Custom Games with Static Map

[Leoreth]

As far as I understand, there are two distinct ways to start a Civ4 game, custom games and scenarios. Custom games (either the "play now" or "custom game" options in the main menu) allow you a wide array of choices, like map scripts, choosing your civ and leader, and several different game options. Custom games always seem to use map scripts that randomly generate the map based on some parameters.

On the other hand, starting a scenario is basically the same as loading a saved game. The map is static, and so is the selection of possible civs and game settings.

I was wondering if it is possible to have a static map behind the "custom game" option. For example, have an Earth map option that always uses an actual Earth map with let's say 18 player slots, but you still can select any of the existing 30+ civilisations and any possible leader for each civ, like you would from "play now".

Is that already possible and I have just never seen it implemented? If not, any ideas on workarounds for how to achieve something like that?

My first idea would be to have a map script that just reads from a scenario file instead of randomly generating terrain, but I have no experience with map scripts so no idea how feasible that would be.

 

[topsecret]

If you remove the civilization, team, and unit info from the scenario in the WorldBuilder file, you can actually do that on custom scenario. It will allow you to pick any civ. That is how the Europe scenario works on vanilla BtS. Also, if you remove the starting positions designated in the file, it will also give different starting positions.

 

[Leoreth]

Okay, interesting. I didn't remember the BtS Europe scenario, will give it a look to see if it has everything I need. Thanks!

Edit: yeah, that's exactly what I wanted. Great

 

[Imperator Knoedel]

You might also want to look into the EarthEvolution2 map script if you can find it, it seems to be exactly what you are looking for. It's a huge Earth map with predetermined "correct" starting positions for all Vanilla civs but you can set up how many and which civs spawn just like in any custom game. You can even set random versus preset features and resources.

For your convenience I attached my local copy but I can't remember if I ever changed anything about it. I had to add a .txt to its name because for whatever reason this forum doesn't allow attaching .py files, go figure.

 

[Leoreth]

Oh, that's an interesting approach. They're basically doing what I considered in my opening post: have a Python mapscript that reads a static map from WBSave. But they included the WBSave data in the Python file itself as a comment and as part of the map generation have the script read itself. Kind of unusual but really smart. It's definitely a good approach because it allows to do some nice extra stuff like custom option which is also something I want to get into. Thanks!

 

[Colon]

You might also want to look into the EarthEvolution2 map script if you can find it, it seems to be exactly what you are looking for. It's a huge Earth map with predetermined "correct" starting positions for all Vanilla civs but you can set up how many and which civs spawn just like in any custom game. You can even set random versus preset features and resources.

For your convenience I attached my local copy but I can't remember if I ever changed anything about it. I had to add a .txt to its name because for whatever reason this forum doesn't allow attaching .py files, go figure.

I'm just getting an all-grassland map when I try to play the script. (I also have climate and amp size options in the setup screen, which doesn't seem right). I did remove .txt from the file extension, but if I don't the script doesn't show up at all. Am I missing something?

[edit]Ah you have to put it in Program Files. This is what I've always wanted to play. Thanks.