying to create that content for all the different types of creatures you could create (never mind that it would probably be impossible for them to do within their own lifetime).

FUEL on the other hand uses it much in the same way I am here, to generate terrain. Their game has 14,000 square kilometers of play area, which consists of a number of unique areas inside of it. They almost let you drive as far as you want in any direction, and it will take literally 2 hours to get from one corner of the map to the other. The trick here is that each zone has its own algorithm to generate that particular area, and then an artist can go in and add a couple of unique spots to this area (such as a base camp). But I believe all of the terrain, trees, roads, and random buildings are procedurally generated, if not also the races themselves.

Obviously both of these are scalable and will take work off of the artists so that they may work on getting more details into the game. While neither game is exceptionally popular, they show that this technique is used in the industry. In fact, the forests in Oblivion are procedural as well, made to mimic how forests actually grow, taking into account erosion and such forth. This is more often the use of the technique, being as that once again, building a forest by hand is time consuming and a waste of an artist.

If you’re interested in seeing more, I’ve found a list of full motion videos that are procedurally generated here: http://www.pouet.net/prodlist.php?order=views

]]> By: Gazz http://www.splatnull.com/2009/08/22/hello-world/comment-page-1/#comment-2 Gazz Mon, 07 Sep 2009 06:54:00 +0000 http://www.splatnull.com/blog/?p=3#comment-2 I've heard very little about procedural generation, is its only major drawback the processing power it requires? I heard quite some time ago about Synth (http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/game/synth) through Rock, Paper, Shotgun, which prompted me to look into the idea and find .kkrieger (http://www.theprodukkt.com/kkrieger). Both of these take advantage of procedural generation in different ways, but at the time it struck me as an interesting novelty at nothing more. I’ve heard very little about procedural generation, is its only major drawback the processing power it requires? I heard quite some time ago about Synth (http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/game/synth) through Rock, Paper, Shotgun, which prompted me to look into the idea and find .kkrieger (http://www.theprodukkt.com/kkrieger). Both of these take advantage of procedural generation in different ways, but at the time it struck me as an interesting novelty at nothing more.

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