2D Random Terrain Generation
Author
I am working on a World Generator for a 2D, Tile Based RPG. I need some help finding an algorithm to help me generate these random worlds, region by region, making forrests, rivers, mountains, and small open areas where I could later put towns or villages. I've looked a little into Perlin Noise Generation, would that be the best way to do it? I'm not sure what you guys think but any help / tips would be great.
If you want to make a square island to keep the player inside, you can paint millions of additive soft sprites at random positions and skip every sprite that touch the end of the map. Edge detection by comparing the height with 8 neighbours can be used to create erosion. This can easily be implemented using pixel shaders to make it fast.
These pages are for 3D but might give you inspiration http://malleegum.com/timspages/TerrainPages.html
JTippetts has his Accidental Noise Library available on his website and outlines some various steps that he used to generate random 2D terrain.
You can invent you algorithm easily.
Perlin noise can create initial areas -> for example forest/mountains/sea/villages.
Then you can start planting seeds for grass/trees. simulate wind for seed displacement (with care for obstacles like mountains/rivers etc.)
Pelin noise is good for lot of things, after first mountains are placed you can use erosiond and sedimentation for making canyons etc (don't know how will look with square tiles, for example removing a piece of mountain making it grassy and the put some rocks below).
For roads you can still use border of regions/areas. But a random spline is fine too!
Perlin noise can create initial areas -> for example forest/mountains/sea/villages.
Then you can start planting seeds for grass/trees. simulate wind for seed displacement (with care for obstacles like mountains/rivers etc.)
Pelin noise is good for lot of things, after first mountains are placed you can use erosiond and sedimentation for making canyons etc (don't know how will look with square tiles, for example removing a piece of mountain making it grassy and the put some rocks below).
For roads you can still use border of regions/areas. But a random spline is fine too!
JTippetts has his Accidental Noise Library available on his website and outlines some various steps that he used to generate random 2D terrain.
I found these journal entries of his pretty useful:
http://www.gamedev.net/blog/33/entry-2249260-procedural-islands-redux/
http://www.gamedev.net/blog/33/entry-2249282-hooking-into-the-tree-to-build-a-map/
http://www.gamedev.net/blog/33/entry-1895315-rivers/
He hasn't really updated his accidental site in awhile, though. I keep hoping he will some day. *wink wink, nudge nudge*
Author
Thanks for all the help guys, I acutally implemented my own Perline Noise generator into a world generator. It works really well and fast too! I even went as far as to have it generate random islands too, so I can ensure that there isn't a walkable tile at the edge of the map, so the player can't "walk off" the map. Here is my post about it for more details and some pictures of the results!
Perlin Noise Terrain Generation
Perlin Noise Terrain Generation
If you need algorithms for perlin and simplex noise, see the glm library: http://glm.g-truc.net/api/a00148.html
This topic is closed to new replies.
Advertisement
Popular Topics
Advertisement
