Fractal Forgery

[Dragon45]

... to generate landscapes. I was just digging around for information on fratals (Inspired by the Buddhabrot map) and apparently, there's this method known as "fractal forgery" to generate terrain by means of fractals (obviously). Anyone else think it that it would be possible to code up a random-map generator program using this method?

[BlackLiger]

I was gonna write a map editor in C++ when I learn some.

[Min3mat]

a map generator would rock! please elaborate

[Sean Mirrsen]

It is technically possible to make Spring generate a map for itself at startup. I could even speculate that it is rather easy, although I haven't yet understood the full depth of the process.
However, making Spring generate a map that would look good, or even be playable is very hard unless you have it make a flat plane.

[jouninkomiko]

there are a few methods to generate terrain using fractals randomly... maybe ill post some source for it as i make headway on this AI interface

[CatalyticPrefect]

It would be sweet to be able to do that like in Age of Empires 2.

[SJ]

I had a random map generator for the old spring using perlin noise and simulated erosion and being able to customize the map based on an input bitmap file. It doesnt generate output that the current spring can read and a lot of the stuff it does makes no sense in the current spring(like creating towns and roads). But I guess if someone want a base to build from they can check it out.

[Storm]

Yes please. Give it to us.

[Gabba]

and a lot of the stuff it does makes no sense in the current spring(like creating towns and roads)

Hey why not? A Spring map with towns and roads would look nice, the terrain right now looks pretty empty. There can be battles on planets where the warfare has just started and not everything is destroyed.

[Dragon45]

If you could post the source for that SJ, that would be great.

[Warlord Zsinj]

I think a custom map generator could be quite fun. It wouldn't be that difficult to make it balanced; you just run it through a couple of algorithms (if you were really brilliant, run those metal and balance algorithms into the fractal formula) to make sure that there is equal starting metal within all distances of starting positions.

... And yeah, autogenerated towns would be awesome, especially for mods such as Axis & Allies TA, and with a bit of Star-Warsy tweaking, SWTA...

[Dragon45]

I'm thinking that once we can get a rudimentary random-fractal map generator (possibly using SJ's code) we can build additional bits and pieces off of that as we need them. But we need something to work with first... SJ?

[Redfish]

I'm still dreaming of war on a planet where there is an existing civilization but Core and ARM don't bother with them and just destroy whatever comes in between the two races. Would be nice to have your units fight in a sim city like city :)