The first WWD level generated automatically!

[Tomalla]

Ladies and gentlemen ... the new era in designing Gruntz levels has just begun!

For the past few months I've been working on a C++ library for reading and manipulating WWD files. That's nothing new, we've already seen applications which can read a level file and for example list all the collectibles (see my "Gruntz Scrooge" program). Now however we are also able to save the level BACK.

What does that mean? We can now do pretty much anything. Randomizing tiles? No problem. Expanding the level to the left or up? No problem! Doing some other tedious tasks like mirroring a part of a puzzle (for battle designs), copying a set of objects from place to place is also no longer a problem. We can now automate ANYTHING. And I'm not kidding.

Here's the simple demonstration I whipped up: I've loaded up a Rocky Roadz template and made a simple level. All the tiles on the sides have id 199 and are filled with random trees, to which there is a random mirror effect applied. In the middle there is a free space with random 1-8 tiles. And to finish things off we drop a single Grunt with a pair of Gauntletz!

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Now, how many lines of code were required to generate this level? The answer is: mere 20-30. Here's the link to the corresponding C++ snippet: pastebin.com/2EuiAhkj

This is a C++ library. What it means is that it's not a standalone application; it's used to make applications. It could be used for example to make a new level editor. For now though I'll be using it for some utility tasks only. Perhaps some time in the future I'll make it available from within a scripting language, like Lua or Squirrel - then using the library would be easy, straightforward and wouldn't require a compilation phase. Later on I'll add in the support for REZ, PID and perhaps ANI file formats. At some point I'll also share the library source code on GitHub so that any programmer could use it.

I have very high hopes for this project as it may revolutionize the entire process of designing levels and I am VERY excited to share these news with you! Have any questions? Ideas? Anything? Speak up!

Cheers!

(Edit): I've just noticed it is my 500th post on this forum. Holy guacamole, what a way to that milestone!

[GooRoo]

Just the part about randomizing Ground Tilez made me happy! I wonder what one of Bjarni's Questz would look like with just random tiles applied to it? Just one example, such as in "AttackOfTheBoomerangGruntzII" would prove the point.

[powerfulmind]

You will literally create a brand new version of the level editor. I'm just impressed!

500 postz... Congratulationz for that! I should call you Senior Gruntzer from now on! 

[Tomalla]

I would really be careful with that "creating a new editor" thinger. That stuff would require way more work than this: my framework would also have to be able to read REZ and PID files (and optionally ANI files to add in visually appealing animations). And even if that'd be done, a new editor would require some really careful planning and designing, preferably together with the rest of the community. Such a big project shouldn't be rushed by any means.

I don't think I'd pull this off anytime soon. Even a few years worth of work might not be enough for me to complete such a complex project.

[GooRoo]

Oh, great! Another puzzle!

Not really. I just will have to "go back to school" and learn how to use another great tool! I hope that the 'randomizing' effect is designed to work on a limited area. A regular rectangle would suit me just fine, but if an irregular polygon could be selected for randomizing in Gruntz that would "conquer the world!"