Map generator

[Duck Twacy]

I'm wondering how the game generates maps. I ask because I see a few coastal games hosted in the lobby, but the coastal maps are nothing like the coastal maps from the original Age of Empires.

Example, a coastal map in Age of Empires will create these really interesting and convoluted maps, sometimes with an island or two with water channels, lakes and bays here and there. I remember one map where there was a shallows that stretches half way across the map connecting an island and one of the main land masses. But with AokDE the coastal maps are essentially Continental maps, but without a body of water in the middle.

It just strikes me as being odd that the old Age of Empires game generates more interesting maps than this game. I'm guessing it's not the same code from the old game.

Any insights from anyone?

[Zetnus]

The code for the land generation is almost identical. Certainly no differences that would explain what you describe. You may just be unlucky, or perhaps you are using different settings in the lobby

[Duck Twacy]

Originally posted by Zetnus:

The code for the land generation is almost identical. Certainly no differences that would explain what you describe. You may just be unlucky, or perhaps you are using different settings in the lobby

I doubt i it's the same. If it were than you would be able to dock block, but you can't with any version of AoK.

I've not hosted any games, but maybe I should try. Coastal maps for original Age of Empires were or are very unique. Go try generating a few single player games with AoE, and the try doing the same thing with AoK. You'll see a world of difference.

[Zetnus]

Oh, I'm sorry. You meant AoE as in the first game. Coastal hasn't changed since AoK, but I cannot speak for what happened before then.

[Duck Twacy]

Yeah, the maps between the two games are night and day. I've never liked Age of Kingdoms map "seeds", but that's largely because the games graphics are a little bit more clunky than original Age of Empires.

I hope someone from the company reads this thread and looks into the matter. I actually like original Age of Empires better for that reason alone, but it's hard to get a game going of it, even with the ultimate edition, or whatever it's called.

[Gummiel]

Would help a LOT if you used proper terminoloy, is really hard to figure out what exacty you are talking about

"Age of Kingdoms" is some sort of mobile game that have nothing to do with age of empires.

AoK can sometimes be used to reffered to the original "Age of Empires 2: Age of King" specifically (as in before the first expansion was even released).

AoC is used for "Age of Empires 2: The Conquerers" which was the first expansion, and thus would be before Forgotten Empires as well.

And then ofc AoE2 is "Age of Empires 2" in general at any point in its lifetime

And then if you are talking about the first "Age of Empires" it is best to do AoE1, even though that is technically incorrect, since being the first game it didn't actually have the numbers in its title, but prevents confusion as for which of the games you are talking about. These are AFAIK the most common abreviations used

[EJSnowden]

The game uses an algorithm to interpret .rms scripts to generate the maps. The reason the Coastal map seems different to you is that the parameters in the Coastal .rms file were changed for AoE II.
The good news, should you undertake it, is that .rms scripts are easy to learn and mod into the game, and with a little effort you can recreate the old convoluted coastal generation. Here's a link to all you need to know:
https://aok.heavengames.com/cgi-bin/forums/display.cgi?action=ct&f=28,42485,,20

[Duck Twacy]

Originally posted by Enso Gummiel:

Would help a LOT if you used proper terminoloy, is really hard to figure out what exacty you are talking about

It's what the game's been casually called since it was first released.

[Duck Twacy]

Originally posted by SamiSnowden:

The game uses an algorithm to interpret .rms scripts to generate the maps. The reason the Coastal map seems different to you is that the parameters in the Coastal .rms file were changed for AoE II.
The good news, should you undertake it, is that .rms scripts are easy to learn and mod into the game, and with a little effort you can recreate the old convoluted coastal generation. Here's a link to all you need to know:
https://aok.heavengames.com/cgi-bin/forums/display.cgi?action=ct&f=28,42485,,20

Even if I was shown how I wouldn't know where to start. I'll have a look, but even so the game, as a whole, for all players, in my opinion, needs to have this tweaked. Baaltic is another classic example. It gave similar maps in Age of Empires, something close to Coastal, but typically had a large body of water. And again in AoK it feels more like Mediterranean, that is another map set, than it's own unique map.

The other night I played on a map called "Brazil", and that map felt like an old traditional Coastal map from Age of Empires / Rise of Rome. There were seas, islands, these really narrow channels you could sail through ... all kinds of stuff. I'd like to see more of those kinds of maps randomly generated for all players, and not have to rely on my own personal modding which would force me to host a game.

[Zetnus]

The reality is that maps such as Baltic and Coastal have been (mostly) the same for the last 20 years in Age of Empires 2. Changing them noticeably (in order to more closely resemble the less popular game Age of Empires 1) would quite probably annoy more people than it would please.

However, making custom maps (or finding someone else who already made one) which match your specifications should not be all that hard to do.

[Duck Twacy]

No, coastal was rarely played when the game was first released. The variation in map geography is an issue, that's why I started this topic.