Procedurally Generated Modular Stations

[Commodore]

I've taken a bit of inspiration from http://starmadedock.net/threads/procedurally-generated-space-dungeons-or-ssds.1454/ for this suggestion, this thread is focused on implementation of a similar idea.


My idea is to have a set of modules, each of which is the same total size (although they could have various shapes within that size), with airlocks in specific positions, which can be arranged in many ways. Rooms/modules could have one, two, three or four airlocks, which either go to another room, or space.

Starting from a central room, the procedural generation system would work through these (and likely more) aspects of the station, choosing randomly each time:

• Primary color
• Secondary color
• Goes to first available airlock (with nothing on other side):
  
  • Select module or airlock to space
    
  • Select orientation of module
• Next available airlock
  • Repeat previous step

The chance of another module appearing at any airlock would be a config setting. It would decrease as the station grew, otherwise the station could continue getting more modules until the server crashes.

This is a quickly made, symmetrical, and poorly decorated cross-section:

The green lines show the borders of the modules. Here is the way my highly improbable station would be created by the procedural generation system:

The central module is the starting point, and I'll use up, left, right, down to explain which part I am at.

• Primary color: Blue
• Secondary color: Yellow
• First available airlock: Up
  
  • Airlock to space, nothing further to do.
• Next available airlock: Right
  • Power generation room, with three airlocks, middle airlock connected.
• 
  
• Next available airlock (from power room): Up
  
  • Crew quarters, two airlocks, corner configuration.
• 
  
• Next available airlock (from crew quarters): Right
  • Docking module, one airlock.

This would be done for the crew quarters and docking module on lower right, and the mess hall and holding cells on the left as well.

There could be 20-100+ different modules, with things like factories, plexlifters (to another level of the station), science labs, observation (glass) rooms etc.

The number of possible configurations of a 20 module station is huge, especially considering colors, and there is no reason a station couldn't have thousands of modules (other than looking a bit ridiculous). You would not see the same station twice. As most modules would lack windows, there would be a significant exploration factor for new players, as they get out of their ship to search the station.

To give players more reward for salvaging, and break up the right angles, the walls could be made several blocks thick.

The airlocks give it a far more realistic feeling than the current stations, which are completely open to space.

Any improvements/ideas?

 

[NeonSturm]

One of the best suggestions.
One of the best OPs too

But I would allow some rooms to be 2x2 or 1x3 too.
Let's play Tetris

 

[ltmauve]

Vertical changes as well. One section has a vertical shaft, and then other layers build off of the shaft. Distance between shafts is variable. Also, larger sections like hangers.

 

[Cybertooth]

I do like this idea, but other than the fact that you want to use this to generate stations, and not introduce dungeons to the game, its only a very slight tweak on the thread you linked to. It would have made more sense for you to post there and help expand on the original idea.

The main problem i see with this is that while it seems great for interiors, it will look terrible, you could only impact the overall look to a limited extent by making good looking modules. I'd be all for this if we paired it with an empty station, basicly we build a few good looking, but totally empty stations, and then generate the rooms inside using something similar to this.

 

[NeonSturm]

Some surely think would look prettier if rooms would merge into clusters which themselves are bigger modules.

But for others the look of endless numbers of modules is exactly what they want.

I think it will look much better than what we currently have.

Another idea opposing fixed module sizes would be to connect semi-randomly placed and semi-random sized modules with generated links. -x-, -y and -z- connection segments with variable length (repeated patterns) and connectors between variable segments.

 

[Cybertooth]

Oh don't get me wrong, it would deffinatly be better than what we have now, but bear in mind that they are about to be replaced.

 

[Starlight Walker]

I think it needs traps if it has any loot in it, like a damage pulse that fires from a plex storage, a pit that drops into lava, the roof opening and you get sucked into space, missiles launched from the walls, blades, saws, and generally deadly stuff

 

[ToyotaSupra]

I really like this, it only makes sense as well as it adds variety and incentive to explore. If there is procedural creatures in there too...(Planned. not sure if its still canon.)

Also Starlight Walker that is the most unusual avatar I've ever seen....I moustache you what made made you pick a tubular picture like that.

 

[Starlight Walker]

Also Starlight Walker that is the most unusual avatar I've ever seen....I moustache you what made made you pick a tubular picture like that.

My minecraft Username is Suspect_Potato, and i kinda like potatoes wearing mustaches

 

[ToyotaSupra]

My minecraft Username is Suspect_Potato, and i kinda like potatoes wearing mustaches

I think it's brilliant, if it isn't an abuse of the system I'd like to give you ratings, it made my day.

To add more to the discussion: It'd be nice if the same applied to planet structures too. Might cause some issues though, as planets are procedural.

 

[Commodore]

The screenshots I made are just an example of how the modules would fit together. I am not suggesting the new stations look like a network of little rectangles. Think of the international space station's modules, but far more of them sprawled out everywhere. The interior can be rectangular, and the exterior can be circular, with lots of hull above and below the room area. Here's a cross section of a room:

I could have probably picked a better pair of colors, but this is representative of the random color system. The modules could also be octagonal, if that looked better than a lumpy circle.

Edit: Here is another version, which makes gives much better salvage without affecting the appearance:

 

[ltmauve]

Having structures on planets with the same thing? (like planets with buildings having this system to fill them up?) Sounds good.
Anyway, having consistaint shapes throughout a structure would need to be important. So for instance, one station would have only horizontal cylniders making up the shape, another would have cubes as its shapes, and sort of shape that could be scaled to fit multiple slots.

 

[NeonSturm]

And don't forget http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Jefferies_tube

 

[Commodore]

It looks like the player made stations are going to be used instead, with everything needed for that already implemented, which should be pretty awesome considering the building skills of many players.

As more station designs will probably be added over time, there will be lots of stations to explore. It also gives players the opportunity to contribute directly to the game, which is rare in games.