I have written a tool that I think may be of use to COD2 mappers. It has a randomly-seeded procedural method for generating multiplayer maps, including map, gsc, and arena files. It creates a light box, a smooth terrain, and then trees, buildings, rock formations, grassy entities, and even rope bridges over gorges with watery minefields at the bottom. Spawn points for CTF/DM/TDM are placed, as well as headquarters locations.

Get it at http://cod2gen.blogspot.com/

The idea is not to replace the art of mapping, but to provide a nice basic map that you can add your own creative touches to.

hmmm - this seems like a good idea - to an extent...

but so does the idea of 'speed gardening'...however that didn't go over well - they just weren't ready for it

...but won't this take the art of map making to the curb?

i am in the process of checking this out...and will provide you with some feedback

i encourage other members here to do the same

I haven't checked it out yet but I commend Heretica for the effort and the "outside the box" thinking.

It makes me think there are many Radiant processes that I'd like to have more automation for (e.g. creating the multiple terrain patch "checkerboard").

I wonder if there is a way for smart and creative folks to create Macros (like a Photoshop plugin or action) that works in conjunction with Radiant to automate some tedious processes. Not quite "hack" the app, but work in conjunction with it.

Way above my paygrade, but wouldn't it be nice if....

Tested it! Nice little program. Create a somewhat 'messy' map though. Nice if your trying to learn.

Incase you have trouble running the exe i had to start it throguh the 'run' command.

Run - 'cmd'
Type the location of your .exe + the map name.

sounds interesting, in a previous post somewhere in here, I asked long ago whether there was a "generic" landscape generator.

I.e. in sports golf sims going back a number of years, there were toolsets that you could lay out a section of land and click on random and some sliders would come up to allow you to input how sever sloped it might be etc.

If a toolset like this could create some "clean" palettes to then modify it might help the noobs (like myself) very much.

Although I agree with Stryder that this could potentially take mapmaking to the curb, I think it could prove useful for people getting started. Either as a learning tool, or as a "quickstart" option.

Sometimes the hardest part of making maps is getting an initial idea, this could assist with that maybe?

I think its good tool we can use to do all those basic but boring stufff, like terrein curves ando such...after that we can remove what we don't like and add the important things we should really care about....xDDDD

or it would make a mapping contest interesting, all starting with the same plot with rules about changes.

Ok i tyr to run it...but something weird happens and it closes...To un it through the run command in the start menu....if the folder containing it is named Mapgen and it's in my documents/CallofDuty2moddingtools/mapgen would I type.
My Documents/CoD2modtools/Mapgen/codgen.exe?

I look at the random map generator in two different ways, first as a good starting point for lightbox, terrain, some trees etc, that you can then go and change to make it cool. Secondly just to be something that provides an endless supply of maps when you are bored of the ones you already have. I really don't think it will in any way supplant existing map making, but if I was to make my own map I would definitely use it for making the lightbox and terrain.

There is an updated version that fixes a problem with too many script_model's. You can download it from my blog: cod2gen blog

I really like the idea of having a contest based on everybody using the same random seed and seeing the different final maps that people come up with.

There is also a GUI in the works, so using the program should become much easier, and much more customizable as well (preferred region types, textures, sizes of things, etc.) A guy that goes by the nick of "bionicnipple" is writing that part.

Directions for anybody having problems running it:

Click Start -> Run
- cmd
- Then navigate to the correct directory using dos's cd command.
- Then type codgen with the map name you want created.