Fantasia Map Generator

This mods adds a new map generator to all environments (temperate / dry / tropical). The Fantasia Map Generator is built up from the ground with the goal to generate unique, interesting, varied and challenging maps allowing (and requiring) usage of street, rail, water and air vehicles. The generator attempts to combine a lot of different features into one map, so you no longer have to choose between alpine rivers, dry mesas and tropical islands, because this generator has it all (mostly). Different parts of the map will look and play different and have their own identity and recognizability. A lot is also configurable so you can tune the map generation to your own preferences.

By including this many features into one generator the outcomes can sometimes be unpredictable, unrealistic or extremely hard. This is by design since the generator is mostly aimed at people looking for new challenges or some variety from the default map generators, which are absolutely great by themselves.

The generator works by creating different layers and combine them into one. This can lead to some layers being more or less prevalent at random. It is therefore recommened to try out different seeds since the result can vary a lot. Below is a summary of the main features.

Lakes
There will be lakes with uneven shores and small islands scattered across the map. Unlike in the default generator these lakes are not necessarily attached to rivers.
The amount and size of lakes is configurable.

Rivers
Rivers work very differently from the default generator. They can start and end within the map instead of just going straight through it. They can also vary in length, width, curvature and feed into each other. Rivers also just don’t end by disappearing but will end in an estuary. When multiple rivers are generated it is possible that they cross over each other. This is of course not very realistic but combined with the lakes, it creates interesting new ways for ship gameplay.
The amount of rivers and their width is configurable.

Mountains
Mountains are generated in different layers. Single high peaks, average height mountains and mountain ranges. Through the combination of these layers new mountain shapes and sometimes massive peaks can appear. Generally mountains will be more varied in size and shape than in the default generator.
The amount and height of mountains is configurable.

Mesas
Some mesas will be scattered across the map, meaning there can also be steep cliffs on lower parts of the map. These mesas will usually be reachable and traversable from some directions.

Coastal Features
How the coastline looks will greatly vary on different parts of the map. They can appear as canyons similar to the ones in the dry climate. There can be very flat coastal planes allowing for easy water access. But there can also be huge cliffs and river valleys meandering through the map.
The amount of canyons and cliffs is configurable.

Elevation Variety
The elevation variety is generally bigger than in the default generator. High elevation areas will not be limited to cliffs on mountain ranges. There will also be plateaus and flat areas on higher elevations giving the possibility to spawn towns and industries high up.
The amount of high elevation areas and plateaus is configurable.

Flattened Areas
Since the amount of terrain features is quite big some random areas will be flattened to at least have a few areas where building towns and infrastructure is easy. They are essential for planning but can appear anywhere of the map, even high up in the mountains.
The amount of these areas is configurable

Forest Variety
Forests in this generator come in big and small, low density and high density and with different shapes and trees, generally allowing for a wider variety of tree cover. The amount and density of trees will decrease with higher elevation.
The amount of forests is configurable.

Landmarks
This generator has relatively few restrictions on what it exactly can generate. This means you’ll find weird, unique and interesting shapes within the terrain. It was a goal to leave these in since I think it’s pretty cool to have actual geological landmarks in a map. It of course also has the downside that some parts might look a bit too weird sometimes. But hey, there is always the in-game terraforming tool.

To use this generator you simply have to subscribe to this mod. It will then be available in the map generation screen. You do not have to enable it in the mod settings. This mod also goes well with my other mods. This mod should have no compatibility issues with any other mods.

The most part of the code is written by myself. I’ve also reused parts of the code of the default terrain generators that come from the game. I have also used some code snippets from Terrain Fever by Haviland and Not So Temperate Generator by Pentasis. Those are both extremely well made temperate terrain generators and I can really recommend checking them out if you are looking for more variety in your maps.

All the code for this and all my other mods is also available open-source on GitHub[github.com].

If you like or dislike something with the generator or if you have an amazing idea of what else could be implemented feel free to leave a comment in the section below (in English if possible). I’ll definitely have a look at them. 🙂