How buildings and terrain are generated

Cataclysm creates buildings and terrain on discovery via ‘mapgen’; functions specific to an overmap terrain (the tiles you see in [m]ap are also determined by overmap terrain). Overmap terrains (“oter”) are defined in overmap_terrain.json.

By default, an oter has a single built-in mapgen function which matches the ‘“id”’ in it’s json entry (examples: “house”, “bank”, etc). Multiple functions also possible. When a player moves into range of an area marked on the map as a house, the game chooses semi-randomly from a list of functions for “house”, picks one, and runs it, laying down walls and adding items, monsters, rubber chickens and whatnot. This is all done in a fraction of a second (something to keep in mind for later).

All mapgen functions build in a 24x24 tile area - even for large buildings; obtuse but surprisingly effective methods are used to assemble giant 3x3 hotels, etc..

In order to make a world that’s random and (somewhat) sensical, there are numerous rules and exceptions to them, which are clarified below.

There are three methods:

• Adding mapgen entries
• JSON object definition
• Using update_mapgen

Adding mapgen entries

One doesn’t need to create a new overmap_terrain for a new variation of a building. For a custom gas station, defining a mapgen entry and adding it to the “s_gas” mapgen list will add it to the random variations of gas station in the world.

If you use an existing overmap_terrain and it has a roof or other z-level linked to its file, the other levels will be generated with the ground floor. To avoid this, or add your own multiple z-levels, create an overmap_terrain with a similar name (s_gas_1).

Methods

While adding mapgen as a c++ function is one of the fastest (and the most versatile) ways to generate procedural terrain on the fly, this requires recompiling the game.

Most of the existing c++ buildings have been moved to json and currently json mapping is the preferred method of adding both content and mods.

• JSON: A set of json arrays and objects for defining stuff and things. Pros: Fastest to apply, mostly complete. Cons: Not a programming language; no if statements or variables means instances of a particular json mapgen definition will all be similar. Third party map editors are currently out of date.

• JSON support includes the use of nested mapgen, smaller mapgen chunks which override a portion of the linked mapgen. This allows for greater variety in furniture, terrain and spawns within a single mapgen file. You can also link mapgen files for multiple z-level buildings and multi-tile buildings.

Mapgen definition Placement

Mapgen definitions can be added in 2 places:

Embedded mapgen

As "mapgen": { ... } only used in combination with the ‘builtin’ method:

"mapgen": [ { "method": "builtin", "name": "parking_lot" } ]

Do not use this, use standalone instead.

Standalone mapgen

As standalone { "type": "mapgen", ... } objects in a .json inside data/json. Below is the fast food restaurant.

[
  {
    "type": "mapgen",
    "om_terrain": "s_restaurant_fast",
    "weight": 250,
    "method": "json",
    "object": {
      "//": "(see below)"
    }
  }
]

Note how “om_terrain” matches the overmap “id”. om_terrain is required for standalone mapgen entries.

Format and variables

The above example only illustrate the mapgen entries, not the actual format for building stuff. However, the following variables impact where and how often stuff gets applied:

• method
• om_terrain
• weight

Define mapgen “method”

required Values: json - required

"object": { (more json here) }

Define overmap terrain with “om_terrain” value, array, or nested array

required for standalone

The om_terrain value may be declared in one of three forms: with a single overmap terrain ID, with a list of IDs, or with a nested list (of lists) of IDs.

With the first form, simply give the ID of an overmap terrain from overmap_terrain.json:

"om_terrain": "oter_id"

In the second form, provide a list of IDs:

"om_terrain": [ "house", "house_base" ]

This creates duplicate overmap terrains by applying the same json mapgen to each of the listed overmap terrain IDs.

The third option is a nested list:

"om_terrain": [ [ "oter_id_1a", "oter_id_1b", ... ], [ "oter_id_2a", "oter_id_2b", ... ], ... ]

This form allows for multiple overmap terrains to be defined using a single json object, with the “rows” property expanding in blocks of 24x24 characters to accommodate as many overmap terrains as are listed here. The terrain ids are specified using a nested array of strings which represent the rows and columns of overmap terrain ids (found in overmap_terrain.json) that are associated with the “rows” property described in section 2.1 of this document.

Characters mapped using the “terrain”, “furniture”, or any of the special mappings (“items”, “monsters”, etc) will be applied universally to all of the listed overmap terrains.

Placing things using x/y coordinates (“place_monsters”, “place_loot”, “place_item”, etc) works using the full extended coordinates beyond 24x24. An important limitation is that ranged random coordinates (such as “x”: [ 10, 18 ]) must not cross the 24x24 terrain boundaries. Ranges such as [ 0, 23 ] and [ 50, 70 ] are valid, but [ 0, 47 ] and [ 15, 35 ] are not because they extend beyond a single 24x24 block.

Example:

"om_terrain": [
  [ "apartments_mod_tower_NW", "apartments_mod_tower_NE" ],
  [ "apartments_mod_tower_SW", "apartments_mod_tower_SE" ]
]

In this example, the “rows” property should be 48x48, with each quadrant of 24x24 being associated with each of the four apartments_mod_tower overmap terrain ids specified.

“om_terrain” for linear terrain

Some overmap terrains are linear. This is used for things like roads, tunnels, etc. where they form lines which can connect in various ways. Such terrains are defined with the LINEAR flag in their overmap_terrain definition (see the OVERMAP docs).

When defining the JSON mapgen for such terrain, you must define several instances, for each type of connection that might exist. Each gets a suffix added to the overmap_terrain id. The suffixes are: _end, _straight, _curved, _tee, _four_way. For an example, see the definitions for ants in ants.json.

Define mapgen “weight”

(optional) When the game randomly picks mapgen functions, each function’s weight value determines how rare it is. 1000 is the default, so adding something with weight ‘500’ will make it appear 1/3 times, unless more functions are added. (An insanely high value like 10000000 is useful for testing)

Values: number - 0 disables

Default: 1000

How “overmap_terrain” variables affect mapgen

“id” is used to determine the required “om_terrain” id for standalone, except when the following variables are set in “overmap_terrain”:

• “extras” - applies rare, random scenes after mapgen; helicopter crashes, etc
• “mondensity” - determines the default ‘density’ value for "place_groups": [ { "monster": ... (json). If this is not set then place_monsters will not work without its own explicitly set density argument.

Limitations / TODO

• JSON: adding specific monster spawns are still WIP.
• The old mapgen.cpp system involved The Biggest “if / else if / else if / ..” Statement Known to Man(tm), and is only halfway converted to the “builtin” mapgen class. This means that while custom mapgen functions are allowed, the game will cheerfully forget the default if one is added.
• TODO: Add to this list.

JSON object definition

The JSON object for a mapgen entry must include either "fill_ter", or "rows" and "terrain". All other fields are optional.

Fill terrain using “fill_ter”

required if “rows” is unset Fill with the given terrain.

Value: "string": Valid terrain id from data/json/terrain.json

Example: "fill_ter": "t_grass"

ASCII map using “rows” array

required if “fill_ter” is unset

Nested array of 24 (or 48) strings, each 24 (or 48) characters long, where each character is defined by “terrain” and optionally “furniture” or other entries below.

Usage:

"rows": [ "row1...", "row2...", ..., "row24..." ]

Other parts can be linked with this map, for example one can place things like a gaspump (with gasoline) or a toilet (with water) or items from an item group or fields at the square given by a character.

Any character used here must have some definition elsewhere to indicate its purpose. Failing to do so is an error which will be caught by running the tests. The tests will run automatically when you make a pull request for adding new maps to the game. If you have defined fill_ter or you are writing nested mapgen, then there are a couple of exceptions. The space and period characters (“ and .) are permitted to have no definition and be used for ‘background’ in the rows.

As keys, you can use any Unicode characters which are not double-width. This includes for example most European alphabets but not Chinese characters. If you intend to take advantage of this, ensure that your editor is saving the file with a UTF-8 encoding. Accents are acceptable, even when using combining characters. No normalization is performed; comparison is done at the raw bytes (code unit) level. Therefore, there are literally an infinite number of mapgen key characters available. Please don’t abuse this by using distinct characters that are visually indistinguishable, or which are so rare as to be unlikely to render correctly for other developers.

Example:

"rows": [
  ",_____ssssssssssss_____,",
  ",__,__#### ss ####__,__,",
  ",_,,,_#ssssssssss#__,__,",
  ",__,__#hthsssshth#__,__,",
  ",__,__#ssssssssss#_,,,_,",
  ",__,__|-555++555-|__,__,",
  ",_____|.hh....hh.%_____,",
  ",_____%.tt....tt.%_____,",
  ",_____%.tt....tt.%_____,",
  ",_____%.hh....hh.|_____,",
  ",_____|..........%_____,",
  ",,,,,,|..........+_____,",
  ",_____|ccccxcc|..%_____,",
  ",_____w.......+..|_____,",
  ",_____|e.ccl.c|+-|_____,",
  ",_____|O.....S|.S|_____,",
  ",_____||erle.x|T||_____,",
  ",_____#|----w-|-|#_____,",
  ",________,_____________,",
  ",________,_____________,",
  ",________,_____________,",
  " ,_______,____________, ",
  "  ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,  ",
  "   dd                   "
],

Row terrains in “terrain”

required by “rows”

Defines terrain ids for “rows”, each key is a single character with a terrain id string

Value: {object}: { "a", "t_identifier", ... }

Example:

"terrain": {
  " ": "t_grass",
  "d": "t_floor",
  "5": "t_wall_glass_h",
  "%": "t_wall_glass_v",
  "O": "t_floor",
  ",": "t_pavement_y",
  "_": "t_pavement",
  "r": "t_floor",
  "6": "t_console",
  "x": "t_console_broken",
  "$": "t_shrub",
  "^": "t_floor",
  ".": "t_floor",
  "-": "t_wall_h",
  "|": "t_wall_v",
  "#": "t_shrub",
  "t": "t_floor",
  "+": "t_door_glass_c",
  "=": "t_door_locked_alarm",
  "D": "t_door_locked",
  "w": "t_window_domestic",
  "T": "t_floor",
  "S": "t_floor",
  "e": "t_floor",
  "h": "t_floor",
  "c": "t_floor",
  "l": "t_floor",
  "s": "t_sidewalk"
},

Furniture symbols in “furniture” array

optional

Defines furniture ids for “rows” ( each character in rows is a terrain -or- terrain/furniture combo ). “f_null” means no furniture but the entry can be left out

Example:

"furniture": {
  "d": "f_dumpster",
  "5": "f_null",
  "%": "f_null",
  "O": "f_oven",
  "r": "f_rack",
  "^": "f_indoor_plant",
  "t": "f_table",
  "T": "f_toilet",
  "S": "f_sink",
  "e": "f_fridge",
  "h": "f_chair",
  "c": "f_counter",
  "l": "f_locker"
},

Set terrain, furniture, or traps with a “set” array

optional Specific commands to set terrain, furniture, traps, radiation, etc. Array is processed in order.

Value: [ array of {objects} ]: [ { "point": .. }, { "line": .. }, { "square": .. }, ... ]

Example:

"set": [
  { "point": "furniture", "id": "f_chair", "x": 5, "y": 10 },
  { "point": "radiation", "id": "f_chair", "x": 12, "y": 12, "amount": 20 },
  { "point": "trap", "id": "tr_beartrap", "x": [ 0, 23 ], "y": [ 5, 18 ], "chance": 10, "repeat": [ 2, 5 ] }
]

All X and Y values may be either a single integer between 0 and 23, or an array of two integers [ n1, n2 ] (each between 0 and 23). If X or Y are set to an array, the result is a random number in that range (inclusive). In the above examples, the furniture "f_chair" is always at coordinates "x": 5, "y": 10, but the trap "tr_beartrap" is randomly repeated in the area "x": [ 0, 23 ], "y": [ 5, 18 ]".

See terrain.json, furniture.json, and trap.json for “id” strings.

Set things at a “point”

• Requires “point” type, and coordinates “x” and “y”
• For “point” type “radiation”, requires “amount”
• For other types, requires “id” of terrain, furniture, or trap

Field	Description
point	Allowed values: "terrain", "furniture", "trap", "radiation"
id	Terrain, furniture, or trap ID. Examples: "id": "f_counter", "id": "tr_beartrap". Omit for “radiation”.
x, y	X, Y coordinates. Value from 0-23, or range [ 0-23, 0-23 ] for a random value in that range. Example: "x": 12, "y": [ 5, 15 ]
amount	Radiation amount. Value from 0-100.
chance	(optional) One-in-N chance to apply
repeat	(optional) Value: [ n1, n2 ]. Spawn item randomly between n1 and n2 times. Only makes sense if the coordinates are random. Example: [ 1, 3 ] - repeat 1-3 times.

Set things in a “line”

• Requires “line” type, and endpoints “x”, “y” and “x2”, “y2”
• For “line” type “radiation”, requires “amount”
• For other types, requires “id” of terrain, furniture, or trap

Example:

{ "line": "terrain", "id": "t_lava", "x": 5, "y": 5, "x2": 20, "y2": 20 }

Field	Description
line	Allowed values: "terrain", "furniture", "trap", "radiation"
id	Terrain, furniture, or trap ID. Examples: "id": "f_counter", "id": "tr_beartrap". Omit for “radiation”.
x, y	Start X, Y coordinates. Value from 0-23, or range [ 0-23, 0-23 ] for a random value in that range. Example: "x": 12, "y": [ 5, 15 ]
x2, y2	End X, Y coordinates. Value from 0-23, or range [ 0-23, 0-23 ] for a random value in that range. Example: "x": 22, "y": [ 15, 20 ]
amount	Radiation amount. Value from 0-100.
chance	(optional) One-in-N chance to apply
repeat	(optional) Value: [ n1, n2 ]. Spawn item randomly between n1 and n2 times. Only makes sense if the coordinates are random. Example: [ 1, 3 ] - repeat 1-3 times.

Set things in a “square”

• Requires “square” type, and opposite corners at “x”, “y” and “x2”, “y2”
• For “square” type “radiation”, requires “amount”
• For other types, requires “id” of terrain, furniture, or trap

The “square” arguments are the same as for “line”, but “x”, “y” and “x2”, “y2” define opposite corners.

Example:

{ "square": "radiation", "amount": 10, "x": [0, 5], "y": [0, 5], "x2": [18, 23], "y2": [18, 23] }

Field	Description
square	Allowed values: "terrain", "furniture", "trap", "radiation"
id	Terrain, furniture, or trap ID. Examples: "id": "f_counter", "id": "tr_beartrap". Omit for “radiation”.
x, y	Top-left corner of square.
x2, y2	Bottom-right corner of square.

Spawn item or monster groups with “place_groups”

optional Spawn items or monsters from item_groups.json and monster_groups.json

Value: [ array of {objects} ]: [ { "monster": ... }, { "item": ... }, ... ]

Spawn monsters from a group with “monster”

Field	Description
monster	(required) Value: "MONSTER_GROUP". The monster group id, which picks random critters from a list
x, y	(required) Spawn coordinates. Value from 0-23, or range [ 0-23, 0-23 ] for a random value in that range.
density	(optional) Floating-point multiplier to “chance” (see below).
chance	(optional) One-in-N chance to spawn

Example:

{ "monster": "GROUP_ZOMBIE", "x": [13, 15], "y": 15, "chance": 10 }

When using a range for "x" or "y", the minimum and maximum values will be used in creating rectangle coordinates to be used by map::place_spawns. Each monster generated from the monster group will be placed in a different random location within the rectangle. The values in the above example will produce a rectangle for map::place_spawns from ( 13, 15 ) to ( 15, 15 ) inclusive.

The optional “density” is a floating-point multipier to the “chance” value. If the result is bigger than 100% it gurantees one spawn point for every 100% and the rest is evaluated by chance (one added or not). Then the monsters are spawned according to their spawn-point cost “cost_multiplier” defined in the monster groups. Additionally all overmap densities within a square of raduis 3 (7x7 around player - exact value in mapgen.cpp/MON_RADIUS macro) are added to this. The “pack_size” modifier in monstergroups is a random multiplier to the rolled spawn point amount.

Spawn items from a group with “item”

Field	Description
item	(required) Value: “ITEM_GROUP”. The item group id, which picks random stuff from a list.
x, y	(required) Spawn coordinates. Value from 0-23, or range [ 0-23, 0-23 ] for a random value in that range.
chance	(required) Percentage chance to spawn.

Example:

{ "item": "livingroom", "x": 12, "y": [5, 15], "chance": 50 }

When using a range for "x" or "y", the minimum and maximum values will be used in creating rectangle coordinates to be used by map::place_items. Each item from the item group will be placed in a different random location within the rectangle. These values in the above example will produce a rectangle for map::place_items from ( 12, 5 ) to ( 12, 15 ) inclusive.

Spawn a single monster with “place_monster”

optional Spawn single monster. Either specific monster or a random monster from a monster group. Is affected by spawn density game setting.

Value: [ array of {objects} ]: [ { "monster": ... } ]

Field	Description
monster	ID of the monster to spawn.
group	ID of the monster group from which the spawned monster is selected. monster and group should not be used together. group will act over monster.
x, y	Spawn coordinates ( specific or area rectangle ). Value: 0-23 or [ 0-23, 0-23 ] - random value between [ a, b ].
chance	Percentage chance to do spawning. If repeat is used each repeat has separate chance.
repeat	The spawning is repeated this many times. Can be a number or a range.
pack_size	How many monsters are spawned. Can be single number or range like [1-4]. Is affected by the chance and spawn density. Ignored when spawning from a group.
one_or_none	Do not allow more than one to spawn due to high spawn density. If repeat is not defined or pack size is defined this defaults to true true, otherwise this defaults to false. Ignored when spawning from a group.
friendly	Set true to make the monster friendly. Default false.
name	Extra name to display on the monster.
target	Set to true to make this into mission target. Only works when the monster is spawned from a mission.

Note that high spawn density game setting can cause extra monsters to spawn when monster is used. When group is used only one monster will spawn.

When using a range for "x" or "y", the minimum and maximum values will be used in creating rectangle coordinates to be used by map::place_spawns. Each monster generated from the monster group will be placed in a different random location within the rectangle. Example: "x": 12, "y": [ 5, 15 ] - these values will produce a rectangle for map::place_spawns from ( 12, 5 ) to ( 12, 15 ) inclusive.

Example:

"place_monster": [
    { "group": "GROUP_REFUGEE_BOSS_ZOMBIE", "name": "Sean McLaughlin", "x": 10, "y": 10, "target": true }
]

This places a single random monster from group “GROUP_REFUGEE_BOSS_ZOMBIE”, sets the name to “Sean McLaughlin”, spawns the monster at coordinate (10, 10) and also sets the monster as the target of this mission.

Example:

"place_monster": [
    { "monster": "mon_secubot", "x": [ 7, 18 ], "y": [ 7, 18 ], "chance": 30, "repeat": [1, 3] }
]

This places “mon_secubot” at random coordinate (7-18, 7-18). The monster is placed with 30% probablity. The placement is repeated by random number of times [1-3].

Spawn an entire group of monsters with “place_monsters”

Using place_monsters to spawn a group of monsters works in a similar fashion to place_monster. The key difference is that place_monsters guarantees that each valid entry in the group is spawned. It is strongly advised that you avoid using this flag with larger monster groups, as the total number of spawns is quite difficult to control.

Field	Description
monster	The ID of the monster group that you wish to spawn
x, y	Spawn coordinates ( specific or area rectangle ). Value: 0-23 or [ 0-23, 0-23 ] - random value between [ a, b ].
chance	Represents a 1 in N chance that the entire group will spawn. This is done once for each repeat. If this dice roll fails, the entire group specified will not spawn. Leave blank to guarantee spawns.
repeat	The spawning is repeated this many times. Can be a number or a range. Again, this represents the number of times the group will be spawned.
density	This number is multiplied by the spawn density of the world the player is in and then probabilistically rounded to determine how many times to spawn the group. This is done for each time the spawn is repeated. For instance, if the final multiplier from this calculation ends up being 2, and the repeat value is 6, then the group will be spawned 2 * 6 or 12 times.

Spawn specific items with a “place_item” array

optional A list of specific things to add. WIP: Monsters and vehicles will be here too

Value: [ array of {objects} ]: [ { "item", ... }, ... ]

Example:

"place_item": [
    { "item": "weed", "x": 14, "y": 15, "amount": [ 10, 20 ], "repeat": [1, 3], "chance": 20 }
]

Field	Description
item	(required) ID of the item to spawn
x, y	(required) Spawn coordinates. Value from 0-23, or range [ 0-23, 0-23 ] for a random value in that range.
amount	(required) Number of items to spawn. Single integer, or range [ a, b ] for a random value in that range.
chance	(optional) One-in-N chance to spawn item.
repeat	(optional) Value: [ n1, n2 ]. Spawn item randomly between n1 and n2 times. Only makes sense if the coordinates are random. Example: [ 1, 3 ] - repeat 1-3 times.

Extra map features with specials

optional Special map features that do more than just placing furniture / terrain.

Specials can be defined either via a mapping like the terrain / furniture mapping using the “rows” entry above or through their exact location by its coordinates.

The mapping is defined with a json object like this:

"<type-of-special>" : {
    "A" : { <data-of-special> },
    "B" : { <data-of-special> },
    "C" : { <data-of-special> },
    ...
}

"<type-of-special>" is one of the types listed below. <data-of-special> is a json object with content specific to the special type. Some types require no data at all or all their data is optional, an empty object is enough for those specials. You can define as many mapping as you want.

Each mapping can be an array, for things that can appear several times on the tile (e.g. items, fields) each entry of the array is applied in order. For traps, furniture and terrain, one entry is randomly chosen (all entries have the same chances) and applied.

Example (places grass at 2/3 of all ’.’ square and dirt at 1/3 of them):

"terrain" : {
    ".": [ "t_grass", "t_grass", "t_dirt" ]
}

It is also possible to specify the number of instances (and consequently their chance) directly, which is particularly useful for rare occurrences (rather than repeating the common value many times):

"terrain" : {
    ".": [ [ "t_grass", 2 ], "t_dirt" ]
}

Example (places a blood and a bile field on each ’.’ square):

"fields" : {
    ".": [ { "field": "fd_blood" }, { "field": "fd_bile" } ]
}

Or define the mappings for one character at once:

"mapping" : {
    ".": {
        "traps": "tr_beartrap",
        "field": { "field": "fd_blood" },
        "item": { "item": "corpse" },
        "terrain": { "t_dirt" }
    }
}

This might be more useful if you want to put many different type of things on one place.

Defining specials through their specific location:

"place_<type-of-special>" : {
    { "x": <x>, "y": <y>, <data-of-special> },
    ...
}

<x> and <y> define where the special is placed (x is horizontal, y vertical). Valid value are in the range 0..23, min-max values are also supported: "x": [ 0, 23 ], "y": [ 0, 23 ] places the special anyway on the map.

Example with mapping (the characters "O" and ";" should appear in the rows array where the specials should appear):

"gaspumps": {
    "O": { "amount": 1000 }
},
"toilets": {
    ";": { }
}

The amount of water to be placed in toilets is optional, an empty entry is therefor completely valid.

Example with coordinates:

"place_gaspumps": [
    { "x": 14, "y": 15, "amount": [ 1000, 2000 ] }
],
"place_toilets": [
    { "x": 19, "y": 22 }
]

Terrain, furniture and traps can specified as a single string, not a json object:

"traps" : {
    ".": "tr_beartrap"
}

Same as

"traps" : {
    ".": { "trap": "tr_beartrap" }
}

Place smoke, gas, or blood with “fields”

Field	Description
field	(required, string) the field type (e.g. "fd_blood", "fd_smoke")
density	(optional, integer) field density. Defaults to 1. Possible values are 1, 2, or 3.
intensity	(optional, integer) how concentrated the field is, from 1 to 3 or more. See data/json/field_type.json
age	(optional, integer) field age. Defaults to 0.

Place NPCs with “npcs”

Example:

"npcs": { "A": { "class": "NC_REFUGEE", "target": true, "add_trait": "ASTHMA" } }

Field	Description
class	(required, string) the npc class id, see data/json/npcs/npc.json or define your own npc class.
target	(optional, bool) this NPC is a mission target. Only valid for update_mapgen.
add_trait	(optional, string or string array) this NPC gets these traits, in addition to any from the class definition.

Place signs with “signs”

Places a sign (furniture f_sign) with a message written on it. Either “signage” or “snippet” must be defined. The message may include tags like <full_name>, <given_name>, and <family_name> that will insert a randomly generated name, or <city> that will insert the nearest city name.

Example:

"signs": { "P": { "signage": "Subway map: <city> stop" } }

Field	Description
signage	(optional, string) the message that should appear on the sign.
snippet	(optional, string) a category of snippets that can appear on the sign.

Place a vending machine and items with “vendingmachines”

Places a vending machine (furniture) and fills it with items from an item group. The machine can sometimes spawn as broken one.

Field	Description
item_group	(optional, string) the item group that is used to create items inside the machine. It defaults to either “vending_food” or “vending_drink” (randomly chosen).

Place a toilet with some amount of water with “toilets”

Places a toilet (furniture) and adds water to it.

Field	Description
amount	(optional, integer or min/max array) the amount of water to be placed in the toilet.

Place a gas or diesel pump with some fuel with “gaspumps”

Places a gas pump with gasoline (or sometimes diesel) in it.

Field	Description
amount	(optional, integer or min/max array) the amount of fuel to be placed in the pump.
fuel	(optional, string: “gasoline” or “diesel”) the type of fuel to be placed in the pump.

Place items from an item group with “items”

Field	Description
item	(required, string or itemgroup object) the item group to use.
chance	(optional, integer or min/max array) x in 100 chance that a loop will continue to spawn items from the group (which itself may spawn multiple items or not depending on its type, see ITEM_SPAWN.md), unless the chance is 100, in which case it will trigger the item group spawn exactly 1 time (see map::place_items).
repeat	(optional, integer or min/max array) the number of times to repeat this placement, default is 1.

Place monsters from a monster group with “monsters”

The actual monsters are spawned when the map is loaded. Fields:

Field	Description
monster	(required, string) a monster group id, when the map is loaded, a random monsters from that group are spawned.
density	(optional, float) if defined, it overrides the default monster density at the location (monster density is bigger towards the city centers) (see map::place_spawns).
chance	(optional, integer or min/max array) one in x chance of spawn point being created (see map::place_spawns).

Place a vehicle by type or group with “vehicles”

Field	Description
vehicle	(required, string) type of the vehicle or id of a vehicle group.
chance	(optional, integer or min/max array) x in 100 chance of the vehicle spawning at all. The default is 1 (which means 1% probability that the vehicle spawns, you probably want something larger).
rotation	(optional, integer) the direction the vehicle faces.
fuel	(optional, integer) the fuel status. Default is -1 which makes the tanks 1-7% full. Positive values are interpreted as percentage of the vehicles tanks to fill (e.g. 100 means completely full).
status	(optional, integer) default is -1 (light damage), a value of 0 means perfect condition, 1 means heavily damaged.

Place a specific item with “item”

Field	Description
item	(required, string) the item type id of the new item.
chance	(optional, integer or min/max array) one in x chance that the item will spawn. Default is 1, meaning it will always spawn.
amount	(optional, integer or min/max array) the number of items to spawn, default is 1.
repeat	(optional, integer or min/max array) the number of times to repeat this placement, default is 1.

To use this type with explicit coordinates use the name “place_item” (this if for backwards compatibility) like this:

"item": {
    "x": { "item": "rock" }
},
"place_item": [
    { "x": 10, "y": 1, "item": "rock" }
]

Place a specific monster with “monster”

Field	Description
monster	(required, string) type id of the monster (e.g. mon_zombie).
friendly	(optional, bool) whether the monster is friendly, default is false.
name	(optional, string) a name for that monster, optional, default is to create an unnamed monster.
target	(optional, bool) this monster is a mission target. Only valid for update_mapgen.

Place a trap with “traps”

Field	Description
trap	(required, string) type id of the trap (e.g. tr_beartrap).

Place furniture with “furniture”

Field	Description
furn	(required, string) type id of the furniture (e.g. f_chair).

Place terrain with “terrain”

If the terrain has the value “roof” set and is in an enclosed space, it’s indoors.

Field	Description
ter	(required, string) type id of the terrain (e.g. t_floor).

Place rubble and smash existing terrain with “rubble”

Creates rubble and bashes existing terrain (this step is applied last, after other things like furniture/terrain have been set). Creating rubble invokes the bashing function that can destroy terrain and cause structures to collapse.

Field	Description
rubble_type	(optional, furniture id, default: f_rubble) the type of the created rubble.
items	(optional, bool, default: false) place items that result from bashing the structure.
floor_type	(optional, terrain id, default: t_dirt) only used if there is a non-bashable wall at the location or with overwrite = true.
overwrite	(optional, bool, default: false) if true it just writes on top of what currently exists.

To use this type with explicit coordinates use the name “place_rubble” (no plural) like this:

"place_rubble": [
    { "x": 10, "y": 1 }
]

Place spilled liquids with “place_liquids”

Creates a liquid item at the specified location. Liquids can’t currently be picked up (except for gasoline in tanks or pumps), but can be used to add flavor to mapgen.

Field	Description
liquid	(required, item id) the item (a liquid)
amount	(optional, integer/min-max array) amount of liquid to place (a value of 0 defaults to the item’s default charges)
chance	(optional, integer/min-max array) one in x chance of spawning a liquid, default value is 1 (100%)

Example for dropping a default amount of gasoline (200 units) on the ground (either by using a character in the rows array or explicit coordinates):

"liquids": {
    "g": { "liquid": "gasoline" }
},
"place_liquids": [
    { "liquid": "gasoline", "x": 3, "y": 5 }
],

Place a specific item or an item from a group with “loot”

Places item(s) from an item group, or an individual item. An important distinction between this and place_item and item/items is that loot can spawn a single item from a distribution group (without looping). It can also spawn a matching magazine and ammo for guns.

Note: Either group or item must be specified, but not both.

Field	Description
group	(string) the item group to use (see ITEM_SPAWN.md for notes on collection vs distribution groups)
item	(string) the type id of the item to spawn
chance	(optional, integer) x in 100 chance of item(s) spawning. Defaults to 100.
ammo	(optional, integer) x in 100 chance of item(s) spawning with the default amount of ammo. Defaults to 0.
magazine	(optional, integer) x in 100 chance of item(s) spawning with the default magazine. Defaults to 0.

Plant seeds in a planter with “sealed_item”

Places an item or item group inside furniture that has special handling for items.

This is intended for furniture such as f_plant_harvest with the PLANT flag, because placing items on such furniture via the other means will not work (since they have the NOITEM FLAG).

On such furniture, there is supposed to be a single (hidden) seed item which dictates the species of plant. Using sealed_item, you can create such plants by specifying the furniture and a seed item.

Note: Exactly one of “item” or “items” must be given (but not both).

Field	Description
furniture	(string) the id of the chosen furniture.
item	spawn an item as the “item” special
items	spawn an item group as the “items” special.

Example:

"sealed_item": {
  "p": {
    "items": { "item": "farming_seeds", "chance": 100 },
    "furniture": "f_plant_harvest"
  }
},

Place messages with “graffiti”

Places a graffiti message at the location. Either “text” or “snippet” must be defined. The message may include tags like <full_name>, <given_name>, and <family_name> that will insert a randomly generated name, or <city> that will insert the nearest city name.

Field	Description
text	(optional, string) the message that will be placed.
snippet	(optional, string) a category of snippets that the message will be pulled from.

Place a zone for an NPC faction with “zones”

NPCs in the faction will use the zone to influence the AI.

Field	Description
type	(required, string) Values: "NPC_RETREAT", "NPC_NO_INVESTIGATE", or "NPC_INVESTIGATE_ONLY".
faction	(required, string) the faction id of the NPC faction that will use the zone.
name	(optional, string) the name of the zone.

The type field values affect NPC behavior. NPCs will:

• Prefer to retreat towards NPC_RETREAT zones.
• Not move to the see the source of unseen sounds coming from NPC_NO_INVESTIGATE zones.
• Not move to the see the source of unseen sounds coming from outside NPC_INVESTIGATE_ONLY zones.

Translate terrain type with “translate_ter”

Translates one type of terrain into another type of terrain. There is no reason to do this with normal mapgen, but it is useful for setting a baseline with update_mapgen.

Field	Description
from	(required, string) the terrain id of the terrain to be transformed
to	(required, string) the terrain id that the from terrain will transformed into

Apply mapgen transformation with “ter_furn_transforms”

Run a ter_furn_transform at the specified location. This is mostly useful for applying transformations as part of an update_mapgen, as normal mapgen can just specify the terrain directly.

• “transform”: (required, string) the id of the ter_furn_transform to run.

Spawn nested chunks based on overmap neighbors with “place_nested”

Place_nested allows for limited conditional spawning of chunks based on the "id"s of their overmap neighbors and the joins that were used in placing a mutable overmap special. This is useful for creating smoother transitions between biome types or to dynamically create walls at the edges of a mutable structure.

Field	Description
chunks/else_chunks	(required, string) the nested_mapgen_id of the chunk that will be conditionally placed. Chunks are placed if the specified neighbor matches, and “else_chunks” otherwise.
x and y	(required, int) the cardinal position in which the chunk will be placed.
neighbors	(optional) Any of the neighboring overmaps that should be checked before placing the chunk. Each direction is associated with a list of overmap "id" substrings.
joins	(optional) Any mutable overmap special joins that should be checked before placing the chunk. Each direction is associated with a list of join "id" strings.
connections	(optional) Any connection that should be directed toward this overmap before placing the chunk. Each direction is associated with a list of connection "id" strings.

The adjacent overmaps which can be checked in this manner are:

• the direct cardinal neighbors ( "north", "east", "south", "west" ),
• the inter cardinal neighbors ( "north_east", "north_west", "south_east", "south_west" ),
• the direct vertical neighbors ( "above", "below" ).

Joins can be checked only for the cardinal directions, "above", and "below"

Example:

"place_nested": [
  { "chunks": [ "concrete_wall_ew" ], "x": 0, "y": 0, "neighbors": { "north": [ "empty_rock", "field" ] } },
  { "chunks": [ "gate_north" ], "x": 0, "y": 0, "joins": { "north": [ "interior_to_exterior" ] } },
  { "else_chunks": [ "concrete_wall_ns" ], "x": 0, "y": 0, "neighbors": { "north_west": [ "field", "microlab" ] } }
],

The code excerpt above will place chunks as follows:

• "concrete_wall_ew" if the north neighbor is either a field or solid rock
• "gate_north" if the join "interior_to_exterior" was used to the north during mutable overmap placement.
• "concrete_wall_ns"if the north west neighbor is neither a field nor any of the microlab overmaps.

Mapgen values

A mapgen value can be used in various places where a specific id is expected. For example, the default value of a parameter, or a terrain id in the "terrain" object. A mapgen value can take one of three forms:

• A simple string, which should be a literal id. For example, "t_flat_roof".
• A JSON object containing the key "distribution", whose corresponding value is a list of lists, each a pair of a string id and an integer weight. For example:

{ "distribution": [ [ "t_flat_roof", 2 ], [ "t_tar_flat_roof", 1 ], [ "t_shingle_flat_roof", 1 ] ] }

• A JSON object containing the key "param", whose corresponding value is the string name of a parameter as discussed in Mapgen parameters. For example, { "param": "roof_type" }.

  You may be required to also supply a fallback value, such as { "param": "roof_type", "fallback": "t_flat_roof" }. The fallback is necessary to allow mapgen definitions to change without breaking an ongoing game. Different parts of the same overmap special can be generated at different times, and if a new parameter is added to the definition part way through the generation then the value of that parameter will be missing and the fallback will be used.

• A switch statement to select different values depending on the value of some other mapgen value. This would most often be used to switch on the value of a mapgen parameter, so as to allow two parts of the mapgen to be consistent. For example, the following switch would match a fence gate type to a fence type chosen by a mapgen parameter fence_type:

{
  "switch": { "param": "fence_type", "fallback": "t_splitrail_fence" },
  "cases": {
    "t_splitrail_fence": "t_splitrail_fencegate_c",
    "t_chainfence": "t_chaingate_c",
    "t_fence_barbed": "t_gate_metal_c",
    "t_privacy_fence": "t_privacy_fencegate_c"
  }
}

Mapgen parameters

(Note that this feature is under development and functionality may not line up exactly with the documentation.)

Another entry within a mapgen definition or palette can be a "parameters" key. For example:

"parameters": {
  "roof_type": {
    "type": "ter_str_id",
    "default": { "distribution": [ [ "t_flat_roof", 2 ], [ "t_tar_flat_roof", 1 ], [ "t_shingle_flat_roof", 1 ] ] }
  }
},

Each entry in the "parameters" JSON object defines a parameter. The key is the parameter name. Each such key should have an associated JSON object. That object must provide its type (which should be a type string as for a cata_variant) and may optionally provide a default value. The default value should be a mapgen value as defined above.

At time of writing, the only way for a parameter to get a value is via the "default", so you probably want to always have one.

The primary application of parameters is that you can use a "distribution" mapgen value to select a value at random, and then apply that value to every use of that parameter. In the above example, a random roof terrain is picked. By using the parameter with some "terrain" key, via a "param" mapgen value, you can use a random but consistent choice of roof terrain across your map. In contrast, placing the "distribution" directly in the "terrain" object would cause mapgen to choose a terrain at random for each roof tile, leading to a mishmash of roof terrains.

By default, the scope of a parameter is the overmap_special being generated. That is, the parameter will have the same value across the overmap_special. When a default value is needed, it will be chosen when the first chunk of that special is generated, and that value will be saved to be reused for later chunks.

If you wish, you may specify "scope": "omt" to limit the scope to just a single overmap tile. Then a default value will be chosen independently for each OMT. This has the advantage that you are no longer forced to select a "fallback" value when using that parameter in mapgen.

The third option for scope is "scope": "nest". This only makes sense when used in nested mapgen (although it is not an error to use it elsewhere, so that the same palette may be used for nested and non-nested mapgen). When the scope is nest, the value of the parameter is chosen for a particular nested chunk. For example, suppose a nest defines a carpet across several tiles, you can use a parameter to ensure that the carpet is the same colour for all the tiles within that nest, but another instance of the same nested_mapgen_id elsewhere in the same OMT might choose a different colour.

To help you debug mapgen parameters and their effect on mapgen, you can see the chosen values for overmap_special-scoped parameters in the overmap editor (accessible via the debug menu).

Rotate the map with “rotation”

Rotates the generated map after all the other mapgen stuff has been done. The value can be a single integer or a range (out of which a value will be randomly chosen). Example: "rotation": [ 0, 3 ]

Values are 90° steps.

Pre-load a base mapgen with “predecessor_mapgen”

Specifying an overmap terrain id here will run the entire mapgen for that overmap terrain type first, before applying the rest of the mapgen defined here. The primary use case for this is when our mapgen for a location takes place in a natural feature like a forest, swamp, or lake shore. Many existing JSON mapgen attempt to emulate the mapgen of the type they’re being placed on (e.g. a cabin in the forest has placed the trees, grass and clutter of a forest to try to make the cabin fit in) which leads to them being out of sync when the generation of that type changes. By specifying the predecessor_mapgen, you can instead focus on the things that are added to the existing location type.

Example: "predecessor_mapgen": "forest"

Palettes

A palette provides a way to use the same symbol definitions for different pieces of mapgen. For example, most of the houses defined in CDDA us the standard_domestic_palette. That palette, for example, defines h as meaning f_chair, so all the house mapgen can use h in its "rows" array without needing to repeat this definition everywhere. It simply requires a reference to the palette, achieved by adding

"palettes": [ "standard_domestic_palette" ]

to the definition of each house.

Each piece of mapgen can refer to multiple palettes. When two palettes both define meanings for the same symbol, both are applied. In some cases (such as spawning items) you can see the results of both in the final output. In other cases (such as setting terrain or furniture) one result must override the others. The rule is that the last palette listed overrides earlier ones, and definitions in the outer mapgen override anything in the palettes within.

Palette definitions can contain any of the JSON described above for the JSON object definition where it is defining a meaning for a symbol. They cannot specify anything for a particular location (using "x" and "y" coordinates.

Palettes can themselves include other palettes via a "palettes" key. So if two or more palettes would have many of the same symbols with the same meanings that common part can be pulled out into a new palette which each of them includes, so that the definitions need not be repeated.

Palette ids as mapgen values

The values in the "palettes" list need not be simple strings. They can be any mapgen value as described above. Most importantly, this means that they can use a "distribution" to select from a set of palettes at random.

This selection works as if it were an overmap special-scoped mapgen parameter. So, all OMTs within a special will use the same palette. Moreover, you can see which palette was chosen by looking at the overmap special arguments displayed in the overmap editor (accessible via the debug menu).

For example, the following JSON used in a cabin mapgen definition

"palettes": [ { "distribution": [ [ "cabin_palette", 1 ], [ "cabin_palette_abandoned", 1 ] ] } ],

causes half the cabins generated to use the regular cabin_palette and the other half to use cabin_palette_abandoned.

Using update_mapgen

update_mapgen is a variant of normal JSON mapgen. Instead of creating a new overmap tile, it updates an existing overmap tile with a specific set of changes. Currently, it only works within the NPC mission interface, but it will be expanded to be a general purpose tool for modifying existing maps.

update_mapgen generally uses the same fields as JSON mapgen, with a few exceptions. update_mapgen has a few new fields to support missions, as well as ways to specify which overmap tile will be updated.

Overmap tile specification

update_mapgen updates an existing overmap tile. These fields provide a way to specify which tile to update.

“assign_mission_target”

assign_mission_target assigns an overmap tile as the target of a mission. Any update_mapgen in the same scope will update that overmap tile. The closet overmap terrain with the required terrain ID will be used, and if there is no matching terrain, an overmap special of om_special type will be created and then the om_terrain within that special will be used.

Field	Description
om_terrain	(required, string) the overmap terrain ID of the mission target
om_special	(required, string) the overmap special ID of the mission target

“om_terrain”

The closest overmap tile of type om_terrain in the closest overmap special of type om_special will be used. The overmap tile will be updated but will not be set as the mission target.

Field	Description
om_terrain	(required, string) the overmap terrain ID of the mission target
om_special	(required, string) the overmap special ID of the mission target

Mission specials

update_mapgen adds new optional keywords to a few mapgen JSON items.

“target”

place_npc, place_monster, and place_computer can take an optional target boolean. If they have "target": true and are invoked by update_mapgen with a valid mission, then the NPC, monster, or computer will be marked as the target of the mission.