Subversion to deploy procedural city generator

Type in the article's title: Should be "Subversion", not "Subverison"

~HotShotX

Procedural content doesn't necessarily have to be taxing on the CPU. For example, the cities can be made using mathematical algorithms during the development of the game, and be saved as normal 'levels'. This would result in every player experiencing the same city in the game, but this city would take a fraction of the normal cost to model and texture.

However, other procedural methods such as Spore's animation systems (which serve to create a huge number of creatures) and .kkreiger's texture algorithms (which reduce disk space) are indeed CPU intensive.

Also important to note is that procedural content is not necessarily artist-free. There are many toolsets that seek to convert traditional hand-produced art into procedural elements that can be regenerated to a close approximation on the fly. This is usually to reduce the distribution size for downloadable games, and devices with limited storage but plenty of RAM.

I will agree with Introversion that procedural content is vastly under-utilized. We're getting to the point where we're maintaining farms of artists, and if we want to keep games profitable we need to start expanding the abilities of the artist to produce more work in less time.

I've never heard of "Subverison." Is it like Introversion's next project, "Subversion?"

Would something like this eventually find a market in the gaming industry?

Harris Corporation 3D Urban Models Featured On Web-based Live Search Maps

Basically, they've developed a way to render 3D models out of aerial imagery. With more graphical power being a mainstay behind 2 of the 3 systems of this generation, wouldn't a company that's developing software to render detailed 3D models out of real-life digital aerial imagery be viable, and desirable, in the gaming industry? Especially if developers where able to work out contracts to aquire preexisting renders and imagery at a discounted price?

"Delay notes that the lack of information is intentional so as to not build excessive hype."

Or, y'know, to *create* excessive hype.

1. Drop vague hints.
2. Fan Speculation & Rumormongering.
3. Profit?

For the overeducated types out there, one useful type of "Procedural content" are "genetic algorithms." They're how your Fedex/UPS packages get routed so quickly and your connecting flights are chosen. And how Spore will run, allegedly.

Subversion is an established source code management system that does the same thing as CVS. I'm not sure how, or if, it is trademarked, but it certainly predated any idea of a game.

That being said, procedural generation has been sidelined for far too long. The roguelike gaming community contains a lot of people very well versed in procedural generation of maps and world, I've always wanted to see such generation move into 3D. Procedural image generation is OK, and is very interesting when it uses techniques like reaction-diffusion models that accurately reproduce animal fur patterns and such, but generating a 3D space that makes sense in a game setting would be terribly interesting work I would imagine!

I recall Soldier of Fortune 2 included an option to use randomly generated maps in multiplayer and it was absolutely abysmal. Apparently they started from scratch and didn't involve anyone already experienced in such technology...

Procedurally generated content is not really a new idea. Frontier (Elite 2), for example, generated the majority of the galaxy procedurally. It created solar systems, planets, moons, surface topographies, etc. Frontier came out in 1993, but I'm sure if you looked you'd find similar work before that too.

Here's a very simple example of procedural synthesis. I'm going to give you instructions to draw an image with a width of 3 pixels and a height of 4 pixels.

The pixel in the upper left corner is at coordinates (1,1) and the pixel in the lower right corner is at coordinates (3,4).

The pixels at the following set of X,Y coordinates are white: (1,1),(3,1),(1,3),(3,3),(1,4),(3,4)

All other pixels will be black. What image did this create? If any of you cared to try it, you just demonstrated how procedural synthesis works. Instructions are used by the CPU to create something... anything really... it's a very basic and generic concept.

Except they are controlled chaos. You setup the basic rules, and the rest is handled by the random number god. The results can then be hand picked by designer, user, etc.

Because its all number based, the parameters can be easily modified to create radically different results (random seed helps too).

It would be cool for game designers to use these behinds the scenes and just put the best results on the disk, but it would be MUCH better if the algorithm could be run in 'real' time, so the user could have some fun.

Everyone loves random dungeons.

http://www.aarg.net/~minam/dungeon.cgi?width=30&roomcnt=lots&height=30&minroomw=2&maxroomw=5&sparse=some&minroomh=2&maxroomh=5&random=40&secret=5&deadends=75&concealed=10&level=1&resolution=15&seed=

I suck, here's the link to the article: http://www.harris.com/view_pressrelease.asp?act=lookup&pr_id=2001

And wow, does it take forever for the confirmation email.

Can't see any reason that the gaming industry wouldn't find that useful. Wasn't there an article here not so long ago about games using Google Maps?

Imagine a game that was always updating with the real world... Although better not make it a violent game, else JT will call it a true murder simulator (and maybe even with more justification that usual!).

"Would something like this eventually find a market in the gaming industry?"
It has. Since at least 1984. Look up the game Elite for the computer.
Anyway, Procedural Content is a double edged sword. On one side you can make large landmasses filled with randomly generated trees or whatever rather than having a guy make 1000 trees. Saves $$ and time.
On the other side look at "Just Cause" probably the biggest recent game to use PC. (I only played the PS2 version, so for other systems this may not be the same) The game was huge and BLAND. You turn left/right and ALL the trees turn (I think it had 2D foliage).
Also, EVERYTHING LOOKS THE SAME. There is not a drop of the GTA-style distinctiveness anywhere. Those are some of the reasons that JC wasn't that warmly greeted at release.

"It has. Since at least 1984. Look up the game Elite for the computer."

You'll have to explain to me how you can compare wireframe 3D models to fully rendered city models from high res aerial photography. I just don't see the connection.

Especially, with your logic, the same game used procedural content so this article is old news that's been used since the 80's and should be brushed off as nothing.