What Is The Best Way To Create Infinite Terrain?

Hi Everyone,

Im looking into finding out some things about infinite terrain and if its possible with construct 2.I was playing around with arrays and figured out with alot of help from the community how to generate an novince style terrain for a sandbox,But im looking to be much more vast,The things i have in my head cannot be limited to a certain size or scope and i would love to learn everyones method on how to create infinite worlds.

Can you be more specific....I think you mean how do you make say a tile based terrain like Terraria?

And infinite???

Think about it for a moment...

Data takes up storage space.    ....so "infinite" terrain data needs infinite storage space...when you figure out how to get infinite storage on your hard drive perhaps you could generate an infinite terrain..

Try to stick with basics first...then grasp the universe....

I'm not saying its impossible but really is infinite sandbox really necessary...no one will ever have time to play in it.....

I mean I could, theoretically, write an infinite reply to you...infinite words typed into this as long as the servers could contain it all..but eventually your going to stop reading it...because you'd have to sleep or eat or start working on a real project...

I think you mean a very large sandbox.....go look at Cortex Command...it took 11 years to make..but has some of the best and largest terrains in 2D I've ever seen...fully destructible.....they are far from infinite but you can see how much work would go into even a large style 2Dterrain....it could be done procedurally but the procedure would be infinite and there for never complete its program loop thus stalling your PC for infinite time....moral of the story is.....large is possible ..infinity is not quite doable in reality......

The best option would be to use a algorithm that auto generates a fixed preset colored layout ...use multiple passes for details if you like ..

An Array can store pretty much any amount of data you could or practically would need ..but keep in mind you also need to keep track of the data stored somehow..

I would use simple coded passes of generation seeds that load the pixels/tiles/colors into the array and also display it on screen simultaneously... Using generation passes such as

1- base color or substance eg: dirt

2- randomized stone or rock placements

3- other detail passes as required

Each pass could be stored on a separate layer and Array so that you could determine where certain substances were located ...for example gold has its own Array and location coordinates relative to the Array and the screen/layout location....

The rest is number crunching....

mystazsea First off dont come at me like you know what i want ok!

If i would of said i wanted a tile based array system like Terraria i would of damm well said so.Im tired of seeing your posts with extreme sarcasm like everyone is supposed to be on your lvl of programming.I could sit here and write an infinite post on how your sarcasm helps nobody in a real fast way.But why would i? I have seen plenty of your posts where you look at rookie programmers like they are far under you.Dont forget that everyone that uses this software and creates great games not only helps out this community but it also helps the developers and grants them very much needed exsposure.Just because someone dose not now how things work dont think for a second that the person your talking to can learn things in a similar fashion as you.We are all different and the way we all learn is different.All i asked was for some feedback on different ways to achieve a goal.The reason most of us use construct 2 is becuase we are limited to what programming skills we have and most of us did not go to school to learn code.I thank you for your honest remarks but before you start acting like you know what someone wants before they say it you need to take a breath and step back.

Like i said thank you for you remarks and your reply but i would rather not get help from you mystazsea,The first post you sent to this thread was far from needed.Your sarcasm is wretched.

It's not very clear from your short first post what exactly you want RookieDev.

"Infinite terrain", from a top-down perspective ? side scrolling ?

What is to happen to this terrain ? On it ?

Do you want large blocks at different angles ? Would a terraria-like terrain do the job ?

There are procedural generations examples already listed in the "how do I FAQ", have you checked those out ? Are there any help to what you're looking to do ?

When asking for help, be the most precise possible in order to get the most precise answer possible in return. If you ask a "vague" question, you're under the risk of getting vague answers as well.

I understand your frustration, but on the other hand, I do understand mystazsea's as well, I share it often.

I'm under the impression of seeing a sea of all the same questions in the forums over and over again. And too vast questions in scope that seems to show that the person asking doesn't really realize/know what they are really asking for.

mystazsea: Sarcasm is not an obligation, prefer to just not give an answer rather than venting in public.

Are you looking to create a procedural terrain generator a la Elder Scrolls 1/2?

The kind of which will let you wander endlessly in any direction, but if you turn to retrace your steps, you'll never find your way back to town?

This can be done with very limited resources... And you can even save/load the terrain with vast resources (but that's a seperate issue from procedural generation)... let me think for a little while and I'll try to come up with a method for Construct...

Kyatric I apollogize for venting,thats something that should not have happened on the forums and it wont happen again.When it comes to the style of terrain i am looking to generate it is something similar to chunks and it would be for topdown.I do understand that infinite would be impossible but how would you go about having areas load up in chunks that way the terrain could keep generating and in turn when the player heads back to the previous chunk it loads it back up with the changes that took place.I know minecraft uses this feature and i apollogize for not being detailed sometimes i cant find the words to express what im trying to say.I have a habbit of thinking everyone will understand my lingo and thats not reality.euv@digera thank you for your reply aswell,In basic terms im just trying to create a vast world that feels and looks vast in size and scope.Im not too sure on the best way to achieve the goal thats why im here.

The theory is that you're looking for seeded procedural generation.

This plugin could be of help and if I remember correctly there were discussion about such generation a very long time ago.

I can't recall if there's been a definite solution posted though.

Use the advanced search function and make sure to look for posts older than 6 months (the discussion happened at the time the plugin was posted I think).

Yes RookieDev I'm sorry if I appeared rude in any way... That certainly wasnt my intention...I thought I had tried to phrase it as a question....I didn't mean to appear rude or sarcastic If i came off that way..It was unintentional.....I honestly thought that what I said it would help I didnt mean to tell you what or how you thought...Only seeking to answer what I thought you were asking in reference to what I perceive as Construct 2's technical limitations.....No offence meant at all...Just trying to help...When I said " I think you meant this" I was basically asking for clarification so I could give an more accurate answer, You are right I should have waited for a more concise question before offering advice...I honestly thought that my answer would be appropriate..not trying to come off as sarcastic at all...I am just here to help as much as I can..I spent years learning what I know and its an unfolding process..I dont claim to be right at all...only offering possible solutions....Thats all...to the best of my knowledge.....Peace fellow gamer

we are all in it together...we all have the same dreams....we all are here to help out each other the best we can

No offence meant or taken

If I can help ...I am more than happy to..

Hell Dude..I dont know anything at all..compared to Kyatric or others....

I'm pretty sure that I also have a habit of thinking everyone will understand my lingo and that's not reality...just ask my girlfriend....She has no idea what I'm talking about ever

<img src="smileys/smiley5.gif" border="0" align="middle" />

But yes You are right ..I did presume that I knew what you meant...

as best as I could tell .....its still alittle vague to me...we all do our best...!

It can be helpful to include images to illustrate exactly what you require...

We all are rookies in some way...

I know I am...There are things that Kyatric posts that I haven't the faintest notion of what he is talking about ..but I try to just absorb it...

I'm pretty sure his name is secret code for amazing or something ..but ill be buggered if I can figure it out..

Honestly if you need close help....

I am on here because I want to help out people because I know how hard programming can appear...its easy once you understand it..but I was completely confused about programming until I sat down from the start and read a few books on functions and code basics....after that I realised how simple it was...I had made it appear hard in my head...once you realise how simple code can be..it gets alot easier...don't worry...it only appears formidable...all of the best code is pretty simple if you wanted my opinion..I'm just the same as every one else is...

Just trying to help out as best as I can...

I'm totally here for you if I can help you....I may not be able to do anything other than chuck ideas around...maybe one of them will inspire you...maybe not...sometimes even seemingly random ideas can generate awesomely simple methods of working out something....I always try to visualise what Needs to be done and then work it out step by step on paper....sometimes I dont need to ...but complex problems will always break down to simple ideas that can be done.....When I said Infinite cant be done in reality.. What I meant was ...Are you certain that for your project that it needs to be infinite?.

Albert Einstein(who would of failed university entrance exams) was often quoted as saying that the only reason he succeeded in anything was because he accepted his failures as part of the solution..and that to get the correct answer...a person should spend 95% of their time on the question not the answer...

Once you figure out what is truly needed for your project by asking yourself questions

The answer will often be right there in front of you

as part of the process you made when you asked questions

All I can say is that I am completely behind your project...

Kyratric,

I'm not trying to be condescending or sarcastic at all

I was just trying to use the simplest example of what I meant..

in hindsight I realise it may appeared as if I was trolling.

Not intentional at all...

but I was just trying to illustrate my meaning in the simplest example I knew....Infinity is a complex subject if you ask me ..it boggles my brain..Even the supposedly infinite compression algorithms such as Python compression that are out there, I am sceptical as to if they are truly infinite

RookieDev,I am truly behind you in all ways...

I want you to succeed in your project as much as any one could...

Hoping you can inspire me truthfully

Who knows what we could all learn if we all stick together

if I can help at all...

I am just grateful to assist...

Even though sometimes, new Concepts are sometimes hard to grasp,

and it might seem like people dont understand...

it's possible that they are just trying to help

I believe that

A man with ideas is worth a 1000 who have only opinions..

Here to help if you if I can in any way

mystazsea no hard feelings are coming from my way,I also apollogize for how i went about some of the things i said to you.If anything if i had an issue with how things were said by you i should of sent you a private msg.Like you said,we all have the same dreams and the different paths we chose led us to Scirra.I want to thank you mystazsea for the reply because in turn you did teach me things.xee@kyatric thank you for your post i will check that out asap.

Sqiddster has a featured game in the arcade with Capx...

http://www.scirra.com/arcade/action/3926/go-faster

Paradox This link isnt working for me.When i go to the arcade and look for sqiddster game it just loops the loading icon and no page loads.

Is this just me?

It took a while but finally loaded, odd, Airscape, his other game, loads faster.

While I was waiting I tried in the arcade, and from Sqiddster's profile page, and it did the same thing.

scirra.com/users/sqiddster

Here's a link directly to the capx:

http://static1.scirra.net/arcade/games/3926/go-faster.capx

it says it's 7.68 megs, so I doubt it's download time.

(Sorry for not getting back sooner, I'm Beta testing Elder Scrolls online)