Creating Dynamically Changing World Map for Computer Games with Advanced Image Processing -- A Use Case

Abstract

Many computer role-playing games that mime a science fiction or fantastic world have a static world map or the map changes under some scripted assumptions that hardly reproduce the dynamic of a play. In this paper I propose a novel algorithm that enables real time terrain calculation even on a very large world map. An algorithm uses approach based on attraction force calculation and uses gradient methods combined with fast approximation of Gaussian filter and fast implementation of median filtration. With such an approach it is possible to fast adapt and rebuild the virtual world taking into account every nuance that happened during play. Due to this a player has the feeling of control and influence of his or her deeds to overall game which is very important aspect of every role-playing scenario. Because single iteration of an algorithm last about 176.01 ± 12.57 milliseconds (in frequency nearly 6 Hz for large 256×256 grids) the resulting map might be adjusted dynamically during game and a player might be aware of it. This size of a grid is sufficient for simulation very large virtual world that typically appears in role-playing games.