How are Games Like Skyrim So Massive?

Computer power has been increasing rapidly since the 1960s, thanks to Moore’s Law. This exponential growth in technology has transformed the gaming industry, allowing developers to create vast, believable virtual worlds like the one in Skyrim. Let's explore the technical aspects and planning strategies behind such expansive game worlds.

The Shift from Physical to Digital

My first gaming experience with Doom 2 in the early 1990s was quite different from what we experience today. Doom 2 came on 5 floppy disks, a format that has long since been obsolete. If we were to measure Skyrim by the same standard, the game would require approximately 46,500 floppy disks! At current market rates, where each floppy disk can be bought for ￡1.50 on Amazon, that would make Skyrim cost an astonishing ￡70,000!

This comparison highlights just how far the gaming industry has advanced in terms of storage and data management. Today, the capacity of a single hard drive can store much more than the combined volume of 46,500 floppy disks, thereby enabling developers to create expansive game worlds such as those in Skyrim.

Planning and Utilizing Game Engines

Creating a massive open world like the one in Skyrim requires proper planning and efficient use of game engines. The game engine acts as a digital backbone, providing a framework for level designers to work within. The process involves:

1. Conceptual Planning

The first step is to conceptualize the world in detail. Game designers collaborate to create maps, define key features, and establish locations where players can interact. These plans are often complex and can include procedural generation techniques to ensure the world remains diverse and interesting.

2. Utilizing Game Engines

Modern game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine provide powerful tools for designers to visualize and manipulate the world. These engines offer features for efficient memory management, lighting, and physics, which are crucial for creating a realistic and immersive environment.

3. Collaboration Between Teams

Creating a massive world involves a collaborative effort. Several level designers work together to ensure consistency and maintain the quality of the game. Each designer specializes in specific areas, such as terrain creation, building structures, or populating the world with NPCs (non-playable characters).

4. Procedural Generation

To handle the vastness of a world as big as Skyrim, developers use procedural generation techniques. These methods allow the game to automatically generate content, such as landscapes, architecture, and even NPC storylines, ensuring that there is always something new for the player to discover. This approach helps in managing the complexity of the world while providing an infinite amount of content.