diff --git a/server/bin/gen_hills b/server/bin/gen_hills
index 1d11b06..accd690 100755
--- a/server/bin/gen_hills
+++ b/server/bin/gen_hills
@@ -22,15 +22,9 @@ def main():
     )
 
     # make it less likely for hills to be close to home bases
-    home_distance_tile = np.fromfunction(distance_decay, args.size, dtype=np.float32)
-    home_distance = np.sum([
-        home_distance_tile,
-        np.flip(home_distance_tile, axis=0),
-        np.flip(home_distance_tile, axis=1),
-        np.flip(home_distance_tile, axis=(0,1)),
-    ], axis=0)
+    distance_decay_tiling = np.fromfunction(distance_decay, args.size, dtype=np.float32)
 
-    hills = np.where(noise - home_distance > args.threshold, "x", ".")
+    hills = np.where(noise - distance_decay_tiling > args.threshold, "x", ".")
     rows = ["".join(row) for row in hills]
     config = {
         "width_per_team": args.size[0],
@@ -41,7 +35,12 @@ def main():
 
 
 def distance_decay(x, y):
-    return np.exp(-np.sqrt(x*x + y*y) / args.safezone)
+    # calculate distance from home base
+    dx = x - args.size[0] // 2
+    dy = y - args.size[1] // 2
+    distance = np.sqrt(dx*dx + dy*dy)
+    # use exponential decay
+    return np.exp(-distance / args.safezone)
 
 
 # Source: