Since we're on the topic, I'd like to point out this project: <a href="http://www.quelsolaar.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.quelsolaar.com/</a><p>The team behind that website are making an MMO game featuring procedurally generated environments and rendering techniques. They're developing all their tech in-house, with a rather small team, and releasing some of their tools for others to use. They've got a fascinating 3d modelling program, for instance, that you can download and fool around with.<p>I'm co-founder of a startup game studio focussing on games with extensive procedural generation (note: not at all related to the above — mad respect for those guys, though). If you've got questions, I'm an open book. It's an exciting new trend in this industry, and we're going to be all over it.
See also: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhyyUiYQolA" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhyyUiYQolA</a><p>There are also literally hundreds of articles about the algorithms used to randomly generate the worlds in roguelike games, many of which are quite interesting.