Barathor
Emperor
- Joined
- May 7, 2011
- Messages
- 1,202
I'm working on a map script and wanted to get a sample of some users' opinions regarding this change before fully implementing it.
Currently, in the default game, an adjustment function is ran during map creation which changes riverside snow to tundra and riverside tundra to plains (for more fertility around rivers).
In my script, one small modification I made was turning tundra into grassland, instead of plains, for 2 food tiles around rivers (similar to 2 food flood plain tiles around riverside desert) so river areas are more habitable for fledgling cities, and because there's enough production within the tundra in the form of not only hills, but forests too. Also, for more context around this modification, I've also disabled the snow terrain, and ice generates much less and never comes near land. (I also have a check which makes sure at least all northern/southern coastlines within a certain latitude are tundra, for aesthetic reasons. It just looks nicer when ice is a few tiles across the sea.)
Though, upon reevaluating things, I decided that I want to try and have a feature effect similar to riverside deserts instead of converting terrain types, because I don't want to deplete the total amount of tundra on maps. Also, it may simply look nicer since converting tiles to other terrains can leave things looking odd at times.
In statistical printouts, my tundra totals can become a little bit lower than I want them to be, and these conversions play a part in that decline (along with land formations and latitudinal changes via shifting). I rather not increase the tundra band and further lessen the area between it and the desert/plains band. I like adequate representation of both tundra and desert on maps. Desert doesn't have much of a problem since it remains desert when the flood plains feature is placed on it.
I also would like Dance of the Aurora to work on these attractive riverside tundra tiles, much like Desert Folklore works with flood plains.
- - - - - - - - - -
I backed-up the script and did a small bit of tinkering and now have flood plains correctly spawning on riverside tundra. I also edited AssignStartingPlots.lua to prevent wheat from spawning on flood plains when it's tundra, while also preventing citrus and sugar from spawning there (they remain on desert ones though). I kept incense and cotton, since I believe they can be found in northern climates (also, personally, I like to think of tundra in this game as taiga instead; especially with forests all around.).
I then thought of separating the two types of flood plains and instead calling the colder ones "mires". Though, that would require further modifications to the lua file and I favor keeping things simpler when possible. Plus, I foresee other balance issues requiring heavy modding that I won't get into here.
Finally, though, I think I'm set on simply changing the name of flood plains and calling both tundra/desert versions "wetlands" instead. I want to know others' thoughts.
- - - - - - - - - -
Questions:
This script modifies/tweaks many things that are involved in creating maps and all the the things initially placed on them to setup a game. With this in mind, if you were maybe interested in this mod, would you like this change to be included in it?
Would "Wetland" be an acceptable generic title for both of these?
Also, should I enable wheat again along these colder rivers? (Trying to avoid that "tundra" word, haha). Like other things, it doesn't necessarily have to represent only wheat, but instead, all grains. For example, Rye is a hardy plant in cold regions.
If not wheat, what about having some cattle along these colder rivers? The amount of bonus resources are limited, and I rather diversify things and not throw even more deer there.
Any thoughts on leaving incense and cotton along these rivers and introducing them to the cooler regions of the map? They would be alongside gold, silver, gems, copper, marble, fur, salt, dye... plus whales and crabs in the water. For example, desert gets incense and cotton alongside gold, silver, gems, copper, marble, salt, sugar, citrus... plus whales and pearls in the water nearby.
I did a bit of googling and wikipedia digging to get some information for all these things (like types of wetlands... how mires are one of the four types... how bogs and fens are the two types of mires... their differences... lol), but I'm curious what others more knowledgeable may think.
Default:
click to enlarge

Modified:
click to enlarge

EDIT: Perhaps I should've chosen a different "Default" comparison screenshot as the American-style autumn forests really complements the warmer look of the tundra plains, haha... oh well.
Currently, in the default game, an adjustment function is ran during map creation which changes riverside snow to tundra and riverside tundra to plains (for more fertility around rivers).
In my script, one small modification I made was turning tundra into grassland, instead of plains, for 2 food tiles around rivers (similar to 2 food flood plain tiles around riverside desert) so river areas are more habitable for fledgling cities, and because there's enough production within the tundra in the form of not only hills, but forests too. Also, for more context around this modification, I've also disabled the snow terrain, and ice generates much less and never comes near land. (I also have a check which makes sure at least all northern/southern coastlines within a certain latitude are tundra, for aesthetic reasons. It just looks nicer when ice is a few tiles across the sea.)
Though, upon reevaluating things, I decided that I want to try and have a feature effect similar to riverside deserts instead of converting terrain types, because I don't want to deplete the total amount of tundra on maps. Also, it may simply look nicer since converting tiles to other terrains can leave things looking odd at times.
In statistical printouts, my tundra totals can become a little bit lower than I want them to be, and these conversions play a part in that decline (along with land formations and latitudinal changes via shifting). I rather not increase the tundra band and further lessen the area between it and the desert/plains band. I like adequate representation of both tundra and desert on maps. Desert doesn't have much of a problem since it remains desert when the flood plains feature is placed on it.
I also would like Dance of the Aurora to work on these attractive riverside tundra tiles, much like Desert Folklore works with flood plains.
- - - - - - - - - -
I backed-up the script and did a small bit of tinkering and now have flood plains correctly spawning on riverside tundra. I also edited AssignStartingPlots.lua to prevent wheat from spawning on flood plains when it's tundra, while also preventing citrus and sugar from spawning there (they remain on desert ones though). I kept incense and cotton, since I believe they can be found in northern climates (also, personally, I like to think of tundra in this game as taiga instead; especially with forests all around.).
I then thought of separating the two types of flood plains and instead calling the colder ones "mires". Though, that would require further modifications to the lua file and I favor keeping things simpler when possible. Plus, I foresee other balance issues requiring heavy modding that I won't get into here.
Finally, though, I think I'm set on simply changing the name of flood plains and calling both tundra/desert versions "wetlands" instead. I want to know others' thoughts.
- - - - - - - - - -
Questions:
This script modifies/tweaks many things that are involved in creating maps and all the the things initially placed on them to setup a game. With this in mind, if you were maybe interested in this mod, would you like this change to be included in it?
Would "Wetland" be an acceptable generic title for both of these?
Also, should I enable wheat again along these colder rivers? (Trying to avoid that "tundra" word, haha). Like other things, it doesn't necessarily have to represent only wheat, but instead, all grains. For example, Rye is a hardy plant in cold regions.
If not wheat, what about having some cattle along these colder rivers? The amount of bonus resources are limited, and I rather diversify things and not throw even more deer there.
Any thoughts on leaving incense and cotton along these rivers and introducing them to the cooler regions of the map? They would be alongside gold, silver, gems, copper, marble, fur, salt, dye... plus whales and crabs in the water. For example, desert gets incense and cotton alongside gold, silver, gems, copper, marble, salt, sugar, citrus... plus whales and pearls in the water nearby.
I did a bit of googling and wikipedia digging to get some information for all these things (like types of wetlands... how mires are one of the four types... how bogs and fens are the two types of mires... their differences... lol), but I'm curious what others more knowledgeable may think.
Default:
click to enlarge

Modified:
click to enlarge

EDIT: Perhaps I should've chosen a different "Default" comparison screenshot as the American-style autumn forests really complements the warmer look of the tundra plains, haha... oh well.