Critical Gameplay Elements

[Kiddnils]

I think I had a similiar idea a few weeks ago:

http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread...ight=evolution

But such a progamm is nearly impossible.

[zpqrei]

I can't be the only one worried by the prospect of maps breeding, can I?

[Tarry H Sruman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zpqrei

I can't be the only one worried by the prospect of maps breeding, can I?

We need to fight these genetically-modified franken-maps and preserve maps as nature intended them.

[xzzy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiddnils

But such a progamm is nearly impossible.

Not impossible at all actually. Genetic algorithms can do some really neat stuff, it's really only a question of how much development time you want to put into it.

But you do have to manage your expectations somewhat. The results can be surprisingly effective, but will be quite a ways off from "perfect".

[zpqrei]

Okay, I've actually gone away and thought about it for a few minutes, and I drew up some of my worries about it, and how I think it would be best to have it develop, instead of picking 'traits' and evolving the maps through breeding (because we know someone would breed Hoodoo with Turbine and get map which plays horribly and looks crap - and then everyone loses out).



Apologies for the crappy photo, but it should be just about legible.

[Seba]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xzzy

a TF2 map is a bunch of hollow boxes connected by halls

If you want to look at TF2 that way, then everything, even real life, is just a bunch of hollow boxes and halls. Hell, aren't halls themselves stretched-out boxes?

[xzzy]

Yes of course, but if you're going to attack mapping programatically, that's how you have to start.

[Headhunter09]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zpqrei

Okay, I've actually gone away and thought about it for a few minutes, and I drew up some of my worries about it, and how I think it would be best to have it develop, instead of picking 'traits' and evolving the maps through breeding (because we know someone would breed Hoodoo with Turbine and get map which plays horribly and looks crap - and then everyone loses out).

*snip photo*

Apologies for the crappy photo, but it should be just about legible.

What you're suggesting is a "smarter" algorithm with a fairly greedy approach. This could work, but you have to consider the possibility in which two seperate areas reach an optimal layout, but the connecting areas are impossible to fix. In that case, having the two good areas is NOT the best solution.

Anyways, thanks for everyone's input. I might get around to working on something like this over the summer; I'll update this thread if I do.