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[evictedSaint]

Let's say I want generate a world where ravines are more common (that is, rivers with shear walls on either side).

What settings would I have to manipulate for that to happen?

[vjek]

In general, what has worked for me:

A larger world, as large as you can stand (ideally 257x257)
100% rain, everywhere.
100% drainage, everywhere.
Gradual elevation drops, so.. isolated groups of mountains with flatlands in between.
Warm temperatures throughout.
Max Erosion, but do not periodically erode extremes.

[evictedSaint]

Nope, I still get rivers with completely flat banks. 

[vjek]

check out this post and a few adjacent to it.

[evictedSaint]

I still can't seem to produce any rivers in canyons. >:\

I can produce a bunch that look like \_,,,_/   
But none that look like  |,,,|

I'm using one of the Masterwork pre-set maps, but I don't think that would affect how the rivers form...

[Larix]

Ravines usually appear when rivers change height, you'll often find them where two rivers meet (such a setup will also include a waterfall, of course). Check the relief map to see if there's a difference in height/steep cliffs.

[evictedSaint]

Ravines usually appear when rivers change height, you'll often find them where two rivers meet (such a setup will also include a waterfall, of course). Check the relief map to see if there's a difference in height/steep cliffs.

The cliffs are there, but it's not forming a canyon.  The rivers in a flat plains just roll off a cliff and land in another river in a flat plain.

[evictedSaint]

For some reason, waterfalls tend to form right at the very edge of the map in the embark screen.  It makes it really frustrating to overlap and get that 15-tile ravine...

[vjek]

It can be done... (from the thread/posts I linked above)

Spoiler: stonesense images of embarks with sheer cliffs (click to show/hide)

[evictedSaint]

I know it can be done! I've inadvertently embarked upon ravines hundreds of times, but now when I actually WANT to, I can't seem to find any, or even gen a world that has any!

[fortydayweekend]

Mine have always been at the intersection of rivers, where the intersecting river runs parallel to the main river, and with big variation on the elevation map. E.g. the middle 9 tiles of something like:

LLLLL
LRRRR
LRLLL
RRRRR
LLLLL

99999
90000
90999
00000
11111

[HavingPhun]

I'm using one of the Masterwork pre-set maps, but I don't think that would affect how the rivers form...

Try using a brand new custom map, and then apply the settings others have noted. Perhaps you are missing a bit or piece.

[evictedSaint]

Mine have always been at the intersection of rivers, where the intersecting river runs parallel to the main river, and with big variation on the elevation map. E.g. the middle 9 tiles of something like:

LLLLL
LRRRR
LRLLL
RRRRR
LLLLL

99999
90000
90999
00000
11111

Ah, but I don't want an intersection.  I want a single river with shear walls on either side.  The closest I can get is maybe a 20-30 tile stretch that encompasses a waterfall before the terrain levels out and the ravine disappears.  It's super frustrating!

I'll try genning a new world here in a bit.

[gchristopher]

Seriously, this is the time to haul out dfhack and just MAKE the elevations do what you want.

You can get steep, but not vertical, cliffs with large elevation differences in adjacent embark tiles.

The upper left x,y is 0,0. Type "lua" in dfhack to get started.

Elevation 100 is just above sea level. You can

Code: [Select]

print(df.global.world.world_data.region_details[0].elevation[x][y])
to figure out what the local elevation starts as. You can assign value to those elevations to make the contours come out however you like.

The elevation of the edges of your embark are affected by the tiles surrounding your selected embark. Be sure to set those too.

The sheer, straight-down cliff only happens with rivers. (And maybe lakes?) Rivers are a bit more problematic.

River altitudes are in

Code: [Select]

df.global.world.world_data.region_details[0].rivers_horizontal.local_id[x][y]
df.global.world.world_data.region_details[0].rivers_vertical.local_id[x][y]
If the river altitude is below the surrounding terrain, you get a cliff that is the distance between the river and the terrain elevation. If the river is higher, you get water falling from the sky on embark or other weird problems. Don't do it.

There are a couple more variables for river width and direction. I think they're also in region_details, but I'd have to double check.

Anyway, if anyone cares, I'll go dig up all the details of how to script your way to better embark elevations. You can waste a week of your life genning and searching worlds for embarks. Dfhack is by far more reasonable, and hasn't produced any terrible results for me over several games.