So discussion of this thing doesn't spread all over the board, please post comments, bug reports, etc in this thread. I'll also post notices of new exe uploads here, and links to work in progress screen shots.
If you're running it on *NIX of any flavour, please also use this thread to discuss your findings and ask questions.
I've been trying to come up with a different style of planet and have
this Mars-like one going now. I think it looks pretty good.
I don't yet have a good way of deciding how to make planets Earth-like or Mars-like, and each of the algorithms I've tried on the 6-part pseudo-random seed value for the systems lays the two planet types out in bands across the galaxy. The guys who know the galaxy seeding algorithm well might have some ideas here.
Right now the only criteria for weeding an algorithm out is that Lave, Zaonce, and Tionisla should be Earth-likes. Well, at least Lave, as it has rainforests! Perhaps I could do an algorithm based on the description numbers and look for planets that must have trees or something.
For this new type of planet I think variations in colour will be easier... I'm going to try using HSL values to keep the general range of the colours the same, but give slightly different hues to each planet while maintaining a basic rock-like colour for all of them. Greys, browns, and yellows pretty much.
I'm also trying to find a way to make the poles of the Earth-like planets fade to white to represent ice and snow. I thought I knew how to do it in libnoise using a technique similar to how I get the cloud layer transparent, but it didn't work... more tinkering required here.