Thanks for your replies everybody!

I wonder if you could simulate plate tectonics in some simple way, maybe by starting with your chevyray maps and then deforming them, to try to reproduce the inconsistent complexity we see in maps of real planets.

What exactly do you mean by inconsistent complexity? I don't really think plate tectonics are really needed. How should the map be deformed? I'm not criticizing you, I'm just curious

These look pretty and very plausible as like maps of single areas, but it seems like it would feel odd to see an entire world map shaped like this.

You are right, of course, and I feel tempted to cheat by making something similar to Minecraft: Start with a 1/4 ocean off to the side and make the rest land. On top of that we could do heightmaps and lakes, and rivers based on the heightmap, going down to the ocean or a lake. That's why I'm not really sure whether I need a map or not, because with something like that I could still build cities and mountain ranges on top of the land.

Perhaps then it would be a good idea to start off with something like this:




And build it up to something like this:




Rather than start with a map like I've made before and "zoom in." However I do like my old idea as well, and it is certainly a good question to keep in mind for the future, and this idea is kind of stale. I mean, it'll always be kind of the same thing, which is pretty stupid. I think the best way to do it is to use what I have right now and make it a lot bigger. Then I could start placing lakes, rivers, and mountains right on top of it.

You should make sure while designing your algorithms that they are of the sort that you can evaluate a small segment cheaply, and evaluate at different level of details.

Yes sir, with the current algorithm I can work on a single area without affecting other areas at all. I can also "zoom in" by increasing the array at any point, so it works pretty well, and it's not very heavy on processing either. Bit hard to work with though.

Here's one of my favourite examples.

That, sir, is awesome.

Thanks man! That's always good to hear. The first algorithm works by checking depth values, and equalizing them. First you "seed" the lake by giving a random pixel a depth of, say, 32. Then this depth makes the depths around them 31 or 30, and so on, until it gets to 0.

The second one I made using ChevyRay's algorithm. It starts with a random splattering of 32X32 land or water. Then it splits it into 16X16 and checks neighbors. It makes a decision based on this (if the tile is surrounded by mostly water, it turns to water, and so on). I am not done making that one yet.

Before making the second one I started working with a mean value algorithm, and even though it looked really cool, I can't say I knew what I was doing so I stopped working on that. Here is what it looked like:



I think I might go back to it and work with it a bit more. It's important to remember that the map generation may be the most important part of the whole project so it must look decent.

Time expensive as in takes a longer time to do something in Java than something in, say, Flash.

I wasn't thrashing it though, it's my favorite language right now, I especially like it's compatibility and it's efficiency at running code.

Hello everyone. The idea of this project is to create an entire world procedurally from scratch - this includes natural things, such as lakes, rivers, mountain ranges, canyons, biomes, and so on, as well as artificial creations such as cities, villages, and farms. It will be viewed from top-down, 2D.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dseabra/procedurally-generated-world - 2 vids and information here.

We plan to take each thing one step at a time - first we make everything individually, then we stick it all together in a huge conglomerate of (hopefully) awesomeness.

"But this will kill my processor! How can I ever look at something like this?"
Hopefully not. The project will be all designed in Java, and no objects will be used, except the driver. Every type of processing will be done through a 2D array rather than looping through a list of objects. This will speed things up a little.

"Hm - This is interesting. What can I get out of it?"
We plan to release our sources for each individual project as well as the major source file for the main project at the end.

"But I don't know Java! Unfair!"
We will also release journals on each thing we make - how we thought of the algorithm, how the algorithm works, where the math comes from, etc. If we got an algorithm from someone else, we'll link it there too, and try to explain it in our own words.

"Ok, that's pretty cool. I'm interested in joining."
That's awesome! I'd love to have people help me out with this project. Right now I haven't yet made a contact form on the website, so feel free to send me a personal message.


"So where can I get more info?"
www.danielseabra.net/prodGen     <- That's our main website


"Give me some eye candy already!"
Ask and you shall receive:


Lake Generation


World Generation (will be much bigger later, just a small sample)

"Where are you getting money for this?"
Java is free, and so is programming, but I will be taking a huge amount of time off from work - I'll still be working, just not as often. When school starts again, the project might slow a little but I'll keep it going no matter what. I'm starting a KickStarter topic for this in order to help fund the project, as we'll also be needing to buy some programming programs, and I won't work during school either to work on this project.

I don't know why, but most people don't care about using Java to make games (probably because it's incredibly time expensive and the errors are very vague so you never know what you did wrong). However, I use it, and of course Minecraft is made in it, so it is definitely plausible to do so.

I've often found, especially because I moved from Game Maker to this, that Java is a very powerful language and hardly needs any optimization - my code right now is pretty terrible and still runs 60FPS just fine.

If you are still concerned about optimizing, I recommend you buy yourself a book on Data Structures. That should help you decide what kind of structure to use for each thing in your game, and will help a lot with your code. Here's a link to a free document: http://www.theparticle.com/javadata2.html

Additionally, keep thinking about things you program. Ask yourself: Could I have programmed that in any other, more efficient way? This is especially helpful when you go to sleep, at least for me, and I usually wak up with good ideas.

[EDIT:]

I've done some work with lake generation. Here is the map in 3x:


And the program itself + code: http://www.danielseabra.net/prodGen/LakeGen.html
(It's an applet, runs on the browser)


Basically what it does is it creates a map with land which has depth 0 (or less, I suppose, but that's just odd) and then it creates a single dot with depth 32 (this would be 32 UNDER land). That dot then spreads out by checking neighbors and seeing whether they have differences in land similar to it. If they don't, it makes it similar (for example, something next to the 32 would turn into 31 or 30). I changed the array like that until no more changes were made (I checked with a boolean). Once this happened, I drew it. You can see depth differences in shading.

I also experimented a bit with mean value terrain generation, but it just doesn't look very good.



EDIT:
I shamelessly stole ChevyRay's fractal algorithm which divides itself. This is what I got:



Java code and applet here: http://www.danielseabra.net/prodGen/MapGen.html

[Real-Game Screenshot: Conversation]

Real-Game Screenshot: Conversation



A ghost smasher

Now animated -

[Real-Game Screenshot]

Real-Game Screenshot


Mockup Conversation


Another mockup

Set up a site: http://wmp.danielseabra.net

If that doesn't work yet: http://wmp.comyr.com

Yup, back to uninteresting. I could say that I did it on purpose because being in the city sucks (it does) so a tileset that sucks should reflect that but no, that's just a silly excuse. In reality I just suck at pixel art.





Parking must be a nightmare.

[HUMANS, POSSESION, GHOST POWER, MISSIONS, AND MORE]

Finally got the grass to work. It was harder than you'd think.




Also we got HUMANS, POSSESION, GHOST POWER, MISSIONS, AND MORE working, and by "we" I mean Arkthalohs.

[In-Game Screenshot]

In-Game Screenshot

Because I'm forced to post an image, I'll post this screenshot. I haven't yet added grass, unfortunately, but there it is, for now:




I'll really, really, really, try to get some more work done. Really.

Sorry about my inactivity guys. Being here and not doing anything makes me feel very guilty, but I'm just loaded with homework, unable to get to everything like I used to. This means I have to prioritize, and WMP isn't very close to the top, unfortunately for me.

I have break in a week, and then I'll start a-programming and making graphics again. I will see you again in a week, if you don't kick me out (please don't, unless you have to).

Sorry for no updates, in vacation in Sweden with crap internetz. Here is a progress thing and what we've done so far (still got a LOT to do):

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/9805/progressfu.png




Huge image:

Some of Arkthaloh's work. Just a teaser, really. It might be all that you get in the story before the game though, so read up!

Code:

The Oligarchy’s risen.
The Minotaur will fall.
Then forgotten one imprisons
The God who runs it all.

A powerful new weapon,
May lead the way to peace,
Even as the dead one,
Walks the way to seize.

The Earth is lost in crashes,
And youthful death is nigh,
A hero walks from ashes,
Upon the hills so high.

To keep the old Death living,
And life in rightful place,
He does not show forgiving,
In his bright, but ghostly face.

The Oligarchy’s fallen,
The Minotaur returns.
Death is yet returned again,
And still the hero burns.

The powerful new weapon,
Will light his merry way,
To have his death undone,
And end his epic stay.

But the story is not over,
The Ghosts will rise again.
The Ancients will be slower,
To take their bloody gain.

It looks awesome, but really hard to see. Also, playing as a pixel is awesome.

I didn't mean to...I removed it before I saw your post. I just felt upset at the insult D:

...

One is smooth light transition, which implies smooth dirt. The other has a jagged dirt transition, which implies a rocky kind of dirt. I myself liked the second better, but have been warned quite a bit about using such kinds of textures by pixel artists. I was making sure it was ok.

in this page: people who arent pixel artists

Agreed.

epic troll

Wow, you're mean. Sorry if I messed up...relatively new here.

Also thanks, JR Hill.

Good stuff  

Anyway, some more mockup action, trying to get a solid background going:

[I vote dangerousday]

Everyone remember: If we all spread our votes evenly (except a slight majority on the 'major ghost') then no ghosts can get points. With this in mind, I vote dangerousday.

This is not because I hate him or anything. I deeply sympathize with his work hours, and I'm sorry he could not make anything to show us. I have no basis, really; He just hasn't posted much. I would vote allen, but everyone else has so it's pointless right now. I'm sorry, dangerousday, I just don't want any random ghost to leech off of me.

Come on, people, Daniel Seabra is obviously a ghost.

Random evil post has no proof and is evil. If you could provide some for me, I would be glad to prove you wrong in any way possible (I don't think there is much I CAN prove, because this competition was designed to be misty like that).

What is it that makes you think that? Is it that I have no story? I never have stories when I make games. Eventually, if the game is worth it, I'll come up with a story. Besides, that's Arkthalohs' job, not mine. And he doesn't seem to post much. I talk with him every day though.

Is it because I produce stuff to fast? Well, I've spent a good 6-8 hours on this game right now, most of which went into artwork, so yeah, I did work a lot. And it shows.

Why do you blame me so, oh noble communist?