Doomlike Dungeons Mod Wiki

Doomlike Dungeons is a world-generation mod that introduces sprawling, procedurally generated dungeon complexes into the Minecraft underworld. Unlike many structure mods that rely on static pre-built templates (pre-fabs), Doomlike Dungeons utilizes a sophisticated algorithm to build each room and corridor from scratch, ensuring that no two dungeons are ever identical.

Inspired by classic 2.5D first-person shooters like Doom and Heretic, these dungeons emphasize exploration, combat, and resource gathering. They are designed to be massive, often exceeding the player's default render distance, and are fully integrated into the world's seed to provide a unique experience for every location.

The mod's primary feature is its procedural generation engine. Rather than placing a single structure, it constructs a network of rooms based on a set of architectural rules.

Scale and Size

Dungeons vary significantly in size, ranging from small outposts to gargantuan underworlds.

• Maximum Size: Up to 13x13 chunks (208x208 blocks).
• Area Coverage: The largest dungeons can cover over 43,000 square blocks.
• Room Density: A single large dungeon can contain over 100 individual rooms, including hallways, pits, and multi-level chambers.

Procedural Room Logic

Each room is generated based on the "Theme" assigned to that dungeon. The algorithm determines:

1. Shape: Circular, rectangular, or irregular polygonal rooms.
2. Elevation: Rooms may have sunken floors, raised platforms, or tiered balconies.
3. Features: Pillars, alcoves, water/lava pits, and secret passages are generated dynamically.
4. Connectivity: Rooms are linked via corridors or direct openings, creating a non-linear layout that encourages exploration.

The Theming System is the core of Doomlike Dungeons' customization. Themes define the aesthetic, difficulty, and contents of a dungeon.

Theme Components

A theme file dictates several key variables:

• Blocks: Which blocks are used for walls, floors, ceilings, and decorations.
• Mobs: Which entities spawn from the spawners within the dungeon.
• Loot: The quality and type of items found in chests.
• Biomes: Where the specific dungeon type is allowed to generate.

Default Themes

Doomlike Dungeons does not add new mobs but instead utilizes existing entities (Vanilla or from other mods) and places them strategically using spawners.

Mob Categories

Mobs are categorized in theme files to control the difficulty curve of the dungeon:

• EASY: Common mobs like Zombies and Skeletons. Found in peripheral rooms.
• NORMAL: Creepers, Spiders, and Cave Spiders.
• HARD: Endermen, Witches, or modded elites.
• BOSS: Powerful entities (e.g., Wither Skeletons or modded bosses) found in central or "treasure" rooms.

Spawners are often hidden behind pillars or tucked into alcoves, forcing players to clear rooms carefully to avoid being overwhelmed.

Block Families are used to group similar blocks together, allowing the generator to pick varied but aesthetically consistent materials for a single dungeon.

Structure of a Block Family

A family typically includes:

• Foundation Blocks: Used for the main floor and lower walls.
• Wall Blocks: The primary vertical surfaces.
• Ceiling Blocks: The overhead coverage.
• Decorative Blocks: Used for pillars, trim, and accents.

By defining a "Stone Brick" family, the mod can randomly swap between Cracked Stone Bricks, Mossy Stone Bricks, and Chiseled Stone Bricks within the same room to create a weathered look.

Loot is distributed throughout the dungeon in chests, with the quality of the loot often scaling with the difficulty of the room's mobs.

Configuration

In versions 1.19.2 and 1.20.1, loot is primarily handled via Data Packs and the chests.cfg file.

• Custom NBT: Loot items can be configured with custom NBT tags, allowing for pre-enchanted gear, named items, or specialized modded items.
• Loot Tables: The mod can point to standard Minecraft loot tables, making it compatible with global loot-overhaul mods.

For modern versions, configuration has shifted toward the standard Minecraft Data Pack system and TOML files.

dldungeonsjbg-common.toml

This file controls global settings:

• Frequency: How often dungeons attempt to spawn in the world.
• Dimensions: A whitelist/blacklist for dimensions where dungeons can appear.
• Min/Max Height: The Y-level range for dungeon generation.
• Difficulty Scaling: Global modifiers for spawner frequency and mob counts.

Data Pack Integration

Users can now create Data Packs to add new themes or modify existing ones. Themes are stored in data/[namespace]/dld_themes/. This allows for seamless integration with modpacks, as themes can be tied to specific modded biomes or include blocks from other mods without editing the base config files.

Administrators and map makers can use commands to interact with the dungeon generator in real-time.

• /dldspawn [theme] - Forces a dungeon to generate at the player's current location using the specified theme. (Note: This may cause significant lag during generation).
• /locate structure dldungeons:dungeon - (Standard Minecraft command) Finds the coordinates of the nearest naturally generated dungeon.
• /dldreload - Reloads the configuration and theme files without restarting the game (useful for theme development).

The defining mechanic of Doomlike Dungeons is its rejection of pre-fabs. While other mods might feel repetitive once a player recognizes a specific room layout, Doomlike Dungeons uses a "Random Walk" and "Cellular Automata" inspired logic to carve out spaces.

1. The Seed: The dungeon layout is tied to the world seed. If you share a seed, the dungeon will be exactly the same for others.
2. The Floorplan: The mod first generates a 2D map of the dungeon, determining which cells are rooms and which are walls.
3. The 3D Pass: The mod then applies height variations, adds pillars, and places blocks based on the theme's block families.
4. The Population Pass: Finally, it places chests, spawners, and lighting (torches or glowstone) based on the theme's density settings.