Space Engine planet terrain

[leontocephaline]

I've looking at this amazing free programme. Elite may have the Galaxy, but this puppy has the entire Universe. It has procedurally generated planet terrain that looks truly stunning.
If ED could marry this kind of thing it would be truly great. The only problems start with inhabited planets, cities and life. Once you start this process, where do you stop? But we are seeing the first effort from both games to represent things on the biggest scale. Very exciting things are happening, and I forsee some some astonishing developments in the future. So what will ED planetary landings actually be like?

 

[Defacto]

I think their plan is to begin with things like airless bodies and planetoids, and only move to creating large cities and life when they are ready.
Space engine is an excellent example of procedural planet generation done right, but I hope that FD will be capable of a little more detail when at surface level.

 

[Egan]

I've never seen Space Engine look that nice!

 

[Sargon]

Three words come to mind regarding procedural generation:

No Man's Sky

 

[Harland White]

Yeah Space Engine is nice, best so far of its kind. But I do also hope Frontier can make the planetary surfaces a little more varied and natural-looking. Procedural generation has a habit of using "patterns" when making surfaces, and sometimes it comes out looking not so natural.

 

[DarthLuca]

Space engine is looking great and I hope that version 1.0 next year will be even better. But we can also hope that E at least matches but hopefully surpasses the quality of planets and moons in Space Engine.
.
You have hit the nail on the head when you mention 'inhabited' planets and this is the main reason that it was not in E 1.0.0.0. David B. has clearly stated that he wants it done 'Right' which is why it will an expansion (hopefully the first one!).
There is already so much detail on planets and moons already and this seems to almost improve with every new update. You cannot tell me that the devs are not already visiting the surface of planets to see what the Procedural Gen is actually looking like at ground level.
The one big hope I have for E is that clouds will be done properly and be the best clouds yet of any game. This is probably the one area where Space Engine falls down and is possibly the hardest thing to get 'Right' in programming/graphic terms.

 

[Defacto]

Three words come to mind regarding procedural generation:

No Man's Sky

Four words come to mind regarding No Man's Sky

Too cartoony for me

But it is very pretty... still, I think Space Engine currently produces the best procedural planetscapes, despite the lack of flora and fauna.

 

[nexxo]

I think their plan is to begin with things like airless bodies and planetoids, and only move to creating large cities and life when they are ready.
Space engine is an excellent example of procedural planet generation done right, but I hope that FD will be capable of a little more detail when at surface level.

There are several YouTube videos illustrating procedural generation of not just landscapes and sky (which is relatively easy), but also of cities. There are algorithms that describe how urban environments naturally develop in a given landscape. It would be possible to generate cities with as modulating variables the geography and climate, type of industry, population and culture (Empire, Federation or Alliance) etc. Add an algorithm for moving traffic (people and vehicles) and presto.

The problem remains of course that all this is eye candy, and will still need some meaningful content to interact with. Again this can be partially procedural (much like the current stations and many of the missions) but still needs a human touch to make interesting and varied.

 

[Sargon]

Four words come to mind regarding No Man's Sky

Too cartoony for me

But it is very pretty... still, I think Space Engine currently produces the best procedural planetscapes, despite the lack of flora and fauna.

I agree, the rendering is cartoony in NMS. But that was a design choice and not a default result.
What I'm getting at is the level of complexity that formulas can achieve. Without the results looking random or chaotic.
How the results are rendered is up to the developer. One can have the complexity and also the realistic lighting and shading if the choice is made.

 

[Jason S]

I've looking at this amazing free programme. Elite may have the Galaxy, but this puppy has the entire Universe. It has procedurally generated planet terrain that looks truly stunning.
If ED could marry this kind of thing it would be truly great. The only problems start with inhabited planets, cities and life. Once you start this process, where do you stop? But we are seeing the first effort from both games to represent things on the biggest scale. Very exciting things are happening, and I forsee some some astonishing developments in the future. So what will ED planetary landings actually be like?



View attachment 5597

ED has ambitions more than this with wildlife etc, not just terrain.
No mans sky with its classic art style also trumps this, at least in my view.

But space engine was done by one man so credit for that.

 

[leontocephaline]

I think more than eye candy: it will make exploration way more interesting. You will see unique planets as you head out. Experiencing the Galaxy is a big part of the game for me and this would enhance it immesurably. But also would be more demanding upon hardware.