Random Worlds

Because reasons, I became interested in trying to generate 'Random Worlds' way back in 1989, and I have written various random world generators over the years to do just that. Some were more sucessful than others, but I have never quite finished off the project. Here is the story of the endeavour so far.

Version 1

Name: Magrothea
Year: 1989
Model: Triangular Fractal Dodecahedron
Software: Commodore 64 Basic

My first few attempts at creating a random world generating program were titled "Magrothea" which was an incorrect spelling of a world from The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

The output was text to a dot matrix printer - ":" for sea, "F" for forrest, "I" for icecap, etc.

This is the only existing output - The text and land/sea boundaries were added by hand.

Version 2

Name: Magrothea
Year: 1989
Model: Triangular Fractal Dodecahedron
Software: Turbo C

I can't remember much about this version. It was probably similar to Version 3

Version 3

Name: Magrothea
Year: 1991
Model: Triangular Fractal Dodecahedron
Software: Turbo C

Version 4

Name: Magrothea
Year: 1991
Model: Triangular Fractal Dodecahedron
Software: Turbo C

Version 8

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Year: 1993
Model: Branch Function Mapping
Software: Turbo C

Version 10

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Year: 1997
Model: Worm
Software: Turbo C

Version 11

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Year: 1998
Model: Rectangular Fractal
Software: Turbo C

Version 12

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Year: 1998
Model: Rectangular Fractal
Software: Borland C++

Version 13

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Year: 1998
Model: Area Splitting
Software: Borland C++

Version 14

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Year: 1999
Model: Split Polygon Fractal Translation
Software: Borland C++

Version 15

Name: Book of Deeds
Year: 2000
Model: Worm Library
Software: Borland C++

Version 16

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Year: 2000
Model: Square Linear Perimeter Mapping
Software: Borland C++

Version 17

Name: Biosphere
Year: 2001
Model: Strip Linear Perimeter Mapping
Software: Borland C++

Version 18

Name: Biosphere
Year: 2001
Model: Rectangular Fractal with Strip Zoom
Software: Borland C++

Version 19

Name: Biosphere
Year: 2002
Model: Rectangular Fractal Catchments
Software: Borland C++

Version 20

Name: Xenosphere
Year: 2002
Model: Fractal Distorted Catchment Mazes
Software: Borland C++

Version 21

Name: Xenosphere
Year: 2003
Model: Fractal Statistical Catchments
Software: Borland C++

Version 22

Name: Xenosphere
Year: 2003
Model: Fractal Distorted Minimum Catchments
Software: Borland C++

Version 23

Name: Atlas of Habitable Worlds
Year: 2004
Model:
Software: Borland C++

Version 24

Name: Atlas of Habitable Worlds
Year: 2004
Model:
Software: Borland C++

Version 25

Name: Atlas of Habitable Worlds
Year: 2004
Model:
Software: Borland C++

Version 26

Name: Atlas of Habitable Worlds
Year: 2006
Model: Cubic Fractal
Software: Borland C++

Version 27

Name: Atlas of Habitable Worlds
Year: 2007
Model: Spherical Flowpath
Software: Turbo C++

Version 28

Name: Atlas of Habitable Worlds
Year: 2008
Model: Spherical Flowpath
Software: Turbo C++

Version 29

Name: Atlas of Habitable Worlds
Year: 2008
Model: Spherical Flowpath
Software: Turbo C++

Version 30

Name: Unknown
Year: 2012
Model: Unknown
Software Visual C++

Version 31

Name: Atlas of Habitable Worlds
Year: 2013
Model: Drunk Walk
Software: Javascript / HTML

After a long hiatus I am starting up the project again, with a brand new plan!

Version 32

Name: Random Island Generator
Year: 2013
Model: Ridge Contouring
Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 33

Name: Habitable World Generator
Year: 2013
Model: Squiggle seeded branchified backbone and overlapping point field with simple and tangential attractors (SSBBOPFSTA)
Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 34

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Year: 2014
Model: Rectangular Catchment Splitting
Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 35

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Year: 2014
Model: Spherical String Seeded Uncatchments
Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 36

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Year: 2014
Model: Spherical String Seeded Uncatchments
Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 37

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Year: 2014
Model: Spherical String Seeded Uncatchments
Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 38

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Year: 2014
Model: Flat String Seeded Uncatchments
Software: Javascript / HTML



Note: Initial output looks a bit similar to Version 11, but a lot different under the bonnet!

Version 39

Name: Encyclopedia of Habitable Worlds
Year: 2014
Model: Spherical Point Cloud, Squiggle Boundary Setting & Continent Infill with Sub-catchment Clumping and Triangular Fractal Interpolation. Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 40

Name: Encyclopedia of Habitable Worlds
Year: 2014
Model: Spherical Point Cloud, Squiggle Region Infill with Sub-catchment Clumping and Triangular Fractal Interpolation.
Software: Javascript / HTML



Version 40 doesn't look that impressive yet, but it is only a little coding away from looking as good as Versions 27/28, and having a zoom function which I haven't had a go at since Version 24/25.

Version 40.5

Version 41a

Name: The Book of the Returned
Year: 2017
Model: Quasi Random Number Field Perimeter Point Interpolation
Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 41b

Name: The Book of the Returned
Year: 2017
Model: Quasi Random Number Field Nearest Lower Point Catchment Generation
Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 42

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Year: 2017
Model: Infinite Irregular Tile Field
Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 42.1.12

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Date: Feb 2017
Model: Infinite Irregular Tile Field
Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 42.1.17

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Date: Feb 2017
Model: Infinite Irregular Tile Field
Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 42.1.20

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Date: Feb 2017
Model: Infinite Irregular Tile Field
Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 42.1.23

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Date: Feb 2017
Model: Infinite Irregular Tile Field
Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 42.1.34

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Date: 27 Feb 2017
Model: Infinite Irregular Tile Field
Software: Javascript / HTML



I added the text in by hand, but it is coming along alright all the same.

Version 43

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Date: 17 March 2017
Model: Progressively Smaller Circles
Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 44

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Date: 26 March 2017
Model: Progressively Smaller Tiles
Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 45.1.8

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Date: 1 April 2017
Model: Proximity Tree
Software: Javascript / HTML



This version incorporates a few things I've tried out in the various models I've toyed with this year. It's pretty good for a couple of days work, most of which was chasing down a single bug. I think my lucky number might be 45!

Version 45.2.4

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Date: 1 April 2017
Model: Proximity Tree
Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 45.2.13

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Date: 13 April 2017
Model: Proximity Tree
Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 45.2.22

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Date: 16 April 2017
Model: Proximity Tree
Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 45.2.31

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Date: 25 April 2017
Model: Proximity Tree
Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 45.2.34

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Date: 27 April 2017
Model: Proximity Tree
Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 45.2.36

Name: Wayne's World Generator
Date: 30 April 2017
Model: Proximity Tree
Software: Javascript / HTML

Version 46

Name: Catalogue of Habitable Worlds
Date: August 2023
Model: Double Cubic Fractal
Software: Javascript / HTML

After a 6+ year hiatus, I think I've finally cracked it. I'm very happy with how version 46 is looking a week after I began working on it. I could have easily thought of this approach 15 years ago, but ... I didn't..

Related Pages

• Random World Generator
• Wayne's Virtual Asset Register

External Links & References

1. Atlas of Habitable Worlds