Here is a map that I hand made for this mod. I call the planet "Umalishiki." That is suposed to sound "Summerian"
I will also upload the Public Maps file and the World Builder file if anyone wants. For now, 4000 BC start .sav file.
I made the map completely by hand with the special intent for it to be a good map to play Sumeria: plenty of opportunities to put both that Creative and Protective trait and those awesome early units (Vulture and Sickle Swordsman) to good use! I tend to dislike random maps because a lot of the time you just start out in what I would call a stupid situation; something like, your 'civlization' has decided to start right in the middle of a desert tundra with a clam off shore. Sometimes random maps are good in that they generate something resembling the physiography appropiate to the various cradles of civilization, but more often than not they do not. I like to make maps that seem somewhat realistic in being 'good' bountiful starting locations, but with plenty of other challenges down the road, as in rivals who also have good starts, raging barbs in the next door valley, and interesting strategic and luxury resource distribution. I also enjoy New World maps.
With all that in mind, if you play History in the Making, please download the save file and give it a whirl. I've played it (actually played and replayed a few times to edit the map) up to about 400 AD and was doing pretty well. I had built around 10 wonders, had something like 10 or 11 cities, and had had several gigantic wars. However, I was in the middle of the pack, so I do believe that this map will give most players a consistent and fun challenge across the whole gamut of history, from stone age to space age. I will continue to play my game and let you know how it comes out; certainly victory is not impossible, and I should be able to win, but at 400 AD it is most definitely not a sure thing, with at least one very strong contender, and two others who could rise to cause considerable trouble.
Other than all of that, the only thing I'll clarify is that: you start as Sumeria, it is Prince difficulty, Odyssey speed, all victories enabled except Time. Everything else you can figure out on your own!
ADDIT: Oh, BTW, it is with Raging Barbs, and something like "Barbarian City Challenge" ! Watch out for those Barbs early in the game!
If anyone wants me to upload the Public Map file so that it can be opened as a "Custom Scenario" (meaning you could play it as one of the other civs, change the difficulty, etc.) just let me know and I will do. In fact, if you don't mind spoiling it for yourself, or you know the trick about zooming in and holding your hand up to block the minimap so you don't see it, you could actually just open this file up with your World Builder, and then save it using the tabe in the world builder (upper right) into your Public Maps folder, which will allow you to do that just the same.
I enjoy making maps and I feel like I did a pretty good job with this one. I could've paid a bit more attention to some of the rival civs placements, as well as the late game resources, but for my first map since coming back to Civ4 I think it isn't too bad. For my play style and ability I found it to be a fun and somewhat challenging map.
If anyone has any suggestions for making better maps, or comments on this one in particular let me know. I enjoy making them, and may well find time to make a few more in the future. If anybody has any requests let me know. For example, I was thinking about making a map with most of the Euro-Mediterranean civs in roughly historical starting positions, but with a "redone" world geography and starting at the classical age or something like that. Sort of an early Middle Ages European history but with a totally made up map.
[starts staring at Queen [or whatever] Dida]
