General analytical techniques for parameter-based procedural content generators

Michael Cook; Simon Colton; Jeremy Gow; Gillian Smith

doi:10.1109/CIG.2019.8848024

General analytical techniques for parameter-based procedural content generators

Michael Cook, Simon Colton, Jeremy Gow, Gillian Smith

Department of Human Centred Computing

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Paper › Research

14 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Most generative systems built in game development are parameter-driven, but the relationship between parameters and the output of the system is often unclear. This makes them frustrating to use for both experts and novices, and as a result generators are often filtered post-hoc, or tweaked through time-consuming trial and error. In this paper we introduce two analytical techniques: smoothness and codependence. We show how these features help analyse the impact of a parameter change on a generative system and suggest ways this could feed back into more intelligent tools that make working with procedural generators more precise and pleasant.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	IEEE Conference on Games 2019, CoG 2019
Editors	Vanessa Volz
Place of Publication	Piscataway NJ USA
Publisher	IEEE, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Pages	646-653
Number of pages	8
ISBN (Electronic)	9781728118840, 9781728118833
ISBN (Print)	9781728118857
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/CIG.2019.8848024
Publication status	Published - 2019
Event	IEEE Conference on Games 2019 - London, United Kingdom Duration: 20 Aug 2019 → 23 Aug 2019 https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/conhome/8844551/proceeding (Proceedings)

Publication series

Name	IEEE Conference on Computatonal Intelligence and Games, CIG
Publisher	IEEE, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Volume	2019-August
ISSN (Print)	2325-4270
ISSN (Electronic)	2325-4289

Conference

Conference	IEEE Conference on Games 2019
Abbreviated title	CoG 2019
Country/Territory	United Kingdom
City	London
Period	20/08/19 → 23/08/19
Internet address	https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/conhome/8844551/proceeding (Proceedings)

Keywords

Co-creativity
Generative systems analysis
Procedural content generation

Access to Document

10.1109/CIG.2019.8848024

Cite this

Cook, M., Colton, S., Gow, J., & Smith, G. (2019). General analytical techniques for parameter-based procedural content generators. In V. Volz (Ed.), IEEE Conference on Games 2019, CoG 2019 (pp. 646-653). (IEEE Conference on Computatonal Intelligence and Games, CIG; Vol. 2019-August). IEEE, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. https://doi.org/10.1109/CIG.2019.8848024

@inproceedings{f2479110c5be4bffb3bcdcd7c2b82211,

title = "General analytical techniques for parameter-based procedural content generators",

abstract = "Most generative systems built in game development are parameter-driven, but the relationship between parameters and the output of the system is often unclear. This makes them frustrating to use for both experts and novices, and as a result generators are often filtered post-hoc, or tweaked through time-consuming trial and error. In this paper we introduce two analytical techniques: smoothness and codependence. We show how these features help analyse the impact of a parameter change on a generative system and suggest ways this could feed back into more intelligent tools that make working with procedural generators more precise and pleasant.",

keywords = "Co-creativity, Generative systems analysis, Procedural content generation",

author = "Michael Cook and Simon Colton and Jeremy Gow and Gillian Smith",

note = "Funding Information: X. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The first author is supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering under the Research Fellowship scheme. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 IEEE.; IEEE Conference on Games 2019, CoG 2019 ; Conference date: 20-08-2019 Through 23-08-2019",

year = "2019",

doi = "10.1109/CIG.2019.8848024",

language = "English",

isbn = "9781728118857",

series = "IEEE Conference on Computatonal Intelligence and Games, CIG",

publisher = "IEEE, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers",

pages = "646--653",

editor = "Vanessa Volz",

booktitle = "IEEE Conference on Games 2019, CoG 2019",

address = "United States of America",

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Cook, M, Colton, S, Gow, J & Smith, G 2019, General analytical techniques for parameter-based procedural content generators. in V Volz (ed.), IEEE Conference on Games 2019, CoG 2019. IEEE Conference on Computatonal Intelligence and Games, CIG, vol. 2019-August, IEEE, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Piscataway NJ USA, pp. 646-653, IEEE Conference on Games 2019, London, United Kingdom, 20/08/19. https://doi.org/10.1109/CIG.2019.8848024

General analytical techniques for parameter-based procedural content generators. / Cook, Michael; Colton, Simon; Gow, Jeremy et al.
IEEE Conference on Games 2019, CoG 2019. ed. / Vanessa Volz. Piscataway NJ USA: IEEE, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 2019. p. 646-653 (IEEE Conference on Computatonal Intelligence and Games, CIG; Vol. 2019-August).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Paper › Research

TY - GEN

T1 - General analytical techniques for parameter-based procedural content generators

AU - Cook, Michael

AU - Colton, Simon

AU - Gow, Jeremy

AU - Smith, Gillian

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - Most generative systems built in game development are parameter-driven, but the relationship between parameters and the output of the system is often unclear. This makes them frustrating to use for both experts and novices, and as a result generators are often filtered post-hoc, or tweaked through time-consuming trial and error. In this paper we introduce two analytical techniques: smoothness and codependence. We show how these features help analyse the impact of a parameter change on a generative system and suggest ways this could feed back into more intelligent tools that make working with procedural generators more precise and pleasant.

AB - Most generative systems built in game development are parameter-driven, but the relationship between parameters and the output of the system is often unclear. This makes them frustrating to use for both experts and novices, and as a result generators are often filtered post-hoc, or tweaked through time-consuming trial and error. In this paper we introduce two analytical techniques: smoothness and codependence. We show how these features help analyse the impact of a parameter change on a generative system and suggest ways this could feed back into more intelligent tools that make working with procedural generators more precise and pleasant.

KW - Co-creativity

KW - Generative systems analysis

KW - Procedural content generation

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U2 - 10.1109/CIG.2019.8848024

DO - 10.1109/CIG.2019.8848024

M3 - Conference Paper

AN - SCOPUS:85073105393

SN - 9781728118857

T3 - IEEE Conference on Computatonal Intelligence and Games, CIG

SP - 646

EP - 653

BT - IEEE Conference on Games 2019, CoG 2019

A2 - Volz, Vanessa

PB - IEEE, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

CY - Piscataway NJ USA

T2 - IEEE Conference on Games 2019

Y2 - 20 August 2019 through 23 August 2019

ER -

General analytical techniques for parameter-based procedural content generators

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Keywords

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