3. BIOME CATEGORIES AND TYPES

These biomes represent real world geographical features that are appropriate environments for the game's civilisations. Excluding the special cases Polar, Tropical and Special, they lend an aura of historical authenticity to the game world. Though not exhaustive, they are the recommended list for first release of the game.

3.1. Alpine

Region:

Central European “Alps”, Southwestern European "Pyrenees", or North African “Atlas”, "Caucasus", mountain and valley.

Characteristics:

Few broad open spaces for building large structures except relatively close about Civ Centres and in a few other places.
Snow covered peaks and much in the way of coniferous forest, some broadleaf deciduous forest.
Can snow at any season of the year except summer; rains periodically during summer.
If Seasons are not selected, Summer is the default and the map is very green.
Can have rivers and streams in the valleys or feeding into them including rapids, rocky fords, and cataract waterfalls, or lakes large and small.
Alpine is typically heavy in wood, stone and ore, and moderately well populated with animals near forest and in meadows at all levels.
An excellent defensive map as avenues of approach can be blocked by defensive structures.
This map is a land map or water map that could have some sea water on it if valleys opened out onto sea on both sides.
This map may have valleys running coadjacent with passes through the mountains connecting them, or passes connecting stream watersheds running both east and west down from the centre.

Typical Alpine type variations:

Alpine Fortress (characterised by having fortresses located at the ends of long lakes on Alpine Lakes)
Fortress (any)
Nomadic
Herocide

Packeting Parameters:

Elevation Meshes

Primary (Lowlands).
Secondary (Midlands).
Tertiary (Highlands).
Quaternary (Ocean Floor).

Terrain Textures

DIRT1
GRASS1
SAND2
FORFLOOR1
ROAD1
ROAD2
WATER1
WATER2
WATER3
RIVER1
RIVER2
RIVER3
RIVER4
RIVER5

Flora Tree Objects

TREE8
TREE12
TREE23
TREE25
TREE26
TREE29
TREE30
TREE36
TREE37
TREE41
TREE42

Flora Plant Objects

PLANT3
PLANT4
PLANT5
PLANT7
PLANT9
PLANT17
PLANT18

Fauna Objects

ANIMAL6
ANIMAL8
ANIMAL9
ANIMAL14
ANIMAL17
ANIMAL19
ANIMAL21
ANIMAL25
ANIMAL29
ANIMAL30
ANIMAL35
ANIMAL37
ANIMAL38
ANIMAL42
ANIMAL43

Geological Objects

GEOLOGICAL1
GEOLOGICAL3
GEOLOGICAL4
GEOLOGICAL5
GEOLOGICAL6
GEOLOGICAL7
GEOLOGICAL8
GEOLOGICAL12
GEOLOGICAL13
GEOLOGICAL14
GEOLOGICAL18
GEOLOGICAL26

Alpine Land types:

3.1.1. Alpine Valleys

Arranged along an east-west axis.
Might have small streams feeding to or running the length of valleys in which waterfalls and rocky fords interrupt riverine transport.
Frequent shallows including rocky fords for crossing.
Passes through mountains from valley to valley are principal means of access to other Civ Territories.
Civ Territories are divided at mountain passes and/or by tributary streams.

Alpine Water types:

3.1.2. Alpine Lakes

Traversing east-west.
Characterized by high mountains bordering deep valleys strung with mountain streams and broader finger-like lakes.
Will have fords but not have rocky fords crossing waterways that would bar the passage of watercraft from lake-to-lake along a simple or more complex waterway system.
Some shallows for crossing.
Lacks open land for building. Mostly at lakesides or along streams in valley bottoms and at passes through the high mountains.
Civ Territories may be divided at mountain passes and or by the narrower tributary streams in valleys.

3.1.3. Pyrennean Sierra

Characterised by high mountainous spine crossing the centre of the map east-west.
Flanked on both sides north and south by subalpine meadowlike terrain.
Stream drainage with shallows for crossing coming off the mountains to either end of the range into an area of ocean that provides for two additional ways around the central massif.
Civ Territories are divided by passes through the mountainous spine and/or stream courses leading off to either ocean body of water.