Tree Zones – Realistic Forests

Realistic temperate forests: conifers on the hills, broadleaf groups in between, 4 TF2 tree species – on random maps and heightmaps.

Tested with game build 40420 (08 October 2026): works, no changes needed.

RANDOM MAPS – just activate and play

Activate the mod and start a new game. No setup needed.

• Vanilla: one light-green tree type everywhere, uniform forest carpets.
• Tree Zones: conifers on the rolling hills, varied broadleaf groups in between.
• Mountains look much the same: vanilla already places conifers there.
• The terrain stays the same as vanilla with the same seed. With Zones, the game lays out town streets, starting roads and some industries differently, because the forests are different. With Mixed, everything except the trees stays as in vanilla (tested).

(Tested on several maps: three random maps, a real heightmap (Jura bernois & Jura) and a test board.)

FOREST STYLE (mod setting, choose before creating the map)

• Zones (default): Biome 1 forests = broadleaf, Biome 2 forests = conifers
• Mixed: all 10 trees grow in every forest
• Vanilla: game unchanged (no TF2 trees). Tested: same forests, towns and roads as without the mod.

TREES USED

• Broadleaf: base-game broadleaf, weeping beech, birch, shingle oak, plus the TF2 trees linden, sugar maple and hazel
• Conifers: white spruce, Norway spruce, plus the TF2 Scots pine

You get the TF2 trees (Scots pine, linden, sugar maple, hazel) in the forests the game generates when you create a map. You need no other mod for this.

Want to paint the TF2 trees yourself? The vanilla brush does not include them. You need one of these mods:

• UrbanGames' Classic Trees: adds the TF2 trees to your planting menu
• our Tree Brush Mix: paint your own mix, with a 0-10 slider per tree

MAP MAKERS – the same on heightmaps, and you decide where

On a heightmap, your biome mask decides WHERE the forests grow, and the mod decides WHICH trees: Biome 1 = broadleaf, Biome 2 = conifers. Paint Biome 1 in the low areas and Biome 2 in the high areas, and you get broadleaf valleys and conifer mountains (see the Jura bernois & Jura picture).

• Biome 1 grows forest on flat ground and slopes. Biome 2 grows forest mainly on slopes.
• Activate the mod before you load the biome mask. Once the mask is loaded, the trees are placed and stay.

GOOD TO KNOW

• Trees are placed when the map is created. Change the setting before creating the map.
• Biome 2 on flat ground gives meadow with single trees. Conifer forests appear on slopes, which suits hills and mountain flanks.
• The water level does not change the forests (tested).
• Safe to remove: trees are saved in the map. A map made with this mod keeps its forests, TF2 trees included, when loaded without the mod (tested on our own save and over 50 game years).
• TF3 regrows trees over time (game setting "reforestation"). Over 50 game years we measured +26 % trees on a random map, slowing down over time. The new trees match the existing forest, TF2 trees included, even with the mod removed (tested).
• Temperate climate only.
• The mod writes a short report to stdout.txt.

By BeOnHedge & Brainy.