CATSAT: A practical, embedded, SAT language for runtime PCG

Abstract

Answer-set programming (ASP), a family of SAT-based logic programming systems, is attractive for procedural content generation. Unfortunately, current solvers present significant barriers to runtime use in games. In this paper, I discuss some of the issues involved, and present CatSAT, a solver designed to better fit the run-time resource constraints of modern games. Although intended only for small problems, it allows designers to compactly specify simple PCG problems such as NPC generation, solve them in a few tens of microseconds, and to adapt solutions dynamically based on the changing needs of gameplay. We hope that by making adoption as convenient as possible, we can increase the uptake of declarative techniques among developers.