Best Map Script for Multiplayer?

[Kolath]

What map script do you use for your multiplayer games? The key criteria being a balanced map that makes sure players don't get stuck with ridiculously poor starting locations. Secondary preference is to have an interesting "realistic" map (i.e. not the vanilla Civ4 MP scripts). What do you recommend?

I like Erebus in general, but I wish it had about 50% of the peaks. As it stands it is very hard to get around and there are tons of chokepoints. The BTS "Balanced" map type is on the opposite end, giving a nice open map, but it is rather bland.

*EDIT* If you pick a user script not on the poll, please put a link to the script. Thanks!

 

[Valkrionn]

I tend to use the Perfect World mapscript... Takes forever to load sometimes, but the maps it turns out are worth it.

 

[[to_xp]Gekko]

Perfect World is awesome. seconded

alternatively, you can open up Erebus.py and edit it so that it turns 50% of peaks into hills. it will probably look rather weird then, but it's worth a try

 

[WCH]

I like Highland for single player, don't see why multi would be any different.

 

[Shakiko]

Besides the already mentioned perfect World mapscript I also prefer the planet_generator mapscript which gives you great control on alot of settings and also provides semi-realistic maps

 

[Mailbox]

I don't really like the Erebus mapscript because it's a bit too artificial for my tastes. I love the RandomScriptMap though, it has huge variation in the maps it creates and offers the most interesting maps that I've ever played on. The best part is that it can be tailored to be like other scripts more closely so if you want one continent or a bunch of islands you can say so in the options.

 

[Kolath]

Can you please link the map script if at all possible?

And keep in mind I'm specifically looking at multiplayer with an emphasis on relatively balanced starting locations.

 

[Mailbox]

RandomScriptMap comes with 3.17 of BtS, I use it in multiplayer games with no ill effects or complaints from my fellow players.

 

[marioflag]

Played mostly Pangaea maps until Erebus was introduced in 0.33, which is my new favourite map

 

[FireBlaze]

By multiplayer do you mean LAN, or is there some secret multiplayer service you guys aren't telling me about

 

[Kolath]

By multiplayer do you mean LAN, or is there some secret multiplayer service you guys aren't telling me about

I have good luck with the gamespy matching service. (from the Multiplayer menu)

Sometimes if there are issues I use direct IP games.

 

[Ri-Hatz]

i also like the perfectworld the most. having a very fair map in multiplayer is boring and takes the fun out of it i think.

is the perfectworld script fully compatible with ffh? especially the new version .34 which has marsh terrain in it.

 

[onedreamer]

Erebus is probably the most balanced right now because it removes forests from the start. Forests at start in FFH2 are a great handicap at the moment, and BtS likes to fill player starts with forests.
However, the Erebus map with default number of civs is unbearably boring and unbalanced, so I tried some tweaks and tested it in SP with huge size and max civs (18) and it worked out well. I guess a multiplayer standard size with 12 civs would be ok.

 

[Kolath]

Just to clarify, onedreamer, you are saying default Erebus is boring and unbalanced because there are too few civs per map area? (i.e. civs get too much space)

 

[[to_xp]Gekko]

yep. it feels really FFH-ish ( lots of animals and barbarians ) , but you feel kinda lonely and it does tend to get boring. upping the number of civs leads to games that are more fun imho, with more wars and competition.

 

[Blackmantle]

Also mind that Erebus is a very good script to overcrowd. Because it already reduces AI expansion-frenzy a bit and slows the game overall.

So overall agree with onedreamer here. Even though i play it with standart ammounts. But on higher difficulties (and with low sea-level) it does work out sorts of. At least for testing...

Overall you can play at least with as many civs as your map size + 1 whould usually sport (+2 on large and above since those maps really offer land for lots and lots of cities / civs with erebus mapscript). Thats the average minimum imo for a balanced game on erebus mapscript. Now that its a normal dropdown, low sea-level is also highly reccomended until the AI gets a grip on naval warfare + transportation. (did offer more land before as well, further enhancing the ability to overcrowd. But thats not so anymore since cephalo change that with the implementation of sea-level dropdowns...)

12 on normal seems a bit much though. Standard is really small in comparison to huge. 8-10 should easily be enough...


Also picked erebus because it is my favorite mapscript singleplayer (rarely play anything else) and whould be my favorite mapscript if i whould start to play coop-multiplayer (Should be especially nice now, with the axing of the research-penalty. ).

 

[Kolath]

If I wanted to turn some of the peaks to hills in Erebus so it isn't quite so segmented, how would I do that? And if I host a game with a custom map script, do all the other players need that map script or only the host?

 

[[to_xp]Gekko]

open up Erebus.py in Fall from Heaven 2 034/PublicMaps ( wordpad is fine ) scroll down a bit and you'll see:

"#This variable will make a percentage of peaks into hills in order to break
#up the worlds valleys. I set this to zero because I feel it diminishes the
#illusion of differing climates between valleys and looks bad.
self.SoftenPeakPercent = 0.0 "

change to value to the percentage you want and you're set

yes, I'm pretty sure that all other MP players will have to do the same.

 

[Kolath]

Awesome! I will try that!

Follow up question: If I make a copy and change the filename "Erebus.py" to something else (like "ErebusLessHills.py") will it work or are there internal places where the name has to be changed in order to show up in FfH2 as a different map script?

 

[onedreamer]

Just to clarify, onedreamer, you are saying default Erebus is boring and unbalanced because there are too few civs per map area? (i.e. civs get too much space)

definitely. It takes too much to get to your neighbors, plus certain civs with bonus movements are extremely advantaged. Also, since barbarians DO NOT attack evenly all civs but concentrate on certain ones, and they do become a threat on large unsettled maps, it is also unbalanced.