Random or player created maps?

[Megatron]

On 1x Ive noticed people have gotten down their strats pretty precise. Having this advancement by this turn and such. My question is: Do most people play on random maps or are there popular precreated maps everyone uses?

It seems to me that you cant make a very defined strategy when random maps vary so much. Just wondering...

M

[Duke of Marlbrough]

I know I play on random maps. Exploring them is a big part of the game for me. I have read that many people enjoy playing on the earth map also.

I also follow a general strategy, but, as in any game, it has to be adjusted due to many factors. I can't nit-pick the game so much that I have a set turn, or other trigger for when things should be done. It all flows as the game progresses.

Always play random custom map.

1. Large map & a few normal size maps.
2. Large land mass
3. Continents
4. Wet Climate
5. temperate temperature
6. 5 billion Years and a few 4 billion

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TTFNFm & MTFBWY moof

" Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity,

and I'm not sure about the former. " - Albert Einstein

[starlifter]

Unless I'm playing a specific game, like a GOTM, OCC, etc. my personal setting are these:

- Random map (I don't WANT to know the "lay of the land!")
- Large Map (and 10,000 cell maps )
- 7 Civs
- Raging Hordes
- Other settings vary (Age, climate, etc.)

"Custom Setting"
- Never ever violate a treaty ("Spotless 100%")

[thealien_83]

Apart from the occasional game played on the Europe map I tend to always go for random maps of varied sizes.

Though admittedly it depends a lot on mood really.

[James913]

I often play on my own maos if i wish to create a specific situation, such as two civilizations on the same continant with a bottle neck in the middle or 7 civs each on their own penisular<br />However to answer your question I usually do play von random maps.

[ferenginar]

It has to be random maps, if you already know the terrain they you lose a lot of the fun. Most strategies remain, but must be varied, especially if your on a small island.

[The Last Conformist]

I almost always play on random maps - a known map removes to much of the exploration from the game IMO. For a very long time I never dared customize the world beyond size and landmass, for fear of ending up on an uplayable world.

Then, one day, after having just read part one of Aldiss's Heliconia series decided I'd create an "Ice Age" world - cool, wet, large landmass, continents. Guess my disapointment when I only had temperate terrain around my start location! As it turned out, of course, most of the settings don't do very much - the "Ice Age" world looked much like a normal one bar for the huge continents (I, Egyptians, Babylonians, Sioux and Persians on the same continent - bad new for them!). So now I usually can't be bothered to fiddle with the settings ...

[amadeus]

The problem I notice with random maps is that even on "continents", it seems to still spit out a bunch of little goofy shaped islands somewhere it does't need to be. I don't need my entire planet to look like Indonesia.

[thealien_83]

"The problem I notice with random maps is that even on "continents", it seems to still spit out a bunch of little goofy shaped islands somewhere it does't need to be. I don't need my entire planet to look like Indonesia."


That is so true. Despite the obvious preference for random maps due to the player wanting to explore the world rather than know it the randoms to tend to be a little boring in the long run. The very few times you really get an interesting map with something even akin to a "real world" continent are so few that they don't really weight up the other times. On that point i I find that other games, such as Alpha Centauri, does perform "better".