Themed maps

[Leif_-]

I dug out an old utility I made for Domininons 2 that creates themed, randomized versions of .map files and verified that it still works with Dominions 3.

The utility is a small Perl program that basically reads a .map file and a file with the description of the theme and generates a new .map file with a themed versions.

Now, the theme descriptions (.ran files) are perhaps a little convoluted to write (I don't know if anyone but me ever wrote one for Dominions 2), but they are extremely flexible and you can do a lot with them, and these themes are a very good way (perhaps even the best, save for hand-writing .map files) to "meet exotic, interesting people ... and kill them."

You can population types either completely at random or depending on terrain, assign various numbers and kinds of commanders to provinces depending on terrain and population type, assign magic items to commanders, assign troops and bodyguards to commanders and pre-create labs, temples, forts and magic sites in provinces.

The example themes included with the program does things such as adding a dragon commander with magic items to each province, the type of dragon depending on the terrain and the choice of items depending on the type of dragon; create a huborg realm where 80% of the provinces on land are huborg, and sets up "little people" commanders and troops; one that fills the map with cavalry troops; one that sets up vampire hunters in the land provinces and vampire and undead in the sea provinces; one that fills the map with troll and vettir -- all suitably equipped, of course.

Useage and description of how to write theme files are explained in the readme.txt file.

If anyone decides to play around with this, I'd be interested to hear your experiences, and I'd also be interest in any theme files you create.

[Tortanick]

WOW that sounds COOL! I'll take a little look.

You know its not that unintuative. If I had any maps to design I reckon I could learn it reasonably fast

[Gandalf Parker]

I take it that these could actually be run multiple times against the same map? So if I wanted to gradually work my way thru the entire units list then I could create generic boostings, and then run some specialized ones such as 10% of swamp and 10% of forest? Do those replace or add additional groups?

Are the new terrain types supported? And the new units?
I can do a strings of the game file and pull a full units list I believe. Im guessing that numbering it starting at zero should match up properly.

Are there any updated lists you need that I can strip from the game? Castles? populations? equipment? terrain codes?

[Gandalf Parker]

I seem to be having trouble. The examples are great but I need to work from simplest upward in order to grasp things. Does it support randoms?

Can you make me an example that is under 10 lines? Such as one commander/bodyguard/units set which is placed at 10% of the forest terrains? That would give me something to build off of.

[Leif_-]

Oy. I haven't actually touched this thing for years, but I'll see what I can do.

I'll get back to your questions as soon as I remember the answers.

[Leif_-]

Right, I've attached a small example like you asked for (except I used 90% rather than 10% to make sure I could see if it was working.)

Now, to your questions.

I don't quite understand your first question. If you're thinking about running two theme files in sequence to get a "combined theme," then no, you can't do that. The program only reads topographical information from the original .map file; it ignores anything else.

No, the program is unchanged since Dominions 2, and doesn't support new terrain types. However, it always refers to units by number, not name, so it will automatically support new units. (If any of the old units have changed number in Dom3 the old .ran files might be wrong, but the actual program itself doesn't need to be changed.)

A list of all magic items and sites would be useful.

Edit: Now with attachment.

[Gandalf Parker]

Hmm I guess I could run it, rename the new .map to the old name, then run it on a new script.

Its just that I picture where the .ran files could get huge. Id rather modularize them by doing them one at a time and letting the .ran directory slowly fill up. Dont worry about it. I think I can do it with the way it works now.

Im thinking of
A)create a .ran that adds knights to farmlands
B)create a .ran that adds horsebrothers to plains (or rip off yours)
C)create a .ran that adds archers and "trained falcons" to forest (a.k.a. the birds from Call of the Wind)

Then I could switch to a "specials" directory. There I would have .ran files that did things like 5% of something should be different so that you cant automatically know.


I would keep going that way adding .ran files for what I consider logical additions to common locations or special surprise ones. It would be easier to do it this way than to try and create one huge .ran file. If I run them sequentially then it should work out all right. And it would make it easier to keep adding on. I could even come up with a foreground script that uses a list of .ran so I can choose each time how many of them I want included in the run.

Im also beginning to get interested in doing some scripting of my own. Such as one I can run after all of that for finding someplace to put a special province where the magic sites, population, guards all match a theme. Or a "dead nation" with a castle, lab, temple, a misplaced deity, bodyguards, units, magic items, etc. Im thinking of having it only check the nostart provinces for that.

(feel free to steal any of this and save me the work if you want)

[Leif_-]

I don't think renaming would work as it is now (but I'd have to check the source to be sure), as I believe the randomisation program ignores anything but the actual topographical information (i.e. terrain, #neighbour specifications and stuff like that) when reading the original map file.

It shouldn't be insurmountable to change it so it supports adding suff like you want it, though, but I won't have the time to do it for a few days. It would make sense to have lots of small .ran files that did one particular thing.

[Gandalf Parker]

Here is a sites list from Dom3. I think I found the right texts.
http://www.dom3minions.com/docs/sites.txt

[Gandalf Parker]

and one for items
http://www.dom3minions.com/docs/items.txt