Idea: Underground provinces

[Nerfix]

st.patrik said:
not to pour cold water on your idea, but an 'underground' terrain type really doesn't make sense, considering that the map is a bird's eye view of the land. Looking down from above you wouldn't see 'underground', you'd see whatever is over top of the underground (i.e. fields, mountains, forests, etc.)

I know, but there are maps that have had "Underworld" layer or rather part of the map made to represent underground areas. Such as Hollow world and the map that had Surface World, Underground and Stygian Abyss.

Thumbnail of the Hollow World map for Dominions.



Do you get what I mean now?

[Gandalf Parker]

The visual image of the map is not what decides neighbors, but the actual #neighbor commands in the map file. So you can have multiple layers, and special connections (caves, teleports, chutes and ladders) between the layers.

Ive seen some creative maps doing things like this. Check out the Dom2 Maps page at Illwinter.com and look for the maps done by Andrew J. Osborn. He did some great examples of what can be done with this idea.

Gandalf Parker

[Nerfix]

Yes, I know it works like that but the underground provinces will have to use some of the surface world terrain, and that can be very silly. What I am suggesting is an Underground terrain type that could be used in such situations. Yes, the game is top down, yes it's the neighbour connections that matter etc.

[SafeKeeper]

The visual image of the map is not what decides neighbors, but the actual #neighbor commands in the map file. So you can have multiple layers, and special connections (caves, teleports, chutes and ladders) between the layers.

Yup. You can have a world map that lets you go straight from Norway to Taiwan, to put it that way.

[st.patrik]

yeah i think it's fine to have multiple layers - I've played on the map you show before, and it's a fine idea. But having 'underground' as a terrain type without it being on a separate layer of all underground provinces wouldn't make much sense.

[Nerfix]

st.patrik said:
yeah i think it's fine to have multiple layers - I've played on the map you show before, and it's a fine idea. But having 'underground' as a terrain type without it being on a separate layer of all underground provinces wouldn't make much sense.

Why not? Does it make more sense that provinces supposed represent subterranean ares are Waste or Swamp or Plains or such?

[Cainehill]

Well, Waste would probably be rather appropriate for underground provinces - but I'd think you'd rather have an underground _flag_, so you could have underground wastes, underground farmland, etc. Something that modifies the base type, rather as the game already handles coastal provinces.

[Nerfix]

Cainehill said:

Well, Waste would probably be rather appropriate for underground provinces - but I'd think you'd rather have an underground _flag_, so you could have underground wastes, underground farmland, etc. Something that modifies the base type, rather as the game already handles coastal provinces.

Mmmm, I suppose that could work.

[Endoperez]

It doesn't exist, but I like the idea myself. It can't be easily integrated into random maps, though, but it could work in player-made maps with some creative drawing.