Terrain

[sholloway]

The landscape needs a data structure.

Considerations

• Procedural Generation
• Input for Navigation Mesh
• Input for collision

Thoughts Captured From the Book Fantasy Mapping: Drawing Worlds By Wesley Jones

https://fantasymapping.com/ World Building

• Climate: What are the climate zones and dominate weather?
• Fauna & Flora: What is the wild life and plants?
• Distance: What are the primary forms of travel? How big is the world?
• Habitat: Where are the habital/inhabitable areas?
• Era: What era does the world exist?
• History & Future:
  • How does the history impact the current world?
  • Are there any past civilizations or relics of note?
  • Is the world heading on a certain path?
  • Is a major event about to happen?
• Civilization & Races
  • What beings live on the planet?
  • How many civilizations are there?
  • What are the relationships between the civilizations?
  • What is the most dominant civilization?
  • How is the world governed?
• War
  • Is war common? What weapons are used?
• Technology & Magic
  • What technology is available?
  • Is the most advanced technology available to everyone?
  • Is there magic?
  • Does everyone know how to use magic?
• Special Conditions?

Geography

• Continental Drift: Tectonic plates shifting cause mountains. A mesh tessellation (e.g. Delaunay, Voronoi) could be used to define a mesh of tectonic plates that then cause mountain ranges and canyons to form.
• Sun & Latitude: The earth's climatic zones are driven in large part by the sun and the tilt of the earth's axis. Some regions get more sun than others at different times of the year. This results in the Earth being divided into latitude zones (polar circles, temperate zone, tropic zone, the equator)
• Wind: Due to the planet's rotation and geography there are consistent wind patterns. Wind impacts the spread of plants and animals and a major factor in the planet's weather systems. Domain Terms: Polar Easterlies, Prevailing Westerlies, North East Trades, Southeast Trades, Horse Latitudes, Doldrums
• Water: Water is a critical resource for life. Responsible for shaping the geography.
  • Water always flows downhill.
  • Lakes form in river networks where this is a natural blockage or dam and where the land flattens.
  • Coastal erosion is a strong force that often result in rocky areas because the stronger rock erodes slower.
• Vegetation: The availability of water is the number one factor in determining if vegetation is present.
  • The windward side of a mountain will be wet and have more vegetation.
  • The leeward side of a mountain will be dry, being in a rain shadow.
  • Boreal Forests, Broadleaf forests
  • Polar areas will have very little to no vegetation.
  • Deserts occur in middle latitudes.
  • Jungles
  • Grasslands
• Settlements: People tend to settle in the gentlest areas (the temperate zones). It is easiest to live there. Water is a key factor in trade and transportation.
  • Populations are largest in temperate zones.
  • Rivers anchor civiliations
  • Strategic locations like straits will be controlled by forts.
  • Population centers tend to be near the cost.
  • Cities cluster in the best places as it's easier to support life there (e.g. mild temperature, abundance of food and water).

Major Terrain Stuff

• Coast Lines
• Mountains
• Hills
• Cliffs
• Rivers and Lakes
  • Minor rivers can flow into major rivers
  • Lakes only have one outlet
  • River deltas (splitting a river) are rare in nature.
  • Rivers don't start and end in the same body of water.
  • Rivers tend to not split. They join.
  • They flow from high elevation to low.
• Forests
• Ground Cover: Grass, Sand, Farm Land, Snow
• Settlements, Roads
• Political Boundaries