Communitas map script

[albie_123]

One thing that I've tried before on large and especially huge maps is to add more AI players to the map. Try playing a huge map with 16 or 18 players instead of 12.

While that'd fix the trade problem, it'd also partly defeat the purpose of playing large and huge maps.

 

[stackpointer]

The problem is with the trade routes and how the distances don't change based on map size and the trade durations doesn't change based on game speed. I've tried looking in the main modding forums for some information on it but with no luck. It may be hard coded in the DLL.

 

[Dorevai]

While that'd fix the trade problem, it'd also partly defeat the purpose of playing large and huge maps.

I disagree that it defeats the purpose. Some empires should be torn apart in the length of play, and this encourages that. I play with 22 civs on huge. That's as many as it will let me. There is still too much dead space on the map. Only tundras and deserts should be light on civs. Sadly it's generally islands that are light on settlements and nothing else.

Another issue with large maps is religious spread. On a standard sized map religion blankets the world rapidly and forces like Arabia have absurd religious spread. On huge, it's pretty easy to trivialize other religions with appropriate missionary efforts.

 

[Thalassicus]

@black213
Luxuries appear the same as vanilla maps like Continents. I didn't modify the luxury placement algorithm.

 

[Thalassicus]

I just finished extensive improvements for the map. I also split it from the main project, so the map is now an independent mod I will release separately. I expect to have a download available tomorrow.

 

[Gothic_Empire]

I just finished extensive improvements for the map. I also split it from the main project, so the map is now an independent mod I will release separately. I expect to have a download available tomorrow.

You have never looked sexier to me than you do right now.

 

[black213]

@black213
Luxuries appear the same as vanilla maps like Continents. I didn't modify the luxury placement algorithm.

I realized that, but could you do anything about it?

 

[Thalassicus]

I'll see what I can do.


I figured out how rivers work, and got them looking nicer around lakes.

This is probably the best we can do with the limitations of the game art. There is no lake-to-river graphic, so I had to fake it through other methods, which looks good from a distance in most circumstances.

 

[Ahriman]

In my current game the lakes look quite pretty. There are an awful lot of 1 tile rivers and not many long ones, but I haven't seen the other continent yet and it's probably fine for this to happen sometimes anyway.

 

[Gothic_Empire]

If you're keen on doing more work on the map script, or on having other people fuss with it too, I'm hoping we can get a few more parameters to play with when generating the map. It'd be very cool if players in hot-seat / multiplayer could dictate aspects of a start bias (I.E., the guy playing Korea wants to be dropped next to a mountain range; Bouddica doesn't want to see anything even remotely close to a jungle) but I think this is probably not possible. But being able to control the size of the ocean, how much of a continent consists of mountains, desert, etc, would also be lovely.

This is a fantastic map script; easily the best one in BNW.

Why doesn't Firaxis pay you, Thal?

 

[Seek]

But being able to control the size of the ocean, how much of a continent consists of mountains, desert, etc, would also be lovely.

This is a fantastic map script; easily the best one in BNW.

Why doesn't Firaxis pay you, Thal?

+1 for all this, particularly the amount of mountains/hills (like the vanilla "world age" options). I'd love a setup option for a Pangaea-style megacontinent as well (right now there's only the Terra-type option of everyone starting on one normal sized continent).

Edit: River-lake connections look much better indeed; thanks Thal!

 

[mitsho]

The lake-river system above looks gorgeous! Three Natural Wonders up there on their own (though one is on the other side of the mountain range). Now if only there was a way to observe these 10-hexes long mountain ranges and put one (just one!) hill inbetween them...

One other thing I'd like is if there could be clear Northern or Southern Passages, so that there's continuous water around the globe. Often (very true for standard civ5 maps as well by the way) one side is blocked by land and in the communitas maps I've played so far, often both are? Any other experiences here?

As for options, having a pangaea one kinda defeats the point of having a Communitas map, no? It's based after all on Continents plus and supposed to give us a basis for comparison. Can't do that if we go back to the Archipelago-Continents-Pangaea option from before...

Personally, I'd like in this order:
- Sealevel (much land versus few land)
- Rainfall (how many forests/jungles)
- World Age (how many hills)

 

[Seek]

The lake-river system above looks gorgeous! Three Natural Wonders up there on their own (though one is on the other side of the mountain range). Now if only there was a way to observe these 10-hexes long mountain ranges and put one (just one!) hill inbetween them...

One other thing I'd like is if there could be clear Northern or Southern Passages, so that there's continuous water around the globe. Often (very true for standard civ5 maps as well by the way) one side is blocked by land and in the communitas maps I've played so far, often both are? Any other experiences here?

As for options, having a pangaea one kinda defeats the point of having a Communitas map, no? It's based after all on Continents plus and supposed to give us a basis for comparison. Can't do that if we go back to the Archipelago-Continents-Pangaea option from before...

Personally, I'd like in this order:
- Sealevel (much land versus few land)
- Rainfall (how many forests/jungles)
- World Age (how many hills)

I'd like those options too.

From my understanding the script is based on Perfect World 3 with elements of Continents+. I don't think I follow you; how would having a Pangaea option defeat the purpose of the script? The main draw for me is the terrain generation (which admittedly is already better in the vanilla Pangaea maps than Continents).

Regarding Passages, I like it random (which is what it is now, correct?) - it can be fun sometimes to be difficult to meet everyone on the other continent. I recall with great fondness a game on Tectonics where a mountain range split a continent in half and a previous war with Japan meant no OB from them - I didn't meet three of the other civs until I got subs to travel under the ice! This type of situation can shake up normal gameplay nicely, though I wouldn't want it every game.

 

[Thalassicus]

I've been thinking that too and looked at how map options work. I think controlling hills/water/forest with options should be easy.

Options to change how how continents form might be more difficult, but I don't know. I noticed continents sometimes run right up to the poles. It doesn't look good, but I don't know how to change that yet. I'm unfamiliar with the landmass-formation part of the code. I was getting rather burned out trying to learn how Civ 5 manages rivers (it's a HUGE pain and designed very badly)... so I will probably focus on easier stuff for a while. I think sea level, rainfall, and world age options should be simple. I'll probably look into it tomorrow.

After finishing all the changes to the map over the past few days, I played about 50 turns with the map standalone in the maps folder today. I then tested about 100 turns with the map & mod active together. I didn't notice any problems, so hopefully it will work.

 

[jacktannery]

I've just downloaded the latest version of the mod with the separate map. I installed the map as a mod, but couldn't find it in the menu, so I read the read-me:

1. Copy the Communitas.lua file from the mod folder to the location below.
\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\Maps\Communitas.lua

I did this exactly and restarted the game, but still the Communitas map does not show up in the available maps in advanced start when I begin a new game (either normally or with version 3.2 of the mod). What am I doing wrong?

 

[mitsho]

From my understanding the script is based on Perfect World 3 with elements of Continents+. I don't think I follow you; how would having a Pangaea option defeat the purpose of the script? The main draw for me is the terrain generation (which admittedly is already better in the vanilla Pangaea maps than Continents).

I seem to remember the original post mentioning that the map is supposed to equalize our playing experience so that it's easier for us to discuss balancing stuff. The mod already was balanced "the most" for Continents Plus, no?

Regarding Passages, I do see your point. I often play on smaller maps, may those be one reason for why there's less "ocean-all-around"? Kinda due to smaller 'margins of error'?

I was getting rather burned out trying to learn how Civ 5 manages rivers (it's a HUGE pain and designed very badly)... so I will probably focus on easier stuff for a while. I think sea level, rainfall, and world age options should be simple. I'll probably look into it tomorrow.

Just remember we are now talking not about the icing on the cake, but the cherry on top (or the other way around, whichever you prefer ). It's already a fantastic thing. If I understood you correctly, you want to look into the easier stuff tomorrow? That's probably the better thing. Some change is good and you've done lots with the map now.

EDIT: @jacktannery, You are right, there's an error in the lua file for me as well. There's a file and a runtime error, I'm not sure what that means or how to solve it right now...

EDIT2: You only should need to copy the map file to the maps folder if you want to play it in non-modded game. It should work as well if you activate the communitas map mod on its own. I looked into the modinfo-file and it seems it doesn't load the communitas.lua file (line 32 in .modinfo), but that doesn't solve the issue for me, I'm looking around a bit, but I really have no experience in modding...

 

[AndyWiltshireNZ]

Confirmed. The standalone map isn't listed at all. Any ideas how to make it work?

 

[Tomice]

Awesome screenshot! What a pity we can't embark units on rivers!

How much bigger are the "terra"-style maps? One size larger? What's if we select "huge"?

I'll see what I can do.

IF you find time and motivation to do so (improve the ressource distribution), please make sure there are some ressources only available on certain continents. That could really encourage post-astronomy settling waves.

 

[stackpointer]

It looks like the mapscript was truncated somewhere. 3.2 has only around 250 lines while 3.1 had about 5000 lines.

 

[Qwynn]

It looks like the mapscript was truncated somewhere. 3.2 has only around 250 lines while 3.1 had about 5000 lines.

Looks like it. Just finished my game and wanted to start a new one with this map script, but it seems something went wrong in the upload (or something like that).

Not listed anywhere, so assuming something didn't save right.