I think it would be unique and beneficial to have a very large pre-generated globe for everyone. Instead of what most games do, making each map random and giving it a seed. The player would choose the place on the globe he wants to play in, and that’s where he would embark.
The advantages.
-All players would have the same globe
-It would lead to a much more “deep” lore, where places could have names, stories and heroes.
-A uniqueness (I don’t know of any other game that does this)
-Potential infinite exploration made much easier.
-Adds a climate
the disadvantages.
-Much more work for the devs
-Potential overlap in game play
Edit–
Thanks to @taklu I’m redefining the term “one large globe” instead of one map predetermined, each map would have sections of both pregened and random terrain, with a buffer zone in the middle. That way there would be regions with names and lore, and then there would be other places which would be exploring the unknown.
There could be one island (the one you start on) that is completely randomized and the rest not making it more interesting when visiting another persons settlement since you already change the area with your own creations?
TZAH
I’m saying that every one would get the same globe map, but they wouldn’t be playing on each others globes, that way everyone can reference what they were doing on theirs.
But I hear what your saying about the one island, that would work well for multiplayer but not exactly what I had in mind.
But if it’s preset then there is always the possibility of ending up in the same place, or people only ever picking that one great plains/desert/island. They planned to have it generate infinitely, which I like. I don’t know… I just don’t think like it would feel as grand. Especially if the city of Generic Name is always under siege no matter where you are in the game, like I’m starting in a pre-claimed world that always starts the same.
You would choose where you would embark so this shouldn’t be a problem unless you choose randomly and get very unlucky.
This gets down to the disadvantage I mentioned about extra work for the devs because they would have to balance it out a lot. Also it is the players choice if he wants to do the same dull thing time after time.
And also if the preset is big enough (which I keep mentioning that it will have to be extremely large) people would constantly find new “best” places.
Well this is a matter of pure opinion and to each their own.
The events wouldn’t be the same each game, only the terrain. What I meant by “a deeper lore” is that people can say “x y z is the spot where this battle in my short story happened” or if certain major landmarks have names they could say “right outside the border of[insert major region name here] two diplomats met”
I feel like this could be done in a RG game also. You start not knowing where you are, and piece it together from the ruins that generated, the nearby towns, dungeons, etc. (Like DF. The Lore gets generated with the world, so that it isn’t always the same lore to go with the same land.).
I think it’s possible to make an amazing randomly generated globe based on certain world generation rules such as the terrain has to match when chunks load and the chunks can be rather large to create certain aspects such as special zones
best way to describe it is much more advanced carcassonne xD
I think you’re missing the most obvious point here, which is that there can’t be a globe where you have you don’t have any curves. It would have to be something like a cube… which wouldn’t work for various reasons.
Personally, I’m no fan of this. It’s not possible (“a really really huge globe but everybody has the same”) and leads to just the same issues as seeds do (“which position on the globe is the best?”). You can’t have infinity and a globe at the same time, it’s impossible: The definition of a cube would be that no matter in what direction I walk, I’ll end up at the start at some point. If the map is infinite anyway, well, game over.
There may be a campaign or something which uses pre-defined seeds, which would do just the same. You can have a “story mode” where the world is more or less pre-defined and a “free mode” where everything is free.
Just to add to this - I think the plan for the basic game is that the worlds are like Minecraft ones - ie generated by a seed, but infinitely large (or at least close enough to “infinitely large” that you’ll never reach the edge, which is good enough ).
That said, a (Civ-style / side-scrolling) world map you can slap your hearthlings down onto, explore and such, with clearly defined boundaries, would be a great alternative mode IMHO.
I might also refer you to this old topic of mine, where I mentioned some of this :
That would work, except for the deeper lore, and personally deeper lore is my favorite addition here. You get around that by making multiple different planets so not such a big deal.
I’m afraid you missed my main point, if every player has the same globe they can discuss game play in a much different way then now.
Not at all the world on your screen would always remain flat, as you moved around the “globe” even though you technically are going on a curve you wouldn’t have to notice that.
As I said before it is the player choice if he wants to use the same place over and over again. If he wants to have redundant game play let him.
That is a definite disadvantage, however I personally feel that it is worth it, but that is a matter of opinion.
Yeah I don’t honestly think that my globe system will be added, it doesn’t look like the angle of Team Radiant, but it is a cool concept for discussion.
I suppose I did well if large chunks are the same (pregenerated) but still randomly generated around the globe only certain areas of terrain between chunks being randomly generated to smooth out terain deffects and such this can still be discussed but still allow random gameplay