Best or Favorite Maps

[RulerOfDaPeople]

What do you think are the best maps, or at least your favorite and most fun maps to play with?

This is especially relevent now because with the new update to BTS, more map types have been added.

I am still trying to become aquainted with all the many different types of maps styles, and some seem to be so similar to each other. I have yet to discover what the differences between Fractal, Earth2, and Tectonics.

What I tend to enjoy the most are worlds that have many types of land masses, continents, and oceans just like our real life Earth, but with a Civ Map that is fictional and shaped much differently. (I suppose you can start thinking along the lines of fantasy movies like Lord of the Rings in terms of fictional maps.) I really like the age of exploration for those maps that have a new world (however I find Terra maps all to be the same) but by the time you get your new cities founded in the new world it's already too late in the game for them to become a huge factor. I normally really dislike all the maps that look exactly the same every single time you play them (Which is why I don't like Terra's much anymore, or the donuts, or custom Continents, etc.)

The details within, IE climate, temperature, and ocean tide, I usually just stick with the default settings because I'm too timid to try anything different.

A map I have really enjoyed alot is the Giant Earth Map from the guys in Creation and Customization. However I have played that map so many times I have played it out and need something like it, but with differences. (I already know all the mountain ranges by heart, like the fact there is NO way into South America because they have impassible mountains blocking the way in Central America.)

I tend to like anything that allows for huge epic games with many civs. I have also tried Perfect World, and I have to say, that might quickly becoming one of my favorites. Still, I'd like to learn more about all the different maps, and see what every one else likes.

So what do you think are the most fun maps to play on and which ones are your favorites?

 

[Phoenician]

I like custom continents, hemispheres, and fractal the most.

Fractal gives interesting results. I don't like pangea, unless its a really quick game.

I would like archipelago if it was less snaky continents. way too snaky for my liking.

I also like cold, or temperate climates because it looks cool.

Usually medium sea level, but sometimes I do high sea level if I want to play with my navy a lot.

 

[BakingTheArt]

Earth 2 is a modified version of Earth. Basically it's a earth map with as ton of variations, but all the continents will be in the same place, many many of the bigger geological features will be there, too.

Fractal is pretty much random.

Tectonics is my favorite. It uses simulated plates to create a world, instead of just random guidelines. Therefore, the maps end up looking like they might be an actual planet. There are huge mountain ranges, deserts and plains, just like earth. There's usually a Philippines-like island chain, one mega continent and a couple of smaller ones off to the side. The only thing I don't like about it is that there is usually a continent off to the bottom that is basically all ice and tundra, and the continents tend to form on the edge of the minimap, so it appears split in two.

 

[Joecoolyo]

Perfect World! Just started using this one (once someone recommended it to me in another thread (that was also about Maps)). Close runner up is Tectonics, mostly because of the realistic mountain formations. Perfect World combines that with rainfall maps and such, making the map even more interesting .

 

[Phoenician]

you guys are making tectonics tempting.

I think I will give it a try in my next game.

 

[PhroX]

I'm sure I replied to an identical thread a few days ago, but still

Anyway, my favourite is definately the Perfectworld script. The maps it makes are fantastic. Realistic and fun to play, what more do you need?

Of the "official" ones, Big and Small is probably my favouite, because of the variety an unpredictability of it. Sure, you always get one "big" landmass, and several "small" ones, but sometimes the big one is almost a pangea and the small ones archipelagos, while sometimes the big one is only marginally larger than the small ones and you get 3-4 similar sized landmasses.

 

[CliftonBazaar]

Best map is Ínland sea' because nobody uses their navy so you really only get attacked from 2 sides; and I hate Navy warfare anyway

 

[UWHabs]

Perfect world looks interesting, but seems to have way too many forests for my liking. Okay, I like having forests, but it seems like every square is forested.

Tectonics I like the continent shapes, but it seems too dry for my liking. Trying to play a game on massive stretches of plains and deserts, while realistic for a real world, is just not very good for gameplay.

I tend to play continents, although think I might try my next game on a big and small map. I like having some islands around.

 

[RulerOfDaPeople]

Tectonics I like the continent shapes, but it seems too dry for my liking. Trying to play a game on massive stretches of plains and deserts, while realistic for a real world, is just not very good for gameplay.

I know, that's one of the problems I had playing my last game. There was hardly any green in the entire world map. It was all plains desert, and a little bit of jungle. But mostly plains and desert. Not fun at all.

I tend to play continents, although think I might try my next game on a big and small map. I like having some islands around.

That's one I forgot to mention. I really love big and small. It's perfect for making a very epic game where anything and everything in the game gets to be used. Every single kind of warfare you can think of is enhanced and becomes more fun. So does the challenges of getting your missionaries/corps to civs on another continent. Those early caravels become much more important. Especially for making first contact and trading. I love big and small maps.

I've not tried medium and small though. What's the difference between that and big and small?

 

[PhroX]

I've not tried medium and small though. What's the difference between that and big and small?

It's been a while since I payed one, but IIRC, imagine two B&S maps shrunk, rotated 90 degrees and placed side by side, seperated by a large ocean (which occasionally has an archipelago across it). So you get two small-average sized landmasses, each of which has a similarly sized archipelago adjacent, and they usually won't be able to contact each other 'till optics.

I've just thought of another description: M&S is to continents, what B&S is to pangea.

 

[Turquoiside]

Pangea for me. I perform best with everyone closxe o me. Terra us probably the most balancd though, with the great New World. Though, recently, I've been hating that feature, it caused me alot of trouble. in my first Byzantine game.