Case for Large or Huge Maps

[btaft]

I have been playing Civ3 for a couple of months now and have always been turned away from the Large or Huge maps due to the number of cities that you have to manage. I have been sticking mainly with the Tiny or Small. My bigest beef with them was being forced into a bad location for a city or having less choice in placing the city.

My present game is a huge map (other factors are random) and I had a blast through the whole expansion phase. I was able to follow rivers in placement of cities. I could ignore vast expanses of desert and jungle. I could them go back to the jungle when I had a big enough force of workers to make good of it. The opposing civs seemed to follow similar logic as well. It just seemed more realistic. The other bonus is that there are 15 other civs to interact with. I have also noticed that as I have expended on my continent through conquests that Tech Research has gone extremely fast.

I think I will stick with these larger maps!

 

[El Justo]

all great points indeed.

however, i tend to stear clear of really large maps for scenarios b/c of the attrocious load times that accompany these big maps.

i mean, it's certainly up to the individual but i can tell you that long load times (in scenarios or moder-age epic games) are the pits.

i've been experimenting w/ a 132x130 world map for a scenario (31 civs and several pre-placed units) i'm about to release and i can tell you that the difference between the small and large maps (for load times) is substantial. as a matter of fact, the load times for the smaller map is unbelievably fast. 150 turns or so into play-testing and i've waited no longer than 60 seconds/turn.

 

[SobærVireal]

I usually play with medium to large maps. I have to agree with everything in the first post. I mean, really, the game is 70% based on location. Of course, some can make a lot out of nothing, but it's generally easier expanding in a larger map. Plus, longer games.

 

[MSTK]

The only reason I choose Huge maps is for the diplomacy.

I'm never playing anything less than Large again

 

[Volstag]

I like large/huge maps primarily because I can "fit" more enemy civs onto 'em. The more the merrier, I say. I love the huge tangled webs of diplomacy that can arise. I also enjoy the fact that huge empires can grow far beyond my reach -- or that it's possible to have enemy civs hidden from you for long periods of the game.

On small(er) maps, I generally find it's easier to make contacts and smack your enemies around -- and it's harder for AI civs to grow to biblical proportions.

-V

 

[B-52]

I prefer larger maps simply because the game is longer and more involving when they are used, and the loading really isn't too bad on newer PCs. It's barely noticeable on mine.

 

[Dell19]

I tend to go for standard maps as I would rather play a shorter game.

 

[citizen001]

I also tend to go for shorter games on standard maps with the benefit of no loading time even on a slow computer.

 

[Tomoyo]

Large maps take too much time to slog through in the Industrial Ages...

 

[IbnSina]

Large maps are required in order to -get- to the industrial age

 

[Tomoyo]

That' true.

 

[xane]

I like playing on large/huge maps and getting a relatively isolated part with few neighbours, one day I think I can play a game without a shot being fired on my part.

 

[DS_Legionary]

I usually play on Standard maps, but today I decided to start on a Large map. So far I gotta say it's been pretty fun. Thanks to an extremely awesome start (although the closest luxury was pretty far off, but i did get it), I have the largest empire, but I am nowhere near done expanding or exploring yet, and it's already 1250 B.C. Usually by then I'm done expanding, and looking towards my next move. The tech pace has actually gone fairly slow this game (the AI was slow in making contacts). But I expect that to speed up after I send out my suicide galleys to find the other continent.

One thing I have noticed is that there seems to be more resources on this level than others. I have three horses and iron right in my own territory, the other AI's seem to have at least one of each, probably two. Oh wee, they shall son be mine anyways (nothing can stop Immortals )

 

[mortalmadman]

I LOVE HUGE!!!

To me, huge is better cause,

1)Much greater chalange
2)Better, cooler, more realalistic world
3)More diverse world, with many super powers, including super weak
4)Diplomacy
5)MANY more I can't think of off the top of my head.

I also ussaly play contenante maps. The ussaly only time I play small is when I'm trying to shich from level to level. It seems a lot easyer on smaller maps.

 

[btaft]

I am about 2/3 the way through my first huge map and it has been alot of fun. I am one tech away from the Modern Age and it just turned 1800! I also occupy my entire continent which acounts for about 50% of the map.

The other 8 Civs are fighting it out for the other one. At one point I had 7 Civs at war with me while I was trying to finish off the French to claim my continent. Thankfully 6 were on the other continent and didn't have a reasonable means of making an impact.

One nice thing about the huge map, is that even though it is just about the modern age, there is still plenty for the workers to do. It was just recently that I connected all cities with railroads.

The time between turns is a little long (i.e. not instantaneous) even on my 3 GHz machine but I feel the trade off is worth it

 

[Dark Russell]

I am about 2/3 the way through my first huge map and it has been alot of fun. I am one tech away from the Modern Age and it just turned 1800! I also occupy my entire continent which acounts for about 50% of the map.

The other 8 Civs are fighting it out for the other one. At one point I had 7 Civs at war with me while I was trying to finish off the French to claim my continent. Thankfully 6 were on the other continent and didn't have a reasonable means of making an impact.

The mod I play has a map size of 220x220 and 24 civ's at start. I play on Monarch setting (modified) and I give the AI 4 extra settlers at the start (among other things). This makes dipomacy very important in the early game, but later in the game, things like this can end up happening: (btw, they all declaired war on me within 10 turns)

 

[user37852]

That made me laugh Dark Russell

 

[btaft]

"The mod I play has a map size of 220x220 and 24 civ's at start. I play on Monarch setting (modified) and I give the AI 4 extra settlers at the start (among other things). This makes dipomacy very important in the early game, but later in the game, things like this can end up happening: (btw, they all declaired war on me within 10 turns)"

Ouch! It looks like you have alot of border to cover as well. I was fortunate to have a relatively narrow border with just France and the remainder were on the other continent. I didn't even bother having any units in cities other than the ones that bordered France because I had all the cities networked with rails. I figured if they managed to send any units over via the sea that I could merely send a cavalry army to dispatch them.

 

[Dark Russell]

At this point in the game, the only thing that was keeping me alive was a huge stack of 60 arty. Whenever a massive stack (like around 80 or so) of enemy MG battalions and Infantry crossed my boarders I would hit them with the arty then hit the remaining unwounded ones with my Landships (11.6.1). I was able to hold them all off quite well. It also helped that most of them were fighting each other previously so thier armies were small when they attacked me.

 

[rajwhitehall]

I LOVE HUGE!!!
To me, huge is better cause,

1)Much greater chalange
2)Better, cooler, more realalistic world
3)More diverse world, with many super powers, including super weak
4)Diplomacy
5)MANY more I can't think of off the top of my head.

Agree completely! Huge maps result in a more realistic game. Really, could a pre-industrical civilization have ever conquered the entire world? If it can be done before aircraft are invented, then it's too early! They take a long time but if you like to really immerse yourself in a single game for weeks then huge with max civs is the way to go. Each game is an epic.