Concerns about continents

[Thorburne]

To start, I do like that continents are given names. The thing that worries me is the separation of continents and landmasses by definition. Don't get me wrong, I understand the distinction, and it makes sense... Especially for Pangaea maps. But my concern is regarding how the continents are divided. I know that they said "2 civs per continent" as a general rule. I just hope that smaller landmasses will be counted as one continent and maybe island groups will be counted together. I also hope that when the larger landmasses are divided, that the boundaries make sense... Mountain ranges, large lakes, rivers, etc. I'm my view, there shouldn't be any landmasses that have just a small corner divided into another continent (unless, maybe, it has a smaller landmass or islands nearby included with it.

In summary, I am a man of order and having a landmass where the continent runs through a desert with no real distinction off separation, it would drive my OCD crazy...

Any thoughts?

Sent from my LG-H345 using Tapatalk

 

[CaiusDrewart]

Yes. I think with some ingenuity it should be perfectly possible to develop mapscripts that have geographically plausible continent boundaries. Mountain ranges, deserts, rivers, and isthmuses could all serve to separate one continent from another.

If continents are going to be totally arbitrary, with no reflection whatsoever in the map's features, then I don't think UAs and UUs should depend so heavily on them.

 

[gfeier]

I like to play on the largest available maps with at least a dozen civs. Something I heard Ed say led me to believe that they were backing off that two civs per continent, but I can't remember where. I certainly hope so. Two civs per continent would really nerf America and give a huge boost to civs that get bonuses off their home continent.

 

[Thorburne]

I like to play on the largest available maps with at least a dozen civs. Something I heard Ed say led me to believe that they were backing off that two civs per continent, but I can't remember where. I certainly hope so. Two civs per continent would really nerf America and give a huge boost to civs that get bonuses off their home continent.

I am guessing that rule would be standard map size.

Sent from my LG-H345 using Tapatalk

 

[KrikkitTwo]

I like to play on the largest available maps with at least a dozen civs. Something I heard Ed say led me to believe that they were backing off that two civs per continent, but I can't remember where. I certainly hope so. Two civs per continent would really nerf America and give a huge boost to civs that get bonuses off their home continent.

Yes... but
1. home continent bonuses apply earlier (the area right around your capital) and have a 'snowball effect'
2. not every UA/UU/UI is balanced...instead civs themselves are balanced.

So France's Imperial Guard home bonus is probably worse than the Redcoats foreign bonus... but Medici+France's Other bonuses should be better than Vicky+England's other bonuses.

.... I'm definitely worried about "arbitrary"..ie not evident from terrain, continent borders as well.
That however is something they can fix in map generation.

 

[JimmyBanks]

The current continents seem rather small, when it comes to a World map they will seem huge in comparison I think (assuming they have the continents the same as in RL)

 

[Thorburne]

I am also assuming that in the map editor, you will be able to "draw" the continents (and give them names). At least, I hope so.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

The current continents seem rather small, when it comes to a World map they will seem huge in comparison I think (assuming they have the continents the same as in RL)

Exactly... a World map would have 6 continents.. enough for 12 players... ie the normal on a large map
(Antarctica wouldn't count... and it might be 7 or 8 if you split up Asia, by peeling off India / China / Middle East / Siberia in some combo)

 

[JimmyBanks]

Exactly... a World map would have 6 continents.. enough for 12 players... ie the normal on a large map
(Antarctica wouldn't count... and it might be 7 or 8 if you split up Asia, by peeling off India / China / Middle East / Siberia in some combo)

Yes, It would be nicer if the continent size increased with each map size and the number of Civs per continent would also increase - it seems like common sense but it doesn't sound like that's what they've gone for...

 

[Thorburne]

Yes, It would be nicer if the continent size increased with each map size and the number of Civs per continent would also increase - it seems like common sense but it doesn't sound like that's what they've gone for...

I would imagine that would be the case. Also, It could also depend on how many civilizations are in the map. If you leave it to the default for the map size, it will probably go with the default civs per continent for that size. However, if you increase or decrease the number of civilizations in the game, I would imagine that it would adjust accordingly.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Yes, It would be nicer if the continent size increased with each map size and the number of Civs per continent would also increase - it seems like common sense but it doesn't sound like that's what they've gone for...

I'd tend to disagree, more in that a number of continents that 'seems right' should increase as the number of players do
(more player diversity should go along with more continent diversity)

I might have it not be a strict ratio though....
so
duel game 2 players=2 continents
4 players..3 continents
6..4
8..4
10..5
12..6
16..7

 

[JimmyBanks]

But say I'm playing a world map on huge (or whatever they call the largest map this time around) I still want only 6 continents, but more civs on average per continent.

 

[Thorburne]

I'd tend to disagree, more in that a number of continents that 'seems right' should increase as the number of players do
(more player diversity should go along with more continent diversity)

I might have it not be a strict ratio though....
so
duel game 2 players=2 continents
4 players..3 continents
6..4
8..5
10..6
12..7
16..8

But say I'm playing a world map on huge (or whatever they call the largest map this time around) I still want only 6 continents, but more civs on average per continent.

I have to side with Jimmy on this one. The map size should determine the number of civs per continent. I think 6 max would be ideal. If more than 12 civs, they should be split among the existing 6 continents which should be large enough to support them anyway.

 

[Zaarin]

Yeah, when they said they were dividing up pangaea maps into smaller continents, I approved: that makes sense. When they said they were dividing up even continent maps into smaller continents...While there's geological precedent (India is its own geological continent, Eurasia is essentially a single landmass divided into smaller continents, North America is made up of several plates, etc.) I'm not sure a literal hard-and-fast rule of "two continents per civ" makes sense.

And what do you do with the real world map? Traditional continent divisions? Divide the world up literally according to plate theory? (Oh, look, the Northwest coast is its own continent, except for Alaska which is yet another continent! But Kamchatka is part of North America!)

 

[Hajee]

I tend to agree with you. But we can assume they are working on the scripts still

But the continents are so unnatural. I saw one video and the guy play Brazil found 1st city got the boost of discover a new continent on turn one.

As some said I hope the continents have a min tiles factor in the script and is based upon natural features like mountain ranges and rivers

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Yeah, when they said they were dividing up pangaea maps into smaller continents, I approved: that makes sense. When they said they were dividing up even continent maps into smaller continents...While there's geological precedent (India is its own geological continent, Eurasia is essentially a single landmass divided into smaller continents, North America is made up of several plates, etc.) I'm not sure a literal hard-and-fast rule of "two continents per civ" makes sense.

And what do you do with the real world map? Traditional continent divisions? Divide the world up literally according to plate theory? (Oh, look, the Northwest coast is its own continent, except for Alaska which is yet another continent! But Kamchatka is part of North America!)

Traditional continent divisions give 6 enough for a very large map...you could easily get 8 for a huge map by splitting Asia up along reasonable lines
(Wheras by landmass there are 3 continents and some islands)

 

[Thorburne]

Traditional continent divisions give 6 enough for a very large map...you could easily get 8 for a huge map by splitting Asia up along reasonable lines
(Wheras by landmass there are 3 continents and some islands)

True... you could go up to eight... but any more than that would be overkill, IMO. With the continents featuring into the gameplay mechanics, it could get too confusing. Landmasses should be divided if they are huge, as long as there are some landmasses that are smaller and can count as one continent.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

True... you could go up to eight... but any more than that would be overkill, IMO. With the continents featuring into the gameplay mechanics, it could get too confusing. Landmasses should be divided if they are huge, as long as there are some landmasses that are smaller and can count as one continent.

Well I think # of continents will be set by the map size rather than the actual number of civs. (So if I play a huge map but delete all but two players, I don't think it will reduce to 1 continent, the huge map will probably still have its 8 continents.

 

[Liex]

I just hope you can define and randomize the numbers of continents and landmasses. That wasn't a option in Civ5, so every map usually had the exact same structure.

 

[Thorburne]

I just hope you can define and randomize the numbers of continents and landmasses. That wasn't a option in Civ5, so every map usually had the exact same structure.

That is a VERY good point. An option for this in map setup would be most excellent.

Sent from my LG-H345 using Tapatalk