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Author Topic: A few questions about map generation  (Read 2541 times)

Mortimer1066

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A few questions about map generation
« on: July 24, 2013, 03:46:34 am »

I have spent a few hours now reading up on about every thing to do with the mod and watching a few youtubers.  Everything says to use the maps given in the advanced area.  Will a random large region work at all?  Are there any settings that work better or is it just crazy to avoid the smaller custom maps?

I have always used large diverse maps with random terrain and when I get a good map I like to put several fortresses on it.   I do not mind missing a few things in one area if my next fort on the other side of the map might have them but do not want to end up with a totally broken map  I have only played vanilla so far so maybe I am just weary changing the map style since that is one more change I am not used to.

Thanks for any help
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Meph

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Re: A few questions about map generation
« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2013, 04:00:07 am »

When you say "random large area" do you mean standard worldgen or adv. worldgen? First one I wouldnt recommend, second one is ok.

The standard worldgen has different numbers of regional interactions, necromancers, werebeasts and vampires, the minerals are too low resulting in odd numbers of fossils and the special gems and rare metals, the caverns are mazes hurting FPS more then the open ones I added to the adv. worldgen, and the adv. worldgen worlds are less deep. No 200zlvls, but less then 100 usually, to help FPS.

It wouldnt hurt to read up on the adv worldgen if you want to create your own worlds, or maybe even start up PerfectWorld, which is included in the download... are the 5 pre-set worlds I include not enough, anything missing?
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Folke

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Re: A few questions about map generation
« Reply #2 on: July 24, 2013, 07:16:48 am »

The pre-set worlds are nice, perhaps you should add a few generic worlds too that use your world gen params from the pre-set worlds . For example a generic region or island world that contain a bit more randomness and variety.
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Samarkand

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Re: A few questions about map generation
« Reply #3 on: July 24, 2013, 09:24:14 am »

One of the things I'm missing in the pregen worlds is one with high savagery. I like savage areas, but the only world with many of them is also the evil one, which comes with it's own nastiness. For example, the diverse world has only a very thin ring at the very edge of high savagery.
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Meph

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Re: A few questions about map generation
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2013, 10:47:39 am »

All of them have areas of savaregy. Garden of Gaia/diverse map its the map-edges, Serra/Good map its the lake in the mountains, Urborg/evil map its towards the ocean, Tolaria/island map its towards the center, Shiv/Desert map its towards to southwest, deeper into the desert.
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Mortimer1066

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Re: A few questions about map generation
« Reply #5 on: July 24, 2013, 12:15:40 pm »

When you say "random large area" do you mean standard worldgen or adv. worldgen? First one I wouldnt recommend, second one is ok.

The standard worldgen has different numbers of regional interactions, necromancers, werebeasts and vampires, the minerals are too low resulting in odd numbers of fossils and the special gems and rare metals, the caverns are mazes hurting FPS more then the open ones I added to the adv. worldgen, and the adv. worldgen worlds are less deep. No 200zlvls, but less then 100 usually, to help FPS.

It wouldnt hurt to read up on the adv worldgen if you want to create your own worlds, or maybe even start up PerfectWorld, which is included in the download... are the 5 pre-set worlds I include not enough, anything missing?

Well yesterday I tried running a large region through  advanced world gen and the world ran for 750 years before I stopped it, and I think I read that you do not want more than 200-300 or things would die out, so I was not sure if the large region had the right parameters set up in it.  It also only had 5 dwarven civilizations and I am used to having 10 or so, I am not sure if they died or just less to make room for all your new ones.  Basically I got nervous and thought I should check and make sure i am not completely breaking the world.

As for your maps they just seem small, and less diverse than the standard ones, and the one that is diverse is rather cluttered because you are fitting everything in such a small space. I just think after a few games on a map it will start to feel repetitive.  Also usually spend a lot of time looking for a good spot and sometimes even a large map feels small....I probably over think it a bit sometimes.

I'll definitely look into the advanced world gen.  I might even start with one of your maps then branch out once I get a good feel for the mod, that seems like probably the smartest way to go about it.
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Tabris

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Re: A few questions about map generation
« Reply #6 on: July 24, 2013, 11:51:44 pm »

I'm generating a new world here using the large island parameter, it should be ok if made this way?
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nuget102

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Re: A few questions about map generation
« Reply #7 on: July 25, 2013, 11:30:56 am »

I'm generating a new world here using the large island parameter, it should be ok if made this way?

From my understanding as long as you use the adv map generator (the recommended one) it should be fine.

My only complaint about the preset worlds is that they're not what i'm use to, and I couldn't find a volcano that had flux and metals... :P But I just generated a large region (which is what i'm use to anyway) with an absurd amount of volcanoes, so all's good. I think i'll try that perfect world thing, it seems interesting and sounds great for really picky people like myself....
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SabbyKat

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Re: A few questions about map generation
« Reply #8 on: July 25, 2013, 03:22:39 pm »

I'm generating a new world here using the large island parameter, it should be ok if made this way?

From my understanding as long as you use the adv map generator (the recommended one) it should be fine.

My only complaint about the preset worlds is that they're not what i'm use to, and I couldn't find a volcano that had flux and metals... :P But I just generated a large region (which is what i'm use to anyway) with an absurd amount of volcanoes, so all's good. I think i'll try that perfect world thing, it seems interesting and sounds great for really picky people like myself....

Finding decent volcanos with flux (mostly only found in non-volcanic stone) is a nightmare. The best I can advise for this, is in the settings for your world gen, to set mineral scarcity: 100, and as you did, generate a lot of volcanos. Marble tends to generate in all stone layers, so you should be able to find a volcano with flux, at least hematite for iron (and likely a bunch of silver, gold, etc). Of course, this may be 'too much metal for you' and you feel it's cheating, but really, it just maximizes the chance of finding a place with all the conditions you want.

Now, if you want an embark with fuel for steel production and such... good luck with that. Getting that type of generation with a volcano tends to be a real pain in the butt. Especially if you're like me, and want it in an evil biome, with a flat volcano as well... :P
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Billy Jack

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Re: A few questions about map generation
« Reply #9 on: July 25, 2013, 03:31:22 pm »

Flux can be made by using the Slaughterhouse.  You can grind much of the items in your refuse pile in bonemeal, which can be used as flux.
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SabbyKat

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Re: A few questions about map generation
« Reply #10 on: July 25, 2013, 03:55:28 pm »

Flux can be made by using the Slaughterhouse.  You can grind much of the items in your refuse pile in bonemeal, which can be used as flux.

Yep. But it costs bone and remains - which are not (per say) infinite. Normally you won't get too many 'remains' piling up, not enough to keep up an industry that's for sure, and bones is viable, but you'd be talking 60+ breeding animals blasting out babies like rabbits which is not only a mess to keep control of, it's anti-fps, and generally unbalanced for gameplay (if you care about playing 'fair' :P).

Though, I wonder if there's some way with SCIENCE! to generate a 'vermin grinder' - a way to produce dozens of the buggers constantly... I got to test that now...
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nuget102

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Re: A few questions about map generation
« Reply #11 on: July 25, 2013, 07:11:32 pm »

I'm generating a new world here using the large island parameter, it should be ok if made this way?

From my understanding as long as you use the adv map generator (the recommended one) it should be fine.

My only complaint about the preset worlds is that they're not what i'm use to, and I couldn't find a volcano that had flux and metals... :P But I just generated a large region (which is what i'm use to anyway) with an absurd amount of volcanoes, so all's good. I think i'll try that perfect world thing, it seems interesting and sounds great for really picky people like myself....

Finding decent volcanos with flux (mostly only found in non-volcanic stone) is a nightmare. The best I can advise for this, is in the settings for your world gen, to set mineral scarcity: 100, and as you did, generate a lot of volcanos. Marble tends to generate in all stone layers, so you should be able to find a volcano with flux, at least hematite for iron (and likely a bunch of silver, gold, etc). Of course, this may be 'too much metal for you' and you feel it's cheating, but really, it just maximizes the chance of finding a place with all the conditions you want.

Now, if you want an embark with fuel for steel production and such... good luck with that. Getting that type of generation with a volcano tends to be a real pain in the butt. Especially if you're like me, and want it in an evil biome, with a flat volcano as well... :P

Meh, I play on usually a 6x6 at least so what I do is I have a bit of the map under a forest area/other biome that has flux and that's where I do most my mining for flux.
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