Glossary Entry: Seed
Quick Definition
Computers aren't able to create truly random numbers. To compensate, they use random number generators, which are just complex mathematical functions that output what looks like random results.
However, since these functions will always produce the same series of numbers, they use what's known as a "seed". This is the value used to start the "random" sequence, so the results of the function will always be unique as long as the seeds are unique.
A common way to ensure that the seeds are always unique is to use the current time as the next seed. On the other hand, many games that randomly generate their worlds allow the player to specify a seed value. This allows the player to create the same world as often as they like, just by entering in the same seed value.
However, since these functions will always produce the same series of numbers, they use what's known as a "seed". This is the value used to start the "random" sequence, so the results of the function will always be unique as long as the seeds are unique.
A common way to ensure that the seeds are always unique is to use the current time as the next seed. On the other hand, many games that randomly generate their worlds allow the player to specify a seed value. This allows the player to create the same world as often as they like, just by entering in the same seed value.
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