Balor
Recruit
To allow insane replayability, I suggest making the global map random.
And now my idea how to implement it:
1. At first, height levels will be charted. There should be a certain ratio of 'mountains/plains' - since both will have some natural resources unique to that environment. (see below).
2. Then, natural recourses will be distributed. (Including forests... that may have some unique to it natural resources, like certain lumber or animals) While you'll be able to have rocks anywhere in the mountains and grow grain anywhere on the plains, some places will have more abundant herds of animals, certain mineral deposits, (like salt or iron ores), etc. Think Rome: Total war and Civilization. Borrow from the best!
. The distribution should be rather equal for the entire map (see below).
3. Then rivers will be drawn - the should flow from mountains to the lowlands, eventually forming lakes or falling into sea.
4. Then towns should be located, with certain prereqs:
a. Better near a river, for constant supply of fresh water.
b. Near one or more natural resources.
Agrarian villages can be situated just in the fertile plains, tho... and the overall food production must be equal or more then it's overall consumption... unless we want the world to slowly starve. It should also check the same for a few other critical resources... but a few imbalances are, in fact, required - so player can benefit from them.
5. Roads are drawn to interconnect cities. If it will cross a river - place a bridge there.
6. Those towns will get divided into factions (and it should be made sure that no faction will get too much natural resources or too many cities.) and named. Capitals should be situated somewhere in the center of the kindom, and serve as a hub for most trade.
7. Place certain quest locations, like buried treasures, hidden cities, etc.
8. Set bandit spawn points, calculate caravan routes, etc.
It's done.
May not be something very easy to do, but definitely doable, and will boost gameplay and replayability 1000%.
Oh, and make game world bigger. I'd vote for MUCH bigger... perhaps world size slider, when creating a new game, will be nice.
Btw, same goes for difficulty settings... not about AI or damage - but amount of bandits on the map, their quality and numbers in groups, etc, for instance. Those who like to get most from the game (and their computers), will just crank it out.
And now my idea how to implement it:
1. At first, height levels will be charted. There should be a certain ratio of 'mountains/plains' - since both will have some natural resources unique to that environment. (see below).
2. Then, natural recourses will be distributed. (Including forests... that may have some unique to it natural resources, like certain lumber or animals) While you'll be able to have rocks anywhere in the mountains and grow grain anywhere on the plains, some places will have more abundant herds of animals, certain mineral deposits, (like salt or iron ores), etc. Think Rome: Total war and Civilization. Borrow from the best!
. The distribution should be rather equal for the entire map (see below).3. Then rivers will be drawn - the should flow from mountains to the lowlands, eventually forming lakes or falling into sea.
4. Then towns should be located, with certain prereqs:
a. Better near a river, for constant supply of fresh water.
b. Near one or more natural resources.
Agrarian villages can be situated just in the fertile plains, tho... and the overall food production must be equal or more then it's overall consumption... unless we want the world to slowly starve
. It should also check the same for a few other critical resources... but a few imbalances are, in fact, required - so player can benefit from them.5. Roads are drawn to interconnect cities. If it will cross a river - place a bridge there.
6. Those towns will get divided into factions (and it should be made sure that no faction will get too much natural resources or too many cities.) and named. Capitals should be situated somewhere in the center of the kindom, and serve as a hub for most trade.
7. Place certain quest locations, like buried treasures, hidden cities, etc.
8. Set bandit spawn points, calculate caravan routes, etc.
It's done
.May not be something very easy to do, but definitely doable, and will boost gameplay and replayability 1000%.
Oh, and make game world bigger. I'd vote for MUCH bigger... perhaps world size slider, when creating a new game, will be nice.
Btw, same goes for difficulty settings... not about AI or damage - but amount of bandits on the map, their quality and numbers in groups, etc, for instance. Those who like to get most from the game (and their computers
), will just crank it out.