Random maps?

[PuppyDog]

I have tried to find the answer on the forum but have been without success.

While I really like the ready made maps (playing on the huge 24 player map now), I enjoy random maps as well. What are the problems with playing on a random map? Is it that there are some resources missing? I tried it and found most resources on a fractal map but some where suspiciously missing, like crab and silk if I remember correctly.

 

[ambrox62]

Actually I never played a random map on TAM 4.
As consequences I can't say what exactly happens when you play it.
Resource placement may not be accurate or balanced, and minoan civ may be really strong on a random map.
In the past someone said that TAM is a fun challenge on random maps, but I never tried it.

 

[graywarden]

I have tried to find the answer on the forum but have been without success.

While I really like the ready made maps (playing on the huge 24 player map now), I enjoy random maps as well. What are the problems with playing on a random map? Is it that there are some resources missing? I tried it and found most resources on a fractal map but some where suspiciously missing, like crab and silk if I remember correctly.

You will most likely have some troubles playing on random maps. TAM is created around the scenario maps, where the resources have been planted in a historically correct manner IIRC. The vanilla map generator will be missing some of the links to the customized resources I would think.

 

[PuppyDog]

I found all resources except four on the random map I played except:

Crab, Iron (explained by the fact that I didn't get Iron Working), silk
and spices.

The resources I found showed up in logical places and the resources
I missed could be by just random chance (I only explored one continent)
so in general it worked well.

Are the minoans that strong? The special units and building are doesn't
seem superior to other civilizations. Minos has three traits but none of
them unique even though creative and organized seem strong and are
shared by few other leaders.

It is interesting how Crete is handeled in the old civilization boardgame.
While it certainly is a disadvantage to be forced to build boats early
they are close to good citybuilding terrain in Greece while the competition
start far to the north (in TAM the competition is close by). The big help
they get by the rules is a game-long imunity to barbarians.

 

[graywarden]

Puppydog,

All your comments and questions in your last post are directly related to the answer I gave you in my last post. TAM is built around the three scenario maps, and game play is tested and tweaked on these three maps and mostly the huge med 24 civ map, which is all that I test on, unless specifically requested otherwise by the TAMdev group. So how that game play transports to random maps is not going to be balanced for a random environment.
The Ancient Mediterranean is intentionally based on Historical features as much as possible and also maintain a good "game" balance as much as possible. It was never intended for random map play.

 

[PuppyDog]

graywarden,

I'm sorry if I expressed myself clumsily, I didn't mean my posts as any critique of the mod or a demand that it should work well on random maps. I do like the mod, the slow gradual tech advances feels more realistic than the vanilla game and I like the historical feel and I do enjoy playing on the scenario maps.

However, sometimes I like to explore an unknown world and if I could do that with a mod as good as TAM without any major disasters I think it's worth it. I don't mind to much if the nations aren't perfectly balanced but it's a bigger problem if some resources are missing. I would happily look into modifying some random map script to rectify the resource problem, if only on my own behalf, but I first wanted to make sure if there really was a problem.

 

[graywarden]

graywarden,

I'm sorry if I expressed myself clumsily, I didn't mean my posts as any critique of the mod or a demand that it should work well on random maps. I do like the mod, the slow gradual tech advances feels more realistic than the vanilla game and I like the historical feel and I do enjoy playing on the scenario maps.

However, sometimes I like to explore an unknown world and if I could do that with a mod as good as TAM without any major disasters I think it's worth it. I don't mind to much if the nations aren't perfectly balanced but it's a bigger problem if some resources are missing. I would happily look into modifying some random map script to rectify the resource problem, if only on my own behalf, but I first wanted to make sure if there really was a problem.

puppydog,

I did not take anything that you said as a critique in any way. I just thought I had not been clear enough in explaining that the mod is not designed for the random map. This does not mean that someone cant create a modmod of their own to do so, but the work involved in keeping TAM as intended by its creator and especially with the amount of civs available in the huge map, just does not lend itself well to a random map.