Utility: RanDom v2.03 - Map gen & Semirandomizer... Updated

[Ballbarian]

Attached to this post are 66 (number 7 was missing from my pack) new GAN province files in zip format created and contributed by Foodstamp.

JasonGanSet.zip

To apply:
Paste the 66 ".gan" files into your SemiRandom/GAN_BIN directory and add the following lines to GanList.txt (located in your SemiRandom/LIST_CRATE directory):

JASON1_U_R_OR_FST_S_N_L_
JASON2_U_A_OR_PLN_EMT_MNT_WST_SWP_FST_FRM_S_
JASON3_U_R_WST_L_
JASON4_U_A_OR_PLN_MNT_FST_FRM_S_N_L_
JASON5_U_A_OR_SEA_DEP_S_N_L_
JASON6_U_A_OR_PLN_FRM_S_N_L_
JASON8_U_A_OR_PLN_MNT_WST_SWP_FST_FRM_S_N_L_
JASON9_U_A_OR_PLN_SEA_DEP_EMT_MNT_WST_SWP_FST_FRM_ S_N_L_
JASON10_U_A_OR_MNT_S_N_L_
JASON11_M_A_OR_PLN_EMT_MNT_WST_SWP_FST_FRM_S_N_L_
JASON12_U_A_OR_PLN_FST_S_N_L_
JASON13_U_A_OR_SEA_DEP_S_N_L_
JASON14_U_A_OR_FST_S_N_L_
JASON15_U_A_OR_MNT_SWP_FST_S_N_L_
JASON16_LK_U_R_OR_SEA_DEP_S_N_L_
JASON17_U_A_OR_FST_S_N_L_
JASON18_U_A_OR_FST_S_N_L_
JASON19_U_R_OR_SWP_S_N_L_
JASON20_M_A_DS_
JASON21_IS_U_R_
JASON22_U_A_OR_FST_S_N_L_
JASON23_CLD_U_A_N_
JASON24_CLD_U_A_N_
JASON25_CLD_U_R_WST_N_
JASON26_U_A_OR_PLN_MNT_FST_FRM_S_N_L_
JASON27_U_A_OR_PLN_FRM_S_N_L_
JASON28_U_A_OR_FST_S_N_L_
JASON29_U_A_OR_EMT_MNT_FST_S_N_L_
JASON30_CLD_U_A_OR_S_N_L_
JASON31_U_A_OR_FST_S_N_L_
JASON32_U_A_OR_PLN_FST_FRM_S_N_L_
JASON33_U_A_OR_EMT_MNT_S_N_L_
JASON34_U_A_OR_SEA_DEP_WST_S_N_L_
JASON35_U_A_OR_SEA_DEP_S_N_L_
JASON36_TMP_U_A_OR_FST_FRM_S_N_L_
JASON37_TMP_U_A_OR_FST_S_N_L_
JASON38_HOT_U_R_OR_EMT_MNT_S_N_L_DS_
JASON39_U_A_OR_PLN_L_
JASON40_TMP_U_A_OR_PLN_FST_FRM_S_N_L_
JASON41_TMP_U_A_OR_PLN_SWP_FST_FRM_S_N_L_
JASON42_TMP_U_R_OR_PLN_N_L_
JASON43_CLD_U_A_MNT_S_
JASON44_TMP_U_A_FST_N_
JASON45_TMP_U_A_SWP_N_
JASON46_U_A_S_
JASON47_CO_U_A_OR_S_N_L_
JASON48_HOT_VC_U_A_OR_S_N_L_
JASON49_VL_U_A_OR_S_N_L_
JASON50_U_A_OR_SEA_WTR_S_N_L_
JASON51_CLD_U_A_CAV_N_
JASON52_TMP_U_A_FST_N_
JASON53_U_A_WTR_S_
JASON54_M_A_OR_EMT_S_N_L_
JASON55_U_A_WST_WTR_S_
JASON56_U_A_OR_EMT_FST_WTR_S_N_L_
JASON57_M_A_OR_SEA_DEP_S_N_L_
JASON58_M_A_OR_DEP_S_N_L_
JASON59_M_A_OR_CAV_S_N_L_
JASON60_M_A_OR_EMT_S_N_L_FS_
JASON61_VC_U_A_OR_S_N_L_
JASON62_CO_U_A_L_ES_
JASON63_U_A_EMT_FST_L_WS_NS_
JASON64_PN_M_A_OR_S_N_L_
JASON65_U_A_EMT_FST_S_
JASON66_U_A_OR_S_N_L_DS_
JASON67_U_A_OR_S_N_L_BS_


These are new and were not included in RanDom version 203.

Foodstamp has done a great job with this set. It has a nice mix of beefy, hard to tackle provinces and nice thematic additions to the standard fare. Very cool.

[Ballbarian]

Attached to this post is an updated Nations.cfg file which brings nation selections up to dominions version 3.17.

NationsCfg317.zip

To apply:
Paste the Nations.cfg file into your dominions3\SemiRandom folder.

This replaces the Nations.cfg that was included in RanDom v203.

[Ming]

Hi, this is my first visit to this thread. Could someone tell me what GAN province files are? Do I need it for using RanDom? Any instructions for using RanDom would also be appreciated although I can probably figure out how to use it on my own eventually.

[Panpiper]

I've gone through two previous generations of much enjoying Dominions. The first was a couple years back with Dominions2, then again last year with Dominions3, both times spending months playing nothing but. Now I am again with a game computer and am back at it. The previous couple of times I used SemiRandom extensively to generate more interesting content for the maps I was playing on (single player). Faerun was my favorate, SemiRandom having created a very interesting and extensive set of improved provinces, SemiRandom having added 122 'gan' files to it. This was with version 0.95. I've attached it here just in case anyone wants it.

Now however I just tried it with Thrall's really amazing map, Latus. SemiRandom version 1.06 adds all of four gan files! I tried with with the old unmodified Faerun map just to see what would happen and with that old file it now adds also only 4 gan files. Setting fiddlePercent from 100 to 100000 doesn't change anything. Dropping it to just one will result in three gan files.

Obviously I am a clueless sort. Could you give me one?

[Ballbarian]

Could someone tell me what GAN province files are? Do I need it for using RanDom?

GAN province files are simple text files with the extension changed in honor of good 'ol Gandalf Parker. SemiRandom (a separate program written in yabasic that RanDom uses), was inspired by many of his ideas and random thoughts.

The GAN files contain map code for custom provinces and the file name itself acts as a filter that SemiRandom uses to determine where to place the province in the modified map file. SemiRandom and the GAN files only come into play if you use the 'Semi Randomize' button in RanDom. SemiRandom and the base GAN files are included in the RanDom zip. Additional files and patches can be found in the first post.

Any instructions for using RanDom would also be appreciated although I can probably figure out how to use it on my own eventually.

From the ReadMe document:

[Execute] to run the Dominions3 random map generator with the settings that you have specified.

[Semi Randomize] to run the SemiRandomizer. The modified map file will have '_SR' appended to the file name and can be found in your dominions3\SemiRandom directory. Just copy/paste this '.map' file into your dominions3\maps directory to make it available for play. (In the future I hope to fix this so that it will be moved automatically.)

[Save Settings] to save your favorite map settings for future use, or to share with others.

[Load Settings] to load map settings from previous sessions, or those of other users.

As you may have noticed, the documentation is not very extensive. Unless someone beats me to it, I will try to post a little more in depth instructions when I get home from work tonight. It is pretty straight forward once you get the hang of it. Be prepared for a little trial and error to get the map that you want. I recommend defining some very small map sizes with mid level province counts in the beginning so that map generation times are low until you get the colors and settings like you want them.

[Ballbarian]

Thanks Endo!

This will be a hurried post because I need to be leaving!

@Panpiper:
I suspect that Latus may have many #nostart's set in the map (may be included in the terrain mask) or something that for some reason SemiRandom is thinking that it can't mess with. I don't have time to look right now, but I will check it tonight.

Thank you very much for sharing your province files!

[Panpiper]

Ballbarian said:
@Panpiper:
I suspect that Latus may have many #nostart's set in the map (may be included in the terrain mask) or something that for some reason SemiRandom is thinking that it can't mess with. I don't have time to look right now, but I will check it tonight.

Thank you very much for sharing your province files!

Technically they were 'your' province files Ballbarian, and those who contributed. I just used your program to put them into the Faerun map. They probably would have been better placed by doing it by hand, but I am too lazy for such an andevour and not enough of a Faerun scholar.

By the way, I used the same original Faerun file both the first time and this subsequent time to do a test run. The first time through got the attached map with 122 improved provinces. The second time through it got only four, essentially the same problem as the Latus map. So I doubt the problem is encoded nostarts. On the other hand, it may be two problems, nostarts on the the Latus map and some other issue working with the Faerun map.

[Endoperez]

Ming said:
Hi, this is my first visit to this thread. Could someone tell me what GAN province files are? Do I need it for using RanDom? Any instructions for using RanDom would also be appreciated although I can probably figure out how to use it on my own eventually.

They are like the special provinces you sometimes meet in maps. Cyclops, hammer and a special site, or a sorceress and a robe, or couple of Wind Mages. Because they're player-made, and have to be mod-free, they won't use unique units or items or sites.

I did some. Others were quite powerful, and others were simpler. I think I did something Camelot-like, and probably a Robin Hood province with a Longbowman and a Monk and perhaps some Rangers and Woodsmen and other fun stuff.

[Ming]

Endoperez,

Thanks for the explanation. A follow-up question: if I just want to give the AI better Pretender/scale settings I don't have to worry about GAN files, right?

I'll start to play around with RanDom and see if I can get it to work. Thanks for drawing this excellent program to my attention (and thanks to Ballbarian for writing it and Gandalf for the idea).

[Ballbarian]

Right. Custom Pretenders and scale settings are stored in 'god' files. These can be created by hand with a text editor or via the "God Editor" (link in my sig).