Bizzare starts on terra custom maps?

[babypacman]

I tried starting a few games on a custom terra map (huge, 18 civs) this weekend but I kept getting what I consider very bizarre land/resource distributions (I also learned that my comp cant handle huge games comfortably ).

I kept starting either up in the tundra or on narrow (1 square across) spokes. I also noticed mass conentrations of resources..i.e. 6 fur together, etc. Below is a rough text approximation of the most bizarre start I had. i still have the initial save.
(R= russia start loc, M = my start loc, G = german start loc - note they had to move away to build their first city, X = 'normal' map land square, C = clams)

CCC
CRC
CX
CXC
XMXG
CCC

Is this weirdness normal on terra?

p.s. how do I take screenshots in civ4 to better illustrate?

 

[Head Serf]

To take a screenshot press the Print Screen (abbreviated Prt Scrn) button on your keyboard, go into paint, press ctrl + v, and save the image preferabley as a JPEG. Then you can easily upload the picture onto this site.

 

[frankcor]

That can only be described as bizarre on a huge terra map, even with 18 civiliations. I hope you like clams!

Press Print Screen while in the game. A screen shot (.JPG) will be saved to a Screenshots sub-folder in your game folder in your My Documents folder.

 

[BadAndy]

it's not that bizarre. it always happen to me. terra starts is like 50% at the tundra. as for the resource concentration, that happens in many maps, and it's good for trading, since others would have less chance of having that resource.

 

[50_dollar_bag]

I've had one similar to that too I took a screenshot but I'm at work now, Asoka and I were on a double pronged peninsula surrounded by about 7 clams and 2 fish, AH revealed horse in my BFC and later i popped gems when i settled my city Asoka had to move on square up then settle and was trapped until i took his city later.

 

[Enigma256]

well on Terra you only have one continent for 18 civs, the other continent is empty.

with 18 civs it's gonna get crowded

 

[nwadams]

now that's just wierd...oh well, i hope you had a fun game...lol

 

[babypacman]

I've attached a screenshot of the start. I've killed Russia so that I could show the clams up by her. Random leader, I think Incan is lucky pull with russia/germany so close.

 

[napoleonbee]

This is happening because there are 18 civs that MUST start in the "Old World," which even on a huge map, isn't that large, when you consider 1/3+ is water, ~1/3 New World and ~1/3 Old World (guesses). Thus you will find starting locations squeezed together like this, and since each starting location usually has two, three, four resources, and when near a coast, sometimes 5 food resources in the water alone. I personally only play one or two civs above the reccomended amount on Huge Terra maps, otherwise AIs start with 7 furs and a deer in the far north, where their first cultural expansion pushes against the arctic pole, and all the land to their south are tundra and ice tiles.

 

[50_dollar_bag]

The old world is usually twice as big as the new world

 

[napoleonbee]

Not in my experience. The Old World is usually bigger, but I wouldn't say 2x so. I don't know what the XML says but it always turns out that way for me. The Old World is lump-shaped while the New World is designed like the Americas, two smaller landmasses connected by an isthmus with many islands in its gulf. The Old World might appear to be larger, but I don't think the difference is that significant. Regardless, the same problem persists: 18 civs on a Huge map can turn out OK, but 18 civs cramped on one continent on a Huge map yields results like the screenshot.

 

[wioneo]

I would love to trap the future-enemy on a peninsula like that! It's a good thing that you killed kathy first, can capitols be culturally flipped? and do culture buildings double culture after every thousand years, or just the first one? Some obelisks/monuments could end up with 16 to 32 CPT! I doubt that they do...

 

[cabert]

8 food ressources for a single city is just awesome!
GP farm, someone?

 

[Demartus]

I've had a start where one civilization couldn't even found their starting city (they were trapped on an isthmus next to my starting city - they were too close to found after I plopped my city - thank goodness I went first!).

Terra can get crowded with other civs. I never go over 12 or so, and even then it's very likely you'll end up in the artic or in a jungle.

 

[cabert]

demartus is right! on this start if you had moved you settler, you wouldn't have been able to settle!
So your capital would be called "moscow"

 

[babypacman]

I haven't played the start yet ( I still have the initial save), mainly because my computer doesn't handle large games well...random aside is there anything I can turn off in game options to make it run better? The sytem requirements are pretty ******ed for the type of game civ IV is.

Anyhow if I do play the start at some point, any suggestions? Should I build quechas and rush moscow/berlin when they hit pop 2 for free cities? Or does the too close proximity make them worthless.? I'm trying to think of ways to leverage being Incan and being so close to 2 rivals. Razing their cities on turns 3 and 15 and getting 8-10 gold out of it doesn't seem so great...

 

[Stolen Rutters]

The old world has three lumps and a little extra to approximate Australia, the new world tends to have 2 lumps and a couple tropical islands. It's more like one and a half to one (which gives your starting position in the Old world ~ 60% of total landmass).

You are crowding 18 civs into close to 60% of the land mass you would have in starts on the other map types. I can imagine Terra getting messy like that considering even the normal number of civs gives you a fairly crowded start on Terra. The cool thing about that is if you take out a few opponents early, you have a massive advantage on any level, and barbs are squeezed out of the old world pretty quickly. (Maybe this is why Terra is considered almost like playing at a lower level game.)

 

[CivDude86]

You could always open up world builder and put some people on the new world.

 

[Ramesses 3000]

Turn the sea level down to "low".

 

[bitplayer]

Most bizarre start I ever had on terra was right in the middle of it. My trying to get to the sea triggered off a massive war that made sure none of us got to the new world.



Anyways ya every time Ive played terra theres a bunch of civs who get the short end of the stick from what Ive seen.