Idea: Limited Random Starts On Pre-Made Map

[OzzyKP]

So, I like pre-made maps, but they take away some of the mystery and randomness of the game. Is it possible to specify locations where civs should start but randomize which civs start at each?

Also, I, and others, like my FfH2 map, but it is difficult to run on everyone's computer since it is so large. So I'd like to make a smaller version of it, but then I'd have to make tough choices about which civs to remove from the game and which to keep. What I'd like to do though is have a few civs be placed manually on the map like usual, and then a few stating locations be open to a list of 3 or 4 possible civs that can be randomly placed there.

So I could ensure that the elves always start in the same forest spot, the Hippus always in a great plain, and Lanun in the same island spot, but yet be able to create spots where the Clan/Sheim/Balseraphs could start, or where Sidar/Grigori/Amurites could start.

The idea is to keep alignment balanced over the map, and the starts will still be balanced so I don't want complete random placement, but a bit of variety so you can have a different game each time, use all the civs, and still play a smaller map.

Anyone know how to do this?

 

[xienwolf]

I would say that you should aim for a mapscript which will use "flavored Starting potisions." As long as you build the mapscript to create at least 1 great forest and create at least 1 great plains, and start elves in a great forest area, and Hippus in a great plains area...

It would probably be a little bit tricky to fine-tune everything, but you can force the map to make certain of a few small things to start with, then slowly add in more and more until you reach a point where it is able to accomplish all of what you want, but still able to make the map different each time.

 

[OzzyKP]

Eh, I thought there were already flavored map scripts like that. I don't want it to be that random.

 

[xienwolf]

Not sure if there are any flavored scripts that attempt to go so far as to custom design ideal spots for each Civ. And I would assume that if you programmed in enough forced "chunks" of map it would eventually quit being all that random and be more like grabbing a pre-made map, cutting it into a couple chunks and shuffling it.

But I guess you would easily lose control of spreading out the alignments.

 

[Nikis-Knight]

So, I like pre-made maps, but they take away some of the mystery and randomness of the game. Is it possible to specify locations where civs should start but randomize which civs start at each?

I imagine you play around with this line in the Player section of the map save:

RandomStartLocation=false

I assume that if you change only some of them to true, than those will be randomly placed among the start locations for those civs.
I think it'd be interesting, but don't know how exactly, to set up more start locations than there are players, or else groups of players for groups of starting locations (i.e., a forest with two locations for the elven leaders, plus some plains for 3 other civs but not elves, etc.)
But it's a start.