The possibilities are endless. Regarding portals, I guess we can use the sampling algorithm to "detect" continents and place a portal in the first available location on each continent? Then there would just be one portal level where all the connecting portals are located and you traverse one (via a bridge level??) and it (eventually) takes you back to the world map, only to the portal on a different continent (a bit hard to explain).
I'm concerned about changing the story, but I agree that delivering the scroll to another character gets lame... but maybe simple and generic is the key? I don't know.
I strongly disagree we should split GC, because it allows players to go directly to the end without having to go someplace else first. I learned this largely because some good players complained about fetch quests in CLIVAN.
The other option is to make one big "Valpuri" shaped continent surrounded by ocean (pretty sure this is possible by the convolution of some perlin noise with an image of the Frog Himself). The New Attnam island would generate as normal and all the other locations would be easily reachable. Problem with this is we don't get our lovely continents, but it avoids the necessity of using portals.
I want to implement a Valpuri-shaped world one day, but also leave the option of generating the world as a classic IVAN world, resplendent with continents. These two world-types could be toggled by an option accessible from the config menu, with classic IVAN worldmap as the default. In the case the player wants to play the additional dungeons in a classic worldmap, then there still needs to be some portal system.
Long ago I thought of using "Ports" located on the shoreline of each continent, where the player could hire a boat to anywhere. I didn't want to go through the hassle of making a coastline-finding algorithm, so I became less enamoured of this idea. Portals would be a helluva lot (actually one step) easier than boats. In fact, I beleive it is possible to make portals using barely any code.
By the way, do you devs have a roadmap set up already?
I've been working loosely on the suggestions by SquashMonster, and as much as I can on the changes suggested at the IVANcon. I think the last formal discussion took place in this thread?
Ok I'm looking for a new 16x16 graphic to use as the new Tomb of Xinroch icon on the worldmap. It should go into wterra.pcx. Anyone got any good designs?