Random Village Map Generator w/SVG graphics

[InkwellIdeas]

Just a quick post unveiling a new, free (as in beer) side project of mine... I'll post more details later if people are interested.

Before you follow the link, note it won't display on browsers that don't support SVG graphics (IE8 and lower). Current Firefox and Safari work and I believe Chrome and Opera will too.

Without further ado:
Random Village Map Generator

As noted in the directions on that page, you can save your map by saving the page source and cutting out everything before and after the SVG tags. Then it can be edited in Inkscape or imported into GIMP or viewed in your web browser/many image viewers.

I've got a slew of additions planned. A way to set the number of houses; change the probability of inns/taverns/blacksmiths/churches/etc.; optional additions to this village map template such as a river or lake; and potentially adding completely new village map templates or a way to randomize the template. (For now all the maps are based on a crossroads template.)

So please pardon the dust and metaphorical construction cones... it is brand new, but I couldn't wait to share it any longer!

And thanks to nicubunu for the PD SVG graphic icons.

Constructive suggestions/feedback appreciated...

 

[NewJeffCT]

Just a quick post unveiling a new, free (as in beer) side project of mine... I'll post more details later if people are interested.

Before you follow the link, note it won't display on browsers that don't support SVG graphics (IE8 and lower). Current Firefox and Safari work and I believe Chrome and Opera will too.

Without further ado:
Random Village Map Generator

As noted in the directions on that page, you can save your map by saving the page source and cutting out everything before and after the SVG tags. Then it can be edited in Inkscape or imported into GIMP or viewed in your web browser/many image viewers.

I've got a slew of additions planned. A way to set the number of houses; change the probability of inns/taverns/blacksmiths/churches/etc.; optional additions to this village map template such as a river or lake; and potentially adding completely new village map templates or a way to randomize the template. (For now all the maps are based on a crossroads template.)

So please pardon the dust and metaphorical construction cones... it is brand new, but I couldn't wait to share it any longer!

And thanks to nicubunu for the PD SVG graphic icons.

Constructive suggestions/feedback appreciated...

Looks cool - thanks

One thing I would add would be some sort of scale and key

Also, are the small homes outside the center farms?

 

[InkwellIdeas]

One thing I would add would be some sort of scale and key

Also, are the small homes outside the center farms?

Thanks! The intent was to make the overall map area 3/4 of a mile x 3/4 of a mile... I hope it works out to be roughly that. I'll look into some sort of a key. For now if you zoom in enough you can see the blacksmith has a sign with a small anvil, the tavern has a mug, etc.

The small homes that have fields nearby are definitely farms. The homes that are midway from the center of the map to the edges of the map and don't have fields may be workers at some of the other larger buildings or they may be farmers whose fields aren't drawn for whatever reason.

I've also added up to two possible windmills, depending on the number of homes.

 

[InkwellIdeas]

Just wanted to post about significant updates... (As the project progresses updates won't be quite so significant.)

Anyway, you can now specify how many homes/farms you want as well as the number of blacksmiths, taverns, churches, etc. (Although the non house/farm options are limited to 0, 1, or in some cases 2, and random. (To keep with the notion that it is village size.)

There is also a new river that will appear about 50% of the time and there is an extra road that appears 80% of the time. If the road does appear, there are a few extra possible farm/house sites and a chance at a tower, mine, monastery or magic circle site along the road...

Same link as above.

Also, here's a blog post describing how it works in more detail: http://inkwellideas.com/?p=1074

 

[Hussar]

Damn, that's cool. Very sweet.

 

[jmucchiello]

Is it always the same roads? Will that be randomized?

 

[NewJeffCT]

Thanks! The intent was to make the overall map area 3/4 of a mile x 3/4 of a mile... I hope it works out to be roughly that. I'll look into some sort of a key. For now if you zoom in enough you can see the blacksmith has a sign with a small anvil, the tavern has a mug, etc.

The small homes that have fields nearby are definitely farms. The homes that are midway from the center of the map to the edges of the map and don't have fields may be workers at some of the other larger buildings or they may be farmers whose fields aren't drawn for whatever reason.

I've also added up to two possible windmills, depending on the number of homes.

Thanks for the response. I saw that the city map generator can control population density. is there a way that the village generator can do they same - i.e., change it from a small sleepy hamlet (light density) to a small town (heavy density)?

 

[InkwellIdeas]

Is it always the same roads? Will that be randomized?

Nope. (As mentioned in my prior post) one of the additions was a road going from roughly the center to the north-northeast that appears 80% of the time. I expect to add a couple more roads that appear some percentage of the time to make it look a little more different each time.

However, the layout/template will be the same, until I add a completely new template. That's because if the roads were dynamically generated it would be hard to compute precisely where to place all of the other features as well as which locations are most logical for which types of buildings... but maybe I'll think of a new approach that makes that problem easier. Meanwhile expect to see a couple of more (new) village templates with a few road network options/variations.

Thanks for the response. I saw that the city map generator can control population density. is there a way that the village generator can do they same - i.e., change it from a small sleepy hamlet (light density) to a small town (heavy density)?

Well, as of last night you can specify exactly how may houses/farms the village will have, and the other buildings are a function of that number. (Unless you override those by using the dropdowns above the map to say you want exactly two taverns, one blacksmith, etc.)

 

[InkwellIdeas]

Quick update:
I added a second village road template and like the original template it also has an extra optional road. Also like the first template there is a special feature (monastery, mine, tower, or magic stone circle) usually added to the map if the extra road exists, but in this case it is added to a different part of the map.

Anyway, I'm going to look at trying to do a more dynamic road network so everything can vary much more, although I've delayed some other work so this new approach probably won't be ready for a little while. Thanks for the support though!

 

[NewJeffCT]

Quick update:
I added a second village road template and like the original template it also has an extra optional road. Also like the first template there is a special feature (monastery, mine, tower, or magic stone circle) usually added to the map if the extra road exists, but in this case it is added to a different part of the map.

Anyway, I'm going to look at trying to do a more dynamic road network so everything can vary much more, although I've delayed some other work so this new approach probably won't be ready for a little while. Thanks for the support though!

Thanks again! I'll take a look when I get home from work.