Creative Kool Terrain Types

The mountain peaks (blocking flying) would have to be very small area or magical in nature for me to get behind.  How do we know most of these won't be in though? 

Mostly I want to campaign for magic being able to make any terrain type as well.

I haven't seen any solid evidence these terrains as being available which is why I created the topic.  I've also added unique traits to several specific terrains as well, allowing them to be more strategic as well as fun.

Anyone who has created maps for other games would know the importance of having sections/barriers which block all units including flying units, thus the importance of the mountain peaks.  The random map generators do not need mountain peaks in moderate or large numbers.

I go along with the mountain peaks if they have a value other than a natual block.    I dont like peaks becasue it removed a tile from a game.  Normaly its a dead square, hex, etc... no production or value.   I rather have an army fortify a square than a dead tile.

As I wrote earlier... anyone who's a map maker understands the importance of having a tile which cannot be accessed.  This allows the map maker to create worlds which may require a special key to access or the need for the adventurers to first travel thru underground caverns or it could provide extra defense for an AI opponent or human player. 

The list of reasons are very extensive why at least map makers would want a tile which cannot be accessed.  AgeofWonders:ShadowMagic also had this type of terrain by providing the mountains from the Shadow Tiles which also prevent all travel.

thats a pretty cool idea although i do think that if some civs are native to a certain area should be immune to disease and stuff but thats an unnecessary detail. the only problem i have is the glacier or ices burgs. that would be really hard to do b/c they would most likely cause high tides or earthquakes when they move

   Yes, a few races should be immune or highly resistant to diseases from the swamps such as  Lizardmen and Undead.  That's why I wrote most races.

 High Tides, Tsunami's, Earthquakes and other events of nature are hopefully being considered for at least expansion material.  Even active volcanoes might be tough to accomplish, but hopefully we'll have the graphics for a few dormant volcanoes.   Icebergs might start as just a moving terrain tile, but eventually become more realistic from patches and expansions.

 Having visible signs of nature and natural disasters affecting/changing the environment helps the world feel more alive.

Judging by the medallions, the types of terrein we will be getting in the original game will be: Evil (?), Deasert, Plains, Swamp, and Snow. Evil LOOKS somewhat volcanic, and I suppose impassible nterreins would not be included, but I doubt that the devs will add more so soon. Good idea, though.

Mountain peaks as so-called 'dead tiles' would be a swell thing for those of us in the Wild Spaces camp. No wall-to-wall fantasy asphalt for me

Those and the high winds idea remind me first that I'm a bit worried that we won't have any flying units. They also remind me of when I was studying in Austin and met the director of the terribly under-appreciated doc flick Plutonium Circus and learned about how the unending wind in places like Amarillo, TX, can lead to all manner of craziness. Any pop center in a High Winds area would need something like the sanity mechanics in Call of Cthulhu, from what I've been told.

Nice list Ntjedi! I'm pretty much behind tile types being as varied as possible.. obviously the more complexity involved the harder it will be for the random map generator to come up with reasonable looking maps (I mean you don't really want one spot of rainforest in the middle of a grassy plain), but I have faith the devs can do it Even if they can't, as Ntjedi says, I certainly could see how a tile such as the unpassable mountainpeak would be invaluable to map makers so I think there'd be a case for including it in the map creation bit of the game even if it wasn't automatically inserted into randomly created maps

But what about things like the Ancient Power of Geoff the Slug maintaining a modest few tiles of swamp in the middle of a large post-cataclysm desert?

I'm kind of hoping to see 'odd' things on the map that are linked to features like an independent power or even a major 'dungeon.'

I think we should go a step further and have odd terrein features be an indicator of large and/or powerful dungeons. That is, of course, if dungeons are not immediately visible from the moment you see the title, which is also a good idea.

Yeah and that'd be great, but it's a bit of a different situation where you've got a proper thematic reason for the unusual terrain placing than if the game gives no reason and doesn't on any level realise there's soemthing odd going on

  Thanks...  these ideas will allow the world to feel more realistic and would allow map makers great creativity for providing interesting and strategic maps. 

For the random map generator the best method would be assigning each terrain a list of qualified neighbors and then have the map generator dump ink blots of each type.  Thus a forest and swamp could be neighbors yet not a swamp and desert.  Lava would be linked with a volcano... and may not even exist on the map if the game doesn't have any volcanoes.   I really hope the different terrains listed above are being considered for the current game or at least expansion material or at least possible for us gamers from modding.

 This can still be possible yet would be seperate from the original terrain creation.  The best way to make the suggestion you describe work would be during map generation when independent creatures and structures are being placed on the map.  So if  the Ancient Power of Geoff the Slug is randomly placed within a desert section of the map the game would recognize his special terrain needs and add the swamp squares.  It's possible specific creatures and structures may even change the original terrain...  this was done by a few creatures and items within AgeofWonders such as the snow witch.

so things like 'tundra' and 'desert' are being avoided since they are pretty standard, is that right?

Reef

Atols

coast (is that too standard?)

filth (like areas of prettymuch solid sewage or bug-slime or something)

Buttes

Canyon

 

alright, I'm stopping with my list.  I want to create lists like "hilly plains"  "rocky plains"  "glacier till"  (that would be like 'hilly plains' except wiithout real hills, rather till mounds and strange rocks left behind by the melting glacier)  "mountain- sedimentry'  "mountain- ignious"   (notice how subtly different these are.   But if I were running the project with infinate budget, time, and artists, I would totally have all of the above and more since I feel the terrain looks very different by doing something as simple and subtle as changing the basic type of bedrock as in the mountain example.)

 

Correct, I did not add tundra, desert, beaches and a few other common ones since they are pretty standard.  I believe canyons and valleys will also be seen or at least possible to create within the map editor. 

Thanks landisaurus I have added two new ones from the ideas you listed.   I really hope we'll have the majority of these terrains or at least the option of adding them into the mix for randomly generated worlds via modding tools.

I think extra terrain, especially with the possibility of creating it all with magic, and how cool it would make the cloth map look, and strategy options..all equal = GOOD.

Goodmorning all

while this is true, Mountains are often dead tiles, this doesn't NEED to be the case,   infact moutains are highly productive things, with lots of Rock for building, minerals for mineing, forced and relaible rainfail for fresh water and aquaducts.  . . .

Moutains can not be passed,  But that doesn't mean the MUST not be useable.

Infact i could see a game that has a mountain range seperating two cities, and both cities work the same mountain tile,  one from each side,  with all the extra surface area, and the natural devied, how would either side know or prevent the other sides work??

Make Mountians Unpassible, for obvious reasons,  but make them Multiply workable, any town in range can work a shared mountain tile, without conflict,  just because it's so big.

Take care All

Robbie Price

I for one love the idea of dead spaces in the map. A world of fantasy needs its foreboding peaks and deadly deserts. To make thing more interesting, some of these places could hide great riches, shards, or other reward that would make traversing them worth it. Moreover, moving large armies around will actually become the great undertaking it should be, as moving your troops across mountains Hannibal-style should not be as easy as marching across a plain (and is frankly more interesting too). Heck, I might even go all the way and propose that troops exposed to harsh terrain should have their numbers dwindle. Just imagine how awesome terrain modifying spells would be if that were the case. You could, at great cost, surround your kingdom with deserts that will make the idea of invading you rather daunting, without you having to spill blood or maintain a huge garrison.