North/South Korea and Japan map needed for MGE

[Cassius Critzer]

Jidaigeki 1.0 for MGE is nearing completion with beta testing in the next ten days.

But in perhaps six months to a year, an Imjin War mod, most likely multiplayer but maybe single player, would be created as Jidaigeki 3.0. If single player, then the three options are play as Japanese interested in fighting Imjin, those opposed, and the Ming/Joseon. This means some Japanese clans likely end up attacking other samurai clans who foolishly went on an invasion. That creates tension in whatever units are now far away in Korea. Plus issues getting cut off from deploying or naval battles on returning home.

The Koreans (Joseon) have lesser units but a vastly superior naval unit. And the Ming can generate innumerable military units to swarm the almost certainly foolish samurai. Heck, if it fails miserably, the Ming player might even invade Japan. That would be hysterical.

Jidaigeki 2.0 has a great map and that is for a post1572 mod version.

For 3.0 I have the existing pertinent lands of Japan minus Hokaido. Hokaido is irrelevant until after 1800. However both North and South Korea are needed.

The attached sav file has the Japanese lands. Korea can be slightly off as the Tsushima Strait near Kyushu is where it needs to be placed but there is insufficient room without enlarging the dimensions. Both Koreas are larger than Kyushu but in total about 1/4th the size of all Japan. Much of what is North Korea today is mountainous.

Having that then cities can be prebuilt along with proper terrain upgrades and fortresses.

At some point I am looking for unit graphic artists to depict appropriate Ming and Joseon units from the 1550-1650 era. That needs about six of each so 12, the same as below. Maybe two ships with one being a Korean turtle ship and one a Panokseon. So 14 units (military and naval).

A prequel of the two Mongol Invasions requires no map just unit graphics. Few MGE units exist that I can use. Their repertoie needs at least six: five basic infantry and cavalry types and an army representing a battalion strength of 650 soldiers. An existing ship will work. The Mongols can CRUSH the samurai at that time but have their own problems due to bad weather (tsunami potential taking out their fleets).

I'm using a Linux system tablet and running Windows emulation, thus no map utilities for Civ 2 work. This means making the map using the built in map editor only. I'm winging it as there is nothing to use that will work to speed up the process.

Thank you for your kind consideration. I am happy to code for the units and build events and structure the mod,but have zero talent making maps or units. So IF there is community energy to see it happen, I will give up six months of free time and see it through. 90% of the work is DONE so this is not hard anymore. That 90% took 9 months. From when they are done, I can maybe get to a beta test by three or four months. It takes 1-2 weeks just to lay out cities on the Korean side and ensure the economy works. Then a week to figure out spawned in Ming units in appropriately difficult historic numbers. Then test for a week. Then test it more and soon 3 months have transpired. It could happen very fast or in dribs and drabs based on outside assistance.

Regarding Ming and Joseon units, there are many painted minatures due to tabletop war gamers. It's possible that most of these can just be imported and blurred and then exported as a gif using the CIV 2 MGE palette. That should speed things along versus trying to create these from scratch.

I can take existing minature pictures and import them as a PNG file but I will make a wreck of it due to an inability to load the correct palette and export that gif correctly. This has been a major problem as most of the actually coding was a breeze by comparison.

 

[Cassius Critzer]

Here is what the map looks like so far but only includes Japan.

In my opinion, these terrain file combinations creates a stunning map. I hope they are useful for any other modder. Knight Time made the changes to the terrain.bmp that made it possible.

With these settings, whenever a terrain is improved, it does not obscure the base terrain. Thus you never need to "show hidden terrain". I don't think any other mod went to that kind of trouble to make this functional.

Even on the "rich farmland" which looks like a terraced Japanese field, then when irrigated, the proper blue lines are faint but perceivable at a glance. When it's mined, a small orange icon appears. When it's farmed (irrigated + mined) then both blue irrigation and a green icon and specks appear to clearly designate it as such. Yet the terrain is not obscured. This means plains, grasslands, rich terrain, hills, mountains, etc all look very differently. Otherwise in a mod when using engineers to modify the terrain, then these get confusing and you have to "show hidden terrain".

The way it is designed, sometimes a little thatched house appears on some tiles to indicate essentially a village on the edges of a fully improved city site across those up to 21 in a grid.

The map was done for Sengoku Jidai by Darth Veda. It is an amazing map when using 3 seasons per year as then a calculated movement rate makes logical sense and each tile is 3.5 miles. This is one of the few times the player will clearly understand their surroundings and how far things are away from an origin point.

 

[Cassius Critzer]

In my opinion, perfect resource icons would be 1/4 or 1/3 of their current size and so they would not obscure terrain either. Then the players would have ideal maps. There is no rationale for a giant gold bar for example...not versus a tiny one.

 

[Cassius Critzer]

There is a really excellent terrain2.gif file in the usa2013 mod. Those hills, rivers and mountains are also great as substitutes, but the mountains here seem more varied and have crags and are realistic. The rivers are a bit too smooth and wide but the overall effect is aesthetically pleasing.

The units "pop" and stand out well against such beautiful diverse terrain versus the vanilla version.

Here is the usa213 terrain2.gif if anyone is interested.

These cumulative changes are excellent and really makes Civ 2 not look so dated.

 

[CurtSibling]

@Cassius Critzer
We have been using these graphics for a decade or so.
No need to re-invent the wheel, sir.

 

[Cassius Critzer]

If it ain't broke don't fix it sounds like Luddite thinking. Thus there would be no need for ToTPP then? Right?

Look at that terrain.zip I provided as not only is it aesthetically pleasing but it's practical and helpful to players as now there is no need to "show hidden terrain". The player can immediately see the terrain because irrigation and farming do not obscure terrain tiles underneath. It makes it seamless. I'm proud of facilitating that.

 

[Cassius Critzer]

Look at the screencaps.
There are clear distinctions in terrain and they look natural and aesthetically pleasing. One can immediately surmise which have been improved and yet calculate movement rates for massive armies.

 

[CurtSibling]

To be honest, they look too grimy.
Look at what ToT can give you.

 

[CurtSibling]

If it ain't broke don't fix it sounds like Luddite thinking. .

You are the one clinging to an outdated version of CIV2...That makes you the luddite, sir.
Look around the forum, you'll see that we are pushing the boundaries of that is possible with CIV2.

Examples:
https://forums.civfanatics.com/thre...otpp-and-lua-scenario-updated-to-v1-2.638700/
https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/over-the-reich-creation-thread.410801/

If you think we are not at the cutting edge of CIV2 modding, then you have to lurk more and learn.
I suggest you do some research on the forum before engaging in over-enthusiastic posting.

Best Regards,
Curt

 

[Cassius Critzer]

No Goofy, you bet the farm on ToTPP which is likely awesome yet it don't work Sherlock under emulation. This means any retrogamer running a Civ 2 mod almost certainly is using MGE.

I hope you kept old versions of ToT mods without ToTPP too. Otherwise they won't run.

If you have a 1000 in your user base using either MGE or ToT running mods after twenty years, that is awesome. How many are able to run ToTPP mods? Have you ever taken a poll? Do you care?

For all you know, maybe 20 people can run a ToTPP mod. Who knows?

Moderator Action: Please be civil to others. This is not acceptable. 7-day thread ban. leif
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[Cassius Critzer]

To be honest, they look too grimy.
Look at what ToT can give you.

The units look awesome but the terrain does not and the terrain improvements obscure the base terrain such that you have no idea what is beneath those farms.

Your mountains look like "rubber stamps". Look at the MGE terrain set and the mountains. Every mountain looks unique.

In that terrain set, there are three types of forests and the main forest set is very varied.

 

[CurtSibling]

No Goofy, you bet the farm on ToTPP which is likely awesome yet it don't work Sherlock under emulation. This means any retrogamer running a Civ 2 mod almost certainly is using MGE.

I hope you kept old versions of ToT mods without ToTPP too. Otherwise they won't run.

Dude, that attitude is going to make you run afoul.
I have treated you with respect, I expect the same.

I have run ToTPP on Win7 and Win10, and have absolutely no troubles.
Running a legit copy of ToT might be a help?

 

[CurtSibling]

If you have a 1000 in your user base using either MGE or ToT running mods after twenty years, that is awesome. How many are able to run ToTPP mods? Have you ever taken a poll? Do you care?
For all you know, maybe 20 people can run a ToTPP mod. Who knows?

I make mods for my own amusement, not for popularity or "likes" from brainwashed twitter ants.

Thanks.