Expanding Areas // Islands appearing

[N3tRunn3r]

A more complicated idea is..
In anytime a crate will be dropped.

This opened crate, following will happen:

Either:
An area will be expanded with more resource points (spawn points)

Or:
An island will appear from the water (grows up [more data])

Or2:
Surfaces will be changed (hills disappear into the ground // plane surfaces change to hills [data changes..])

[xander]

Given the way in which Darwinia creates landscapes, I really don't see how this would work. As I recall, there was some effort that went into creating randomized maps in the original Darwinia (way back during the early alphas), and that never lead anywhere -- it was just too difficult to get random maps that didn't suck. I would imagine that you would have much the same problem here -- it is too difficult to generate random landscape features that don't suck.

xander

[Phelanpt]

I don't think he said random.
Still, I don't think this would be easy to implement, and there would have to be a lot of changes in map code.

Also, that was a nice insight into the development process, didn't know that had been tried in the alphas.

[xander]

I don't think he said random.
Still, I don't think this would be easy to implement, and there would have to be a lot of changes in map code.

Also, that was a nice insight into the development process, didn't know that had been tried in the alphas.

If it is not random, then someone has to do the work of designing the extra land masses, placing spawn points, &c. More content creation. Content is what nearly killed IV with Darwinia four years ago -- I can't imagine they would want to create such a complicated system now.

xander

[Kuth]

What about changing the water level?

[RabidZombie]

That probably wouldn't create any worthwhile, new land masses, making it rather pointless.

[zach]

Unless of course the map was designed with variable water levels in mind.

Also, I do believe some random generation could generate fairly decent maps - of course, you'd be well off placing the buildings etc. yourself. I'm just thinking the general land mass here.

I made a semi-acceptable algorithm for this, back in the Darwinia demo days. With (a lot of) tweaking, that stuff is quite playable - even enjoyable.

[Kuth]

ok, what about destroying them?

[N3tRunn3r]

That probably wouldn't create any worthwhile, new land masses, making it rather pointless.

nice idea!!
instead of appearing new landmasses from the water from the beginning of a game/map the water level is a bit higher. opening "THAT" special crate, the water level decreases and "THESE" new landmasses are appearing...


YAY!

[N3tRunn3r]

What about changing the water level?

nice idea!!
instead of appearing new landmasses from the water from the beginning of a game/map the water level is a bit higher/lower. opening "THAT" special crate, the water level increases/decreases and "THESE" new landmasses are either appearing or disappearing...


YAY![/quote]