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Re: Randomly-generated maps?
Posted By: Butcher <cbutcher@cs.otago.ac.nz>Date: 11/5/99 12:55 a.m.

In Response To: Randomly-generated maps? (Loren Petrich)

> This brings to mind the question of randomly-generated maps in
> other games.

The original Age of Empires had an excellent random map generator, which was largely responsible for its long multiplayer life amongst those of my friends who played it. In general, though, creating random maps is a tricky proposition.

It was easy in AOE because there was a tile-based graphics engine. The engine could literally say 'fill region X with grass'. Because Halo's terrain looks to be a texturemapped heightfield similar to Myth's, random map generators would be nearly impossible to write - at least, those that maintained Bungie's high standards for visual realism. You just can't get a program to automatically draw beautiful artwork like some Myth maps have.

Procedural texturing and generation is an option, but most procedural terrain models are completely standalone and would be difficult to interface into a generative model that takes account of things that are good for gameplay.

It's an open problem, but like Nathan's programmer buddies say, Halo may not be the game to solve it. :)

- Butcher

Message Index



Replies:

Automapping?Loren Petrich 11/3/99 8:09 p.m.
     Re: Automapping?Nathan 11/3/99 9:32 p.m.
           Re: Automapping?Jägermeister 11/4/99 12:22 a.m.
                 (En)Trail blazingDispatcher 11/4/99 9:17 p.m.
           Re: Automapping?Ben Schodek 11/4/99 3:13 p.m.
                 Randomly Generated Maps and the "Whole Halo"Nathan 11/4/99 3:24 p.m.
                 Randomly-generated maps?Loren Petrich 11/4/99 5:14 p.m.
                       Re: Randomly-generated maps?Claude Errera 11/4/99 10:32 p.m.
                             Re: Randomly-generated maps Marathon?Dispatcher 11/5/99 11:08 a.m.
                             Re: Randomly-generated maps?Hamish Sinclair 11/5/99 1:30 p.m.
                       Re: Randomly-generated maps?Butcher 11/5/99 12:55 a.m.



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