Consider creating a custom mapgen #70

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opened 2025-09-10 17:20:26 +00:00 by gsg_josh · 3 comments

gsg_josh commented

2025-09-10 17:20:26 +00:00

(Migrated from codeberg.org)

The idea here would be to facilitate our difficulty tuning.

I imagine a mapgen that works much like the valley generation, but the altitude is more predictable and progressive.

I'm envisioning an ocean in the center with land gradually sloping away, where coasts along the ocean are the safest, and difficulty increases as you get nearer the map edges. This allows for more obvious progression, and also leaves a space in the the ocean for different islands of content.

Need to do research to see what's involved in making a custom mapgen.

The idea here would be to facilitate our difficulty tuning. I imagine a mapgen that works much like the valley generation, but the altitude is more predictable and progressive. I'm envisioning an ocean in the center with land gradually sloping away, where coasts along the ocean are the safest, and difficulty increases as you get nearer the map edges. This allows for more obvious progression, and also leaves a space in the the ocean for different islands of content. Need to do research to see what's involved in making a custom mapgen.

gsg_josh commented

2025-09-10 18:45:36 +00:00

(Migrated from codeberg.org)

luamap and biomegen libraries will probably be useful here.

[luamap](https://content.luanti.org/packages/MisterE/luamap/) and [biomegen](https://content.luanti.org/packages/Gael%20de%20Sailly/biomegen/) libraries will probably be useful here.

gsg_josh commented

2025-09-11 21:06:41 +00:00

(Migrated from codeberg.org)

Surface elevation is really compressed in standard mapgens. Basically the lowest to highest places on the surface are like 256 blocks apart. The VAST majority of the map is underground or sky. If we can implement more realistic elevation changes on the surface we could do more interesting stuff with the biomes. We'll see what we can do to manage this.

gsg_josh commented

2025-09-14 15:32:51 +00:00

(Migrated from codeberg.org)

The mapgen from this mod is very good-looking, using tectonics and erosion and stuff, but most importantly, it's got a lot of pretty flexible options tune the size of things. This will help immensely with #24 as well.

I've been testing the mapgen_rivers mod, and it's pretty great. We might be able to get away with just using this instead of writing our own for a while. I still want to do it eventually but this is a GREAT starting point. The mapgen from this mod is very good-looking, using tectonics and erosion and stuff, but most importantly, it's got a lot of pretty flexible options tune the size of things. This will help immensely with #24 as well.