Better Continents

Mod originally created by billw2012.

• Full Documentation
• Installation Guide
• Discord

Introduction

This mod provides the tools to both improve the standard terrain generation of the game, and override aspects of it with image maps, allowing precise control over height, biomes, location placement, and forest coverage.
These generated worlds can be shared with others (who have this mod installed) by simply copying the usual world files, along with the extra .BetterContinents file.

See maps people have shared here. Check the links above for documentation and installation instructions.

Recommended mods

• Server Devcommands
  • Edit the configuration to automatically enable flying or other features.
  • Better Continents enables devcommands for debug worlds, so that feature can be disabled from Server Devcommands.
• Upgrade World
  • This is needed to reset the world when reloading images or changing settings.
  • Better Continents calls the zones_reset command automatically when needed.
  • Other commands can be used for more specific resets.
  • Adds location_register command to make a location to spawn at the specific coordinates.

Features

• Use image files as base heightmap layer, detail heightmap layer, and biome specific heightmap layer, with blending options for each
• A comprehensive layer based noise system based on FastNoiseLite, including support for any number of layers of noise with separate settings, each with its own distortion and mask
• A preset system with a few inbuilt defaults, allowing easy selection and sharing of world configs (anyone can make and share their own presets)
• An in game UI for designing your world, with visualisation for the layer system, and fast updating of the terrain and map
• An extensive console command system matching the UI, for those who prefer it
• Use an image file to specify biomes
• Use an image file to specify spawning positions for locations, including player start, bosses, and trader
• Use an image file to specify forest coverage, including in biomes that normally are totally forested (Swamp, Mistlands, Dark Forest, Mountains)
• Change global scale – changes continent sizes
• Adjust sea level
• Adjust forest scaling (how big the contiguous areas of forest/clearings are), and amount
• Specify starting position explicitly
• Still allows loading vanilla maps, without needing to adjust any settings or disable the mod
• Export full map to png at any resolution

• v0.7.27

  • Fixed for the new game version.

• v0.7.26

  • Fixes some maps not loading correctly.

• v0.7.25

  • Changes the location map having higher priority than the default location generation.
  • Fixes Ashlands ocean storm not following the heat map.
  • Fixes the terrain map having very low precision.
  • Fixes Expand World Size not working with noise layers on servers.
  • Fixed for the new update.

• v0.7.24

  • Fixes cloud save not working.

• v0.7.23

  • Adds color remapping to terrain and paint maps.
  • Adds support for hex format to the biome color mapping.
  • Fixes the heat map causing ship damage everywhere in the world.
  • Removes the "Default terrain color" setting as obsolete.

• v0.7.22

  • Adds a new map "terrainmap" to set the terrain color.
  • Fixes the ocean gap settings not saving.

• v0.7.21

  • Adds new settings to enable the Ashlands and Deep North ocean gaps.

• v0.7.20

  • Adds a new map "paintmap" to set the default paint.
  • Adds a new map "lavamap" to set the Ashlands lava.
  • Adds a new map "mossmap" to set the Mistlands moss.
  • Adds a new map "heatmap" to set the water heat.
  • Adds a new setting to override the save version.
  • Adds better file path resolving when setting map file paths.
  • Disables the "Biome precision" feature as it's not working correctly.
  • Fixes the world not loading with default settings (should be very close to vanilla now).
  • Overhauls the save file format to make development easier.
  • Removes excess data from the save file.
  • Removes the Ashlands and Deep North ocean gap when the mod is enabled.
  • Removes the command "bc g v" as obsolete.

• v0.7.19

  • Fixed for the new game version.

• v0.7.18

  • Adds a new command "bc g v" which allows setting the save version.
  • Adds improved autocomplete when Server Devcommands mod is installed.
  • Fixes the new setting "Biome precision" not doing anything (still needs some work).
  • Fixes console output colors.
  • Fixes minimap not being cached.
  • Fixes main menu terrain getting messed up after exiting a world.

• v0.7.17

  • Fixes noise layer not being applied without a heightmap.

• v0.7.16

  • Adds new setting "Biome precision" to control how precisely the biome map is used.
  • Changes file format version to 9.
  • Fixes "Forest map add" sharing the same debug command as "Forest map multiply".
  • Fixes some Configuration Managers not working with Better Continents.
  • Fixed for the new game version.
  • Improves performance.
  • Removes settings "Multithreaded Heightmap Build" and "Parallel Chunks Build" as unused.

• v0.7.15

  • Fixes the log always showing the original amount of locations even when changed with Expand World Size.
  • Fixes the debug menu missing Continents Size setting.

• v0.7.14

  • Improves compatibility with mods that affect the minimap.
  • Fixes the world edge not working with Expand World Size.
  • Fixes float values in console commands using system locale (now always uses .).

• v0.7.13

  • Fixes preset worlds not working.

• v0.7.12

  • Adds support for remapping the biome and location colors.
  • Renames spawnmap to locationmap (old file is renamed automatically).
  • Changes file format version to 8.
  • Fixes server usage clearing file paths from the save file.
  • Removes heightmap being required. If missing, default height generation is used.

• v0.7.11

  • Fixed for the new patch.

• v0.7.10

  • Adds a new biome color #000000 for None. When None is returned, BC uses the original biome.
  • Fixes 16 bit heightmaps not working.

• v0.7.9

  • Fixes world modifier menu disabling Better Continents.

• v0.7.8

  • Adds color codes for Mistlands_DvergrBossEntrance1 (#9900ff) and Hildir_camp (#FF69B4).
  • Adds a new setting for the Upgrade World reset command.
  • Changes refresh command to reset command.
  • Fixes error and terrain issues when reloading images.
  • Removes the 4k image size limit.
  • Removes force parameter from the default Upgrade World command.