Of course you can't change fields as easily once the game starts since it'll spoil fractal generation for maps already made, but this is in world gen so it's okay. Then we generate new fields when we zoom in, using those changed stored values as the edge seeds. There's definitely bleeding over into nearby chunks! We have a finite top-level world map, at most 257x257 in size, so we can store those fields after generating them and do whatever we want to them. Using several separate fields allows some interesting overlap to take place to break up blobs of similar biomes.
Yeah, as PatrikLundell writes, we have several fractal fields and the biome is determined through a formula mainly based on latitude, temp, rainfall, and drainage. Ultimately we'll still need to have rainfall, temperature, drainage, present species, and that sort of thing, and the existing classifications aren't bad there. I also have a few other lists around that are mostly in that one up there, but I doubt that's everything.īiomes relate to a lot of that, how they are contained or how they can change and bleed together, and what sort of ecological simming we can get away with. No way we're getting to all or even most of that on the first pass! But we're hoping to create a backbone that support it all. based worlds, auras/fields/mists/wtvr and restructure good/evil-type sphere links, compatability with astronomical or larger universe concepts, support for regional/world natural disasters and resulting map changes (and map repair like forest regrowth), places in the clouds, underground oceans and other improved underground linkages/structure/features, consider support for broader liquid/material types in terrain, large vortices/whirlwinds/etc., z-level buildings/doors/etc., merging/mixing planes, teleporting sites, illusions of various kinds (non-tactile, tactile but impermanent in some way.)
In no particular order, one list we have is different distant/time scales, a general framework for world spanning features like rivers that will allow world trees or ley lines or tortoises or whatever), world edges, connectors like rainbow bridges/multiplanar rivers, multiple view ports, boats and moving map segments/shifting mazes, shadow/veil concepts, recursive/fractal/'levels of reality'/micro-macrocosm concepts, non-rectangular world shapes (giant pillar, tubes, giant pit, etc., though we likely won't attempt traditional spheres, as wrapping abilities are limited by the grid), better geological layers/intrusions/cliffs/eroded features, support for linkages between rivers/caves entrances/etc., support for small sites (logging camps, crossroad inns, etc.), support for nomadic groups sites (the current tents the armies use are horrible), ability to support world-spanning settlements, portals (various), faerie-type border zones, infinite worlds (not that there's memory for that, but the ability to reshift focus), liquid/air/etc. The first step with the map rewrite is to create a structure which will support what we want to do, whether that's with planes or real world land/waterforms, etc.