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How Roads And Paths Are Built

birchtreebirchtree Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
edited May 2019 in General Discussion
A few months ago I made a post about path and road generation in Ashes of Creation. The recent Dev Diaries about the Node Tool and Building tool really got me pumped about the idea I had again.

This is the old archived post:
I think one of the best ways to make each server feel like a different place would be to have the majority of roads & paths generate based on where players are walking. The more players walk a path, the more it develops. (Trail > Path > Road)

On launch day, there are no roads. People venture out into the wilderness.

After a few weeks or so, some small trails and paths are cut into the wilderness where players have been walking to do quests, dungeons, and between trading freeholds.

As time goes on the roads are upgraded. They get wider and more developed as more people use them. Once the path reaches "Road" status, maybe the city ruling the node can vote on options for the roads(but not paths or trails). They'd spend tax money to upgrade the surrounding areas roads. Better roads could provide light in the nighttime or movement speed increase. They could have guards posted once every few KM if you are a military node. Economic nodes could upgrade their paths to have benches and fancy flowers or marble paths.

Roads could also fade away into paths, trails, and then wilderness again if no one is using it. Lets say there's a path behind a freehold that goes back to a copper mine, but the copper runs out and the path goes unused. The wilderness claims it back over time.

Exceptions to this would be the roads and paths associated with certain already existing elements in the world. If there's a quest that leads to a witches hut in the backwoods, you could set it so the area around the witches hut doesn't develop paths as players go to find the witch.

The system would have to be balanced in a way where the major roads would take a long time to fade to paths, and trails would fade within a few days. Buildings would probably need a ruleset where they could be built over trails and paths, but not roads(unless it's a certain type of building like a gate where it requires a road).

I'm fairly certain this was available as a plugin in Minecraft, and I absolutely loved the heck out of it. Seeing my path to my little farm and mineshaft develop over time really immersed me and I've never forgotten it.

I'd like to update that I actually found the Minecraft Plugin I mentioned. It's called Trails. They even have a GIF example:
UnkemptDisgustingHectorsdolphin.gif

Honestly, the few ideas I spitballed in my initial post are just the tip of the iceberg. Someone in the old thread mentioned having a path develop to someone's Freehold with an epic tavern or a group's guild hall and being able to use your funds to upgrade the road in your designated area.

Comments

  • Rem_Rem_ Member
    Hmmm I not sure how it'll work, I don't think on launch the paths will be dynamic. I hope they will be, but having roads go to popular freeholds would be a lot of work. I do love the ideas though, like big main trails fading into smaller unfinished ones, not paved and then eventually into the wilderness.
    Poko.png
  • tugowartugowar Member, Phoenix Initiative, Royalty, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Pathfinding is a feature in most modern engines now. Nonetheless, the node locations are static. Therefore, they really have the option to go either way.

    I'd presume that node trails are going to group up onto the map onto main thoroughfares, as trails and paths do in real life. Regardless of which of the nodes connecting becomes the metro, it's still somewhere on the network path. Grouping the paths into highways always promotes caravan attacking/defending.

    Virtue is the only good.
  • unknownsystemerrorunknownsystemerror Member, Phoenix Initiative, Royalty, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    They said that there are multiple possible sites for a camp to happen in a node. So while on EU server one the town in Blueberry Crunch node may be located next to the river, on NA it may be located next to the mountain. Since that level of random is there, the pathfinding for node road development will be random to the metrics they set.
    south-park-rabble-rabble-rabbl-53b58d315aa49.jpg
  • Considering that the only way to move a lot of goods or resources from one town to another is for NPC driven caravans I think it would be better if paths and roads were going to be pretty set between nodes. Or at least the main ones. Pathing can already be an issue in games and if the paths and roads are randomly created through player exploration it could cause a lot of issues with caravans.
  • BloodlessBloodless Member, Braver of Worlds, Alpha One
    Considering that the only way to move a lot of goods or resources from one town to another is for NPC driven caravans I think it would be better if paths and roads were going to be pretty set between nodes. Or at least the main ones. Pathing can already be an issue in games and if the paths and roads are randomly created through player exploration it could cause a lot of issues with caravans.

    This would also be my biggest worry. I think that roads could be predetermined, but maybe paths or trails could auto-generate from repetitive player pathing to a certain location. Maybe caravans will only travel on main roads and can't traverse on trails. Overall, this is a great idea, but I think the upgrading of the trails, etc. Will cause major issues.
  • grisugrisu Member
    Considering that the only way to move a lot of goods or resources from one town to another is for NPC driven caravans(...)

    Um no, there are self driven caravans too to move goods.

    Sounds like a fun idea that might supplement a static street system. Especially for freeholds that have some functionallity. Wether it's just popular or is somewhere near a good hunting ground and provides buffs (aka taverns) or maybe some amazing blacksmith that settled near a node.
    It would be okay if those people had to rely on spreading their location by word alone, but I think they will have some ingame options to make themselves...visible? The way Ashes presents itself and the focus it has, it would be weird in my opinion that this would be a topic that's not adressed with ingame mechanics.
    I can be a life fulfilling dream. - Zekece
    I can be a life devouring nightmare. - Grisu#1819
  • nibiru97nibiru97 Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    I assume the road pathways are set with them just upgrading between nodes as they level. It would be cool though if a trail/pathway connected your freehold to the road if it was within a certain distance of that road.
  • KarthosKarthos Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Regardless of how roads are formed, i'm excited to prowl them for unsuspecting caravans....

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYU-vSh7ORA
    Aq0KG2f.png
  • NagashNagash Member, Leader of Men, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Karthos wrote: »
    Regardless of how roads are formed, i'm excited to prowl them for unsuspecting caravans....

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYU-vSh7ORA

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dES8ldFlFrA
    nJ0vUSm.gif

    The dead do not squabble as this land’s rulers do. The dead have no desires, petty jealousies or ambitions. A world of the dead is a world at peace
  • KarthosKarthos Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    @Nagash

    Is that you and me in song form?
    Aq0KG2f.png
  • NagashNagash Member, Leader of Men, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    I think you are right
    nJ0vUSm.gif

    The dead do not squabble as this land’s rulers do. The dead have no desires, petty jealousies or ambitions. A world of the dead is a world at peace
  • caedwyncaedwyn Member
    while it will be very live and amazing , what if you know... people walk all over forests and all :neutral:
    and didnt they answer this question last stream as : there wont be a road at first but when node A develops and node B develops a road is built between them.
  • tugowartugowar Member, Phoenix Initiative, Royalty, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    That video was something else

    Virtue is the only good.
  • birchtreebirchtree Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    edited May 2019
    caedwyn wrote: »
    while it will be very live and amazing , what if you know... people walk all over forests and all :neutral:
    and didnt they answer this question last stream as : there wont be a road at first but when node A develops and node B develops a road is built between them.

    That's a good question. I suppose they could put in a protection of some sort like "If path exists within X amount of meters, don't make another path" so at least there is some variation.
    tumblr_inline_p7g4y2FPwU1s7mcy0_400.jpg
    I recently realized Animal Crossing also has path generation. What you mention as a problem happens in Animal Crossing- people trample their towns to dust by running everywhere. To fix it, there is a game mechanic where you can plant flowers and avoid the area to have the grass grow back. Also, the season of winter "breaks" these paths. Maybe AOC's spring could refresh the the forest and give an extra bump to forest regeneration?

    Perhaps AOC could have herbalists be able to use some sort of special fertilizer to help encourage path generation to how they want it to look. I'm just spitballing here, there may be a more eloquent/fun solution. I just know in WoW professions are useless so my first instinct is to try and make professions useful.

    I'm really happy to see so much discussion on the post!
  • T ElfT Elf Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    I can see it now....people pathing to write or make pictures.
    eZC6mjP.gif
    Formerly T-Elf

  • NagashNagash Member, Leader of Men, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    elf wrote: »
    I can see it now....people pathing to write or make pictures.

    Oh the fun you could have ^^
    nJ0vUSm.gif

    The dead do not squabble as this land’s rulers do. The dead have no desires, petty jealousies or ambitions. A world of the dead is a world at peace
  • AtamaAtama Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Nagash wrote: »
    elf wrote: »
    I can see it now....people pathing to write or make pictures.

    Oh the fun you could have ^^

    MY.COM CAN SUC

    Darn, mountains are in the way.
     
    Hhak63P.png
  • birchtreebirchtree Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    elf wrote: »
    I can see it now....people pathing to write or make pictures.

    Ah yes, this is something that *sort of* happened during the launch event of Warlords of Draenor.
    0cux9Qj54Elir47ySiYU8d-vOQfdZPf3cEhM8VEPDZUxm53V0wQr0M7wEvrMrmRH4ElI-Eb7VM7sc2WYbeweIO02IjjdvQMFM19gg5S3y6xsT42_gW9ENP205Li6tebxug=s412
    That was an "instant" path making thing though. I guess with this system you'd have to have a VERY dedicated group of pathwalkers.
  • AtamaAtama Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    birchtree wrote: »
    elf wrote: »
    I can see it now....people pathing to write or make pictures.

    Ah yes, this is something that *sort of* happened during the launch event of Warlords of Draenor.
    0cux9Qj54Elir47ySiYU8d-vOQfdZPf3cEhM8VEPDZUxm53V0wQr0M7wEvrMrmRH4ElI-Eb7VM7sc2WYbeweIO02IjjdvQMFM19gg5S3y6xsT42_gW9ENP205Li6tebxug=s412
    That was an "instant" path making thing though. I guess with this system you'd have to have a VERY dedicated group of pathwalkers.

    Heh, gold farmers could have “writing bots” constantly spelling out the link to their gold-selling sites in the dirt.
     
    Hhak63P.png
  • MeowsedMeowsed Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    atama wrote: »
    Heh, gold farmers could have “writing bots” constantly spelling out the link to their gold-selling sites in the dirt.

    Honestly, I wouldn't even be mad. I respect the hustle.
    Mega troll frmr1cq9w89im2.jpg
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