Upload
gamelanyk
View
393
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Procedural Content Generation
• Procedural content generation (PCG) refers to creating game content automatically, through algorithmic means. - Togelius, Yannakakis, Stanley, Browne
• PCG should ensure that from a few parameters, a large number of possible types of content can be generated. - Doull
• Procedural Content Generation is the process of using techniques based on AI, maths and other disciplines to automatically create game content. - University of Strathclyde
Opportunities of PCG
• High diversity of the resulting assets • Faster than any human designer could ever be • Significantly reduces production costs• Allows for a mixed-initiative approach to level design• Content automatically implemented in the engine• Can save vital system resources• Players can influence the parameters of the game world
• Possibility of automatically analyzing player behavior
Challenges of PCG
Satisfying a high number of constraints (e.g. full connectivity)
• Finding these constraints and tweaking unintuitive parameters of the system can degenerate into trial and error
Produce aesthetically pleasing results
• Levels can become too similar to each other
Maximize the expressive range (variety of results)
• Can decrease co-op multiplayer playability
May require spending too much time on inventing a sophisticated level generator
The Ingredients?
• Domain knowledge
• Artificial intelligence
• Structured randomness• Multi-layering• Filters, limits & restrictions• Specialized algorithms• Gameplay integration
The Ingredients? (Con’t)
Domain Knowledge
• To generate something you need to know it• PCG typically aims at building an artificial level designer, usually needs domain
knowledge about level design
Artificial Intelligence
• Need algorithms that can work on complex knowledge and generate plausible content• Search-based methods, L-systems, evolutionary computation, fractals, cellular automata,
agent-based methods, planning, graphic programming, etc.