A man has to have a little bit of variety

[primemover]

Is it possible via slic to start an external mapgenerator and import the output from this?

I don't think so... but maybe it isn't necessary. If someone knows (maybe a representative of the CTP2 development team.. they do post here every now and then don't they?)... the format of the savegame file/map, we could write a program to generate a map and then translate into a savgame file. (probably a lot of work though).

We might also try a SLIC version... but I would have to think about that over Christmas Break... (no time right now). But in order to do that, we would have to have SLIC actually make the map... don't know if that is possible.

Primemover: Do you have or know of any scientiffic map-geration-routines?

I don't know of any complete ones. I have started work on my own. http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?threadid=70275]I actually posted a thread with finding volunteers in mind... [/URL] but I don't expect them to. Just am trying to discover if anyone would have the time and/or be interested.

I recently discovered that the writers of "Clash of Civilizations" (an alternate civ on apolyton) are trying to create a map generator to do something of what I had in mind for my own. We might ask them... if we try an external map generator. But I don't think theirs is finished yet either.

Child of Thor:

I didn't know PNG was becoming a new continent!! That would probably explain all the tidal waves,volcanos and earthquakes that have been getting more extreme recently.

LOL ... well... it will take a GOOD long time for it to make a continent... on the order of 200+ million years theoretically. But all the same, I share your enthusiasm... I think its pretty cool myself.

One of CtP2's advantages, theres so many terrain types

Oh really? And I was recently thinking there weren't really enough (at least if we mix climate into the picture).

I'm wondering if it is possible... with terrain improvement slic... to make more (even a whole new basic terrain type?)

PS... who is Peter Triggs and what has he done with map generation? (was it for CTP2?)

[Devil of Truth]

Calling all SLIC geniuses:

This SLIC has been coded to only terraform once, right at the start of turn 0 (i.e. when the game loads). However, when playing multiplayer it actually does this for every human player playing . (Which makes perfect sense.)

Does anybody know how to stop this from happening?

The code looks a little something like this:

HandleEvent(BeginTurn)'ChangeMyMap' pre {
...
...
...
if (GetCurrentRound() == 0) {
...
...
...
elseif (GetCurrentRound () > 0) {
    DisableTrigger('ChangeMyMap');
}

(If anybody comments that "..." isn’t valid SLIC syntax, I’ll send ‘em a message with no "..." but plenty of "***" .)

[Maquiladora]

Originally posted by primemover
I'm wondering if it is possible... with terrain improvement slic... to make more (even a whole new basic terrain type?)

I read somewhere on this forum from a programmer on CtP2, that you can only have a maximum of the 24 terrain types already there. But ive seen the generator use the bridge tile and the little huts from the tile file in the Magnificent Samurai scenario.

I havent tried basically but it certainly looks promising.

PS... who is Peter Triggs and what has he done with map generation? (was it for CTP2?)

Peter wrote a small script to change all the pretty useless tiles at the start of the game, to ones that are useful for gameplay. So it would change swamp to grassland or plains, stuff like that.

[LDiCesare]

I recently discovered that the writers of "Clash of Civilizations" (an alternate civ on apolyton) are trying to create a map generator to do something of what I had in mind for my own. We might ask them... if we try an external map generator. But I don't think theirs is finished yet either.

It definitely is not.
(edit) There is an altitude only map generator, which gives small maps and is not very efficient IMO (/edit)
You would probably have problems converting it to CtP2 anyway because we want to have different data dor elevation (hills/mountains/plains) and vegetation (woods on hills). Though CtP2 has hills/desert hills, the representation of the data would be hard to translate. Also, rivers are going to be on-edges and not in-square, so that makes a difference too.
Any comments in the relevant thread (http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...77#post1529727) are approeciated. You will also find some links there to previous models and some map generator programs (have to follow some links, though).

Note that if we get a map generator program working for Clash that would suit you, the resulting file is a quite simple format, and I could explain it to you if needed.

[LDiCesare]

DoT,

Can't you use a variabel like int_t isAlreadydone = 0 and set it to one when you have generated it, then test if (isAlreadyDone == 0) instead of GetCurrentRound?
I don't know the exact SLIC syntax, but I think there are global variables that you could use.
And, no, ... is not valid SLIC syntax.

[Locutus]

DoT,
Don't put the DisableTrigger function in an else clause, it should be disabled after the very first time it's executed (which is still in turn 0), so just move the DisableTrigger to the very last line of the handler.

[The Big Mc]

This slic look interesting it may be possible to add my underwater mountain chains after all.

[finfahey]

Quick dirty suggestion...

I really like the idea of alternate map generation systems. But that's the kind of thing that you go into and never emerge from - OTOH to make the map more interesting, why not take a leaf out of SMAC and 'overstamp' the map with SLIC routines putting blocks of terrain and/or goods in random places once the main generation is finished?

So, just as SMAC has stuff like Uranium Flats and the New Sargasso, you could have the Sea of Whales or the Emerald Mountains. The thing is balance and restraint - you want to invent lots of enriched terrain areas, but any given game would only include, say, a third/half of them. This adds big fun to exploration for a start.

The other feed-in is that it gives you, or your opponents, areas to covet and fight for. This feeds into the Civ3 thing about strategic goods.

e.g Invent block feature called 'Oil Lake' - have it turn up in the most (already) conflict-ridden part of the planet and you've got some of our geopolitics right there (but in ctp2 it might just turn up somewhere unnoticed to that time, has to be desert, though).

And you don't have to dump the goods into the area until one of the players gets the requisite advance, so that's a well Civ3-type thing.

Just a pity that the names can't appear on the map a la SMAC. Hey, I might have a go at this, though - could be fun making up these map features.

[The Big Mc]

sounds a good idea

but the problem with that is it all most gets rid of the point of pollution as you have five recourses to kill not just one.

[finfahey]

Well, pollution would still be a blight. I'm not suggesting that *all* the resources be gathered up into these features - even without the strategic resource idea, these features would add a bit of variety to the map.

And pollution blasts ordinary improved tiles too. I've never thought that its effect of resource destruction was the most important one.

Global warming still operates.

But note: I play a very green game - I try to avoid polluting developments if possible and get recycling centres going as fast as I can. Besides the fact that I hate those ugly dead squares, it's a sort of self-imposed handicap when playing the AIs - and it makes me feel righteous.

[The Big Mc]

I love the dead tiles i even maid a volcano ones based on a dead tile.

[SMIFFGIG]

Interesting Combination

i added fault.dll to the userprofile.txt and tried this little bit of slic and well
look

dunno if i prefer it yet, but why isnt fault.dll default anyway?