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  • custom map generators (stb)
  • 123
     

    I have posted a couple of map generators and sample maps on my website. I hope to update them and release more in the coming weeks.

    At this point, I've never playtested the maps, since I can't run a proper server and I don't personally know anyone who runs servers. If somebody does try any of these out, please let me know how they play here or by email.

    The two map generators I have right now are:

    Skybridge - generates an approximation of the regular AoS map, then a bunch of brightly colored skybridges covering the map, and stairs up to the skybridges. [Screenshot]

    Caves - generates an approximation of the regular AoS map, with asymmetric terrain for green and blue, but puts a giant mountain in the middle of the map and a bunch of "caves" throughout the mountain. Screenshots: [1] [2] [3]. (I suspect this may not play well since you'll just never see each other when you're in the middle. But maybe not?)

    I have not spent a lot of time refining the color generation for the map. In particular, when you bring up the map screen by pressing 'M', the terrain looks really ugly. I'm not sure what the right way to make it look better is, but hopefully I'll come up with something.

    The files can be found here.

    The files ending in "_gen.zip" are Windows executables that generate the maps. If you're concerned about running unknown executables, the files ending in "0.zip" contain a sample map from the generator (which I have tested in a local server myself).

    As to the trustiworthiness of these executables: I am an indie game developer who has released multiple free games (as windows exe files), and I am a (former) professional game developer as well, so no, I'm not fucking with you.

    (I will be posting the source code to the map generators eventually, sooner rather than later, but I'd like to fix the 'M' issue first. I'll also be posting a better file format document.)

    #8004
    nothings
    Member
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    Looks delicious. I wants :3

    #8006
    BlackMuffin
    Member
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    Awesome work, Sean. I'll try to make the server use any external terrain generator, kind of like a plugin.

    #8011
    bcoolface
    Key Master
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    yeah, I guess that'll be important once you get win/restart logic in, so the game can spontaneously generate new maps with a custom generator. cool beans.

    i guess i should look into generating trees and other things people have asked for. is there a wishlist somewhere?

    #8027
    nothings
    Member
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    @nothings

    How would you plan on making trees? Just use brown blocks as the trunk and green for the leaves?

    Also it would appear the flat terrain maps loaded with pre-made buildings and bunkers are very popular (for good reason) so maybe you could start working on that?

    #8032
    TheOperator
    Veteran Modder
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    Wow, those caves look awesome! Could you do a map generator, which is hilly but in the middle of the map there's a valley and a lake?

    #8034
    Monsteri
    Minion
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    Holy crap, now this is the good stuff.

    Would like to report crashing under (Skybridge only) some circumstances:

    - Random seed is generated (doesn't matter w/ other options)

    - Custom file name is used (doesn't matter w/ other options)

    #8085
    Lythrynyx
    Moderator
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    Wow, this is awesome. I would like a hilly land with a lot of trees and few simple bunkers already builded.

    #8087
    SIMOX
    Modifier
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    I've fixed the 'custom file name' crash, dumb bug, and I'll upload soon. I can't reproduce the random seed crash: "-s 0", "-s0", and no "-s" all work for me. Is there some particular seed that's crashing skybridge, maybe?

    Edit: Yep, ok, it depends on the seed and only happens in release builds, so the two in combination meant I hadn't hit it in my testing. I should be able to fix it now that I've reproduced it.

    #8098
    nothings
    Member
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    I've uploaded versions of skybridge and caves which fix the output-filename crash.

    I've also uploaded a new generator, Forest_River, which is blatantly asymmetric. Screenshots: [green side] [blue side] [map]

    Generators and sample maps still here.

    #8106
    nothings
    Member
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    With no -s, I'm only having a 50% success rate. -s 0/-s0 do work, so I think it has to do with your generating pattern.

    And damn, you just made my day with forests. >:)

    #8110
    Lythrynyx
    Moderator
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    I've uploaded a Skybridge generator that fixes that seed-dependent crash. We'll see if there are any more (I guess I should write a little stress tester).

    #8115
    nothings
    Member
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    How do you make these generators? how do you know how the map files format is built? In what language do you code them?

    #8135
    OmerT
    Member
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    They are written in C and I'll release the source code at some point.

    The .vxl format is sort of described in a file called vxlform.txt which you can find by google, with modifications mentioned in the "quick primer" in the AoS newspost. Some of the documentation appears inaccurate, so I'll write up a better document about the file format when I release my source code.

    #8141
    nothings
    Member
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    That's would be really helpful, thanks

    #8145
    OmerT
    Member
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    http://advsys.net/ken/voxlap/vxlform.txt
    ^

    #8162
    TheGrandmaster
    Moderator
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    is there a wishlist somewhere?

    Here:
    http://www.google.com/moderator/#16/e=6f3a1

    #8234
    Nico
    Member
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    I stand in awe before these generated maps.

    This is the best major development since i got to know this game, so carry on man!

    #8238
    crack
    Member
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    This guy's a legend.
    He's been making Quake, Thief I & II, Braid, System Shock I & II etc.

    I bow before thee.
    Humbly.

    #8266
    Natti
    Member
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    I didn't actually make Quake, I was just thanked in the credits and mobygames sloppily considers every thing mentioned in the credits when it makes that list.

    Thanks Nico, I will browse through those suggestions.

    #8293
    nothings
    Member
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    I've added a new map generator:

    Incomplete Fortress

    Maps produces by this generator are probably insanely biased towards green. I'm curious whether this makes it impossible for blue or the if game is self-balancing. But I suspect it relects how a lot of greens would like the map to be.

    The entire green spawning area is fairly flat, surrounded by a moat and a wall, and contains three unfinished buildings. The outer buildings have towers with a crappy staircase and no windows. The inner building has no roof, doors, or windows, but contains little piles of green blocks for building so you don't have to go anywhere else to get more blocks.

    The permiter wall is one-block thick to make it easy for blue to penetrate. The building walls are two-blocks thick as a compromise between griefability and allowing blues to hide inside walls.

    Green screenshots: [1] [2] [3]

    [Blue]

    [Map]

    The generation aspect of this just means the blue terrain is different each time, and the green buildings have midly different interior layouts (e.g. the towers may be smaller or larger). I'm not sure this is enough to matter, but I'm not sure the map is a good idea anyway, which is part of why I didn't go whole hog on making a completely finished and polished base.

    Maybe it would be better if the green "base" was raised up very high, to give blue more opportunity to tunnel, or something.

    I've also updated the map lighting for Caves and fixed a bug in the terrain generation for Caves/Skybridge/Forest_River which was making them all flatter/less-varied than I'd intended.

    #8393
    nothings
    Member
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    And added another:

    Slope

    This one features only mildly rolling hills and a continuous slope downhill from blue to green. (Not a very steep one, since the map is much wider than it is tall.) Like with Skybridge, the amount of water is randomly chosen per map, so you might get a lot or a little.

    You'll probably feel awfully exposed a lot and need to build lots of temporary shelters. Maybe I should pre-build some trenches and cover points into the map.

    There's little to see in screenshots, but here's a sample map.

    Downloads are at the usual place.

    #8434
    nothings
    Member
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    this could be so cool combined with victory conditions and new gamemodes

    #8443
    Mr. Block
    Member
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    I love the forest and fortress ones! Are there any servers running these?
    (I'm still hoping for that middle lake thing ;)

    Edit: Is there any way to use these in map editor? I'm pretty noob with this stuff.

    #8484
    Monsteri
    Minion
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    @monsteri you could generate a map with these, save it, then use it in the editor

    #8485
    alexthecreeper
    The Creator
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    But then I should make a server, or shouldn't I?

    (and that's a thing I can't handle)

    #8488
    Monsteri
    Minion
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    Alt-F2 to load in voxed. Alt-F3 to save.

    #8500
    Buffet_of_Lies
    Cartographer
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    Yes yes, but you didn't now realise that I can't GET the map, because first I need to be on server which haves it.

    As off-topic, these random map generators would be nice as implemented to Voxed.

    #8511
    Monsteri
    Minion
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    Wohoo, this is really nice! Props to nothings! :)

    #8555
    Green_Beret
    Member
    Posted 12 years ago
     

    I've worked out the AoS fileformat too, and it's basically just the VXL format without the header: http://paste.pocoo.org/show/ibpq4zfhKAVBmvXg8g59/ (if you want to use this code, v is the input data, and remember to allocate geometry and colors to 64 * 512 * 512).

    I'm also very interested in the networking protocol, and I've worked out a few things already. I want to make an alternative server in Python using Twisted (which I've got a lot of experience with, both language and library), similar to what has been done with MineCraft. Any details on this would be greatly appreciated :-)

    #8584
    mat^2
    pyspades developer
    Posted 12 years ago
    123
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