Re: CF: Proposal for features for a random map generator

["Mark Wedel" <mark@icp.siemens.com>]

On Dec 10,  4:44pm, Peter Mardahl wrote:
> Subject: CF: Proposal for features for a random map generator

> 2)  Buildings with nothing else in them can have a random map in them.
> In fact, we could have the same random map generated every time someone
> enters a particular building (pick the seed off of the parent map name
> and the entrance location!)  This would transform the world from finite
> to infinite.

 Note that I think that the random maps should really be filler for between
quests (i am level 8, probably need to gain another level or 2 for that quest,
but none of the maps around here are really good.)  That said, there should
probably be some information to the player what maps are random and what are
quest maps (more clearly defining the quests is probably worthwhile).

 Keeping the maps the same each time - you probably want to keep the walls the
same, but not necessarily the monsters (otherwise you run the risk of some map
by pure luck having a great item on it, and players repeatedly visiting it
knowing they can get it.  There have been a few times where I got some great
item out of a pretty low level map - rare, but possible).  Also, it would be
reasonable for the server admin to specify a seed offset for these maps, so
they can always be the same on his server, but different than everyone elses
server.

>
> Needed Features:
>
>   Styles:
>    Random maps would need to be "styled":  walls, doors, monsters, and other
> decor should be picked from certain subsets of the total object set.  An inn
> has a very different style than a castle, and from a dungeon, in both walls,
> decor, and monsters.

 This is true.  Creation of the random maps must be quick/easy.  If it is not,
then might as well just create a real map which is likely to be of better
qualillty.

>
>   Ubiquity:
>    Any exit which does not have a destination specified should lead to
> a random map, but WITH a sign saying "this is a random map".

 I think that any exit that has some flag/parameters set that states it goes to
a random map should do so.   There are probably numerous broken exits right now
that really should not lead to random maps.  Also, some towns have literally
hundreds of houses - having that many random maps may not be bad, but I think
that could be overkill (especially in maps where information is contained in
some certain house).


>   Difficulty:
>    Difficulty should be specifiable.  Also, whether the map advances in
> difficult with recursion should be specified.

 I agree.

>
>   Quests:
>    It would be cool if random quests could be implemented, too.  I won't
> put this in immediately.

 I would think that the ability of quests would be having an item/reward at the
end of the puzzle and somehow distributing the information the maps.  This may
then require some skeleton of the map with a list of items to be spread out or
something.

 This may then mean having a map with large areas marked as 'random'.  So the
ability of the random map program to do sense when some portion of the map has
been made and it needs to fill in the rest.

>
>   Standalone operation:
>    It'd be cool if the random map generator operated standalone, so that
> map designers could use it easily as well as the server could at exits.

 Yes - ideally, it would be a function call like make_random_map with various
parameters passed - the map it makes could then be dumped to a file, or kept in
memory in case of maps needed on demand.

>
>   Size:
>    Random maps should be sized.  A big, multi-square exit should have a
bigger
> random map to it, while a small house should have a small interior.
>
>   Inheritance:
>    The type and location of the exit should imply something about its random
> interior.  A shop exit should have a shop interior, a house should have a
> home interior, etc, a difficult map should have difficult sub-maps.

 I think this should be set in the exit structure - if we go by the theory that
the only random maps are the actually specified, than this is not a problem.
 Shops are 4 space objects, but actually not very big inside (many houses are
bigger).  So image size of the entrance may not be the best method.

>
>   Directedness:
>    Buildings should have random maps with stairs up to the next random map,
> dungeons with stairs down, etc.

 Yes.


-- 

-- Mark Wedel
mark@pyramid.com
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