Planets & procedural tech

Beausejour lists several suspected causes without going deep: navmesh tile changes on planets, an entity spawner respawning, area and zone lock overhead, ship cleanup with active MFDs and flight systems, and fire and temperature physics.

Sean Tracy doesn't know of any new creature planned for this year since he isn't part of content scheduling, but creature tech is moving toward scalable skeletons, creature DNA and more simple boids.

They're excited that Genesis, Starchitect planet-population tools and a population manager for AI are being developed together for Nyx, and that motion platform and peripheral support is being looked at.

Genesis decides vegetation from soil, temperature, humidity and other rules, with artist-made source data and per-planet species, while rock placement combines artist-generated maps from erosion and weathering simulations; exotic worlds and ecumenopolis questions go unanswered.

Lakes already exist, while ponds, waterfalls, ravines and cliffs are things they want to do and are better positioned for, but none are scheduled or roadmapped, though cliffs will get a look in Genesis planning.

Genesis doesn't limit alien-looking worlds; it's a content question, and having reached a good Earth-like baseline they plan to try more alien biomes again, aiming to keep them believable, with it possibly on the roadmap.

No quantified speed or quality figures can be given yet because a whole planet can't be made and supporting systems aren't done, though quality is already better in some areas and they won't mass-produce planets.

Control surfaces and thrusters are blended by atmospheric density, so thrusters handle turning in thin air, control surfaces take over as it thickens, and dense atmospheres give controls more authority.

The new tire model could simulate surfaces like ice or tarmac, but a system for planet textures to tell it the surface type must still be built, needing cross-team work.

Yes, in Free Flight you can land on the new atmospheric map's planet and explore, though the map is built for flight modes and they hope to add more reasons to go down on foot.

The team says they pick what they want to work on, naming building interiors, underground facilities and surface compounds, and more collaboration with the Manchester team, while some mandates can't yet be discussed.

Annie says yes: the locations are modular, and next year's work including underground facilities, building interiors and derelicts will use modular pieces placed somewhat procedurally by rules so everything fits.

It's a brand new racetrack near the garden on Daymar, built in natural canyons and reminiscent of Snake Pit but with added verticality, underpasses, better landmarks and more detail.

Lore may be changed or adjusted as the game develops, but not lightly, with the aim of keeping the original spirit and maintaining a cohesive universe, as with Pyro's shift to more visitable places.

Background tech changes shifted biome distribution and some elements are missing, and the art team is working to restore them.

The artists are still on the hospitals, with the space clinics approaching final, and those modules are also being used to test a revamped procedural tool, which they expect to fix existing issues.

The procedural tools aim to generate many environments, like space stations, quickly while giving artists more control, by integrating Houdini into the editor and also automating small tasks like filling bookshelves.

Reliable shooting range is about 1.5 kilometers, sometimes up to two depending on what's loaded in, and the scope can zero to a maximum of two kilometers.

Right now every Lagrange point has gas clouds, each made distinct by things like temperature and density, though this might change in the future as they test and adjust the system.

The plan is to expand the existing navmesh into dynamic, virtual patches that exist only where AI is wanted on planets, connected through navigation links, which is expected to help with creatures too.

Planet Tech V4 removes much paperwork and is more artist-focused, taking simple planets from weeks to days, though the speakers can't estimate how long entirely new planet or biome types will take.

Because biomes are no longer tied to specific height maps, features like a single oasis in a large desert are possible, and the team hopes to craft more points of interest like caves.

Water beyond the existing ocean and frozen ocean, such as lakes, rivers and waterfalls, is complex and has no answers yet, but the team says it isn't ruled out and needs dedicated time.

Planetary clouds are handled by a separate Frankfurt team, and the speaker says they need more realistic lighting and a cloud deck curving with the planet, so the gas cloud tech may not be used directly, though the two might work together.

The VFX team does the particle effects on planets, such as dust and pollen, and is excited about eventually tackling weather effects like rain, lightning and odd space weather, though nothing is promised.

Gas cloud tech doesn't directly produce weather effects, but the VFX systems can take weather parameters as input to drive visuals, and the same tools such as lightning in clouds could be reused elsewhere, like dust storms.

Day-one land claiming shouldn't be an issue, because there is enormous land across many planets and moons, more coming with new systems, and players value plots for different reasons.

Beyond better ships and playing with others, the main incentive is new experiences, with modular tools letting them generate lots of content and add personal touches, planned for the long term.

Pascal Muller describes starting about a year earlier, supporting UK colleagues on space station work, with his first asset being the ship selection console that quickly made it into the game.

Working with the engine team was tricky at first because art and code think differently, but Muller now bridges them by supplying height maps, textures and art feedback while Marco provides the code.

Sean Tracy says procedural planet tech has been in development for a while by veteran Crytek programmers, building on their earlier terrain and procedural work, and only became usable in about the last week.

They want oceans, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, trees and animals on planets, focused on exploration and procedural missions with players creating the story rather than a No Man's Sky-style living world.

Alpha 2.0 will have landings on space stations rather than planets, with planetary landings expected next year, similar to CitizenCon 2014 but probably better, and not yet shown.

Explorers will find new systems and planets, and a colony gets started through an in-game event of missions for terraforming gear, building the colony, and ferrying colonists, with colony types varying by planet.