[Map Script] LandMasses

[Thedrin]

New version available since Saturday, 30/06. See below for details.

LandMasses

Older versions:

LandMasses 1.2
LandMasses 2.0

To make use of the customisable resource options you'll need a Python editor. I use the one found here:

Python

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Original post (this may no longer give an accurate description of LandMasses - comments on newer version may be found in later posts):

This is a script I've been working on lately. My aim was to put together an alternative continents-style map generator.

The script allows the user to select the number of land masses, the number of continents which form the land masses, the seperation between land masses and whether or not colliding continents produce mountain ranges, among other things.

1 - 5 land masses, 1 continent per land mass, 60% - 70% ocean, no overseas trade before astronomy, normal everything else, standard map size:



2 - 4 land masses, 6 - 9 continents, randomly distributed continents, 60% - 70% ocean, no overseas trade before astronomy, mountain ranges, reduced desert, normal everything else, standard map size:



Having had no experience of Python before I used SmartMap as a guide to the language. This script uses CivIV's standard functions for generating rivers, lakes, features, bonuses, huts and starting positions. The terrain generator is also based on the CivIV standard but is slightly edited to allow for fewer small deserts. Map size and land/hill/peak placement began life as the SmartMap code but have been altered quite a lot since then.

[Thedrin]

# Version history (history continues in second next post).
#----------------------------------------------------------------------#
# 1.0:
# Original version
#----------------------------------------------------------------------#
# 1.1:
# Removed variables which weren't doing anything unique. This has resulted in slowdown in map generation - particularly
# for larger maps.
# Adjusted the percentage of land tiles that are hills and peaks.
# Increased the amount of hills and peaks possible through more options.
# fixed an error in the lake removal code which caused some lakes to be left behind. Note that lakes are added back in
# later.
# Fixed an error in the 'reduced desert' terrain option.
#----------------------------------------------------------------------#
# 1.2:
# New way of choosing random numbers of land masses and continents implemented to allow greater flexibility.
#----------------------------------------------------------------------#
# 2.0:
# Alternative resource generator.
# - Oil can be generated anywhere.
# - Aquatic resources can be generated anywhere within reach of land.
# - Minerals (aluminium, coal, copper, gems, gold, iron, marble, silver, stone, uranium) and incense can be generated on any land tiles (except peaks and oases).
# - Other resources can be generated on the following terrain types.
# - Ice: fur.
# - Tundra: game, fur, ivory, sheep.
# - Tundra hills: game, fur, sheep.
# - Tundra forests: game, fur, ivory.
# - Tundra forested hills: game, fur.
# - Grassland: corn, cow, dye, horse, ivory, pig, rice, sheep, spices, sugar, wheat, wine.
# - Grassland hills: dye, pig, sheep, spices, wine.
# - Grassland forest or jungle: dye, fruit, ivory, pig, silk, spices, sugar, wine.
# - Grassland forested hills or jungle hills: dye, fruit, pig, silk, spices, sugar, wine.
# - Plains: Same as grassland but may also yield game and fur.
# Some resources are unique to their landmasses. These are corn, cow, pig, rice, sheep, wheat, ivory, silk, sugar, and wine.
# The option 'LandMasses: isolate horses' will include horses in this list.
# The option 'LandMasses: no isolated resources' will allow all resources to be placed on multiple land masses.
# LandMasses resource generator may override a mod which alters the placement of the standard resources.
# When using a mod with extra resources (salt, say) the LandMasses resource generator should (hopefully) place the additional resources according to the mods standard placement rules for that resource.
# Note that the options for isolating resources - 'LandMasses' and 'LandMasses: isolate horses' - do not completely isolate all resources selected for isolation. This is most prominently, but not completely, due to resources being placed within a civs starting place.
# Resources are placed randomly taking no account of the local resource density. This can lead to some serious clumping.
#
# Other changes:
# Increased the number of possible land masses to 10.
# Increased the possible width and height to 240 tiles (from 160).
# Increased the number of ocean percentages that can be chosen. The minimum is now 5% (was 40%) and the maximum is now 95% (was 80%).
# Added min. and max. options (previously included in the land masses and continents options) to the following options:
# - Width
# - Height
# - Ocean
# - Land Mass Seperation
# One affect of this change is that the 'Sealevel' option no longer has any effect on map generation. To obtain its affects:
# - Low: set Land Mass Seperation to between 0 and 4.
# - Medium: set Land Mass Seperation to between 5 and 8.
# - High: set Land Mass Seperation to between 9 and 12.
# Note the setting Land Mass Seperation at 0 or 1 will still cause only 1 continent per landmass to be generated.
#----------------------------------------------------------------------#
# 2.1:
#
# Terrain changes:
#
# Selecting Rocky climate no longer affects the terrain.
# Introduced three new hill and peaks setting; Highlands few, Highlands normal, and Highlands many. I've only used estimates to determine the appropriate percentages in these cases. If someone has the actual figures I'd appreciate them.
#
# Resource changes:
#
# Created a master resource option, 'Resources'.
# - Standard will use the standard CivIV recourse placement code. The Resource Land Mass, Resource Tiles, and
# Resource Quantities options are rendered ineffective.
# - Custom activates the Resource Land Mass, Resource Tiles, and Resource Quantities options.
#
# Divided resources options into two:
# - Resource Land Mass
# - Resource Tiles
# Resource Land Mass determines which resources are assigned to specific land masses.
# - 'Standard' assigns health and luxury resources to specific land masses.
# - 'LandMasses' assigns the same resources to specific land masses as it did previously.
# - 'LandMasses, isolate horses' is the same as 'LandMasses' but it also assigns horses to a specific land mass.
# - 'No isolated resources' allows all resources to be placed on all land masses.
# Resource Tiles determines which tiles a resource can be assigned to.
# - 'Standard' assigns resources to normal CivIV locations.
# - 'LandMasses' assigns the same resources to the same tile types as it did previously.
# - 'Crazy' assigns a resource to any tile which can be improved to take advantage of the resource.
# Setting both options to 'Standard' will cause LandMasses to use the default resource placement code.
# Setting only one option to 'Standard' will cause LandMasses to attempt to mimic the effects of the default resource placement code.
#
# Added the option 'Resource Quantities'. This allows the number of resources to be altered.
# - 'Normal resources': the no. of resources is between half the no. of players and one short of the no. of players.
# - 'Few resources': Only half as much of each resource are generated.
# - 'Many resources': Twice as much of each resources are generated.
# Further notes on this option:
# - if 'Standard' has been set for both Resource Land Mass and Resource Tiles then Resource Quantities is ignored.
# - The script may not place all of the resources that it sets out to.
# - The fewer resources generated, the more likely that the civ starting placement code may add in resources. This will noticably reduce the effects of some of the choices for Resource Land Mass, 'LandMasses', 'LandMasses, isolate horses', and, if 'Standard' has not been selected for Resource Tiles, 'Standard'.
#
# The odds of a resource being placed on any given tile reduce as the number of that resource in the fat cross centred around that tile increase.
# The odds of a resource being placed on any given tile reduce as the number of all resources in the fat cross centred around that tile increase.
#----------------------------------------------------------------------#
# 2.2:
#
# Beginning work on terrain options. Since my previous undocumented attempt at this (a few months ago) was a spectacular failure, I'll be going very slowly. For now only a few, unlikely-to-be-used, options are included.
#
# Terrain:
# - Standard: uses normal terrain generation. Deactivates all terrain options.
# - Custom: Activates all terrain options.
# Terrain Type:
# - all grass, all plains, all desert, all tundra, and all snow.
# - fantasy - randomly placed terrrain tiles.
#
# Resources:
# Aquatic resources will no longer be generated beneath ice.
#
#----------------------------------------------------------------------#
# 2.3:
#
# Lands:
#
# Added 'Coastlines' option. A rugged coastline increses the number of islands and archipelagos.
# - Standard: Prior to the introduction of the coastlines option, this was the usual implementation.
# - Rugged: Lots of coastal islands. Lands that were narrow under the standard setting may be broken up into archipelagos.
# Notes:
# - the effectiveness of this option depends a great deal on how much space is designated towards land, ocean, and seperation between landmasses. Selecting a low ocean percentage and a high seperation between land masses will reduce the effects of the coastline option to irrelevance.
# - it is possible for large pieces of land which previously formed a single landmass to be seperated from each other. If these lands become seperated by ocean (and not just coastal tiles) then they should be treated as seperate land masses by the resource generator. In short, you may get more land masses than you intended. The odds of this happening are much more likely with coastlines set to rugged but still possible (I've never seen it) under standard coatlines.
#
# The Ocean and Distance between land masses have been swapped around on the custom menu screen. This is so that the options related to the ratio of ocean tiles to land tiles are placed in order of importance:
# 1) Seperation Between Land Masses - land will only be placed if it doesn't go to close to other land masses. If the minimum seperation is sufficiently large enough there may not be enough space to reach the ocean percentage. For example, if the minimum seperation between land masses is set to 12 and the ocean percentage is set to 20%, the code will stop placing land tiles long before 80% of the map has been assigned a land tile. This does not include Pangaeas since the land mass seperation only affects the placement of tiles from different land masses.
# 2) Ocean: If the land mass seperation leaves enough space for the ocean/land ratio to be met then it should happen.
# 3) Coasts: The ruggedness of the coast depends on how much extra space there is for land after the ocean/land ratio set by the ocean option has been met. If there is no more space the land masses will be smooth. Selecting rugged will only have a noticeable affect beyond that of standard if there is plenty of room for extra land.
#
# Resources:
#
# Added options to give control over the quantities of strategic, health, and luxury resources. Ivory, spices, sugar, and wine are classified as luxuries.
# Improved land mass placement of isolated resources. Resources selected for isolation are far less likely to appear on multiple land masses. The placement of resources on multiple land masses due to the civ placement code is unaffected.
# Aquatic resources should no longer appear on lakes.
#----------------------------------------------------------------------#
# 2.4:
#
# Lands:
#
# Added a third choice to the Coastlines option. Rougher' produces more rugged coasts than standard but smoother coasts than rugged. Like the other two choices available, the effectiveness of the option is based on the choices selected for Land Mass Seperation and Ocean.
#
# Resources:
#
# Added 'custom' choice to all resource options which allows a Python user to much more easily edit how resources are placed. The code which needs to be edited can be found under the heading CUSTOMISING RESOURCE PLACEMENT at the top of the LandMasses.py map script. Instructions can be found there explaining how to edit the resource placement.
# Custom 'Resource LandMasses' allows the user to select the resources which will be limited to one continent. By default, custom produces the same results as LandMasses.
# Custom 'Resource Tiles' allows the user to select the tiles a resource can be placed on. By default, custom produces the same results as LandMasses.
# Custom 'Strategic Quantities' allows the user to select the number of each strategic resource. By default, custom produces the same results as normal strategic resources.
# Custom 'Health Resources' and custom 'Luxury Resources' options work in the same way as custom 'Strategic Resources.
#----------------------------------------------------------------------#
# 2.5:
#
# Resources:
#
# Customising 'ResourceTiles' now allows the user to distinguish between coastal and ocean tiles.
# Customising 'Resource Land Masses' now allows water based resources to be assigned to particular land masses. Previously, customising the options so that water based resources were isolated to single land masses was ineffective.
# Introduced two new options: 'How many Land Masses' and 'Let Resources Clump'.
#
# 'How Many Land Masses':
# If a resource is selected to be isolated - not placed on all land masses - this options allows the user to determine how many the resource will be placed on.
# - Assigned to x land masses: Isolated resources are placed on x of the land masses. If x exceeds the number of land masses generated then no resources will be isolated; all resources selected for isolation may be generated on all land masses. Note that x only goes as far as 8. An alternative choice (listed below) exists if the user wants to place a resource on 9 out of 10 land masses.
# - Assigned to half the land masses: Isolated resources are placed on half of the generated land masses.
# - Assigned to all but one land mass: But for one land mass, an isolated resource may be placed anywhere.
# - Custom: Like all resource options, the ability to customise the effects of this option are available to users willing to edit this script with Python. Custom allows different resources to be isolated to different numbers of land masses (though the user must also make sure to set the appropriate resources to be isolated in the first place). Left unedited, this choice will assign isolated resources to just one land mass.
# Note that the map script is not guaranteed to generate the predefined number of landmasses so setting this option to 'assigned to x land masses' where x is a larger number may simply allow isolated resource to be generated everywhere.
#
# 'Let Resources Clump':
# This determines whether or not two of any one resource are allowed to be placed near each other.
# If clumping is disabled for a resource then a city's fat cross may only contain two of the resource in the following situations:
# 1) .......
# ..rYY..
# .YYYYY.
# .YYcYY.
# .YYYYY.
# ..YYYr.
# .......
#
# 2) .......
# ..YYY..
# .rYYYY.
# .YYcYY.
# .YYYYY.
# ..YYYr.
# .......
# where 'r' marks a resource, 'Y' marks a tile inside the city's fat cross, and 'c' marks the city tile.
# Options:
# - Standard: Attempts to approximate standard resource placement. Only luxury resources may be placed near each other.
# - Strategic: Only strategic resources may be placed near each other.
# - Health: Only health resources may be placed near each other.
# - Luxury: Only luxury resources may be placed near each other.
# - Strategic/Health: Only strategic and health resources may be placed near each other.
# - Strategic/Luxury: Only strategic and luxury resources may be placed near each other.
# - Health/Luxury: Only health and luxury resources may be placed near each other.
# - Strategic/Health/Luxury: All resources may be placed near each other.
# - Custom: The map script can be easily edited (as with other resource options) so that the user can decide which resources may be clumped. 'Custom' uses the user-edited clumped resources instead of one of the predefined options. If no editing has taken place, 'custom' uses the 'standard' option.
#----------------------------------------------------------------------#
# 2.6:
#
# Lands:
#
# Reduced the options 'Mountain Ranges:' and 'Changes in Altitude' down to a single option. There is no longer a range of options for choosing the degree to which hills and peaks congregate together, just the choice as to whether or not they should clump together.
#
# Terrain:
#
# Reworked terrain options. Fantasy option excluded, all terrain types use the standard terrain generator but apply different values to certain variables.
# Options:
# - Cool, Temperate, Warm: These determine how far from the equator ice and tundra are generated. Temperate generates both terrains at the normal latitudes. Cool generates both terrains closer to the equator. Warm generates both terrains further from the equator.
# - More desert, normal desert, less desert: How many desert tiles are generated. More desert generates roughly 50% more than usual. Less desert generates roughly 50% less than usual.
# - More plains, normal plains, less plains: How many plains tiles are generated. More plains generates roughly 50% more than usual. Less plains generates roughly 50% less than usual.
# - Fantasy: Places all land terrains randomly. Water terrain - coast or ocean - remain unchanged.
#
# Terrain Homogeneity determines how clumped each terrain type is. This option is ignored if Fantasy has been chosen.
#
# Features:
#
# An option, "Woodlands:", is now available to control the amount of forest and jungle features generated. Similar to the newly added terrain options, this works by giving the standard feature generator different values to work with.
# - More jungle, normal jungle, less juugle: More jungle generates more jungle than normal. Less jungle generates less jungle than normal.
# - More forest, normal forest, less forest: More forest generates more forests than normal. Less forest generates less forests than normal.
#
# An option, "Flood Plains:", is now available to give some control over placement of flood plains.
# - 'Normal flood plains placement' only places on flat, riverside desert tiles.
# - 'Extra flood plains' also places flood plains on flat, riverside grassland, plains, and tundra tiles.
#
# Resources:
#
# Setting both 'Resource Land Masses' and 'Resource Tiles' to 'Standard' will no longer deactivate all other resource options. Setting 'Resources' to 'Standard - ignore resource options' is now the only way to do this.

[kristopher]

looks good beter than the continents we all got

[Thedrin]

Version history (continued from second last post):

#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
# 2.7:
#
# Lands:
#
# Corrected an error which resulted in more than the selected percentage of ocean being generated. Previously, the amount of land generated was a fraction of (width - 4)*(height - 4). Now the amount of land generated is a fraction of width*height. This can lead to a lot more land being generated than previously. Since the amount of hills and peaks generated is also determined by the amount of land generated, more of these will be generated, though the percentage should be unchanged. The user may prefer to switch the ocean setting to a higher percentage.
#
# Reworked the code placing the initial tile of each continent. Alterations:
# - generating a small number of continents on a larger map size may take longer than previously.
# - generating a large number of continents should take a lot quicker than previously.
# - it is more likely that all requested continents are placed.
# - land masses should be more varied in shape.
#
# Added a new option, "Continent Placement:":
# - 'Normal continent placement' will place the initial tile of each continent randomly.
# - 'More rounded land masses' will generate land masses which tend to be more circular.
# - 'More snaky land masses' will generate land masses which tend to be longer and more stretched.
# Notes:
# 1) This option only affects land masses which contain 3 continents or more:
# - Selecting 2 land masses, 4 continents, and evenly distributed continents will leave the land mass shape unaffected by the Continent Placement options 'more rounded land masses' and 'more snaky land masses'.
# - Selecting 2 land masses, 6 continents, and evenly distributed continents will mean that the placement of the first tile of the last continent on each land mass will be affected by the Continent Placement options 'more rounded land masses' and 'more snake land masses'.
# - Selecting 2 land masses, 5 continents, and evenly distributed continents will mean that the placement of the first tile of the last continent on one land mass will be affected by the Continent Placement options 'more rounded land masses' and 'more snake land masses'.
# 2) The more continents placed on a land mass, the more noticeable the affects of the options 'more rounded land masses' and 'more snaky land masses'.
# - Selecting 2 land masses, 20 continents, and evenly distributed continents will make the affects of 'more rounded land masses' and 'more snaky land masses' more obvious than if 2 land masses, 8 continents, and evenly distributed continents, or 5 land masses, 20 continents, and evenly distributed continents had been selected.
#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
# 2.71:
#
# Lands:
#
# Since pre-2.7 LandMasses rarely produced more than 7 continents on huge maps but LandMasses 2.7 can easily generate 20 continents on a standard size map, mountain ranges in maps generated with a large numbers of continents for every land mass aren't as well defined as they were previously (which, I think, removes any point in including that feature). A new option has been added to the Mountain Ranges option called 'ranges' (what was previously called ranges has been renamed 'all ranges').
# - ranges will select between 3 and 5 continents which will increase the altitude of land plots already created by other continents.
# - all ranges will, as before, cause all continents to increase the altitude of any land plot already created by other continents.
# Note:
# 1) using ranges, a mountain range produced between two continents may not be as clearly defined as one produced in pre-2.7 LandMasses since the extra altitude may only be generated by one of the two continents.
#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
# 2.71:
#
# Lands:
#
# Increased the likelihood of Indonesia-like continent-to-archipelago formations being generated under certain settings More specifically, when Coastlines is set to 'rougher' there is an increased chance of such formations being generated and when Coastlines is set to rugged there is a further increased chance of such formations being generated.
#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
# 2.73:
#
# Map Size:
#
# Introduced new "Min. Height" choice; 'Normal ratio of width to height'. This allows the user to select a width and an apporpriate height will be chosen so that the ratio of the map's width and height are similar to that generated in the Continent map script.
# The height chosen will be between 3/5 (0.6) and 5/8 (0.625) of the width - the minimum and maximum ratios used by the Continent map script (the ratio changes with different sizes).
#
# Increased the maximum value for the map width to 308 (from 240). This won't generate maps with a height of 240 using the 'Normal ratio of width to height' option but it allows that option to generate maps with an area equal to that of a 240x240 map.
#
# Lands:
#
# Reworked how continent-to-archipelago formations are generated.
#
# General Map Options:
#
# Removed Sealevel option (the one that's standard with most maps) since it wasn't doing anything.
#
# Removed standard 'Random' choice from all options. Introduced an alternative set of random options:
# - Continent Distribution: 'Random' will select from all available choices.
# - Continent Placement: 'Random' will select from all available choices.
# - Coastlines: 'Random' will select from all available choices.
# - Hills: 2 random options
# 1) 'Random' chooses between 12.5% and 34.5% of land to be hills.
# 2) 'Random highlands' chooses between 40% and 50% of land to be hills.
# - Peaks: 2 random options
# 1) 'Random' chooses between 0% and 14% of land to be peaks.
# 2) 'Random highlands' chooses between 20% and 30% of land to be peaks.
# - Mountain Ranges: 'Random' will select from all available choices.
# - Terrain: 'Random' will select from all available options except 'fantasy'.
# - Terrain Homogeneity: 'Random' will seleect from all available options.
# - Woodlands: 'Random' will select from all available options.
# - Resource Land Masses: 'Random' will select from all available options except 'custom'
# - How Many Land Masses: 'Random' will isolate resources to between 1 and (actual number of land masses - 1) land masses.
# - Strategic Quantities: 'Random' will select between 'few strategic resources', 'normal strategic resources', and 'many strategic resources'.
# - Health Quantities: 'Random' will select between 'few health resources', 'normal health resources', and 'many health resources'.
# - Luxury Quantities: 'Random' will select between 'few luxury resources', 'normal luxury resources', and 'many luxury resources'.
#
# Some options - usually because they are structured so that a random option is pointless or because the user is much more likely to have a definite idea on what they want from the option - do not recieve a random option. These options are:
# - Min./Max. Width
# - Min./Max. Height
# - Min./Max. Land Masses
# - Min./Max. Continents
# - Min./Max. Land Mass Buffer
# - Min./Max. Ocean
# - Flood Plains
# - Resources
# - Resource Tiles
# - Let Resources Clump
# - Print Map Details
#
# New option 'Print Map Details' so that option choices (including random selections) may be printed.
# - No: Selected options are not printed.
# - Yes: Details about the generated map are printed to C:\Program Files\Firaxis Games\Map Options. This file can be opened with Notepad. This file is overwritten everytime a new map is generated.
# Note that the selected option for 'Let Resources Clump:' is not listed.
#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
#2.74:
#
# Lands:
#
# Fixed an error that arose when the number of continents selected for generating mountain ranges (using 'ranges') was one less than the number of continents generated.
#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
# 2.75:
#
# Lands:
#
# Fixed an error that arose when only one continent was to be generated.
#
# Resources:
#
# Fixed an error that arose when 'Resources' was set to 'standard - ignore resource options'.

#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
Post's original message:

Thanks.

Version 1.1 uploaded.

#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
1.1:
Removed variables which weren't doing anything unique. This has resulted in slowdown in map generation - particularly for larger maps.
Adjusted (decreased and reduced the variance in) the percentage of land tiles that are hills and peaks.
Increased the amount of hills and peaks possible through more options.
Fixed an error in the lake removal code which caused some lakes to be left behind.
Removed the reduced 'deserts option'.
#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#

This would have been out faster but I was trying to put together an alternative civ placement code (and getting absolutely nowhere). I still plan on including one (so that terra and isolated start options can be included) but I don't consider it urgent since Blake released the latest improved AI.

I'll be working on speeding up the map generation next and an idea I have for terrain (distinguishing between grass, plains, desert, tundra, and snow) and features (flood plains, jungles, forests, oases, and ice) generation. I also have a plan for bonus distribution (resources) but may leave that for a while.

[alms66]

Thanks Thedrin. This is my new favorite script...
Now I just need to find time to play the game.

[DCMike]

I'm picky about what map scripts I use. I love SmartMap and Tectonics. This map script is also great.
I tested it by creating a few maps in the Worldbuilder. I like they way you can control the continent placement. One thing I couldn't figure out however- is there a way to have more than 5 continents appear on the final map?

[Thedrin]

Thanks Alms, DCMike.

One thing I couldn't figure out however- is there a way to have more than 5 continents appear on the final map?

As in entering 6 land masses under the custom game set up Land masses option? Not at the moment but I can add a few more in fairly easily if you're requesting it. I'm not sure it'll work all that well. In my experience selecting 5 land masses more frequently led to a reduced number of actual land masses than for any other number. This is a sign that a landmass could not be placed due to available space.

I have an idea for reworking the code controlling spacing between land masses which may well allow more land masses to be included more easily. While their will be a superficial alteration to the land mass spacing in the next release, any major alterations probably won't happen for a while since there's a number of other options I want to work on.

[Thedrin]

New version uploaded and available at top of page. Minor changes:

Option to have up to 8 landmasses.
New way of choosing random numbers of land masses and continents implemented to allow greater flexibility.

Read me also updated to take account of this as well as notes it should have contained originally.

[Thedrin]

Version 2.0 uploaded and available at the top of the page.

Changes:

# Alternative resource generator.
# - Oil can be generated anywhere.
# - Aquatic resources can be generated anywhere within reach of land.
# - Minerals (aluminium, coal, copper, gems, gold, iron, marble, silver, stone, uranium) and incense can be generated on any land tiles (except peaks and oases).
# - Other resources can be generated on the following terrain types.
# - Ice: fur.
# - Tundra: game, fur, ivory, sheep.
# - Tundra hills: game, fur, sheep.
# - Tundra forests: game, fur, ivory.
# - Tundra forested hills: game, fur.
# - Grassland: corn, cow, dye, horse, ivory, pig, rice, sheep, spices, sugar, wheat, wine.
# - Grassland hills: dye, pig, sheep, spices, wine.
# - Grassland forest or jungle: dye, fruit, ivory, pig, silk, spices, sugar, wine.
# - Grassland forested hills or jungle hills: dye, fruit, pig, silk, spices, sugar, wine.
# - Plains: Same as grassland but may also yield game and fur.
# Some resources are unique to their landmasses. These are corn, cow, pig, rice, sheep, wheat, ivory, silk, sugar, and wine.
# The option 'LandMasses: isolate horses' will include horses in this list.
# The option 'LandMasses: no isolated resources' will allow all resources to be placed on multiple land masses.
# LandMasses resource generator may override a mod which alters the placement of the standard resources.
# When using a mod with extra resources (salt, say) the LandMasses resource generator should (hopefully) place the additional resources according to the mods standard placement rules for that resource.
# Note that the options for isolating resources - 'LandMasses' and 'LandMasses: isolate horses' - do not completely isolate all resources selected for isolation. This is most prominently, but not completely, due to resources being placed within a civs starting place.
# Resources are placed randomly taking no account of the local resource density. This can lead to some serious clumping.
#
# Other changes:
# Increased the number of possible land masses to 10.
# Increased the possible width and height to 240 tiles (from 160).
# Increased the number of ocean percentages that can be chosen. The minimum is now 5% (was 40%) and the maximum is now 95% (was 80%).
# Added min. and max. options (previously included in the land masses and continents options) to the following options:
# - Width
# - Height
# - Ocean
# - Land Mass Seperation
# One affect of this change is that the 'Sealevel' option no longer has any effect on map generation. To obtain its affects:
# - Low: set Land Mass Seperation to between 0 and 4.
# - Medium: set Land Mass Seperation to between 5 and 8.
# - High: set Land Mass Seperation to between 9 and 12.
# Note the setting Land Mass Seperation at 0 or 1 will still cause only 1 continent per landmass to be generated.

[Thedrin]

New version uploaded and available at the top of the page.

Changes:

# Terrain changes:
#
# Selecting Rocky climate no longer affects the terrain.
# Introduced three new hill and peaks setting; Highlands few, Highlands normal, and Highlands many. I've only used estimates to determine the appropriate percentages in these cases. If someone has the actual figures I'd appreciate them.
#
# Resource changes:
#
# Created a master resource option, 'Resources'.
# - Standard will use the standard CivIV recourse placement code. The Resource Land Mass, Resource Tiles, and
# Resource Quantities options are rendered ineffective.
# - Custom activates the Resource Land Mass, Resource Tiles, and Resource Quantities options.
#
# Divided resources options into two:
# - Resource Land Mass
# - Resource Tiles
# Resource Land Mass determines which resources are assigned to specific land masses.
# - 'Standard' assigns health and luxury resources to specific land masses.
# - 'LandMasses' assigns the same resources to specific land masses as it did previously.
# - 'LandMasses, isolate horses' is the same as 'LandMasses' but it also assigns horses to a specific land mass.
# - 'No isolated resources' allows all resources to be placed on all land masses.
# Resource Tiles determines which tiles a resource can be assigned to.
# - 'Standard' assigns resources to normal CivIV locations.
# - 'LandMasses' assigns the same resources to the same tile types as it did previously.
# - 'Crazy' assigns a resource to any tile which can be improved to take advantage of the resource.
# Setting both options to 'Standard' will cause LandMasses to use the default resource placement code.
# Setting only one option to 'Standard' will cause LandMasses to attempt to mimic the effects of the default resource placement code.
#
# Added the option 'Resource Quantities'. This allows the number of resources to be altered.
# - 'Normal resources': the no. of resources is between half the no. of players and one short of the no. of players.
# - 'Few resources': Only half as much of each resource are generated.
# - 'Many resources': Twice as much of each resources are generated.
# Further notes on this option:
# - if 'Standard' has been set for both Resource Land Mass and Resource Tiles then Resource Quantities is ignored.
# - The script may not place all of the resources that it sets out to.
# - The fewer resources generated, the more likely that the civ starting placement code may add in resources. This will noticably reduce the effects of some of the choices for Resource Land Mass, 'LandMasses', 'LandMasses, isolate horses', and, if 'Standard' has not been selected for Resource Tiles, 'Standard'.
#
# The odds of a resource being placed on any given tile reduce as the number of that resource in the fat cross centred around that tile increase.
# The odds of a resource being placed on any given tile reduce as the number of all resources in the fat cross centred around that tile increase.

[Thedrin]

Found a small error in the code, posted earlier today, determining distance between land masses. Corrected.

[Thedrin]

New version uploaded and available at the top of the page.

Changes:

# Beginning work on terrain options. Since my previous undocumented attempt at this (a few months ago) was a spectacular failure, I'll be going very slowly. For now only a few, unlikely-to-be-used, options are included.
#
# Terrain:
# - Standard: uses normal terrain generation. Deactivates all terrain options.
# - Custom: Activates all terrain options.
# Terrain Type:
# - all grass, all plains, all desert, all tundra, and all snow.
# - fantasy - randomly placed terrrain tiles.
#
# Resources:
# Aquatic resources will no longer be generated beneath ice.

[Thedrin]

Corrected [really really] dumb mistake preventing generation of single land mass, single continent pangaeas.

[Thedrin]

New version uploaded and available at the top of the page.

Changes:

# Lands:
#
# Added 'Coastlines' option. A rugged coastline increses the number of islands and archipelagos.
# - Standard: Prior to the introduction of the coastlines option, this was the usual implementation.
# - Rugged: Lots of coastal islands. Lands that were narrow under the standard setting may be broken up into archipelagos.
# Notes:
# - the effectiveness of this option depends a great deal on how much space is designated towards land, ocean, and seperation between landmasses. Selecting a low ocean percentage and a high seperation between land masses will reduce the effects of the coastline option to irrelevance.
# - it is possible for large pieces of land which previously formed a single landmass to be seperated from each other. If these lands become seperated by ocean (and not just coastal tiles) then they should be treated as seperate land masses by the resource generator. In short, you may get more land masses than you intended. The odds of this happening are much more likely with coastlines set to rugged but still possible (I've never seen it) under standard coatlines.
#
# The Ocean and Distance between land masses have been swapped around on the custom menu screen. This is so that the options related to the ratio of ocean tiles to land tiles are placed in order of importance:
# 1) Seperation Between Land Masses - land will only be placed if it doesn't go to close to other land masses. If the minimum seperation is sufficiently large enough there may not be enough space to reach the ocean percentage. For example, if the minimum seperation between land masses is set to 12 and the ocean percentage is set to 20%, the code will stop placing land tiles long before 80% of the map has been assigned a land tile. This does not include Pangaeas since the land mass seperation only affects the placement of tiles from different land masses.
# 2) Ocean: If the land mass seperation leaves enough space for the ocean/land ratio to be met then it should happen.
# 3) Coasts: The ruggedness of the coast depends on how much extra space there is for land after the ocean/land ratio set by the ocean option has been met. If there is no more space the land masses will be smooth. Selecting rugged will only have a noticeable affect beyond that of standard if there is plenty of room for extra land.
#
# Resources:
#
# Added options to give control over the quantities of strategic, health, and luxury resources. Ivory, spices, sugar, and wine are classified as luxuries.
# Improved land mass placement of isolated resources. Resources selected for isolation are far less likely to appear on multiple land masses. The placement of resources on multiple land masses due to the civ placement code is unaffected.
# Aquatic resources should no longer appear on lakes.

Screenshots to demonstrate how the effect of the coastline option changes with ocean and land mass seperation:

All of the following images are of maps with the following settings:

Standard size
3 land masses
7 continents
Evenly distributed continents


12 tiles of seperation between land masses, 50% ocean, standard coastline on the left, rugged coastline on the right.


12 tiles of seperation between land masses, 70% ocean, standard coastline on the left, rugged coastline on the right.


7 tiles of seperation between land masses, 70% ocean, standard coastline on the left, rugged coastline on the right.

[Thedrin]

I've gotten some reports of problems with this map script. It works fine for me. If people are succesfully generating maps I'd be keen to hear so (even if you don't like what the script is intended to do.).Similarly, if there are any problems I'd like to hear about them.