The V4D engine is built around a computational graph, which is essential for maximizing efficiency and parallelization in the game. By using a graph-based approach, tasks can be split into multiple threads and executed simultaneously, leveraging modern CPU and GPU power for faster processing. This allows Silentia to handle complex tasks, like procedural generation and real-time SDF rendering, without sacrificing performance.
A large part of Silentia's universe is procedurally generated, driven by a variety of noise functions such as Perlin or Simplex noise. By using these noise-based systems, the game can create diverse environments without the need to handcraft every single detail.
While procedural generation offers a lot of flexibility, it’s important to strike a balance between randomness and playability. The goal is to generate unique content without overwhelming the player or destabilizing the game’s performance. Randomized terrain generation or object placement must be bounded by rules that ensure the environments are navigable and visually cohesive, rather than randomly chaotic. These limits ensure smooth gameplay, providing an experience that’s immersive but not jarring.
The use of Signed Distance Fields (SDFs) plays a crucial role in Silentia’s procedural generation pipeline. Unlike traditional polygonal modeling, SDFs define geometry based on distances from a point in space to the nearest surface. This allows for the creation of smooth, organic shapes, such as planetary surfaces or destroyed ships, which would be difficult or inefficient to model with traditional meshes.
While SDFs provide a great way to describe complex objects, they are not directly renderable in OpenGL. As a result, these SDFs are converted into meshes for rendering purposes. This conversion is a computationally intensive process, but it’s essential for enabling real-time dynamic generation of the environments that the player explores. The conversion process needs to be fast and efficient to avoid any noticeable frame rate drops during gameplay.
Silentia is primarily developed on a Linux system, leveraging the Intel ARC770 graphics card. OpenGL is used for rendering, and the Mesa drivers play an important role in making this process more efficient. Working with Intel’s ARC graphics and Mesa allows for easier development and debugging, as well as ensuring compatibility with modern graphics hardware.
Although development is focused on Linux, the engine and game are designed with cross-platform compatibility in mind. OpenGL is chosen as the primary graphics API because of its broad support across both desktop and embedded systems (such as mobile devices). The game’s engine is modular and flexible, so it can scale to different platforms, allowing for future support on both desktop systems and more limited hardware like mobile or embedded devices.