Quick Map Editor Proposal/Free help offered

[NLTops]

I know this has been talked about a lot, but I didn’t want to bump any old threads and I hope this way the devs have an easy chance of spotting it.

I can’t wait for a Map Editor. If I understand the map generation routine properly, I can even propose a quick workaround.

How I think it works:

1. Map is shaped based on seed, map size and terrain type.

2. Locations of towns are determined (looks like a mathematical even spread with some respect for the terrain features.)
3. Industry locations are determined. (not sure how this is currently done. Feels like the above but several more factors.)

4. Industry creation. (If this is located elsewhere, it is of little importance to the algorithm.)

5. Road creation (first town layouts, then connecting towns with nearby towns, then connecting industries to those roads; or sometimes to towns.)

6. Town zoning. (creating 4 different zones in each town. Size limitation or depending on the roads present?)

7. Town creation (read: laying down buildings and determining property value.)

How I think an initial map editor could be: (please note: I consider every step to be optional depending on difficulty to implement.)

Player presses New Game, enables custom map checkbox and picks the other options like usual.
Please note that each “Player confirms.” implies that the previous steps are now no longer available.

1. Map is shaped based on seed, map size and terrain type.
Stripped down interface appeared. It has the sidebar only. It’s functions are explained below.
(optional) 1b. Player can use the existing landscaping tools (raise/lower/equalize) (ultra-tiny/tiny/small) to alter the terrain.
(optional) Player confirms.

2/3. Player selects city locations and industry locations. (can use same limitations of 7/15/30-ish(?) number of cities)
Player confirms.

4. Industry Creation. Same as normal.)
(optional) 5a. Player draws city streets. (not rural streets. big mess to find out which the system still has to street.)
(optional) Player confirms.

5b. System recognizes which cities have been streeted, streets the rest of the towns,
then same as normal.
Or if 4a is excluded, same as normal.

6. Town Zoning. Same as normal.

7. Town Creation. Same as normal.

 

As a software engineer I offer you my advice and if needed the manhours to do this. I am legitimately over the moon about this game and I would love to help give everyone the tools they need to customize their experience.

You can even allow players to save their maps to regular save files. By adding a single boolean to the serialized object-tree, you can keep the difference between a regular save and a map-save and let your application determine which interface to open the save with.

[mikael]

Hello, thank you for your ideas and your offer.

We’re currently not focusing additional features like a map editor. We’ve been experimenting with a height map importer in the early stages, this will probably be something that could be done “easily”. We did not further think about street, industry and forest creation.

 
When we’re going to implement a map editor or as you suggested additional options on starting a game we’re happy to have a look at your suggestions again. 

[NLTops]

Thank you for your reply and consideration.
Is there anywhere I can find details on what the team is currently working on?
I’m very interested in what you yourselves think about the game’s future,
but I can’t seem to find a lot on it, other than the occasional rumour and a few posts.

[mikael]

One current top priority task is improving performance. More detailed plans will be announced with every news post on http://www.train-fever.com/

[Skiwee]

+1 “height map importer”

I’ld be down for that 🙂

[Author]

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