As Simon mentioned in a previous post here, I am working on an application, which I am developing under the code name “Map Invoker”. It will generate random towns, from small little hamlets to large walled cities. I’ve been concentrating on the algorithm side and am truely quite a ways towards a “feature complete” logic set.
So Simon was correct in stating that “He’s gone beyond proof of concept”. Soon I will be turning from generation to the interface so that all the parameters that I’ve included in the algorithms are exposed to the user so that the user can create an incredable range of different towns.
Once the parameter inputs are down and tested, then we will be looking into adding all the “garnish” that makes programs like this come alive.
So if you have any ideas, practical or “pie in the sky”, I’d love to here them. Either post your idea or email me at: SAUNDERL (at) HOTMAIL (dot) COM.
Hi!
Excellent job so far, judging the posts and the screenshot 😉
Here are my ideas:
– you could include some sort of “population generator” such as those seen on the internet whic, depending on city settings and/or city generation results, calculates the amount of people living in there. Some additions (number of taverns/inns, …) could also be nice.
– do you think it will be possible to manually outline some elements (city walls or river, or hills, or population, whatever) and let the generator work taking into account the given environment?
– do you think it will be possible to make the program generate, given a particular input, a city divided into 2 or more parts by smaller walls?
– include a “fortress generator”, where the programs works only with walls, somewhat packed together to simulate a fortress?
– many other ideas… but as you can see they are all a bit, well… demanging. 😉
Cheers!
Erior,
I believe that inner and outer walls plus a fortress is possible – not sure if it will be in the initial release though.
A divided city – do you mean like a city on two sides of a wide river? Any examples in either the real world or specific fantasy cities that you can refer too?
outlining is possible but again, not sure if it will make the initial release.
A population generator is a little out-of-scope for a map generator but if Simon and Mark want it added then …
Lee.
Lee,
thanks for your reply.
For the divided city, I can’t refer at the moment to something known. But let’s take the picture posted in this blog as an example of your work: the city is built across a river. What I mean is that if the river were larger, the city could have had two walls circles, one for each side of the river. Or even without a river… take a circular city and divide it by tracing the diameter with a smaller wall. Here is what I meant ;-).
I know that putting all those features in the first (or even second) release will be tough, so don’t worry. I will not appreciate less your work even if I’ll never see them 😀
Bye