Standard-of-Iron/assets/maps/GROUND_TYPES.md

Ground Type System

The ground type system allows designers to quickly select from predefined ground variations when creating maps. Each ground type provides a different visual appearance for the terrain with distinct shader effects.

Available Ground Types

Ground Type ID	Description	Visual Characteristics
forest_mud	Deep Green + Mud Ground (Default)	Lush green grass with dark brown muddy soil, moderate moisture
grass_dry	Dry Mediterranean Grass	Sparse yellowed grass with cracked dusty soil, low moisture
soil_rocky	Light-Brown Rocky Soil	Sparse grass with prominent exposed rocks, rough terrain
alpine_mix	Alpine Rock + Snow Mix	Hardy grass with snow patches and lichen-covered rocks
soil_fertile	Dark Fertile Farmland Soil	Thick healthy grass with rich dark soil, high moisture

Distinct Features Per Ground Type

Each ground type configures multiple distinct visual features:

forest_mud (Default)

• Vegetation: Dense, tall grass (0.60-1.40 height)
• Moisture: High (0.70) - wet, muddy appearance
• Saturation: Normal (1.05) - vibrant greens
• Snow: None

grass_dry

• Vegetation: Sparse, short grass (0.35-0.80 height)
• Moisture: Very low (0.15) - parched appearance
• Cracking: High (0.65) - visible ground cracks
• Saturation: Reduced (0.75) - faded, dusty colors

soil_rocky

• Vegetation: Minimal grass clumps (0.30-0.70 height)
• Rock Exposure: High (0.75) - prominent rocky outcrops
• Roughness: Very high (0.85) - textured rocky surface
• Irregularity: High amplitude - uneven terrain

alpine_mix

• Vegetation: Hardy alpine grass (0.20-0.50 height)
• Snow Coverage: Moderate (0.55) - patchy snow accumulation
• Snow Color: Bright white-blue tint
• Ambient: Bright (1.25) - high altitude light

soil_fertile

• Vegetation: Thick healthy grass (0.55-1.25 height)
• Moisture: High (0.80) - rich, dark soil
• Saturation: High (1.15) - vivid greens
• Roughness: Low (0.42) - smooth farmland

Usage

Add the groundType property to the biome section of your map JSON file:

{
  "name": "My Alpine Map",
  "biome": {
    "groundType": "alpine_mix",
    "seed": 12345
  }
}

Default Behavior

If no groundType is specified, the system defaults to forest_mud, which is the original ground style.

Overriding Ground Type Defaults

Ground type presets can be overridden with explicit values. The ground type defaults are applied first, then any explicit values in the JSON are applied on top:

{
  "biome": {
    "groundType": "alpine_mix",
    "grassPrimary": [0.2, 0.5, 0.2],
    "seed": 54321
  }
}

In this example, the map will use all alpine_mix defaults except for grassPrimary, which is explicitly set.

Backward Compatibility

Existing maps without the groundType property will continue to work exactly as before, using the default forest_mud ground type settings.

Example: Complete Map with Ground Type

{
  "name": "Mediterranean Battlefield",
  "coordSystem": "grid",
  "grid": {
    "width": 100,
    "height": 100,
    "tileSize": 1.0
  },
  "biome": {
    "groundType": "grass_dry",
    "seed": 98765,
    "patchDensity": 3.0,
    "plantDensity": 0.4
  },
  "camera": {
    "center": [50, 0, 50],
    "distance": 30.0,
    "tiltDeg": 45.0,
    "yaw": 225.0
  }
}

Ground Type Color Presets

forest_mud (Default)

• Grass Primary: Deep green (0.30, 0.60, 0.28)
• Grass Secondary: Medium green (0.44, 0.70, 0.32)
• Grass Dry: Olive (0.72, 0.66, 0.48)
• Soil Color: Dark brown (0.28, 0.24, 0.18)
• Rock Low: Gray (0.48, 0.46, 0.44)
• Rock High: Light gray (0.68, 0.69, 0.73)

grass_dry

• Grass Primary: Dry yellow-green (0.55, 0.52, 0.30)
• Grass Secondary: Tan-green (0.62, 0.58, 0.35)
• Grass Dry: Golden (0.75, 0.68, 0.42)
• Soil Color: Sandy brown (0.45, 0.38, 0.28)
• Rock Low: Warm gray (0.58, 0.55, 0.50)
• Rock High: Light warm gray (0.72, 0.70, 0.65)

soil_rocky

• Grass Primary: Muted green (0.42, 0.48, 0.30)
• Grass Secondary: Sage (0.50, 0.54, 0.35)
• Grass Dry: Tan (0.60, 0.55, 0.40)
• Soil Color: Medium brown (0.50, 0.42, 0.32)
• Rock Low: Brownish gray (0.55, 0.52, 0.48)
• Rock High: Warm light gray (0.70, 0.68, 0.65)

alpine_mix

• Grass Primary: Cool green (0.35, 0.42, 0.32)
• Grass Secondary: Teal-green (0.40, 0.48, 0.38)
• Grass Dry: Cool gray-green (0.55, 0.52, 0.45)
• Soil Color: Cool gray (0.38, 0.35, 0.32)
• Rock Low: Bluish gray (0.60, 0.62, 0.65)
• Rock High: Near white/snow (0.85, 0.88, 0.92)

soil_fertile

• Grass Primary: Rich green (0.28, 0.52, 0.25)
• Grass Secondary: Vibrant green (0.38, 0.62, 0.32)
• Grass Dry: Olive-brown (0.55, 0.50, 0.35)
• Soil Color: Very dark brown (0.22, 0.18, 0.14)
• Rock Low: Dark gray (0.42, 0.40, 0.38)
• Rock High: Medium gray (0.55, 0.54, 0.52)