The presentation by CCP Relativistic explores how Eve Frontier’s universe is scientifically modeled using astrophysics principles, creating a realistic and immersive galaxy with detailed celestial structures and black hole simulations. He highlights the use of advanced algorithms and physics-based methods to generate dynamic galaxy models that influence gameplay, ensuring the universe is both visually stunning and logically consistent.
The presentation features CCP Relativistic, a senior software engineer with a PhD in computational astrophysics, discussing the science and technical processes behind creating the universe in the game Eve Frontier. He emphasizes the importance of grounding the game’s universe in scientific principles, particularly astrophysics, to produce a realistic and immersive experience. The process involves designing a detailed 3D universe with solar systems, stars, planets, and other celestial objects, all mapped within a hierarchical structure of constellations and regions, similar to real-world cosmic arrangements.
Relativistic explains the motivation for using scientific methods rather than simple random placement for generating the game universe. He highlights how Eve Online’s map was initially modeled using diffusion limited aggregation, a physics-based simulation, setting a precedent for Eve Frontier. The goal is to create a universe that not only looks realistic but also follows the laws of physics, which can help in generating emergent gameplay systems and a more believable world. This scientific grounding is described as moving from being “grounded in science” to “inspired by science,” depending on the level of strict adherence.
A significant portion of the talk details the complex process of generating a galaxy with multiple supermassive black holes, inspired by recent astronomical observations of merging galaxies. Using his PhD work, Relativistic developed simulations of light around black holes and applied these to create a visually striking galaxy with three black holes at its center. This process involved simulating galaxy mergers, creating smaller galaxy models with dark matter halos, bulges, and disks, and then merging them to form a realistic, dynamic galaxy structure. These simulations inform both the visual art and the procedural generation of the universe.
The technical challenge of simulating billions of stars and celestial bodies is addressed through algorithms like Barnes-Hut for efficient gravity calculations, and leapfrog integration for stable, energy-conserving physics simulations. Relativistic describes how these methods allow for creating detailed and dynamic galaxy models within computational constraints, resulting in realistic patterns and structures. The simulation process is computationally intensive but feasible, and the resulting galaxy models serve as the basis for the game’s universe, which players can explore and interact with.
Finally, the talk covers how the generated universe’s attributes can influence gameplay, such as resource distribution based on star and planetary properties. For example, stars with high metallicity are more likely to have resource-rich asteroid belts, and the locations of resources can be predicted based on astrophysical principles like gravitational points (Lagrange points). This approach ensures that the universe is not only visually and scientifically consistent but also provides meaningful gameplay mechanics, making the universe feel natural and logically structured. Relativistic concludes by inviting attendees to visit the upcoming Eve Frontier keynote for further insights and questions.