Is the game programmed to start you next to certain Civs or something?

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CivAddict2013

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I've noticed recently that in most of my games, I am started on the same continent as the Aztecs. 9 out of 10 games, I'm right next to the Aztecs. If not the Aztecs, I'm started by the Zulu or Bismarck. Aggressive civilizations.

Is the game programmed to start you next to aggressive Civs? It seems so.
 
Not quite. It's simply programmed to start you next to the civs that'll mess with your intended victory condition most.
Want to play a religion game? You'll have Ethiopia, the Celts and the Mayans right next to you. Going for some City-State fun? Expect to meet Venice, Greece, Siam and Austria in the first 20 or so turns.

Mostly, its just a psychological thing. Presuming you play with 7 opponents, the chance of one of them being from the pool of aggressive civs is pretty high.
 
Completely RNG driven in Civ II, IV, V, and SMAC.
Civ III did have a culturally related civ starts on (but going to advanced options, you could turn it off)
 
Start bias can account for a lot of it too. You'll see the Aztecs a lot if you play Brazil a lot etc.
 
Well, I'm just saying. My last 10 games I've been started by either Shaka, the Aztecs or Germany. So it certainly does seem that way. Even if it's not true.
 
CivAddict2013 said:
Well, I'm just saying. My last 10 games I've been started by either Shaka, the Aztecs or Germany. So it certainly does seem that way. Even if it's not true.
Click to expand...

I have literally played only 1 game in which I didn't have Alexander on the map. When I got BNW, I decided to play Poland, with all the other BNW civ's, and one random. Guess who the random was.
 
Maybe because I had something similar. Most of the games I played, I could tell you that I had ahmad al mansur as one of the other civilians at about 80% of my last 10 - 15 games. Checking the advanced setup will let you know if a civilization is not random. So I went back and checked and saw that Ahmad al mansur was still as an opponent. How odd, I thought I placed all civilizations in random.
 
VicRatlhead5199 said:
Start bias can account for a lot of it too. You'll see the Aztecs a lot if you play Brazil a lot etc.
Click to expand...

WHAT?

I am not very experienced modder but I seed deep in game code and there is NOTHING like 'civs starting next to each other' or 'particular civs are more common' or anything like that. There are only terrain bias (jungle, ocean, desert, tundra) for particular set of civs set via LUA and nothing more.

This is how pseudoscience and common beliefs are born :lol:

Human brain is programmed to see symmetry and patterns everywhere. You may play 100 games without anything unusual and 6 games (hell, even in a row, although it is very improbable) with Aztecs close to Brasil and you immediately notice those 6 games with 'PATTERN' and not 100 Unusual Games.
 
reddishrecue said:
Maybe because I had something similar. Most of the games I played, I could tell you that I had ahmad al mansur as one of the other civilians at about 80% of my last 10 - 15 games.
Click to expand...

I notice this a lot too. I'll have like 5-6 games with a certain civ near me, then another 5-6 games with a. Different civ.
 
VicRatlhead5199 said:
Start bias can account for a lot of it too. You'll see the Aztecs a lot if you play Brazil a lot etc.
Click to expand...
This is a good point.

Also, memories of tougher experiences tend to have more emphasis. i.e. You usually start adjacent to three or four civs, and you probably wouldn't have even noticed if one of those three or four civs was Portugal for the past 5 straight games. But you'll remember every single game where Shaka started on your doorstep.

That being said, I have wondered about the OP's observation. The two most noteable examples are Shaka (if he's not within a 15 tile radius of my starting position, he's not in the game.) and Enrico (the opposite, he's always on the other end of the map.)
 
There's nothing like starting as Zulu, expecting to punk some weak civs early and finding yourself trapped way up a peninsula miles from anyone. Closest civ blocking you off from everyone else? Aztecs...of course. What are they doing? Why, what you had planned on doing. Wiping ppl out and generally having a good time.

"Hey Aztecs, can I help you out with those wars there?"
"No...nothing could make me want to do that deal."
"Screw you buddy, you can't take all the fun!"

On the plus side if you can wear him down and beat him everyone loves you...right up to the point that you backstab them all and they figure out you aren't really the world's savior. :p
 
Pure RNG with all the hilarity coming out of it.

I just realized that I have never seen Arabia in my games :eek: The only time I was close to having them was a Morocco game, where I explored another continent and found Mecca, Medina and Damascus split between Greece and Iroquois.
 
CivAddict2013 said:
I've noticed recently that in most of my games, I am started on the same continent as the Aztecs. 9 out of 10 games, I'm right next to the Aztecs. If not the Aztecs, I'm started by the Zulu or Bismarck. Aggressive civilizations.

Is the game programmed to start you next to aggressive Civs? It seems so.
Click to expand...

Come now, OP. You don't really believe this, do you?
 
what i tend to see, and i'm sure there's not basis for it, is civs of similar colors start next to each other and it always irks me
 
I've yet to have the good fortune to spawn next to Zulus. RNG is messing with me. :(

Closest I ever got to that and there was a small island chain between us so he wasn't able to unleash the wrath of his impis on me with me triremes killing all his transports.
 
reddishrecue said:
What is RNG?
Click to expand...
RNG = Random Number Generation

Basically, it involves dice rolls with the results modified by various factors. Each factor may give a plus or a minus (or no change at all.)

A well-known game which also depends on random number generation is Dungeons & Dragons.
 
Got spawned next to the Aztecs AGAIN. There's definitely something going on in the code. I don't care what anyone says. It's a bit frustrating when you get a good start; only to realize that you're right next to the WAR WAR WAR WAR Civ.

Perhaps they could make it so that you know where every Civ is at the start. That way I won't have to play 50 turns just to realize I'm next to Montezuma.
 
I've had similar observations. Pretty sure it's just confirmation bias though.
 
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