Recently some amazing technology was pointed out to me. We all know how in all games we know so far, a large percentage of the buildings is not accessible. That may very well be different for games in the near future!
Procedurally generated structures
Normally when a game company produces a new game, they hire a team of people that create a static 3D city. These people build the whole city around the game and in most games this means only the buildings that are relevant in the games storyline are accesible. Imagine a game with a city in which every building is fully accesible! That is exactly what the new Crytek engine, from the producers of Crysis, is rumored to provide.
In plain english, this means that if you are running around in the games virtual city, you will know that behind every door, there is an actual room you can go in. All the windows you see are really windows and not just pictures of windows.
All these interiors are generated automatically. Modelers will obviously still have to build the bits and pieces of which the city and the interiors exist, but the computer generates the way the city is built up and where things are placed.
Tech demo
On youtube a clip can be found of a tech demo made by Crytek programmer Marco Corbetta and 3D modeler Miragoli Gianluca, the makers of this technology. Besides this demo, not much has officially been said about the technology, but it is rumored that it will be used in Crysis 2. [1]
Please keep in mind that this is a tech demo, so things like the graphics and the realism of the damage the weapon does are not really important. It is only to prove that it is possible to do.
I think this technology could really add to games. Even though the city in the tech demo is not really detailed, it still looks a lot realler with the windows actually being windows, instead of just textures.
Personally I'm really looking forward to seeing this in action! Think of games with cities that never end, all with every single building being accessible and generated as you play. Makes for some great possibilities!
Think of games with cities that never end, all with every single building being accessible and generated as you play. Makes for some great possibilities!
Grand Theft [s]Auto[/s] World!