Creating Custom Levels in CREW Wildfire

This guide explains how to create your own custom levels for the CREW Wildfire simulation. Each level is defined as a dictionary with specific parameters based on the game type.

Basic Structure

To create a custom level, add a new entry to the presets dictionary in the create_level_presets() function in build_config.py:

presets['Your_Level_Name'] = {
    'game_type': 0,  # Choose appropriate game type
    # Add required parameters based on game type
    # Add optional parameters as needed
}

Game Types

There are 6 different game types, each with its own required parameters:

Game Type	Value	Description
Cut Trees	0	Strategic tree cutting
Scout Fire	1	Fire detection missions
Pick and Place	2	Transport firefighters
Contain Fire	3	Fire suppression missions
Move Civilians	4	Civilian rescue operations
Full Environment	5	Combined fire suppression and civilian rescue

Required Parameters by Game Type

1. Cut Trees (game_type: 0)

{
    'game_type': 0,
    'map_size': int,        # Size of the map (e.g., 30 for 30x30)
    'lines': bool,          # True for line cutting, False for sparse
    'tree_count': int,      # Number of trees/lines to cut
    'trees_per_line': int,  # Trees per line (if lines=True)
}

2. Scout Fire (game_type: 1)

{
    'game_type': 1,
    'map_size': int,           # Size of the map
    'fire_spread_frequency': int,  # Frequency of fire spread
}

3. Pick and Place (game_type: 2)

{
    'game_type': 2,
    'map_size': int,  # Size of the map
}

4. Contain Fire (game_type: 3)

{
    'game_type': 3,
    'map_size': int,           # Size of the map
    'water': bool,             # True for water use, False for only cutting
    'fire_spread_frequency': int,  # Frequency of fire spread
    'known': bool             # Whether fire location is known
}

5. Move Civilians (game_type: 4)

{
    'game_type': 4,
    'map_size': int,            # Size of the map
    'civilian_count': int,      # Number of civilians
    'civilian_clusters': int,   # Number of civilian groups
    'civilian_move_frequency': int, # Frequency of civilian movement
    'known': bool              # Whether civilian locations are known
}

6. Full Environment (game_type: 5)

{
    'game_type': 5,
    'map_size': int,            # Size of the map
    'fire_spread_frequency': int,   # Speed of fire spread
    'civilian_count': int,      # Number of civilians
    'civilian_clusters': int,   # Number of civilian groups
    'civilian_move_frequency': int, # Frequency of civilian movement
    'known': bool              # Whether locations are known
}

Optional Parameters

These parameters can be added to any game type:

{
    'starting_firefighter_agents': int,  # Default: 0
    'starting_bulldozer_agents': int,    # Default: 0
    'starting_drone_agents': int,        # Default: 0
    'starting_helicopter_agents': int,    # Default: 0
    'vegetation_density_offset': int,     # Default: 20
}

Example: Creating a Custom Level

Here's an example of creating a custom level that combines fire containment with a large map:

presets['Custom_Large_Fire_Containment'] = {
    'game_type': 3,
    'map_size': 200,
    'water': True,
    'fire_spread_frequency': 400,
    'known': False,
    'starting_firefighter_agents': 12,
    'starting_helicopter_agents': 2,
    'starting_drone_agents': 3,
    'vegetation_density_offset': 25
}

Tips for Level Design

Map Size

• Small maps (30x30): Good for full observability and short tasks
• Medium maps (60x60 - 100x100): Balanced scenarios
• Large maps (200x200+): Complex scenarios requiring scouting and transportation of slower units

Agent Combinations

• Firefighters: Primary ground units
• Bulldozers: Effective for creating firebreaks
• Drones: Essential for scouting unknown locations
• Helicopters: Useful for transport and aerial operations

Difficulty Factors

• known: False requires scouting and exploration before planning
• Higher fire_spread_frequency increases urgency
• More civilian_clusters makes rescue more complex
• Larger maps require better agent transportation