Monday, July 1, 2019

New Hex Generator

If perchance you've seen the new link I added for "Groups" on the wiki, I've completed an updated (and simplified) version of my very old hex generator (which I think I first committed in 2011).  The new generator can be downloaded at this link.

The images below have been randomly generated, but the generation is primarily for distribution, not content.

These would be the placement of 6-mile hexes
Under the "Input Infrastructure" tab on the excel file, you'll see the single point of inquiry, asking the user to insert a number.  It may be any number, but all numbers 448 and above produce the same results.

This will result in a group of designated "hex types" ~ in the example shown, two type-3, one type-4, one type-5 and three type-7.  The user is assumed to make note of these on a hex map matching the arrangement shown, in the positions designated.  In this example, the two type-3 hexes would be placed in the 1st (hex D) and 2nd (hex C) positions.  The type-4 would be placed in the 3rd position, the type-5 would be placed in the 4th position and the type-7 hexes would be placed in the 5th, 6th and 7th positions.

We would then go to the tab on the document named "type-3" ~ which, as we've already written down the positions of the hexes, we can now calculate as often as we wish.  We can quickly generate content for the two type-3 hexes:




By moving to the type-4 tab, we can generate this image:


And the type-5:


Then finally, the three type-7:





With these images generated, we don't even need a hex map.  We can simply put the images together into a single graphic (tightened up):


Of course, there are some holes:


What do we do about those?  Well, it's perfectly simple.  Just take the six adjacent hexes as a guideline and roll a random d6 to determine the center hex.  Doing this for each "hole" neatly fills in the map.

Final distribution of 2-mile hexes

And there you have it.  Not a satisfactory map, obviously, but a good template to work from, giving you interrelationships between the two manors at the bottom of the map, placement of roads, a river or two connecting farm and tilled lands together, etcetera.  Incidentally, there is a description for every one of these results that can be found on the linked hex generator.

Increase the number to produce a more civilized countryside; reduce the number to increase the amount of wilderland.  We used 47, which is a bit of a backwater.

I can see a way to expand the data above into "build hexes," but I'm pretty sure it is a lot of steadfast, painstaking work.  Hmf.  Sounds like fun.

4 comments:

  1. This is the best news in a while. Excellent update, and exactly the sort of usability thing the hex generator needed.

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  2. I can't quite recall: is this built on the assumption of a particular climate and biome? If so, would you add details for different terrains? Grasslands, tundra, savanna, that sort of thing...?

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  3. Ozymandias,

    Tilled lands, wilderland, hinterland, settlement, manor and grazing lands are fairly universal. Lumbermill is not, as it describes managing a forest; but said forest could be planted and managed for various reasons, even a version of wood-supply in a desert climate (for the purpose of willow wands/rattan/esparto). We can grow a forest in a grassland if we make the effort (and it was done around water sources) ~ or we can argue the water source itself is the reason for a forest existing specifically in that place (oasis, anyone?).

    Of course, some emotional intelligence is inherent in adapting the system. Besides, since I'm allowing the user to download the excel file, a unique adaptation can be made for anyone's peculiar needs.

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  4. Always a pleasure to see more of your work on those subjects, Alexis. Combined with Infrastructure from "main cities", it's an easy way to populate a real world equivalent (or whatever kind of world, indeed) with verisimilitude.

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete

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