Procedural RPG OT: every action has consequences

Legend · Jun 06, 2019, 11:22 PM

Here is the real deal in game.

Zoomed in on the bottom right corner to show more detail. Again here is the raw image that the map is upscaled from:

A single pixel in the original map becomes 16*16 pixels in the new map, but it can get arbitrarily zoomed in. I tried two different approaches before settling on this one. This technique converts the pixel map into a curve. I realised that it would be nice to have this information anyway, so I figure I might as well use it.

Legend · Jun 07, 2019, 04:54 AM

The scale is way off but I'm starting to experiment with artistic elements instead of just gameplay elements. Ripples around coasts and deeper water is darker.

The end goal is for the game to have a highly stylized fantasy map that acts as a backdrop for everything.

Legend · Jun 12, 2019, 08:27 PM

Experimenting with something new.

Solves practically all of my problems while improving the end game. Here's how it works!

Everything is rendered in real time. A shader takes a height map, a detail map, and the global heat and humidity maps as input. It generates all the land from that info every frame. There is no actual mesh for the world, it's just a shader.

A compute shader or seperate thread can then render new local maps as needed. Only done as the camera moves or zooms in/out. Can be slow since it can happen on screen and still look good.

I think I'll embrace this new 3D look but an orthographic camera can be used to get a 2D looking map if I want to go back to that.

Legend · Jun 18, 2019, 05:54 AM

Some new mountain tech. I've been really struggling with this step of development since it's so loosely defined but I'm still managing two steps forward for every step back.

The new mountains are part of my general solution for rendering the world. A very high resolution picture is made that just shows if a pixel is water, land, or river. Since every pixel is just one byte, this picture can be held in memory without issues.

Then new chunks are procedurally rendered as needed. For every pixel in the chunk, the distance from it to the nearest water is calculated. This gives a general mountain look. A lower res height map is then added to this so that rivers and lakes are not at sea level.

This height map can then be used by the shader to deform the mesh.

Legend · Jun 18, 2019, 08:59 PM

Getting there.

Legend · Jun 19, 2019, 05:00 AM

I think tomorrow I'll try to finish it up to minimum viable product level. Then I can move on with the rest of the RPG and get that into a playable state.

Legend · Jun 19, 2019, 11:37 PM

Everything is coming together. Obviously there is more I'd like to improve but I'm pretty happy with the current state of things. The difference between this video and the last video is night and day (although I need to fix those spires). Now I can spend the rest of the day working on the art side of things. The whole world shouldn't just be mountains but I focused on that since they are the most complicated.

Legend · Jun 20, 2019, 09:38 PM

It's working!

Everything is still low res and programmer art, but game is starting to resemble a game. Grass and trees are simulated, and you can see super fast seasons as winter extends through the north. There is a massive desert through the middle of the world, but there is actually another desert hidden under the ice sheet in the north.

This game is turning out so much crazier and cooler than I was ever expecting. The switch to 3D was primarily for programing reasons but it really demonstrates the scale of the world.

Legend · Jun 27, 2019, 12:58 AM

Procedural family names

Without curation, here are some last names that I'm currently generating.

Goland
Pardy
Saloan
Amend
Hor
Hames
Herrol
Turgynd
Cargyle
Pendwater
Grafton
Preer
Hardiada
Blantony
Cargyw
Hedrearte
Reendwartlay
Whitfooone
Dakenshelld
Weit
Meathe
Tark
Lastbr
Wafforen
Lon
Wonchermax
Haste
Foler
Rer
Harwoway
Pontoley
Stan
Tarsfield
Layfood
Sall
Ambrk
Tebbesbe
Tendrs
Wod
Graunermon
Lanning
Carlanne
Artlack
Halteneoon
Arklyn
Hilter
Honsbe
Bargaryen
Wefferr
Cocran
Bucklell
Toorne

Seems to do a darn good job making names that follow a general style. I'm amazed at how "made up by a high school student writing fantasy" it feels compared to the consonant soups of my first attempts.

Will need to put in a filter though just to make sure nothing super bad gets generated. Next I'll try first names.

Legend · Jun 27, 2019, 07:28 PM

Well except for human males, this looks good to go.

Spoiler for Hidden:

Human Cities 1. contiago 2. quangpin 3. zhongduo 4. marceilles 5. burg 6. lolormsara 7. mantosport 8. cagliha 9. roy 10. jiza 11. tonju 12. ovss dn 13. oendos 14. kango 15. tarquolle 16. luoya 17. thessav 18. smos 19. yanto 20. bracus 21. reskos 22. ghangping 23. trebes 24. lerueilles 25. cavacera 26. gyeoali 27. cang 28. vaxicum 29. bopingzhou 30. kangapou 31. medroviyantonerg 32. hathai 33. vinnzhou 34. berraca 35. logn 36. laga 37. bhodes 38. karanto 39. cong 40. skanzhou 41. anzig 42. taj 43. aendanda 44. sanago 45. malls 46. habule 47. myousou 48. yegensburg 49. manti 50. ranting 51. cong 52. bonne 53. nopewell 54. aevenna 55. akangshad 56. naendu 57. nadango 58. zimbuktu 59. limingo 60. argont 61. canlier 62. euari 63. yeffa 64. vor 65. nendora 66. seccosburg 67. knorai 68. nazigrai 69. bogath 70. gour 71. allisbon 72. bugspei 73. mitsake 74. magrang 75. rempoia 76. soma 77. citta 78. taffanadu-batan 79. patra hora 80. hellstane 81. gulandung 82. jiankia 83. chexa 84. kinsbuhof 85. ptulora 86. mujgo 87. jiaozhou 88. trolis 89. bulgeium 90. tiankanng 91. yanyu 92. bri 93. val 94. kand 95. janth 96. citermarino 97. erdiseo 98. akrinde 99. lorinth 100. egngacu Human Man Names todo Human Woman Names 1. rarian folt 2. clotild ollingfon 3. gra viddler 4. ligundra whart 5. asacey jusgg 6. aunderer make 7. jecimada celmon 8. aura risnsm 9. julya hurpo 10. jegaveve rosby 11. cifavia stonynd 12. cohelle rus 13. brath rowlis 14. juliara werand 15. chrilyn toy 16. liara mayney 17. lyendefer coston 18. chlenty shaelas 19. anitha spabb 20. cory baelin 21. carmella mossoway 22. raendrey hort 23. leya harrick 24. helyssent harryled 25. pelly wydder 26. trelippacquesta conch 27. julicia jusgower 28. annalys sustmanden 29. gessta wyrrenter 30. arice caynwody 31. rissandeina lake 32. pada ung 33. kikki sutchul 34. ianilyn greenwoodflother 35. ale bergrabb 36. marry tul 37. beexanda marlyndondon 38. hosha hupps 39. alexander owooksterlynear 40. alexis lorry 41. horalynn crax 42. velaria dushy 43. peta oanouth 44. ara braun 45. shaely ryswynson 46. elizailla cloanghimm 47. cilla pemforrester 48. saya ulslafy 49. shang toxthantlon 50. iaenda egandrrighet Fairy Cities 1. rarksun 2. contpesun 3. limmetssun 4. rassysun 5. maidolowersun 6. tinn 7. esun 8. petun 9. peoncettemun 10. rellopesun 11. sun 12. fasun 13. honasun 14. sun 15. hoaryllaxsun 16. gradensun 17. bary'sun 18. storsun 19. jarnsun 20. gahliasun 21. tinnsun 22. ganden pinksun 23. oodsun 24. laliniasun 25. anendrsun 26. ageenasun 27. rack soapwortsun 28. beesesun 29. twillingsun 30. ascilasun 31. feseasun 32. felloon flowersun 33. consun 34. ralvasun 35. postsun 36. brossun 37. cin beronsunsun 38. rairietasun 39. sun 40. sun 41. tulsun 42. lassun 43. blowersun 44. gariasun 45. yelodysun 46. merfallsun 47. beriwin 48. speniumsun 49. stsun 50. pasunafr sasun 51. browalasun 52. dun 53. cheresun 54. buttercun 55. enasun 56. luglesun 57. boozesthin 58. liminarisun 59. pearlet savesun 60. gainsun 61. primsun 62. gosebudsun 63. olintsun 64. forysun 65. sun 66. nilsun 67. ankedicasun 68. darinasun 69. fun 70. flowin 71. rhing glorysun 72. triamsun 73. lelphisun 74. chrylsun 75. laineiun 76. coowsun 77. toonywysun 78. tran 79. rintesun 80. killasun 81. bushiasun 82. gerasun 83. stsun 84. limogesun 85. acoleusun 86. gas plofsun 87. al fsun 88. melorssun 89. roun 90. wansysun 91. sun 92. hytun 93. gliliaxsun 94. greemisun 95. gottlasun 96. leun 97. banteloniasun 98. makersun 99. cardenioflowersun 100. honeflowersun Fairy Man Names 1. peaut 2. rit 3. malebeeryspirit 4. fronillirmspirit 5. nspirit 6. elliumspirit 7. delpirit 8. flowflowespirit 9. mizit 10. duttespirit 11. itendespirit 12. frit 13. calipspirit 14. pephyspirit 15. orit 16. shseapirit 17. angerbury bellsspirit 18. plutunit 19. futassspit 20. vainforestspirit 21. lavendull caspirit 22. deasspirit 23. pragote gentianspirit 24. molacaspirit 25. belspirit 26. tutchman's breechesspirit 27. le manaspirit 28. olantaspirit 29. lacsvaaspirit 30. wilvermistspirit 31. orgnirit 32. mait 33. vit 34. summewesavoryspirit 35. varit 36. soirit 37. chrit 38. conthellirit 39. soseflowerspirit 40. rit 41. chunationspirit 42. coxgottenwoodsspirit 43. lumispirit 44. rit 45. gindespirit 46. rit 47. forastspirit 48. spirit 49. tendspirit 50. hosettaspirit Fairy Woman Names 1. banerfal 2. rathenbul 3. cariassoul 4. glintsoul 5. tummoul 6. rasoul 7. rardensoul 8. allifoul 9. shoul 10. agoniasoul 11. gaffleysoul 12. cosssoul 13. asoul 14. grissiniumsoul 15. proul 16. choul 17. blaris edsousanssowfl 18. olsmerall 19. ful 20. dairinsoul 21. bordin pinksoul 22. flavesoul 23. adesoul 24. therasoul 25. lendflooul 26. maidesoul 27. scrigolesoul 28. marsoul 29. hul 30. dumbell 31. columiasoul 32. tarkspursoul 33. shadsoul 34. trecoul 35. rairinasoul 36. nasoul 37. piastesoul 38. holly soul 39. frissve gsoul 40. tasigesoul 41. bergersoul 42. caiasoul 43. straksoul 44. creesoul 45. sweetsoul 46. ssoul 47. nsoul 48. aroul 49. preen snowflakesoul 50. anonsoul Machine Cities 1. ook'v k'vul 2. vpuk'v 3. to iok'v u 4. iruv 04509-6910 5. vtukk'v 6. ulendinu 7. uivak'v 8. lurv hi 9. kov w uut 10. toyoly 11. k'v i 12. neviteti 13. finury 14. pernerluv 15. qulyu 16. kotu-kollu 17. lu e 18. volyut v 19. ulu iniu 20. lodu 21. vy vk'v 22. toryi 23. prthfinder 24. indokk'v huvurk'v 25. dutey eurti 26. indo 27. gov ru 28. belgorod 29. verve 30. endu 31. vokk'v o 32. oniey 33. rove- etul 34. bunk'v h 35. ovk'v 36. rover 37. k'v endo 38. vubutter 39. ter 40. k'v uhuuvu 41. r-tv ovkhu 42. unjo 43. hurihonjo 44. fevak'v ovutvu 45. rvvyvtortter 46. dunuvhiru 47. k'v endoy 48. tok'v utu u 49. vppernovu 50. huku 51. k'v ivhiwu 52. fuv ruvnodu 53. inuyu uga 54. fuiniu 55. o v unul 56. khelyubinvk'v 57. rokuk'v 58. tungel 59. venk'v 60. u 1 61. ukk'v 62. iruv 05280-6910 63. vhrgex 64. tok'v unkhk'v itv 65. nuikk'v ugo 66. bujoryuk'v i 67. v354 kephei 68. hydronuliu 69. uebuvhi 70. hunk'v 71. aru 1 urov 1 72. pu un 73. ikk'v h 74. r-1 75. tunk'v u 76. ozur 77. yu-8000 78. one 79. vurutto 80. ozu 81. kuk'v huigu 82. nohon utvukk'v 83. to iyo 84. k'v endov 85. vugov v hionov 86. buint petervburg 87. eu endevtruktion 88. bld 89. i 332277554499006611 90. rv uvuyu 91. guko 92. roend'v 93. tokhe 94. yuendude 95. tukk'v 96. urti ev 97. ink'v 98. futvuyu u 99. n1-l3 100. nugoyu Machine Individual Names 1. kuzun 2. hunk 3. ding ikovo 4. dun en 5. tonkephei 6. ukugoyu 7. yuenduvhi 8. iruku o 9. betrophro e 10. kelebrun glul 11. nikk 12. n1-l3 13. rvgk1-f02 14. vtel-on-do 15. vieboke 16. uiutvhi 17. rokkov ov 18. tukugeyury probev: 19. khovhi ur 20. lurk 21. izuho 22. vtelloy 23. urtk 24. quurk 25. uvvri 26. deend vuvteti 27. niku u 28. to ivu uni 29. geleld'v 30. bruvnodur 31. bukivhi u urello 32. i u 33. ku utu 34. b 332277554499006611 35. bl kheuny 36. luvugu i 37. on bruwn 38. obu u 39. di ukhev 40. iyo 41. qunu 2 42. vutvu 43. turutu 44. uteyu 45. vokk 46. vovibrukheo 47. aji 48. vhika 49. nuri 50. u 1 iku 51. uvhiko 52. klinu 53. hirov. 54. vun uinbuyuvhi 55. vhoton 56. fro 57. rvenio 58. to vku 59. voxeruktu 60. lo u i 61. iva 62. y ulloy 63. nendiu 3 64. pholeptoyon 65. woh g64 66. uru 67. tvu 68. vunur voino 69. yutenu 9 70. niru 71. beto 72. vpekewulk 73. yovtoretolui u 74. hutvu 75. yate 76. vlto 77. ur 1 78. kongolu 79. ulliu 80. uki 81. kituyo 82. fuik 83. toyotu e 84. kr ifi 85. v-2 b 86. vteeve 87. upu 1 88. izitvvk 89. entil 90. vhoburuki 91. oldk 92. duikor 93. kuend 94. upu 95. unityu fu 96. rovtok et union 97. ikhevhiro 98. ark 18136 99. urgoyote 100. koguyu

I cannot stress enough just how pleased I am with this setup. There is a ton of room for variation yet everything still follows similar trends. This system is pretty much perfect for any sort of raw name generation. Not all procedural names should use it (human first names might be better with just a list) but it's great for what it does.

Legend · Jun 29, 2019, 03:24 PM

Don't go too close to the edge! This medieval RPG is 100% historically accurate. https://t.co/kAVWIDdrb3 #screenshotsaturday #IndieGameDev
— Mike Armbrust (@MikeArmbrust) June 29, 2019

Legend · Jul 06, 2019, 04:20 PM

Trying out a slightly more realistic art style. Old look was pretty cool imo but wasn't matching the feel of the game.

Also as you can see, the map is really coming together. The 512*512 grid is visible in this video when close to the ground. Not only is it cool seeing how much additional detail is added per tile with this second procedural generation pass, but these tiles will also be used for construction and empire building. The game does not have tile based movement or play like a tile based game unless the player is a governor/king focused on managing the bigger picture.

Legend · Jul 06, 2019, 11:36 PM

Fading distant objects to blue helps demonstrate scale.

Legend · Jul 12, 2019, 12:37 AM

Think I've narrowed in on how roads, bridges, and a few other things like that will work.

Essentially the world is split into sectors (hopefully I can figure out a more medieval sounding name before release). These sectors are the squares you see in the screenshot above. Along river banks and shores, sectors have irregular shapes and don't spread out into the water. Instead a seperate water only sector covers that space.

Sector wide improvements can be constructed including roads and irrigation. When roads are built on a water sector, they are automatically used as bridges. Makes it all fairly simple from both a player perspective and a dev perspective. No need to build paths between every building, just build the road upgrade for that sector and you are good to go. Neighboring sectors with road upgrades string together to form continuous roads for traveling long distances.

the-pi-guy · Jul 12, 2019, 12:56 AM

Region, province, territory

zone is kind of weird. It doesn't feel like it'd make sense in a medieval time, but it is actually a middle English word.