Traffic (Concept)

Traffic

CONCEPT

Traffic consists a bunch of cars, pedestrians and other vehicles using a common transport route.

Overview

An all too common occurrence in urban centres, traffic involves the use of a roadway by multiple vehicles, pedestrians, bikes and other conveyances. The term is commonly used in reference to densely packed roads resulting in gridlock. However, it can refer to anything that uses the road for transit.

Traffic in Video Games

Traffic is commonly seen in games where use of a car is necessary. One such example is a street racing game. In these games, they are often employed as an impediment to the player. This is because crashing into traffic results in time being lost. Open-world games set in modern time periods also use traffic. They are usually used to add to the ambiance, but can be interacted with in some occasions. A notable example the Grand Theft Auto (Franchise) series, a player can run into traffic and steal a car. The Burnout (Franchise) series is notable for using traffic as a weapon against opponents. Traffic can be programmed in different ways. A simple traffic model has vehicles following a predetermined path without interruption. This simple AI will usually ignore the presence of players and run into them even if the player is stationary. A more complex system can have individual vehicles randomly going to different destinations. Well programmed traffic will interact with the player and the surrounding environment, slowing to a stop if a player is in stationary in front or moving around obstacles.

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