MesoAmerica

MesoAmerica 2016-10-05

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Blue Monkey

Blue Monkey

Archon Without Portfolio
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A map of MesoAmerica (from northern Mexico to mid-Peru) with Mexico enlarged out of proportion to enhance playability. No resources or civs placed. Snow-capped Mts. for areas over 9,000 ft. Florida mostly marsh (Everglades).

Done for Sword of Geddon's Improved MesoAmerican Conquest project. ...

mesoshotlgfb1-webp.699487


NOTE: This is the old version of the map. An improved version is currently in development, and you are welcome to comment on it in this thread.
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I'm reviving work on this map because of RedAlert's efforts on the Born of Fire mod and at his request. This is the stage to make suggestions/critiques. I've left the old version available for download so you can use it for review. I'd like to carry any discussion of the map itself here, and leave RedAlert's thread free for the mod's discussion (although I know there's going to be overlap).

Based primarily on Yoda Power's thoughtful and in-depth critique I plan to concentrate on the following changes:
  • Revise all coastlines to more closely match reality, with special attention to the Mexican Gulf coast and Belize.
  • correct shape of Cuba
  • Add hills and mountains on California peninsula.
  • drastically reduce jungle on California peninsula and add areas of pine forest.
  • remove coastal deserts in South America except in southern Peru; replacing them with grass/plains/forest
  • represent paramo by extention of hills closer to the Pacific coast of S. America.
  • break up mountain/hill complexes with additional valleys
  • in the area from Guanajuato to the DF in Mexico, make a plateau NW of what are now the snow-cpped mt. tiles
  • from Chihuahua to Coahuila break up the hills, especially on the eastern side
  • in south/central Mexico shift the mountains towards the west and break up the eastern limits more.
  • increase variation of terrain throughout the map
  • add more minor rivers
I'll post screenshots as I go. Those of you who have watched my work on the RoA map know I'm slow, so don't be afraid to put your two cents in even after I post something.
 
Sounds good. :)

I'd love to help, but I'm going on vacation later today and wont be back untill the 18th or 19th, so you'll have to do without me this time. ;)
 
Yoda Power said:
I'd love to help, but I'm going on vacation later today and wont be back untill the 18th or 19th, so you'll have to do without me this time.
Click to expand...
Have fun without worry. Your advice has already set me on the right path. And I'll probably still be slogging long after you return.
 
Here's a composite screenshot of how the map looks at the moment.
thumbnail


Almost all I've done at this point is work on the coastlines. The astute will note tundra where there ain't none. I use tundra to help myself spot where I've made changes, so I remember to go back and insert the actual terrain I want. Areas I've worked on won't yet have the proper terrain graphics in other words, and the coast/sea borders aren't adjusted either.

In making your comments, remember that Mexico & Yucatan are intentionally exaggerated for the sake of gameplay, as requested originally by SoG. Areas I worked on where landmasses underwent major changes were Baja California (a lot of shifting around of the coastline, and slimming the whole peninsula), the Isthmus (especially where it joins S. America), and shrinking Florida.

Speaking of Florida, I'm tempted to shift the whole Gulf coast of the US north. This would increase the distortion of the map, but from the gameplay point of view it would reduce the chances of that area becoming a valuable backwater.* What do you think about my doing that major edit of the map, RedAlert?


* Of course that could also be accomplished by using some of the LM terrain types to make the land worth less.
 
The areas you edited look much better! I'm not sure if it's just because you haven't got to it yet, but the coast of Peru is where I see the need for change the most. It should be mostly straight and smooth, and the area of coastline at the north end of Peru, just south of Ecuador and the Gulf of Guayaquil should be a little more pronounced.

I'm completely in favour of extending the gulf coast of the US north, if that's what needs to be done. IMO, there's a little too much of the southern US in the map right now.
 
Florida shouldn't even be in the od.
 
RedAlert said:
the coast of Peru ... should be mostly straight and smooth, and the area of coastline at the north end of Peru, just south of Ecuador and the Gulf of Guayaquil should be a little more pronounced.
Click to expand...
Part of the jaggy/straight dilemna depends on the terrain graphics: plains, grassland, & desert graphics all interact with coast tiles differently. The problem for the map maker is even worse with islands. I'll do what I can, while trying to steer close to the real world terrain. I'll look at the Ecuador/Peru area, with atlas in hand, and see what I can do.
RedAlert said:
I'm completely in favour of extending the gulf coast of the US north, if that's what needs to be done. IMO, there's a little too much of the southern US in the map right now.
Click to expand...
cubsfan6506 said:
Florida shouldn't even be in the od.
Click to expand...
Losing Florida completely would stretch reality too far IMO; by exaggerating the extent of the Gulf of Mexico, and making it unusable terrain as far as possible, I think we can minimize its impact on the game. I want to have at least a thin strip of the whole coast so that it's clear it's a continent. As I mentioned, we can probably do the same thing as in Florida by using LM grassland/plains with drastically reduced food/shield values.

Thanks for the early input guys.
 
The Guardian said:
Is Sword of Gideon still working on the meso american mod? If not, I would like to look at this map for my mod.
Click to expand...

Sword of Geddon has since handed that responsibility to me. I'm working on it slowly, but surely. If you are looking for any ideas for your project, feel free to check out the thread. You are certainly welcome to use the same map if you want to. :)
 
RedAlert said:
Sword of Geddon has since handed that responsibility to me. I'm working on it slowly, but surely. If you are looking for any ideas for your project, feel free to check out the thread. You are certainly welcome to use the same map if you want to. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks RedAlert, I DLed the Biq file and looked the map over.It is a good map, however a little small for my needs as I intend to include some N. American tribes and more of the Amazon River Basin in my project. I am currently working with a map of the complete N americam and S. American continents. What Ireally need is a larger map covering the Southern half of N. America, Central Amaerica and the Northern 3/4 of S. America.

There is also a great deal of useful info in this thread. I can see that a lot of work has been. A lot of GOOD work I might add.

After seeing Apocolypto ( The Movie ) I thought about doing a mod on the aztec, incan and mayan civs. I studied their histories and became even more intrigued in the possibilities of such a mod. I came across this thread while looking for a more appropriate map than the one I am using. Are you still seriously working on this Mod or is it in limbo? The reason I ask is that I would be interested in incorperating some of these ideas into my own mod.
 
The Guardian said:
Thanks RedAlert, I DLed the Biq file and looked the map over.It is a good map, however a little small for my needs as I intend to include some N. American tribes and more of the Amazon River Basin in my project. I am currently working with a map of the complete N americam and S. American continents. What Ireally need is a larger map covering the Southern half of N. America, Central Amaerica and the Northern 3/4 of S. America.

There is also a great deal of useful info in this thread. I can see that a lot of work has been. A lot of GOOD work I might add.

After seeing Apocolypto ( The Movie ) I thought about doing a mod on the aztec, incan and mayan civs. I studied their histories and became even more intrigued in the possibilities of such a mod. I came across this thread while looking for a more appropriate map than the one I am using. Are you still seriously working on this Mod or is it in limbo? The reason I ask is that I would be interested in incorperating some of these ideas into my own mod.
Click to expand...

The only map that I can think of off the top of my head that roughly matches your description would be one I made some years ago. The preview thread is here, but unfortunately I can't seem to find a download. I guess it might not have been large enough for your needs anyway.

I am still seriously working on that mod; the work is simply going slowly at the moment due to a paucity of free time. I upload some new graphics for the mod about every month. In any case, feel free to incorporate whatever ideas you like in your project; I don't mind. :)
 
RedAlert said:
The only map that I can think of off the top of my head that roughly matches your description would be one I made some years ago. The preview thread is here, but unfortunately I can't seem to find a download. I guess it might not have been large enough for your needs anyway.

I am still seriously working on that mod; the work is simply going slowly at the moment due to a paucity of free time. I upload some new graphics for the mod about every month. In any case, feel free to incorporate whatever ideas you like in your project; I don't mind. :)
Click to expand...

Well thank you Very much RedAlert. You and the others have done a great deal of good work and I hate to see it go to waste.
 
Blue Monkey said:
The same goes for anything of mine you can use - mostly tech icons I think. A nod in the thank yous list is all I ask.
Click to expand...

No Problem Blue. Be more than happy to do that. That would include Red Alert and anyone else that has contributed to this material.

I have already modified the map and I think it is now suitable. I am working on the Civs now.
I have the following:

Aztec
Mayan
Zapotec
Olmec
Inca
Moche
Pipil
Iraqouis
Lakota
Pueblo

I intend to add a tribe in the Amazon region and maybe a caribbean tribe.

I just downloaded the era tech trees and am going over those.

Blue, do you have a separate file folder containing the tech icons for this sceneario, or are they all listed here? I haven't gotten that far so I haven't checked yet. I'll probably start on that next along with the placement of the resources.
 
The Guardian said:
Blue, do you have a separate file folder containing the tech icons for this sceneario, or are they all listed here? I haven't gotten that far so I haven't checked yet. I'll probably start on that next along with the placement of the resources.
Click to expand...
After the hacker attack I didn't bother uploading them again. If you see anything that you want listed here, or in the list in my old library thread, let me know.
 
Blue Monkey said:
After the hacker attack I didn't bother uploading them again. If you see anything that you want listed here, or in the list in my old library thread, let me know.
Click to expand...

Blue,
Been doing a lot of work on this, but it is far from complete. Was wondering if you would be interested in seeing what I have so far and giving me your comments?
 
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