New BTS Map Scripts (listed)

Just got BTS today. One of the first things I wanted to check out were the new map scripts.

I have heard people mention Big & Small and Hemispheres but precious little about them beyond that. I've heard the new maps are supposed to be really good... but I wanted more details. People who got it earlier didn't mention them (that I saw) so I thought I would post them here.

Looking at the maps available in Pitboss I came up with the following list:

Rainforest
Medium_and_Small
Big_and_Small
Hemispheres
Global_Highlands
Arboria
Donut
Boreal

At least I think all of the above are new.

Rainforest, Arboria, and Boreal had no custom map options

"Donut" had the following custom map options:
-Center Region
..Hill
..Peaks
..Desert
..Ocean
..Standard
-Jungle
..Jungle
..No Jungle

"Hemispheres" had the following custom map options (in addition to normal map options)
-Continents Size
..Massive Continents
..Snaky Continents
..Varied
-Islands Size
..Islands
..Tiny Islands
-# of Continents
..2, 3, 4, 5, 6

"Medium_and_Small" had the following custom map options
-Islands Size
..Islands
..Tiny Islands
-Continents Size
..Normal Continents
..Unpredictable
..Snaky Continents
..Islands
..Random
-Island Overlap
..Island Region Seperate
..Islands Mixed In

"Big_and_Small"
-Islands Size
..Islands
..Tiny Islands
-Continents Size
..Massive Continents
..Normal Continents
..Snaky Continents
-Island Overlap
..Island Region Seperate
..Islands Mixed In

"Global_Highlands"
-Mountain Pattern
..Scattered
..Ridgelines
..Clustered
-Mountain Density
..Dense Peaks
..Normal Peaks
..Thin Peaks
-Landmass Size
..Massive Continents
..Normal Continents
..Snaky Continents
..Random

i play on Big_and_Small map type with "Islands Mixed In" mode and i must say it generates really nice looking maps

Dejagore said:

i play on Big_and_Small map type with "Islands Mixed In" mode and i must say it generates really nice looking maps

Click to expand...

I have heard good things about Big_and_Small. So lets say I set the game for 2 Continents and Islands Mixed in, does that mean it generates the islands in near both continents but open ocean in between? It seems like "Islands Seperate" would be in the middle of the ocean in between the two continents.

I am looking for a game that produces continents, but something better then "Custom Continents" which produces incredibly boring maps. Having islands mixed in is nice... I believe the Pitboss game I run with friends will use either Hemispheres or Big_and_Small.. just have to figure out which one produces the most interesting maps.

Big and Small all the way is basically Pangaea + islands. Medium and small is continents + islands. I prefer the former, but both are generally more interesting than the Vanillords maps.

Rainforest - 90%+jungle
Arboria - 90%+ forest
Donut - big ring-shaped island, your choice in the middle
Boreal - lots of tundra forest (think Alaska)
Global_Highlands - i think this is map with choice of mountain ranges

Example screenshots perhaps?

I've fallen in love with the Hemispheres script. It's very much like post-1.61 continents, though the landmasses often have more interesting shapes, and there will in most cases be one or more archipelagos thrown in for good measure.

Medium_and_Small is somewhat similar, but the maps it generates look kinda weird to me.

Edit: Here's an example of Hemispheres (all options at default)

Big and Small all the way is basically Pangaea + islands. Medium and small is continents + islands. I prefer the former, but both are generally more interesting than the Vanillords maps.

Click to expand...

Great!!! I hated how Continents was just continents with not Islands and how Islands had not continents just islands!

I'm so glad they have a map that mixes the to.

Good to see they have some more Earth-like maps - much more exciting to play on.

Lars_Domus said:

I've fallen in love with the Hemispheres script. It's very much like post-1.61 continents, though the landmasses often have more interesting shapes, and there will in most cases be one or more archipelagos thrown in for good measure.

Medium_and_Small is somewhat similar, but the maps it generates look kinda weird to me.

Edit: Here's an example of Hemispheres (all options at default)

Click to expand...

That looks like 2 organic-looking landmasses with balanced land area, cut off by ocean.

That's sweet.

I enjoyed the variety and map types in vanilla and warlords, but having more map scripts is definitely a very good thing! I like the look of that hemispheres map.

Wow that Hemisphere map pic looks way to similar to our planet.

Asia with a huge place west, (europe) with a bit of land down (africa)

Then on the other side North America, You see a forested greenland and alaska there.

And to the south of the continent somewhat resembles south america.

Except there is no "central america" there.

island unsures that there are enough(usually 5+) civs late game when u eliminate your rivals on your continent because of the colony effect....good!

TheLastOne36 said:

Great!!! I hated how Continents was just continents with not Islands and how Islands had not continents just islands!

I'm so glad they have a map that mixes the to.

Click to expand...

Yes, this is what the fractal map should have done, but didn't. Not that I needed any more incentive to buy BTS, but I am looking forward even more to starting a game now.

Wow these maps look great, this may be one of my favorite additions when I get the game. I also always wanted more islands with my continents.

Finally, some good maps! One of the only things in the vanilla game that turned me off was the horrible maps that I got stuck with-- they looked so artificial and blah. For those of us who want realistic map scripts, this new maps sure will do the trick.

Thanks for the thread. I was at a loss with what some of the new options were.

MaverickAvatar said:

I have heard good things about Big_and_Small. So lets say I set the game for 2 Continents and Islands Mixed in, does that mean it generates the islands in near both continents but open ocean in between? It seems like "Islands Seperate" would be in the middle of the ocean in between the two continents.

Click to expand...

I don't believe you can set how many continents there are, all you can do is determine whether they are Massive, Normal, Snaky or Random, though I haven't looked in the Custom options yet. And the main difference between Islands Seperate and Mixed is that with Seperate you'll find a distinct area of the map that is primarily islands with a main continent elsewhere, much like the South Pacific, but Mixed is just that. There's no clear difference between the continent area or the Island chains.

Willem said:

I don't believe you can set how many continents there are, all you can do is determine whether they are Massive, Normal, Snaky or Random, though I haven't looked in the Custom options yet. And the main difference between Islands Seperate and Mixed is that with Seperate you'll find a distinct area of the map that is primarily islands with a main continent elsewhere, much like the South Pacific, but Mixed is just that. There's no clear difference between the continent area or the Island chains.

Click to expand...

I must be doing something wrong because when I use this feature there is way too much ocean. Or everything is ugly rectacngles.

jpinard said:

I must be doing something wrong because when I use this feature there is way too much ocean. Or everything is ugly rectacngles.

Click to expand...

I've always found that using the Custom options to create maps always made them look like crap. They's come out looking really blocky. Just try the default maps, they might come out bettert. At least mine do. The Big-Small maps I'm getting are really nice. As for the ocean, try setting ocean levels to low.