Tools and Tutorials

[DrPraetorious]

Attached find the best damned start-province finding perlscript anyone will ever write.

USAGE:
cp map.map new_map.map
perl (scriptname) X R map.map >> new_map.map

It takes as input the minimum number of neighbors each start-province must have (X), and the absolute minimum distance between each pair of start provinces (R).

For the first start province it chooses the eligible province with the fewest eligible start provinces within R.

FOr the second start province it chooses the eligible province farthest from the first start province.

Now it adds provinces in order to minimize the *variance* in the remoteness of all start provinces, and keeps doing so until it can't fit any more.

The "remoteness" of a start province is the sum of all path lengths between that province and other start provinces.

This will tend to spread the start provinces out on the map more or less uniformly. A province with fewer close neighbors will tend to be closer to the close neighbors that it does have.

I'm happy to alter the script somewhat if needed to meet community needs. It requires a real computer (with perl) to run.

It doesn't presently generate sea start sites. I'll add this functionality at some point. Oh, it also suggests places to add specials but it doesn't actually add any.

[Gandalf Parker]

Now that other map generators have had a chance to post, I will mention that for those who wish to download a map then improve on it, my Dom2Minions site is still generating daily maps for Dom2. They usually work in Dom3.
Dom2Minions Random Maps
If none of them strike your interest, there will be a new batch tomorrow for you to look at. Its been running ever day for years.

In keeping with my own request at the beginning of this thread, here is a link to discussion about these maps and others.

These were generated using DomMap which is an open source generator from Dom2 days. Here is a link to DomMap-v2.18 but ask me if you want to pick it up for progressing it further since there seems to be a 2.19 (but I dont remember what it added).

[paradoxharbinger]

ive made an app for creating units, basically just a gui that has all of the unit commands in it so you dont have to actually do all of the typing. it's in c#, so you'll have to have the .net framework installed for it, but i'm looking into a c# alternative that will allow it to be cross-platform. you can find the link in my sig.

[Edi]

Information on the phenomenon of mod cumulativity Link updated

How to update mods or change things in the middle of the game Link updated

Those two links might be useful for mapmakers and modders as well as players who find that they need to change some tiny little detail but don't want to start a whole new game.

[paradoxharbinger]

it seems like alot of people ask for a tga viewer other than gimp, so here's a link to irfanview, my personal fav

[chrispedersen]

Post deleted by Gandalf Parker

[Valandil]

Don't think its possible right now.

[chrispedersen]

Once upon a time, there was a file?? with all the graphics, weapons, armors, #s and all for the modding community for Dom2.

Is that still around?

[DigitalSin]

Edi's DB. Just look for one of his posts and there'll be a link in it. But I dont think it has the graphics.

[Edi]

Terrain Math Tools thread Link updated
Contains a lot of discussion on map file terrain analysis and suitable scripts

Kaljamaha's Map Check script Link updated
This particular utility will output analysis into a tab-separated text file that can be pasted into a spreadsheet program like Excel or Open Office Calc and then easily inspected using filters. Great for analyzing a map file and checking nostarts. Requires Perl to be installed on the computer.