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[Derakon]

Placing the platforms first would probably work fairly well. My only concern there is that there are situations in which large open areas can open up where platforms ordinarily wouldn't need to be used (mostly at branchpoints, but that's not the only situation). I suspect I'll always need an algorithm that goes over the entire map to find problem spots and insert platforms, which means that adding a first pass that does 95% of the work doesn't actually buy me anything.

Sowelu: ahh, I gotcha. Good thinking. I'm still not certain how much I'll be fiddling with the perimeters of the rooms vs. just putting features inside them, but it pays to have room to work if I need it.

By the way, I spent yesterday adding loops to the map. Internally it's still represented as a tree...however, some of the nodes now lie exactly on top of other nodes and happen to know about nodes that aren't directly related to them. I made this map off the results:

(Click for full size -- it's big!)


Edit: and I'm aware that room goes off the top of the map. Something to fix...

[inaluct]

This looks interesting. You could probably make a roguelike platformer with these. Like Spelunky, but different.

[Virex]

Placing the platforms first would probably work fairly well. My only concern there is that there are situations in which large open areas can open up where platforms ordinarily wouldn't need to be used (mostly at branchpoints, but that's not the only situation). I suspect I'll always need an algorithm that goes over the entire map to find problem spots and insert platforms, which means that adding a first pass that does 95% of the work doesn't actually buy me anything.

The key is to use an L-system, which caps the distance between platforms to a maximum, jumpable distance. That way each point on the "platform tree" is neccesarely connected to each other point (otherwise the tree didn't get there in the first place). Sure, there could be large, impassable gaps, but since the tree system is always fully conected, there has to be a way around it

[eerr]

I want to make a nethack resembling game from this right now

[Sowelu]

Oh wow.  That map looks hand-drawn, which is utterly amazing.

I'm visualizing some system that can calculate things like how hard it is to get to a certain point (high for long dead-ends off the beaten path even if there isn't much technical jumping challenge), and how interesting a local region is in terms of gameplay and scenery--putting those together in a way that ensures you always get some reward for your explorations, whether it's a missile expansion (or whatever) or just Knytt-style pretty things to look at.

[JoshuaFH]

I'm just posting here cause I want to keep up-to-date on this. It looks VERY promising.

[penguinofhonor]

This looks very nice. I'm imagining Spelunky, but mixed with some Zelda style "get new tools to get to new places" stuff and some roguelike-style random generation, all one one huge map.

[eerr]

maybe we should start discussing a videogame on this right now?
heh

[Derakon]

I actuall do plan to use this for a videogame, though I'm keeping that aspect pretty close to my chest because it'll be a long while yet before anything playable is made. But I figured you all would find the caves interesting on their own.

[eerr]

The way I see it is that you can make a game from it now if said game doesn't require better platform arrangement all the time.

which is a fairly easy problem to avoid...

a way to reset the level
-suicide button/pit
or a way to get out of said pit
-special jumps/climbable cliffs/ unique flight system ect.

so it's honestly not as much of a problem as you'd think.

and a little uniqueness will help the variety in your random generation.

[Derakon]

I could make an okay game from it right now. I'm not aiming for a merely okay game.

I've been busy working on other aspects lately, which is why this thread hasn't been updated, but I hope to have a special room type completed sometime in the next few days.

[Sowelu]

Props to you!

If you ever get bored or discouraged, let us know, and we'll tell you how awesome this project is going to be.

[Derakon]

Well, I mentioned I'd have a feature done in the next few days, so I may as well post an update. It doesn't look like much, but I've added mazes to mapgen:

(Click for full size)


I'd hoped to have something more interesting, but I'm on the road, and it's a bit tricky to program on a laptop. In fact, my neck and left shoulder are telling me I really should take a break from the computer for a bit, so I guess tomorrow is an out-of-doors day.

[JoshuaFH]

Wow man, mazes. Really.

I hope your neck and stuff get better.

[Dasleah]

How did I go this long without stumbling across this? Looking good, Derakon. I'll add this thread to my Roguelike Development Megathread, as random cave generation is always relevant to roguelike programming