Introduction to Procedural Generation Darren Grey dgrey 0

Introduction to Procedural Generation Darren Grey @dgrey 0 www. gamesofgrey. com

Mozart’s Dice Game Plays randomised bars of music based on dice rolls From the 18 th century, possibly by Mozart Procedural means taking random input (eg dice rolls) and making structured output. http: //www. amaranthpublishing. com/Mozart. Dice. Game. htm

Applications of Procedural Generation • Game design • Urban planning • Architecture • Narrative design • Music composition • Data visualisation • Visual arts • Visual effects in movies • AI design • Simulations

Conway’s Game of Life Alive cell: • 0 or 1 neighbours: die • 2 or 3 neighbours: stay alive • 4+ neighbours: die Dead cell: • 0 -2 neighbours: stay dead • 3 neighbours: become alive • 4+ neighbours: stay dead http: //pmav. eu/stuff/javascript-game-of-life-v 3. 1. 1/

Cellular Automata • On of the easiest and most popular ways of generating procedural content. • Start with random cells filled in, then apply a sweep of rules to all cells, perhaps multiple times, until an interesting map is generated. • Can produce interesting fractal shapes, very useful in making terrain maps, caves, or other naturalistic systems. • Ultimately all of reality is made by cellular automata!

Cellular automata!

Perlin Noise Worley Noise

Why use PCG? • Replayability • Save costs • Vast content production • Can enable new types of gameplay • Can surprise the creator!

The downsides • Bad PCG is boring • Can be tricky • Can take aaaages to get right • Lack of control / unable to test fully

Some further examples Proteus • Procedurally generates an island to explore each game • Generates music on the fly based on surroundings, time and actions

Some further examples Sir, You Are Being Hunted • Generally islands based on English countryside and towns • Using an array of techniques and tweaks to make believable, “lived-in” environments

Some further examples Mushroom-11 • You control a group of cells that behave like cellular automata • Procedural generation is the game

Some further examples No Man’s Sky • Procedural worlds, terrain, lifeforms, etc • Uses a vast array of techniques • Able to make a huge, varied game with a small group of developers in Guildford

Some further examples Microsoft Songsmith vs Van Halen • Made by Microsoft as a tool to provide a backing track to your own singing. Produces hilarious results when applied to well known songs. • Proves the point that bad procedural content is boring! • Also, Mozart > Microsoft.