RE: Map Generation Ideas Thread - Claustrophobia: The Downward Struggle

Finally figured out what it was about the map system (currently in game) that struck me as odd (subconciously) - There are no corridors. Everything is a "room" (which leads to the sometimes bizarre incidence of three doors all next to each other).

I know a corridor, as far as the game is concerned, would also be a "room", but something longer and perhaps narrow (maybe branching at times) leading from one room or area to another.

Additionally, all the rooms are 'packed' against one another - there is very little "non room" space. I think it'd be ok, even desirable, to have blank areas of the map - just solid wall. This can lead to the introduction of secret rooms or trick-wall-doors.

As far as the generation process goes, I think further on one idea to play with will be to separate a floor into "Regions" that are thematically contained. For example, the engine (or what have you) may decide to split floor 2 into 5 regions of differing shape and size. Region 1 is perhaps the immediate area around the stairs, where monsters do not spawn - it is a safe zone, and might feature a shop, or crafting, whatever. Region 2 might be an "Academic" region - librarys, labs, perhaps a prison cell for subjects, and so forth. The monster spawns in this area would also be tied to the theme - mages, necromancers, so forth. Region 3 might be "Haunted" and feature more undead and ghosts, less of the rest. Region 4 might be "Farm" and feature the Bronies and Featherbrains, have piles of hay to search through instead of crates (although functionally identical). Perhaps Region 5 is "Generic Dungeon".

Sort of borrowing from the "Dungeon Maker" genre of games. Introducing eco systems for various mobs that change the tile and decoration, as well as relative frequency of room types and sizes - "Labyrinth" or "Warren" might feature few rooms, but a lot of twisting tunnels and chests. On an even more complex level, the ecosystems could "interact" with the level on a whole - Academic region might mean stronger monsters on the whole, Farm might mean more numerous, If the engine has already selected Labyrinth maybe that prevents a Slime Cave eco system from appearing, "Fire Elemental" region might prevent "Water Elemental" region from being on the same floor.

So the level layout engine first determines how many regions to make, how big and where they are, and then the rooms inside each region... kind of a procedural generation within a procedural generation (which is actually JUST... procedural generation =p But it sounds more impressive the other way) - and all as complex as you feel like making it (or as creative as you feel - like a "mysterious" region - no regular doors, no corridors... just rooms and warp portals... probably would work best as a full floor region)

I like this a lot. This comes at a good time too, as now that the new UI design is complete, the next thing I was planning to go back and work on was infact the dungeon generation. The reason everything is single rooms at the moment was because the type of generation I made at the time was simple and quick, so that I had a basic world to work on other game features in. It was always temporary. Now's a good time to do it properly, and I love a lot of the ideas here. Corridors will definitely be one of the first things to be added.
Thank you, I will be using a lot of this.
~TheIndieForge

Yay! it was something I was thinking about since you asked it in your post, but then I was like "oooh new features, well maybe I should wait for that..."

I also feel like "Procedural Generation' has become a buzzword and become very plain - It'd be neat to make it mean something again. And I, for one, don't really see roguelikes doing the dungeon-maker kind of thing (probably since it's a different genre, and plays from a different perspective) although in terms of dungeon generation and theme, the two are pretty closely related (i guess it will be like, the game engine gets to play a game too!)

Glad to have helped, and cant wait to see what the future brings =)