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Author Topic: Use same random seed for four purposes  (Read 747 times)

Michael

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Use same random seed for four purposes
« on: May 03, 2010, 12:05:06 am »
Dwarf Fortress uses three (in 40d) or four (in DF2010) different 32-bit seeds when generating a world, presumably to allow players to generate variations on a theme.

The main world generation menu also allows input of a single seed value, which is copied to all positions unless advanced parameters are used.  However, if that seed is set to random, or if the plain "Create World Now" option is used, each position gets a different seed value.

A key use of seeds is being able to "clone" an existing randomly-generated world that demonstrates a bug.  Under the present system, doing this requires noting 128 bits (less in 40d) of data and using advanced parameters.

It would be better if, by default, randomly generated worlds would also use the same value for all slots, just as if a random number was rolled and entered into the basic parameters menu.  Then, one could clone normally generated worlds based only on 32 bits of seed, and without needing to go into the advanced mode.
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