v0.31:Advanced world generation

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v50.14 · v0.47 · v0.34 · v0.31.25 · v0.28 · v0.23 This article is about an older version of DF. More Info · V

This article contains information on advanced world generation. For information on basic world generation, see Template:L.

When you want more control of what your world looks like, it's time for advanced world generation. Help with this is provided below.

Advanced Parameters

To access advanced parameters, press e when at the screen for creating new worlds with parameters screen. This will bring you to an editable list of various guidelines the world-gen process will use when creating your new world.

Parameter sets are stored in world_gen.txt in the \data\init folder, using world tokens. You can copy and paste other player's sets of parameters into your world_gen.txt to use their parameter sets, and some are provided at Pregenerated worlds. Another place to find parameter sets is the Worldgen cookbook thread on the official forums.

Caverns Parameters

Cavern Layer Number

This parameter determines how many cavern systems will be generated, not including the Magma layer or the Bottom layer. Defaults to three.

If this is 0 then you will not have Caverns on your map. Note that disabling caverns will make it impossible to grow any underground plants because none will exist for your civilization to cultivate.

Example:

[CAVERN_LAYER_COUNT:3]

Layer Openness min\max

Dictates the size of cavern passages. When Passage Density (see below) is set to minimum (0), caverns will be open expanses. Raising the maximum will increase the size of the caverns.

Example:

[CAVERN_LAYER_OPENNESS_MIN:0]
[CAVERN_LAYER_OPENNESS_MAX:100]

Layer Passage Density min\max

This determines how many passages form the cavern. If openness (see above) is set to minimum and density increased then you will get a maze like network of small criss-crossing passages. Raising the values further increases the number of the maze-like passages.

Example:

[CAVERN_LAYER_PASSAGE_DENSITY_MIN:0]
[CAVERN_LAYER_PASSAGE_DENSITY_MAX:100]

Layer Openness and Layer Passage Density

Open caverns and dense passageways are not mutually exclusive. When both are raised, bizarre results can occur, such as layers showing a combination of open caverns, a cluster of network passages, and natural walls sprinkling the inside of an otherwise open cavern. Reference

If you want the largest open spaces possible, then decrease the density and increase the openness. If you want a labyrinth of passageways, lower the openness and raise the passage density.

Another interesting note about the cavern layers is that the seed and number of demon types effect the layout of the caverns.

Layer Water min\max

Determines how many caverns will have water at the bottom. Note that, even at 100, there will be some amount of ground in caverns, but each cavern 'bubble' will contain some amount of water.

At 0, there will be no water in your caverns. This may impact future underground plant growth, although maps will still start with underground flora.

Example:

[CAVERN_LAYER_WATER_MIN:0]

[CAVERN_LAYER_WATER_MAX:100]

Magma Layer

Magma sea 4-5 layers at the bottom of map.

Value 1 forces magma layer, value 0 appears to prevent it.
Appears not have impact on volcanoes, nor vulcanism, so even if 0 there will still be emark locations with magma.
If a volcano exists, it appears to always tap the magma sea, but the magma sea will not be revealed by revealing the volcano.
(Unconfirmed whether magma layer still can occur if HFS exists in a specific embark tile, e.g. Temple).

Example:

[HAVE_BOTTOM_LAYER_1:1]

Bottom Layer

Cavern below magma sea. If "yes" the "HFS" layer is always present. Defaults to "yes".

If turned on, will force the magma layer above it.
(Unknown whether this has any impact on occurrence of HFS temple)

Example:

[HAVE_BOTTOM_LAYER_2:1]

Z Levels

[Previous table clear as mud; this table murky pool.]

Following table based on having 3 cavern layers. The Levels Above Layer settings control how many Z-Levels are above each layer. A layer may itself consist of multiple Z-Levels (and almost always does).

Setting Name	file tag	Description
Above Ground	LEVELS_ABOVE_GROUND	The number of Z-Levels of air above the highest surface level. Has no impact on how many Z-levels deep the surface layer is.
Above layer 1	LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_1	Z-Levels of stone above the first cavern layer. Making this higher will guarantee at least this many levels to build your fortress, but will have no impact on how many z-levels thick the surface layer is. Also, the top of a cavern may be higher than the rest of a cavern, so in practice there will be more levels than this.
Above Layer 2	LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_2	Z-levels of earth between very top of second cavern and very bottom of first cavern.
Above Layer 3	LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_3	Z-levels of earth between very top of third cavern and very bottom of second cavern.
Above Layer 4	LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_4	Z-Levels of earth between very highest magma and very bottom of third cavern. Spoiler Hidden: Making this high will give a large area for HFS veins, so that it never touches caverns, giving more to mine IF it was impacting the cavern previously.
Above Layer 5	LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_5	Uncertain. May control the number of levels of "Semi Molten Rock" between HFS and Magma, may control number of levels of magma, may impact both. In experimentation, the overall depth of all magma sea and semi-molten rock levels appears to increase, but not consistent enough to say for certain. Only valid if Magma Layer present. Spoiler Hidden:Often the HFS vein will only extend as high as the highest magma, making this the only guaranteed way to increase amount of HFS to mine, but unfortunately also creating enormous useless semi-molten z-levels
At Bottom	LEVELS_AT_BOTTOM	Appears to be number of levels of HFS chamber. Only valid if Bottom Layer present. Often has no impact. Values larger than default results in strange things.

Some implications:

• The number of surface layers (e.g. soil), at this time, can not be controlled. For example, on a map with 1 layer of Peat, then a layer of Silt, then a layer of Obsidian, there is no control to let you increase either one to be, say, 20 z-levels. (though you may get lucky with the Obsidian).
• There can be multiple stone layers between the cavern and the surface. So increasing Levels Above Layer 1 may give you more Conglomerate, or more Granite, and you have no control over which stone layer spans those Z-Levels.
• The layers shown on embark span across the cavern layers in an unknown and inconsistent way. Sometimes those 10 different layers of stone are evenly distributed over your 400 z-level deep map, sometimes the first 9 get 1 z-level each and the last gets the other 391 levels. No way to control found yet.
• The HFS temple, if present, will always extend into the rock layers, and appears to always make contact with the bottom cave. Large values for levels above layer 5 and layer 4 can result in enormous temples, but the number of levels at the top (the part with undead) appears to be unaffected.
• Unconfirmed whether number of levels between caverns has any impact on cavern height. There will be connecting ramps and/or shafts between cavern layers no matter how many levels are between them.
• Very Important: These values appear to apply across a whole 16x16 Region, not just embark areas. That means that if a 16x16 region is completely flat, but has one tall mountain in one far corner, even if you set Levels Above Ground low (e.g. 2 z-levels) you still have all the empty air of the highest mountain in every embark tile (e.g. 200 z-levels). Also can happen to the semi-molten layer, and can lead to unexpected behavior.
• Very large values can cause strange things to happen. Even more true for small values.

Volcanoes

Minimum Volcanism/Maximum Volcanism

Setting minimum to high value is not a good way to produce multiple volcanoes ("Volcanism not evenly distributed" rejection).

Minimum Volcano Number

You want to use this (you may wait for perfect world - 500 rejects for 100 volcanoes minimum is typical).

The World Generator is having trouble placing...

This section provides help with solving rejection issues.

Mountain peaks

rejection log example: Not enough peaks: 1<3 Check your maximum elevation parameters.

• Can the elevation 400 be placed enough times to provide space for your peaks?
  • Check your preset elevations for the elevation 400.
  • You must have at least as many of these highest elevation points as you are requiring peaks.

Alternatively, reduce the number of peaks required by the parameters.

Mid-level elevations.

• Your worldgen parameters must allow elevations between 100 and 299 for this.
  • Check the parameters governing elevation frequencies.
    • Or simply reduce the number of mid-level elevation squares required.

Low elevations

Your worldgen parameters must allow for enough elevations between 0 and 99 for this.

High elevations

Your worldgen parameters must allow for enough elevations between 300 and 400 for this.

Ocean squares along the edges

Your worldgen parameters must allow for enough elevations between 0 and 99 for this.

• If that doesn't work, simply reduce the number of edge oceans required.

rainfall/drainage/savagery/volcanism in the manner specified by the parameters

Check the parameters governing these features. Reduce the number of high, medium or low squares required.

Volcanoes

Check your maximum volcanism value.

• Volcanoes can only form in areas with 100 volcanism.
  • As such, you must have at least as many areas with 100 volcanism as you do desired volcanoes.

If all else fails, reduce the number of volcanoes required by the parameters.

Swamps and marshes

Make sure your parameters and presets can support mid-elevation, mid-to-high rainfall, low drainage, non-freezing areas.

• If that doesn't work, reduce the number of swamp squares and regions required by the parameters.

Deserts and badlands

Make sure your parameters and presets can support mid-elevation, very low rainfall, non-freezing areas.

• If that doesn't work, reduce the number of desert squares and regions required by the parameters.

Forests

Make sure your parameters and presets can support mid-elevation, high rainfall, high drainage, non-freezing areas.

• If that doesn't work, reduce the number of forest squares and regions required by the parameters.

Mountains

Make sure your parameters and presets can support high elevation areas.

• If that doesn't work, reduce the number of mountain squares and regions required by the parameters.

Oceans

Make sure your parameters and presets can support low elevation areas.

• If that doesn't work, reduce the number of ocean squares and regions required by the parameters.

Glaciers

Make sure your parameters and presets can support mid-elevation, very high drainage, freezing areas.

• If that doesn't work, reduce the number of glacial squares and regions required by the parameters.

Tundra regions

Make sure your parameters and presets can support mid-elevation, low-to-mid drainage, freezing areas.

• If that doesn't work, reduce the number of tundra squares and regions required by the parameters.

Grasslands

Make sure your parameters and presets can support mid-elevation, low-to-mid rainfall, low-to-mid drainage, non-freezing areas.

• If that doesn't work, reduce the number of grassland squares and regions required by the parameters.

Hills

Make sure your parameters and presets can support mid-elevation, low-to-mid rainfall, high drainage, non-freezing areas.

Rivers

Make sure your parameters and presets allow as many mountain squares as you are requiring river start points.

• If that doesn't work, reduce the number of rivers required by the parameters.

Too many subregions

Make sure your parameters and presets aren't so variable that biomes change frequently.

• If that doesn't work, increase the number of subregions permitted by the parameters, up to the cap.

Mountain caves

Make sure your parameters and presets allow as many border mountain squares as you are requiring mountain caves.

• If that doesn't work, reduce the number of mountain caves required by the parameters.

Low-lying caves

Make sure your parameters and presets allow as many mid-elevation squares as you are requiring low-lying caves.

• If that doesn't work, reduce the number of non-mountain caves required by the parameters.

Civilizations

Make sure your parameters and presets offer enough low-to-mid savagery, evil/good appropriate, biome appropriate squares to establish sites.

• High savagery (66+) blocks civilization placement -- make sure your parameters and presets offer at least small pockets of low-to-mid savagery areas.
  • If you have very few biome types and are placing good or evil regions, they'll often crowd out the civilizations as well.
• If that doesn't work, reduce the number of civilizations required by the parameters.

The world generator couldn't find any civilization definitions

This problem cannot be resolved by continuing, so you should either abort or skip all rejects for a legends-only game.

The world generator is having trouble placing a controllable civilization

Make sure your parameters and presets have adequate squares of this kind.

• Dwarves, for example, require non-evil, non-good, unsavage mountain squares that aren't surrounded by the ocean.
• If that doesn't work, remove the requirement of a controllable civilization from the parameters, which will restrict you to adventurers (assuming an appropriate civilization is placed)

Samples and Examples

V · T · E Worlds
World generation (Advanced · Rejection)
Biome · Climate · Surroundings · Map legend · Calendar
Civilization · Sites (Cave · Town · Fortress · Ruin)
Aquifer · Brook · Caverns · Island · Tunnel · Volcano · Waterfall
Chasm · Desert · Forest · Glacier · Grassland · Lake · Mountain · Murky pool · Ocean · River · Savanna · Shrubland · Tundra · Wetland