Summary

In this chapter, we learned that procedural generation is the creation of content by using algorithms. This concept can be applied to all digital media and is used in games to create dynamic systems and environments. Procedural generation brings larger games, variety, and dynamism; all at the cost of lesser control, and potentially lesser performance as it is taxing on hardware. Some examples of the most popular uses of procedural generation in modern gaming include terrain generation, texture creation, and procedural animation.

In the next chapter, we will take a look at the project that has been supplied with the book. As we learn to create procedural systems, we will be implementing them in a real game project, with the ultimate goal of creating a roguelike game, a genre that heavily utilizes procedural generation. We will review the game template, the SFML modules that we will be using, and get the project setup. Then, we will compile it on your system.

If you are familiar with C++ game development and have used SFML before, you may already be familiar with the concepts presented in the next chapter. If that's the case, feel free to skim through the chapter to get right into the programming in Chapter 3, Using RNG with C++ Data Types.