Random 2d map for scroller (like terraria)

Newbie & Debugging Questions
#1

Hi,

I’ve used LWJGL for a 3d minecraft game a couple years ago, now was wanting to do some 2d game like a lot of the sandbox ones out there - terraria, starbound etc. I’m thinking LWJGL will be good choice for the gfx api or maybe slick2d?

Now, this is prob asked a lot, how or where do you start in creating a procedural 2d map like these games? Such as biomes?
I’d like the map to be large, being able to dig down.

I’ve googled stuff but still struggling with this - all seem to point to perlin noise etc.

This seemed good: http://www.java-gaming.org/topics/lwjgl-procedurally-generated-simplex-perlin-noise-2d-world/31991/view.html

and http://fbksoft.com/procedural-level-generation-for-a-2d-platformer/

Any advice, a starting point would be great.

Thanks,
Steve

#2

The level of realism in your terrain will reflect how much you try to simulate real-world effects. eg: rainfall, temperature, wind patterns, tectonic activity. Obviously you don’t want to write an entire Earth simulator so you take shortcuts wherever you can.

Make a generator that can create an infinite flat world, then try making it hilly, then make the hills more varied, etc.

#3

http://accidentalnoise.sourceforge.net/minecraftworlds.html

Boom.