Procedural content generation (PCG) is the programmatic generation of game content using a random or pseudo-random process that results in an unpredictable range of possible game play spaces. This wiki uses the term procedural content generation as opposed to procedural generation: the definition of procedural generation includes using dynamic as opposed to precomputed light maps, and procedurally generated textures, which while procedural in scope, do not affect game play in a meaningful way. The concept of randomness is also key: procedural content generation should ensure that from a few parameters, a large number of possible types of content can be generated.
Types of Procedural Content Generation
The article The Death of the Level Designer outlines six types of procedural content generation, with respect to games.
- Runtime random level generation
- Design of level content
- Dynamic world generation
- Instancing of in-game entities
- User mediated content
- Dynamic systems
- Procedural puzzles and plot generation
This list is an attempt to generate a definitive taxonomy of the types of procedural content generation.