The Community Deity Game #4 - Spain

HELLO CIVFANATICS

I thought I'd drop in and see how you're all doing. Apart from a round-robbin of virtual handshakes, repeated apologies (for abandoning this series under the circumstances that I did) and a lot of "how have you been?"s, I only really wanted to post to say that I'm sad no one has stepped up to provide maps for a Deity series.

On the one hand, I see people complaining about the NQ maps and how they're not to their taste, and on the other, I see my good Jugoslav friend ST saying that none of you have bothered to send maps.

My own personal problems aside, the reason this series has continued to it's 4th game is because I took the time to make the maps, and ST has taken the time to post them.

I'm absolutely stunned that no one has made any more. I really couldn't have guessed when I bowed out that no one except ST would do anything.

Just before I clicked 'Post reply', I briefly considered reinstalling BNW and making some maps for you as a New Year's present, but then I thought to myself "why have they not managed to make any maps for their selves? In more than a couple of months, as well..."

I think it's high time you guys realised that without someone tirelessly and generously spending a long time rolling and tweaking maps, a Community Game comes down to the anarchic 'Project Mayhem' dynamic, where "you decide your own level of involvement".

[/rant]

Welcome back, and thanks for the fun maps you've provided so far. I get less than 5 hours a week on average to play this game, which is why I haven't been able to PM any maps to ST yet. I'm hoping once I finally get IGE installed it won't actually take me that long to learn how to do this and send him some saves. I'm sort of new to this forum and this game still so I am a little lacking in the experience department still, and my lack of time makes things even worse.

I have not even had time to finish my attempts at beating the maps that have already been posted, or even start number 4 at all. I haven't actually lost a map yet, just rage-restarting after things fall apart. CDG2 is the only one I can say I lost, since it was only a matter of turns before Dido and Theo's order alliance steamrolled my freedom loving scouts. I am absolutely not ready for Deity yet but I absolutely don't care and will try them anyways until I can pull off some wins.

Anyways, I do hope you submit some more, and others do as well. I cannot guarantee any maps of mine will be of any use to anyone, I'll do what I can to make sure they are enjoyable. On a separate note, I saw that people hated the REXing caused by the NQ Map Script, is this why you used it or is there some other reason I am missing? I wasn't going to bother with it in my attempts since it was so unpopular, but will still be burning and boiling the maps and adding lots of salt where necessary with IGE and any other methods I find. Any tips will help, I know I'll be able to boot this game up again before the next CDG is due...

What is REXing? DuckDuckGo only gives me references to a form of backwards ice skating :S

I used NQ Map Script because it makes fundamentally better maps with more interesting features. The default map script always has large featureless desert and crappy mountain clusters and swamp and awful crap. NQ gives the player a chance to make interesting empires whether or not they build or conquer them, and also gives the AI a chance to power ahead.

For those that were wondering, I don't think I tweaked this map. I do however remember conquering a few civs early and then totally losing my edge and having a bunch of really crap Liberty cities. I think I managed to take out 3/4 civs then stopped playing civ altogether, or else stopped this one, and played all of the next map, and then stopped. I really don't remember.

As for contributing maps, I want to see some of the people that had said they were gonna do it make good on their words

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=442106 REXing is a word I made up, but REX according to our CFC Acronym dictionary is Rapid Early Expansion. Which is what the AI does on Deity anyways, but with NQ Map Script making better maps from the ground up it must send them into a settler spamming spree.

I'll make good on my word eventually, the holidays threw CIV to the backburner but I have to find time to relax at home sometime soon instead of at work which is where I post on here 99% of the time. I can't remember who else wanted to make maps other than me and Bob though (And I didn't volunteer at all until last week)...

Good to hear from you consentient!

The maps you left ST with have been tough enough for me that they are all I have played. I particularly liked the themed opponents with this one.

I will try and install the NQ Map Script, but without the default low sea level and see if it is less sprawling. I agree with you that it seems to give consistently better and more interesting results that Pangea or Pangea Plus.

Nice to see Consentient back even if less than on full commitment.

I can also provide the US map on time as sort of agreed earlier.

What comes to these NQ maps on general they are more to my liking than an average Pangaea maps - my games tend to be nearly endless anyway and this particular game will not make an exception. I have almost enjoyed my game so far. It's t235 or so and some 60 bonfires to go as only one leader haa left the scene.

Hi Consentient. Glad to see you are still around somewhere

As for maps, i think everybody willing to try and create some should find a way to communicate so we know what civs and what VCs are already planned. It wouldn't be great if we all choose the same civilizations or if the next 5 maps are all Science Victory. I'm not sure however if we should just use a thread that everybody could post in or PMs. neither seems like the best way to do it but i don't know what else could be done, i've never used all the functions of this site. BTW what's planned for the 5th one?

Also, i've been testing Acken's mod lately so i didn't get any map so far but ST still have one so we have another 2 weeks before we need a new one "the lake's not burning" is it?

OK, i'll try and see what i can get. Consentient don't give us any new map or we'll just rely on you again

One question thought. I wanted to try and see what NQmap could give with different settings and/or 9 civs instead of 8. I have the scripts as part of Acken's mod but there is more than just a few map scripts i could copy to CiV maps folder and i don't find the map scripts alone in the custom scripts forum. How do you use this script, is it a Steam Workshop only mod?

Bob Morane said:

As for maps, i think everybody willing to try and create some should find a way to communicate so we know what civs and what VCs are already planned.

Click to expand...

I am working on a Byzantium map. Prolly not going to specify a VC.

You can get the NQ maps here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/nqmod/comments/3x319f/hellblazers_maps_pack_now_avaliable/

I think the best option may be to create a fake email address like Gustavus Rex did in the ICL and then either give out the password to those who volunteered maps or have each person first submit their idea and have it be either accepted or rejected on a first come first serve basis. Beetle wants to do a Theo map, he can submit his idea for it first via email and if no-one else has claimed it he will get an email back saying it is his. A google Sheet may be nice too, doing the same thing. I got this idea from the post below from http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=530598:

" Future Games in the Series
I want users to submit saves from turn 0. Preferably the person submitting the game has played enough turns to know the map is either difficult, fun, or unique in some enjoyable way. Write a short description as to why it is special and email the save to immortalchallengelineup@gmail.com

Important
If you submit a game for the challenge, you must have the DLC map packs disabled. Not everybody has them and they are honestly kind of useless. Having them disabled will allow more participants."

beetle said:

I am working on a Byzantium map. Prolly not going to specify a VC.

Click to expand...

Good to know, that was one of my ideas along Morocco and Sweden (some of the older DCL civs). I'll probably try to get something with Morocco then.

mbbcam thanks for the link i would never have looked for CiV mods on reddit

Wild_Woojsha said:

or have each person first submit their idea and have it be either accepted or rejected on a first come first serve basis.

Click to expand...

The trouble with such an approach is that not everybody willing to try and roll a map have the time/motivation/dedication/whatever to roll plenty of different civs so if 3 players submit the same civ, it might be 2 less maps available in the end because those whose maps weren't accepted won't necessarily create maps for other civs.

Well color me surprised! I too am having slight personal issues which caused me to drop almost entirely out on Civ, which [issues] in turn may not have manifested had I not dropped out on civ, a more obvious catch 22 one couldn't possibly have written

Bob Morane said:

The trouble with such an approach is that not everybody willing to try and roll a map have the time/motivation/dedication/whatever to roll plenty of different civs so if 3 players submit the same civ, it might be 2 less maps available in the end because those whose maps weren't accepted won't necessarily create maps for other civs.

Click to expand...

Crap I didn't explain it right. I mean to have each person first submit their idea via email, just a short blurb stating "I want to create a Huns Time map or a Venice Domination map" and then they don't waste their time rolling until they get a reply saying "Approved, you have 30 days get cracking". Once they're done, they send the save, it gets reviewed for balance/playability and then scheduled for posting. This way there isn't 5 domination games in a row or 3 huns games, just 1 for each CIV and a victory condition/achievements that make the map a blast to play. And it keeps it a surprise, so no one knows what is coming. So it would go like this:

Step 1 - Email sent to cdg@aol.com (Not a real email address, just an example (This may actually be someone's email...)) stating what civ name, victory type, and "other things we don't want to repeat" will be present on the map the person wants to make (Time spent: 2 minutes tops)

Step 2 - Person who checks the aol email then checks their spreadsheet showing who has claimed what game, if all fields are free, reply is sent saying no one has claimed these and they have 30 days or the claim is forfeit.

Step 3 - Map-maker makes their map, and then emails it back attached and their recommended Achievements.

Step 4 - Map is reviewed with IGE, and approval email is sent back as reply, achievements are discussed and decided, then the map is scheduled for posting in the spreadsheet.

Nice to "see" you, consentient!

I started a new thread to discuss maps, etc. so as not to clog up this Spain game thread...

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=560846

stormtrooper412 said:

Welcome to the CDG, I am the caretaker and interim host until further notice.

CDG 4 - Spain a.k.a. Tiempo de Reconquista

(it means age of reconquest, right?)

Click to expand...

Pretty much.

Thanks. That's what I had in mind, I suppose I was just slightly off because Spanish is kind of my 4th language

Reminder: The next CDG map is up tomorrow

Turn 235, down 1 civ but about to get revived without his capital since I wanted him to start colonizing some empty land if possible. Another civ reduced to only minor islands. Locked into a long war with my southern neighbor. No progress on any civs on the east yet. 1/3 progress so far. Razing 30 cities would be trivial if I can complete the raze all non capital achievement which is the really difficult one since it requires me to fully dominate in the first place. Arts funding combined with killing off the only science civ made it easy since everyone seems to have sluggish science now.

It just occurred to me that the achievement for

D - Raze all non-capitals - 5 points

Click to expand...

is a bit ambiguous. It doesn't say that I have to conquer every AI city except capital. It simply says I have to raze every city that I conquer. If that was intentional, then this game has just gotten significant easier since total domination isn't required.

Just came to post about achievement D as well. Are we going for total world domination - which would require getting insignificant cities built on random islands before capturing the 7th capital last - or do we read this as razing every non-capital that we conquer? I would prefer the latter. I've been playing with the understanding that I am to always select Raze when conquering a city, so no puppets unless a Capital. T212, I have 4 natural wonders left to discover, but otherwise going well at this point.

I don't see the ambiguity honestly. All cities which are not capitals are to be razed, it's quite simple in my mind.

However if all find it too arduous, I will adjust it accordingly, fair?