• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Randomly generated 3d environments (think CoD but randomized levels)

Dman877

Platinum Member
After playing multiplayer CoD for the last few weeks I have come to the conclusion that doing well in CoD (and almost all other FPS games) has more to do with how well you know a certain map then how adept you are at manipulating your character. Skill with a keyboard and mouse is important but if you don't know a map 100% you might as well be a complete fps noob using the arrow keys to look around imo.

Anyway, I got to thinking what would really make a game like CoD interesting is if it had randomly generated maps. Whether they just added a large number of variables that determined object placement or created completely different maps every game though is a question of theoretical achievement at the moment. I know how maps are made in modern fps games, I've mapped with both QERadiant and UnrealED. I know how long it takes to design, let alone compile a map. What I'm wondering is if randomly generated maps are simply a question of clock-speed (aka when cpu's are fast enough to render a quake map in a fraction of a second or even 20 or 30 seconds) or if there is some way to implement this with current technology.

I know games with random maps like diablo 2 use premade terrain and interior features that fit together like lego's but are different everytime. I don't know if this would be possible in an fps but even if it was, people would eventually figure out all the nooks and crannies of the premade stuff and it would just then be a matter of recognizing which type of unit you were in.

Can anyone with experience programming 3d engines (or if you are just an armchair programmer like me 🙂) comment on what kind of difficulty/impossibilty we're looking at here?
 
Soldier of Fortune II has random map generation for multiplayer. I haven't really played it that much to know how good it is however. I think the most difficult part of the map generation would be gameplay balance.
 
I know games with random maps like diablo 2 use premade terrain and interior features that fit together like lego's but are different everytime. I don't know if this would be possible in an fps but even if it was, people would eventually figure out all the nooks and crannies of the premade stuff and it would just then be a matter of recognizing which type of unit you were in.

I'd think this would be the only feasable way of doing it quickly, at least with any hope of the map making sense/being fair. I don't know what SOF2 does, as I haven't played it.

It's certainly not impossible, although I imagine it would be very difficult to do *well*. Diablo 2 maps get very predictable after a while...
 
I'm pretty sure SOF2's "random map generation" doesn't make a new, random map. It puts you in an already made map but the weather, numbder of players, etc. is determined for instant play kinda thing. This might not be true, but I'm pretty sure; I've only played SOF2 a little bit.
 
for single player this would be great but up comes the question of how you would do it on multi player. you would have to download the "map" each time and if your like me you usually get board before the map gets done downlaoding
 
Back
Top