Random Map

Random Maps are maps generated by the computer based on the player's preferences.

Customizing Random Maps

Before creating a Random Map, the player can specify how it will look.

Size

• The player may choose between Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large.

Levels

• The player may choose between one or two levels on the map. The underground layer will never contain water, only Subterranean and occasionally Lava (if an Inferno town is located there, as they will spawn on lava terrain). The overworld can contain anything except Subterranean terrain.

Human Players

• Up to eight players may be in the game (humans and computers included).

Human Teams

Computer Players

Monster Strength

• The player may choose the neutral monsters to be weak, medium or strong. Choosing weak will cause most mines, dwellings and artifacts to have no guardians, while choosing strong will cause all mines (except sawmills and ore mines), all artifacts (except Spell Scrolls) and all primary skill increasing structures (like Army Camps) to be guarded.

Water content

• The player may choose between no water at all, some water, or islands. Choosing islands will cause the majority (75%) of the map to be covered with water, leaving each player with an own island. All islands will have a Shipyard and very commonly portals connecting the islands to each other.

How Random Maps are formed

• There are several rules that Random Maps always follow, these include:

Towns

• All player owned towns always spawn on their native terrain. The only exception is Necropolis (occasionally starts underground on Subterranean if the map is 2 layers) and Dungeon (occasionally starts on dirt).
• The players starting towns start with a tavern, a fort, a village hall, the level 1 dwelling and sometimes the level 2 dwelling. Players can occasionally spawn with two towns each, but most commonly one town. Neutral towns start with the same as the player towns, but with no tavern or village hall.

Heroes

• The players' starting heroes will usually start at level 1, but sometimes on higher levels. Creating a random map before selecting the players' starting heroes will result in some heroes being unavailable as starting heroes because they will be placed in the prisons scattered across the Adventure Map.

Adventure Map

• There are roads on all Random Maps, connecting most portals and all towns.
• The Map will often contain prisons, where heroes with 0, 5000, 10000, 15000 or 20000 experience are located.
• Guarded Pandora's Boxes frequently spawn across the map containing:
  • 5.000, 10.000, 15.000 or 20.000 Experience or gold
  • All Spells of either a certain level, or belonging to a certain school.
  • A number of creatures, ranging from 110 (level 1) to 1 (level 10 such as Azure Dragons).
• Seers' Huts spawn with no guardians on the map, searching for a random artifact on the map. In return for the artifact they look for, they give rewards from the same reward pool as the Pandora's Boxes.