new map generator

[Endoperez]

If I understood it correctly, his randomized maps are actually height-maps, and he's currently working on how the different heights interact with each other: how low-lands near seas become swamps, how high land must go to be a mountain, etc. Eventually, mountains will get pictures of small mountains (over different-colored ground, I think), while forests will get little trees, and wastelands dead plants.

[Agrajag]

"Right now, I am working on the algorithms to grow forests, wastes, swamps and farmlands, which are all sensitive to where there is water and elevation. "
According to this, he is working on those algorithms, which means that currently they aren't there, which means those are pretty much just pretty pictures right now, which is what I'm commenting about.
As soon as those algorithms get implemented then my statement is automatically changed to say that only the picture can be easily randomized with photoshop. Once you add in graphical representation, then photoshop can no longer recreate those maps randomly. (Though you could still randomize a map and manually cover it with mountains, forests, swamps etc. without too much trouble.)
Besides, I'm just trying to encourage him to do more work faster (by making him try and prove me wrong)

[paradoxharbinger]

Endoperez has the right of it, I'm tryinhg to make a 'smarter' map generation algorithm. unfortunately right now i'm working and going to school which doesnt leave a hell of a lot of time for the mapgen. but i'm trying to squeeze in as much work when i can. the mapgen is meant to be a program where you can click one button and have a map generated completely, with no additional work, drop it into the map directory, and play it.

[paradoxharbinger]

quick and dirty little update:

the algorithms for making wastes/forests/farmlands/swamps are about 80% done as of now, and thanks to a dirty little cheat i learned in class runs blindingly fast. might even be finished by tonight, but that's a long shot, got a lot of homework to do. my work load is due to decrease next week thanks to the end of summer classes, so expect more frequent updates soon, and maybe even an overhaul of the website for those of you who find it rough on the eyes.

gonna throw it out there one more time in case you forgot, i'm open to suggestions for features in the mapgen.

[paradoxharbinger]

i'm looking for a little input as to how people would like to see the balance between forests/swamps/etc. right now i'm thinking of a system of sliders, one for each type of terrain, that would operrate a bit like allocating resources in master of orion 1 was, and dictates approximately how much of the map is taken up by each type of terrain. this doesn't really have any effect on the algorithms, just how the user adjusts these levels.

btw, schools out, so i've finally got some time to get some mapgen related work done, look for new screens soon.

[Folket]

I guess your map generator do generate all paths that you may move along, to my knowledge that should not be easy to generate in Paintshop.

[paradoxharbinger]

yes, all provinces will have their neighbours generated. it will make all of the files necessary for a map to be playable without being edited.