Procedural Planets

Procedural generation is a powerful concept in game development. By defining a set of rules in code, expanded landscapes can be created automatically. Procedural generation is capable of creating a virtually infinite number of unique generations. I began my journey into procedural generation by exploring how to create planets in Unity.

 I began by following a series of tutorial videos by Sebastion Lague on YouTube that went in-depth into this process. Here I learned about vertex manipulation, shaders, and biomes.

Main Focus

There are many creative ways to use an infinite number of varied worlds. Even with that specific use case for procedural generation, I have a number of apps planned to use this technology. From space exploration to a progressive crafting game where you unlock new planetoids for unique resources. Planets are also only one potential of procedural generation. By learning about and mastering this concept, a developer is able to create far more content and execute large ideas far quicker than by creating everything by hand.

Following my work in procedurally generated planets, I participated in a game jam for VR games with the theme “Small World.” Using my knowledge in creating planetoids, I created a VR disk golf course that would be situated on a small planetoid.

Conclusion

Procedural generation is one of the key technologies that I intend to spend years of my life studying and becoming an expert on. This project introduced me to various concepts and primed my understanding for further research.