Map layout, Terrain types, and features (For Map Script)

Okay, I am going to do a total revamp of the moon map script and we need to figure out exactly what our maps will look like, what types of terrain we will have and what types of feature.

Edit:
Here is a patch to SotM024B including the new mapscipt. Just unzip into the mods folder(you must have SotM024B already in the mods folder):

http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/50491/SotM024B.zip

Note: You no longer need to place the moon_map.py file in your public maps folder. (Thanks to Ellestar for figuring this out)



I know there are some related threads about these subjects but I decided to make a thread the brings all these ideas together since they are all involved in making a map script and It will make it easier for me to make sure I incorporate everything we want into the map script.

Here are a couple of things I have seen in the other threads that you guys mentioned what you wanted changed: (I know I probably missed plenty so please let me know what they are and if you have any new Ideas. I will try to keep this list up to date.)

-hills added back into the map.(how do you want this done and what type of terrain do you want on these hills?)

-fix the dust seas(do we want to keep the same ideas we had originally in that they are to act as a replacement for water?) Dust seas to be removed

-larger creators(what percentages should we see of each size of crater on the map?)

-craters as a feature(do they replace the crater rim terrain type if added)

-nerf He3(what do we want to do with He3? Do we want to keep it implemented as it is now?)

-polar ice(what do we want to change from the way it is implemented now)





Here is the list of terrain, features and resourses we want on the map what they will produce(I will keep this list up to date):

Terrain: Type(Food production/Hammer Production/Gold Production,Comments)

-Peaks(0/0/0, inpassible(sp?))

-Crater rim(0/1/1, 2 movement cost, +25% defence, sizes 2x2 or 3x3(maybe if I can get it to display properly))


-Maria(0/0/1, flatlands)


-Terrae(0/1/0, hills, 1 movement cost, +25% defence)


-Polar(1/0/0,rare, above 80 degrees, surrounded by peaks or terrae, 4 squares max size)

-cratered(0/1/0,always coupled with craters or crater feature)


-Rilles(0/0/-1, forms in a meandering line, bridges may be built across them when a certain tech is researched, impassible to wheeled/tracked units till a bridge is built)



Features: Type(Food production/Hammer Production/Gold Production,Comments)

-Craters(0/0/0, on crater terrain, 1 movement cost, +10% defence)

-Crater(0/1/0, on crater terrain, 2 movement cost, +25% defence)

-Ejecta(0/0/0, on crater, maria, terrae or polar terrain, 2 movement cost, +25% defence, near craters or crater rim)

-Domes(0/1/0, on maria or polar terrain, 1 movement cost, +10% defence)

-Crater rim(0/1/1, on crater rim terrain, 2 movement cost, +25% defence, size 2x2, added as feature for 3d graphics)


Resources: Type(Food production/Hammer Production/Gold Production,Comments)

-He3(0/0/1, 1 by each start location)
(..to be updated later..)





Let me now what types over options you want for the map when you start up a new game.(such as size of dust sea and number of mountains)
Map Options: Default Option in Italics (I will keep this list up to date)

-the rilles/domes/cratered feature appearance on the surface , with a choice for 2 out of 3 features every time.

• Rilles/domes combo (huge impacts option, lots of maria)
• Rilles/cratered combo (tectonic option, standard distribution between maria and terrae)
• Cratered/domes combo (small impacts, favors terrae over maria)
• Rilles/Cratered/domes combo (similar to current moon)

-Size of Rilles (Small/Medium/Large)

-Peak Pattern (Scattered/Ridgelines/Clustered)

-Peak Density (Dense/Normal/Thin)

-Dust Sea Setting (Off/Small/Medium/Large)

-Dust Sea Size (Small/Medium/Large)

-Terrae Density (Low/Meduim/High)

-Crater Rim Density (Dense/Normal/Thin)

-Maria (Scattered/Clusted on one side)





Pics from here: NASA Apollo over the moon (I have plenty more good ones but I am only allowed to have 5 per post)

To me, it sounds like the easiest tinkering would be to replace dustseas with the hills. I don't know if you have the time to start a whole new mapscript, or just adjust the current one here and there, but this is what I would like to see:

Terrain types:
Peaks, the current crater rim terrain (perhaps overlayed with hills), maria (flatlands), terrae (hills) and polar (flat) for the odd yield. In addition perhaps a new terrain type called crater which depicts a single crater covering the whole plot, but see features also for that. O yes, I think the polar terrain should only be possible when it is surrounded by terrae/peaks or of course other polar terrain with a max size of 2x2 plots. And placed within 80 degree latitude.

Features:
Cratered (small craters all over the plot), Crater (single crater covering the plot, bit like the oasis feature), Rilles (lines following the edge of several plots meandering like rivers, inhibits movement), Domes (seems to be a circular shaped "dome" sticking out of the landscape, volcanic by origin).

Polar ice:
I prefer to bring this back to have a smoother looking map at the edges, but use another texture on it so it looks more like other moonterrain. I guess with less terrain types one of the existent ones could be used to replace it.

He³:
A little research learned me that He³ extraction would be a side-effect of processing the moon's regolith for ores. Personally I can't really believe the solar wind would "favor" some area's with a significant amount of the isotope being trapped over other terrain. In any case, if the vote is to keep it as a resource, I wouldn't put a food yield on it. And not on whatever type of resource anyway. Improvements could perhaps extract a surplus food from some resources, but He³ shouldn't be one of those.

As on options, the rilles/domes/cratered feature appearance on the surface could included linked with a general map setup, with a choice for 2 out of 3 features every time.

• Rilles/domes combo (huge impacts option, lots of maria)
• Rilles/cratered combo (tectonic option, standard distribution between maria and terrae)
• Cratered/domes combo (small impacts, favors terrae over maria)

Super undertaking. Thanks matthewv.

I think He3 can be nerfed to 1 per city area now. But we want some, I think.

I will be useing the current map script as a base but I hope to redo most of it.

Thanks Geo for those detailed description. I will incorporate all of those into my map script unless there is any disagreement.

For now I will limit He3 to 1 per start location (with a rare chance there will be more than 1) and have it generate 1 gold instead of food.

Note on rilles:
I will probably add these as a terrain type and thus they will be on the tiles as opposed to being in between them. They would be simular to peaks except they would follow meandering lines and can be crossed by engineers (after certain tech) and all units when a bridge is built.

Does everyone agree that dust seas should be removed completely or should we just change they way they are implimented?

matthewv said:

For now I will limit He3 to 1 per start location (with a rare chance there will be more than 1) and have it generate 1 gold instead of food.

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Cool. But since the latter (1 gold yield) is determined in one of the terrain xml files, chances are I put this in before you come to that.

matthewv said:

Note on rilles:
I will probably add these as a terrain type and thus they will be on the tiles as opposed to being in between them. They would be simular to peaks except they would follow meandering lines and can be crossed by engineers (after certain tech) and all units when a bridge is built.

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Mostly as I intended. Tho I would make it only impassible to mobile units prior to bridges. Oh yes, rilles are a feature (IRL) mostly on Maria's, not on Terrae.

matthewv said:

Does everyone agree that dust seas should be removed completely or should we just change they way they are implimented?

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Remove the buggers!!!
Pretty please?

Bye-bye dust seas.

If we absolutely need transporting ability we'll just have units that carry other units and have a high movement/turn range.

Remove the buggers!!!
Pretty please?

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Okay, I will remove them and If someone still wants them I will add them later as an option so that people that hate dust seas can play without them. Hopefully that will make you happy

mobile units

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aren't all units mobile?

woodelf said:

If we absolutely need transporting ability we'll just have units that carry other units and have a high movement/turn range.

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Well, there's still the Eagle...

matthewv said:

aren't all units mobile?

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I meant wheeled/tracked units.

I liked the dust seas .

Zuul said:

I liked the dust seas .

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I think matt plans on making it an option in the map setup.

I think matt plans on making it an option in the map setup.

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I will be doing that right away (probaby tonight with all the new terrain), but I likely won't fix the problems we were having with dust seas for a little while (unless there is a large demand for it).

What problems were that again?

GeoModder said:

What problems were that again?

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The way you could have cities that were undefeatable because you could travel on dust seas if they where in your borders and you could not build skimmer units that where ment to travel on dust seas.

Oh that. I guess as long as we made dustseas unwalkable by the normal units, even if within your borders, it shouldn't present a problem? It's not like I ever saw a faction start on an "island" surrounded by dustseas.
And even if it happened, there's a "air unit" planned that can transport land units on such places.

GeoModder said:

Oh that. I guess as long as we made dustseas unwalkable by the normal units, even if within your borders, it shouldn't present a problem? It's not like I ever saw a faction start on an "island" surrounded by dustseas.
And even if it happened, there's a "air unit" planned that can transport land units on such places.

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It might be simple but I will have to figure out how to do it. You were never supposed to be able to walk on dust seas in your borders. It happens to be a weird bug a never tried to figure out.

Oh, I see.
Might it be because you used a secondary set of terrain to circumvent this food bug?

Oh, I see.
Might it be because you used a secondary set of terrain to circumvent this food bug?

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Its likely related to the way dust seas are created. Originally the are created as ocean (with ocean plot_type) and then later they are switched to dust seas. The bug likely arises in that switch as dust seas are a land plot type.

So by the end of all of this we might want to keep Dust Seas as a terrain type, but have them not start out as Ocean tiles. Having a terrain type that can't be traversed (by tracked units) or settled and that is completely useless works IMO.

So by the end of all of this we might want to keep Dust Seas as a terrain type, but have them not start out as Ocean tiles. Having a terrain type that can't be traversed (by tracked units) or settled and that is completely useless works IMO.

Click to expand...

Since dust seas don't actually exist on the moon, I would only be adding them to act as special terrain. I see no point in adding them if they do not have a peticular purpose to add more functionality to the game(like act as a replacement for ocean's as before).

Unless you guys really want to drive on dust seas and put cities on then, I see no reason to add them as a land like terrain type.

If I am starting to sound too hostile and disagreeable, let me know.