HoF Map Finder/Generator Utility 2016-10-05

[gmaharriet]

Yes, you DO want it checked, and after the 1st map is generated it should go very fast...like 50 saves in 10 minutes or less.

When you manually bring up your first map, using New Game, be sure you click on that notice that says something about "Your people used to be nomads, etc."....THEN start the Map Generator. For the longest time I didn't do that, and it would take me through all the world settings, etc., so turn it off...just as though you were going to play that first map. Then click Start MapFinder.

 

[CommandoBob]

In the upcoming CBob04: Nuking with the Stars (name subject to change, but that one seems really catchy!), I would like to use MapFinder to generate a starting map.

I've read bits and portions of this thread and see that some steps have changed over time and versions.

So I would like to ask two things:

One: What are the steps I need to take to run MapFinder without issues the first time? I see parts of hints of what to do in various posts, but not all combined into one place. Just assume I don't know what I'm doing.

Note: I'm a geek, too, but in Java and Natural (a mainframe language), not in C++. So, yaknow, don't be afraid to be technical and detailed. And yes, I could be looking for complexity that doesn't exisit. You've seen people like me that think, 'That's too easy!' But I have download the current version and extracted it, tried to run it by double clicking on the .exe and promptly got an error message that I have since forgot; something about having the game running first.

Two: My home PC is a hand-me-down Celeron 500MHz, 256 RAM and Win982E. (I work for the state of Texas and my salary is the size of Rhode Island! ) What timing settings would you recommend?

Note: I normally run C3C, Paint, Notepad and MapStat at one time and have no gameplay issues. C3C and CA2 is a no-no, but other wise I don't have problems with the game freezing up or the programs colliding.

 

[gmaharriet]

But I have download the current version and extracted it, tried to run it by double clicking on the .exe and promptly got an error message that I have since forgot; something about having the game running first.

@CBob - I'll give this a try, but I'll have to do it in installments, taking screenies as I go. It sounds like you have it properly installed so far. That error message is actually a good thing. It's just telling you that you need to fire up Civ for the MapFinder utility to work properly. You could 1) just click "ok" and then start Civ, or 2) you could start Civ and then start MapFinder. In case #2, you wouldn't get the error message.

Step 1 - Be sure you have a folder created on your Windows hard drive to receive the files the program saves for you. This screenie is part of my Windows drive C directory. The "Civ3Map" contains all the maps I've generated over the past 2 years by difficulty level, etc., BUT the one simply called "Maps" (the second red arrow) is where the utility sends the new maps I'm currently generating. Don't get it mixed up with either the MapFinder program file or with your Civ program file.

Spoiler :

Step 2 - Set up the MapFinder General tab. This screenie shows the setting I used on my older, slower computer for times. It shows the game directory where autosaves store, has "Quick Game Start?" checked, and shows the file path to where I want new maps sent.

Spoiler :

Step 3 - Set up your Ruleset(s). My screenie shows a detailed list of what I do (and don't) want in the maps I was looking for. These can be changed at will, and you can have more than one ruleset. Just bear in mind that, if you made a ruleset that only had "And", "Rivers", ">", "1", you could wind up saving hundreds of maps that met the single criteria of having a river. The more detail in your ruleset, the fewer maps you'll get, but it's more likely they'll be what you want to play on.

BTW, this is an older screenie. These days I'm more likely to use "And marsh = 0", rather than marsh being < 1.

Spoiler :

Step 4 - Start Civ running. Go to "New Game" and do the usual setting for world size and type, weather, barbs, civ to be played, opponents, etc. NOTE: These settings will stay the same for each map generated until you stop the utility and change them.

After the first map is generated, get rid of the paragraph about how your people used to be nomads, etc, use your "Windows key" to get to your desktop icon for MapFinder and fire it up.

Click on MapFinder's "Start" button. It will begin generating maps, saving only those which meet your Ruleset criteria. It will periodically shut down, going to your desktop, then start itself again. How often this happens depends on what number you set in the General Tab to "restart after every xxx iterations", and it's meant to prevent your computer from freezing up due to too many restarts. NOTE: You can leave it running by itself all night or while you're at work all day.

Spoiler :

When you have as many maps to look at as you wish, press the "Stop" button. The program will automatically generate a report in which you can view a screenie of each saved map. Any of these maps can be deleted from within the utility by right-clicking on it from the listing page.

Spoiler :

Step 5 - After going through the Map Report and deleting those you're sure you do NOT want, you can close down MapFinder. You'll find all of the .sav, .jpg and .set files in your Windows Directory where you put your "Maps" folder. You can view the maps by double-clicking on the .jpg file. You can get more info about each .sav file by opening it with CA2. I usually just delete all the .set files...I must have at least 20,000 maps filed by difficulty and several other filters, so I'm unlikely to use the MapReport again for viewing them, but the .set files are what makes the MapReport work.

Any of the .sav files can be copied or moved to your Civ3 Program Saves area to be played. Both the .sav and .jpg files can be uploaded to this forum for your SG.

If you have many saved files (as I do), you may want to develop a naming/filing system for locating them later by difficulty, by civ, by map type, or whatever. You can see a tiny sample of mine in the first pic, but you're likely to want to develop your own.

If the above instructions aren't clear, I'd be happy to go into more specific detail (if, in fact, I know the answer myself). Good luck, CBob!!!

 

[CommandoBob]

@gmaharriet - Thank you so much for taking the time to create such a detailed post. It is exactly the kind of help I needed. With so much detail, I strongly suggest using that post as a new thread on how to set up and use MapFinder.



One question, on Step 2. I just double clicked on the .exe itself, but I never saw the tabs that you show. Did I miss the install program when I unzipped the download?

 

[gmaharriet]

@gmaharriet - Thank you so much for taking the time to create such a detailed post. It is exactly the kind of help I needed. With so much detail, I strongly suggest using that post as a new thread on how to set up and use MapFinder.

I wouldn't mind doing that, but the program was written by Moonsinger and this is her thread and the download is here. I'm not sure how to handle that (or if she'd mind).

I really love this utility and have gotten soooo much use out of it. I have no idea how it was programmed, but as a user I've spent a lot of time working with it. Thank you, Moonsinger, wherever you are!

One question, on Step 2. I just double clicked on the .exe itself, but I never saw the tabs that you show. Did I miss the install program when I unzipped the download?

Ahhhh, I missed pointing that out, but no, you don't have anything missing. This first pic from Step 4 shows the MapFinder program as it looks when it first comes up. In the upper left-hand corner of the grey program-box is a small menu called "File" (above the Start button and with no other choices). If you click on that, it will give you the option for "Setup". Click that for the "General" and "Ruleset" tabs.

Spoiler :

 

[ThinkTank]

@gmaharriet - Thank you so much for taking the time to create such a detailed post. It is exactly the kind of help I needed. With so much detail, I strongly suggest using that post as a new thread on how to set up and use MapFinder.

Seconded. I fiddled with mapfinder a couple of times but couldn't get it to work and did not feel like reading 40 pages of this thread to find out. The short guide by gmaharriet just made it happen in one go. Thanks gmaharriet!

 

[AutomatedTeller]

Can anyone explain why I'm getting this:?

I'ts a long time since this was asked, but I just found it.

I ran into this problem when I didnt' have autosave set in my Civ III.

 

[Bucephalus]

Bless you, Gma! I've been struggling with this for ages.

A quick query: whenever I've left the program running, the total # of maps accepted/ maps rejected doesn't tally with the # of maps generated - any idea why?

 

[gmaharriet]

A quick query: whenever I've left the program running, the total # of maps accepted/ maps rejected doesn't tally with the # of maps generated - any idea why?

I used to have that problem, though I'm not certain mine was the same as yours. I'd have exactly double the number generated as the total of accepted/rejected ones. It took me over a year before I discovered the cause.

When you first begin and start with "new game", then make your settings for world type and civ/opponent choices, and then bring up a new game, the first thing you'll see is that box which says (paraphrased) "Your people used to be nomads blah, blah..." If you start Mapfinder generating maps BEFORE closing that box, it will take you through all the windows for selecting your world, etc., each time you generate a map...and the number will register double. If you close that box first and THEN start mapfinder, the count should be one map generated which is counted as either accepted or rejected, because it then automatically switches to "Quick Start".

P.S. Then the program also runs about 3 or 4 times faster too. I wish I'd figured this out sooner.

 

[Ronnie1]

Please excuse me for not wanting to dig through 969 posts! Where can I download the latest version of Map Finder?

 

[denyd]

You'll find a link to it in post # 2 of this thread

 

[Ronnie1]

Thank You!

 

[vmxa]

I decide to give this a shot to see how it works, but it seems to sit after few maps are generated, saying waiting for civ to start. I see nothing waiting for a response, it is the settler waiting for orders.

Setup:
9000 loading
9000 saving
400 keystrokes
4000 dialogs

Stop after 250
50 iterations
Restart 15000
Compression 70

I also noticed that it start a 0 iterations and then jumps to what ever the last count was, not sure where it keeps that and why it is not reset.

Any ideas on what I need here. 3gh XP with 1.5GB.

 

[Tzar Sasha]

I decide to give this a shot to see how it works, but it seems to sit after few maps are generated, saying waiting for civ to start. I see nothing waiting for a response, it is the settler waiting for orders.

Setup:
9000 loading
9000 saving
400 keystrokes
4000 dialogs

Stop after 250
50 iterations
Restart 15000
Compression 70

I also noticed that it start a 0 iterations and then jumps to what ever the last count was, not sure where it keeps that and why it is not reset.

Any ideas on what I need here. 3gh XP with 1.5GB.

It's been awhile since I have used it, but I think I can help you out.

1) For your first problem with it just stopping and waiting...
All versions of CivIII are known for having a slight memory leak. When you keep starting a new map over and over without exiting and restarting the CivIII program things will lock up. So to solve this, the mapfinder program was given the ability to close and restart CivIII to prevent the lock up from happening. Unfortunately every computer setup is different and so a set number of map starts could not be used. You will need to do some trial and error with the Restart setting. Your current setting of 15000 is too much. I remember having mine set at about 30 or 50 (Win 98se, 512mb ram, 800mhz cpu). Which means that when I ran the program CivIII would be closed and restarted after 30 or 50 maps had been started and examined.

2) The iteration starts at 0, yes. It does not reset, because in theory no two map starts are identical. Mapfinder can run indefinitely so the numbers just keep going up. There was a way to reset the number, but I don't remember exactly how to go about doing it. It may have had something to do with editing and ini file...

Hope this helps you out some....

 

[gmaharriet]

You will need to do some trial and error with the Restart setting. Your current setting of 15000 is too much. I remember having mine set at about 30 or 50 (Win 98se, 512mb ram, 800mhz cpu). Which means that when I ran the program CivIII would be closed and restarted after 30 or 50 maps had been started and examined.

I use:
5000
5000
200
1000

500
50
10000
70

That 15000 setting should be just fine. It's the number 50 above it that Moonsinger was concerned about. I believe she was running a 3.4ghz machine and I run a 2.9gz. Hers was extremely state-of-the-art at that time, and she recommended that anyone running a unit with a slower CPU use about 25, rather than 50, interations before the program closes and restarts. I used 25 with my 1ghz machine.

I've never had any problems with running it.

 

[vmxa]

Still fiddling around with the setting to see if I can get ti to work. I found the Limits I was interested in, so don't really need to run it, but I hate to give up, so I will stick at it.

 

[vmxa]

I now have MF running, but not saving any maps. The OR function, I thought would be true and cause a save, but it does not. Still fooling around.

 

[gmaharriet]

I now have MF running, but not saving any maps. The OR function, I thought would be true and cause a save, but it does not. Still fooling around.

I'll attach a screenie of what my ruleset looks like. It doesn't currently use any "OR" functions, but I have done so previously. OR is true, but you need two or more. For instance, if you want only ivory or silks, but no other lux, you cannot set it for "AND lux > 0", which would give you a map with any lux. You would have to set it to:

OR ivory > 0
OR silks > 0

Another difficulty can be setting requirements too hard to locate. For example, looking for 12 river tiles on a 80% water archi map with only 2 coastal tiles...darned near impossible. An 80% archi map usually has tiny lakes and few rivers, whereas most maps might have 5 or more coast.

Here are my settings. Note that something like "AND jungle < 1" could just as easily be "AND jungle = 0". I'm too lazy to change it.

 

[vmxa]

Sorry I should have posted that I got it working, thanks for the input. I hope you had a great Mothers day. It looks like I had some logic that conflicted, but I have not tried to figure out which one. I just made some changes and got it going.

 

[Svar]

I had to buy Civilization III Complete in order to start playing Civ III again and HoF Map Finder wants to write to the Conquests.ini file. I can't find any Conquests.ini file but do have file called conquests Configuration Settings that may be the old ini file. I haven't played Civ III in a couple of years and may have lost my old discs so had to buy the latest version to start playing again. Any ideas on how to find the Conquests.ini file if it still exists. Civ III was installed on my old computer and that was cleaned when I gave it away after getting a new computer last year.