Watching an interview with Sean Murray about " how it all works ". Gives some information that could help people in understanding how this all works and how detailed Murray and his team have been when it comes to building the planets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVl1Hmth3HE
Major Points :
1.) It is not Random. Every planet is built off a series of algorithms based on the surrounding solar system. For example, if a planet is the right distance from the Sun then that planet has the potential for having Water. And with that algorithm being true then that planet may then have lakes, may then have streams or ponds or entire Oceans. Then, with those algorithms being true, the atmosphere will then have moisture and various combinations of gasses. And those combinations will determine the different color of the planet due to the moisture in the atmosphere interacting with the wavelengths to create the look of that planet.
2.) They built the game as procedural through complex mathematical algorithms as to make each planet look as if it were " correct ", and not random since Random can potentially end up in insane combinations like a black sky with a green carpet of soil.
3.) The math controls things down to a rock being beside a particular tree on a particular hilltop.
4.) if the player is not around, there is nothing. Only once the player gets in range does the math begin to break down whatever it is should be appearing for that player. So in essence, the game is building the world around the player based on if the player is able to see whatever it is being mathematically generated. But because it is math generating the layouts, if you leave the planet and then return, you will see it all exactly as you left it. In math, the answer is always the same, so because of that, when you return to a planet a year later, the result that is laid out for you will again be exactly the same without deviation. The direct result of this is also that the planets can be insanely large. Everything doesn't have to be stored on a disc or in the " cloud ", it is just generated on the fly for the player as he causes the breakdowns in the math. This is how an " earth sized " planet could be built and still not have to have anything streaming off a disc.
5.) things like oceans and the atmosphere are created off chemicals. You can see in a portion where the player is underwater exploring the ocean. He is told the water is made up of 99% Hydrogen Dioxide, 0.7% sodium chloride, 0.2% trace substances. So within there is an abundance of life in the ocean as it is well suited for a wide range of creatures. So the atmosphere can be given various chemicals that can then control what is able to grow or live on the planet, and the same with the oceans.
Various layers of math like that build each planet. So for those thinking, " oh this is just a random generated palette where the computer just picks a a texture and changes the color and then throws it all out there and whatever happens happens " , that isn't how it works at all. It is all very detailed with many many many layers of math generating what you will see in the universe. Outside of what they go in and want to build by hand anyway.
There is a whole series on the game you'll find that go into the deeper details of the gameplay and such like that also. But, the main question most people seem to have, or concern most people seem to have, about No Mans Sky, is how the planets are built to begin with. Some have this notion that since it is procedural, it is all just random chance. Not the case.
