CoP Random New World: How to share/reuse maps; quickly generate new maps in-game

[TheBloke]

Introduction - Random New World seeds and using them in non-Ironman games

Every Random New World map is based on a unique seed. This seed specifically identifies the exact map you got. There are millions of such seeds.

We hope that in future patches, PDS will extend the RNW feature so that it shows you in the UI what your seed is, and allows you to specify a known seed for generating a new map.

However even before that happens, we can share seeds and use them to re-generate existing maps that we know we like.

It's possible to generate maps using a known seed in two ways - editing a save game, and using the Console.

It's also possible to use the Console to generate new maps, from newly generated random seeds. If you want to quickly generate a bunch of maps this is much faster than going back to the Main Menu and starting a new game each time.


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1. Finding the seed used by an existing Random New World game

The RNW seed is saved into the save game. So any time you have saved a non-Ironman RNW game, you can later look up its seed.

How to find your existing seed:

1. For any non-Ironman game that has RNW enabled: open any save in a text editor, such as Notepad.
2. Near the top of the file (around line 15-20, find the line:
   • random_world=123456...
3. Copy the number after the =. That is your seed.

2. Save game editing to re-use an old/shared seed in a new game.

You can edit a save, put in a seed, load that game, and everything seems to work fine - the natives move to appropriate new locations.

It thus appears that the map setup routine does a complete refresh of the whole new world, including re-creating the native nations and all their province assignments.

This should only be done on a Day 1 game, or at the least in a save where the natives haven't expanded out, and the Old World haven't expanded into the New World! I have no idea what happens if you try this for a game where nations from the old and new worlds have already mixed Probably it will get very confused and may just create an unusable save.

Always take backups before editing a save!

Instructions for re-using old/shared seeds via save game editing:

1. Start a new non-Ironman game with Random New World (RNW) enabled;
2. Save it as soon as the game opens; don't unpause.
3. Open that save in a text editor, find the random_world= line near the top, and replace the seed number with your existing one.
4. Save, close the editor, and then load the game in EU4.
5. The game will handle the work of re-positioning the natives in the appropriate locations, overwriting whatever province assignments came from the map you originally generated in this save.

3. Console commands for live map changing

In a non-Ironman game, you can use a Console command to generate a new random map, either using an old/shared seed, or randomly generating a new one.

To do this, you open the Console and execute the command:

map_random [seed=...] [<restore>] [<nosmooth>] [<nosmoothcoasts>] [<topology>] [<terrain>] [<colormap>] [<minimap>] [<rivers>] [<trees>]​

Like for save game editing, these commands will do a complete refresh of the New World, updating everything correctly such as moving the natives around and updating province assignments. And it does it live, without saving/reloading.

Same caveat applies about only using this on Day 1, or at least only in games where Old World and New World remain unmixed.

Therefore it may well be that there is no need to edit any save; you can start a new game as normal and then use the Console command to load an old seed or generate a new map. This will be quicker and less error prone than editing a save game file.

Finally, note that it is not necessary to start or load a game with Random New World enabled in order to use this Console command. It works for any game, even where Random New World was not ticked from the main menu when creating it.

Understanding the arguments:

1. The [square brackets] is syntax indicating that the specified argument is optional. In this case, all arguments are optional.
2. Running the command with no arguments at all generates the map for seed=13. The seed of 13 appears to be hardcoded into the command.
3. Specifying seed=<num> will generate the map for that specified seed.
   1. <num> is any number between 0 to 2147483647 (it will accept higher numbers, but will process them as 2147483647)
   2. It also accepts the value -1, which will randomly pick a seed. It will tell you what seed it used.
4. Specifying restore will give you the real world map; as if you had started a game with Random New World disabled.
5. The other arguments re-generate the current map (if seed= is not also specified), changing options or only running a specific part of the generation process.
   1. They are more for experimenting and debugging and are unlikely to be used much for normal games.
   2. I have not been able to see any effect from most of the arguments - possibly they cause a re-read of file map/random/tweaks.lua, and are used for testing changes to those parameters.
   3. One exception I've found so far is the rivers argument which generates a new set of random rivers for the current map.

Examples:

Generate map with seed 1234567:

map_random seed=1234567​

Generate map with a randomly chosen seed

map_random seed=-1​

Use the real world map instead of a random one:

map_random restore​

Generates new rivers for the current map - removes existing rivers and randomly makes new ones:

map_random rivers​

Instructions for re-using an old seed, using the Console:

1. Start a new non-Ironman game.
2. Leave the game paused on Day 1.
3. Open the Console (with the ` key on a UK/US layout; other keyboards may vary. Sometimes it's double-quote. Check the Wiki page on the Console for more details.)
4. In the Console, type:
   • map_random seed=1234567
     • Where 1234567 is the seed you want to use
5. Map generation will occur, and after a little while your game is updated with the new map, with moved natives etc.
6. Save the game, and continue from there.

Instructions for generating a bunch of new random maps, for experimentation or to find one you want to play with:

1. Start a new non-Ironman game.
2. Leave the game paused on Day 1.
3. Open the Console
4. In the Console, type:
   • map_random seed=-1
5. Map generation will occur using a new random seed - same as when you start a new game from the Main Menu.
   1. After generation is complete, you will see the seed it used in the Console window; so you can record it and re-use it later if you wish.
6. To quickly take a look at the map, type the following command in the Console to turn off Terra Incognito:
   • ti
7. Repeat steps 4-6 as desired to see more maps.
8. Run the ti command again to re-hide everything behind Terra Incognito once you want to start playing properly.

 

[Saintrl]

Highly useful! And it deserves a bump.

 

[mkhuh]

Other than debugging, doesn't this negate the whole point of the random world map? If you know what it looks like...

 

[Saintrl]

Other than debugging, doesn't this negate the whole point of the random world map? If you know what it looks like...

Some people don't care about fow!

 

[TheBloke]

Other than debugging, doesn't this negate the whole point of the random world map? If you know what it looks like...

Well yeah, it negates that purpose of it. Not all of it in my view, because I would definitely want to play again on a good map even though I know it. And if I saw a cool map for another user I might want to try it. If you don't study it in detail and just see the rough shape, you can see that it looks playable without knowing it intimately. So there will still be surprise and discovery, but you'll know the rough details.

And frankly, a lot of the maps just don't look that wonderful to play at the moment. So I would want to know that the map at least has some decent area and there aren't tribes stuck on one province islands and stuff like that.

Just depends how you want to play. If you truly want the complete surprise, then yeah you wouldn't. But personally I will do it both ways - surprise sometimes, then play again on a known good map (particularly as I like playing again in order to do better, or play from different nation perspective and so on.)

 

[Saintrl]

Well yeah, it negates that purpose of it. Not all of it in my view, because I would definitely want to play again on a good map even though I know it. And if I saw a cool map for another user I might want to try it. If you don't study it in detail and just see the rough shape, you can see that it looks playable without knowing it intimately. So there will still be surprise and discovery, but you'll know the rough details.

And frankly, a lot of the maps just don't look that wonderful to play at the moment. So I would want to know that the map at least has some decent area and there aren't tribes stuck on one province islands and stuff like that.

Just depends how you want to play. If you truly want the complete surprise, then yeah you wouldn't. But personally I will do it both ways - surprise sometimes, then play again on a known good map (particularly as I like playing again in order to do better, or play from different nation perspective and so on.)

I hope in the future we'll be able to have a topic which compiles together good map seeds (with screenshots) of many good user submitted maps! One thing I'd like to know is if the devs will ever put in the ability to see your map seed without editing the save file in case you're in ironman or using a cloud save.

 

[TheBloke]

I hope in the future we'll be able to have a topic which compiles together good map seeds (with screenshots) of many good user submitted maps! One thing I'd like to know is if the devs will ever put in the ability to see your map seed without editing the save file in case you're in ironman or using a cloud save.

Hopefully yeah. It will be very easy for them to do it, as you can see the ability to use seeds is already there via the console. So they just need one UI place to show current seed, and a new textbox on New Game that lets you optionally enter one. Very easy, so I am sure it will come. Especially as they have discussed the concept of seed sharing themselves before, in the first CoP live stream.

 

[Saintrl]

Hopefully yeah. It will be very easy for them to do it, as you can see the ability to use seeds is already there via the console. So they just need one UI place to show current seed, and a new textbox on New Game that lets you optionally enter one. Very easy, so I am sure it will come. Especially as they have discussed the concept of seed sharing themselves before, in the first CoP live stream.

Already looking forward to the next patch haha.

 

[mkhuh]

Some people don't care about fow!

Fair enough. Although world map is a pretty good known map that I go with.
I suppose multiplayer maps can be fun too to shake things up

 

[TheBloke]

I've updated the first post with some corrections and further details on the Console command arguments.

 

[Voigt]

A little bump, because in essence this still works. But sadly my game crashes if I generate an RNW with the console, either if I let pass one day or I klick one nation.

Found some really cool looking RNW, and noted the seeds, but sadly you can use them for MP, since console is forbidden there, and you can insert the seed in the menu.