Ideas and brain storming for Europe map scenario

[Fullerene]

Finally got to download version 2.0 of the mod.

Before starting to build up Europe map scenario, it might be worth trying to define what kind of scenario I want to build.

Here are some decisions to be done:

Map size:
big map with more adventurous game play (viking boats traveling in russian rivers) and lot of room to build up empire
or
smaller map with more wars and action going on

Start:
Established start with many cities
or
slow start with just few small cities

Events:
Heavily scripted with historical accuracy
or
Just some random events
or
Maybe some kind of achievement system, where player can trigger events
for example: You manage to travel to Timbuktu, so you get some kind of "trade mission established event" or something...

There could be many kind of events, first coming to my mind are crusades and arab, viking and mongol invasion events. Then there could be more peaceful events like the above mentioned trade mission/exploring achievement. Maybe some kind of religious quests could happen in game too.

List of Civs:

• Anglo-saxons
• arabs/ayybid
• byzantines
• visigoth
• ostrogoth
• franks
• (kievan) rus
• normans
• norse(norwegian vikings)
• varangians(swedish vikings)
• danes/jutes
• mongols (maybe non playable? but is it fun?)
• turks
• and the barbarians

Did I forgot anything important? I know rus is currently in slavic barbarian civ, but that area of map is bit empty, so they could be cropped from slavic barbs.

I would like to hear ideas and opinions.

 

[drjest2000]

Maybe (only maybe) the Genoese Republic/Republic of Genoa (1005 - 1797), they had a substantial overseas empire with colonies and trading posts from the Atlantic coast of Africa to the shores of the Black Sea ( IMAGE LINK )

Their bubble was burst in the West by the rise of the French and Spanish during the Age of Discovery and in the East by the rise of the Ottomans.

But I am not sure how they came to be, I think they started out as Lombards or Burgundians (blind guessing).

EDIT: I am attaching the art files from the ColGOLD mod I'm doing in case you decide to use the Genoese. Admittedly, I based the flags/buttons on the designs after the Genoese came under the influence/control of the Medicis, otherwise it just looks like the flag of England (St George Cross)

 

[Kailric]

I'd like to have all those options but if I had to choose I'd say...

Large Map
Slow Start
Historical Events
with Random Events thrown in as well

We need to brain storm on some events. I get inspired while reading, so looks like I need to start reading again.

 

[Fullerene]

Here's the map I'm trying to use. I hate working with the WBS files they are very crash easy. I might try to parse the whole map with python and load it as map script.

Map size is 130x100. Original map was even bigger but my pc isn't too fast so I cropped it a bit. I think map is big enough anyway.Lot of room to settle.
Made russian rivers sailable. Might revert that change if it looks too silly, but I like the idea of vikings adventuring in the east.

I have idea for non christian nations (turks, arabs and mongols). These civs would be non-playable for human, and war and peace with them would be defined by historical events. For example arab and byzantines have war when they historically did. Might create some interesting game play.

I think Genoa could make it in the scenario. They may start as part of ostrogoth empire, but this doesn't have to be that historically accurate. One way could be to make the scenario bit like Rhyes and Fall of Civilization from civ4:BTS where civilizations rise and fall on certain dates, but I'm not sure I want to take that approach.

 

[Kailric]

Nice, I like the idea of Vikings sailing all over as well. We may could add code that allows their ships to move along rivers, this may appear awkward however. When you have a working map we can test things out.

 

[Fullerene]

The attached map (bigeuropa) just crashes during init after assert errors.The other map (small europe) works perfectly.
If you could check out the assert errors, and possibly find solution/fix it, would make life lot easier.

Nvm. I had just forgot to add acces to europe tile It works now.

 

[Kailric]

The attached map (bigeuropa) just crashes during init after assert errors.The other map (small europe) works perfectly.
If you could check out the assert errors, and possibly find solution/fix it, would make life lot easier.

Nvm. I had just forgot to add acces to europe tile It works now.

Ok, remember there are 4 access to Europe tiles, which we are calling access to trade route tiles. East and West are for the Spice Route, and North and South are for the Silk Road. And you can place these where ever actually, meaning North don't have to be placed in the "North".

 

[Fullerene]

Trying to build a scenario with ingame crashbuilder is annoying...
For some reason the scenario only loads properly if you select to play scandinavia. With other nations it gives python errors and not all cities get placed. Can anyone help?

 

[Kailric]

Trying to build a scenario with ingame crashbuilder is annoying...
For some reason the scenario only loads properly if you select to play scandinavia. With other nations it gives python errors and not all cities get placed. Can anyone help?

I am no map modder but I'll give it a look see when I get the chance, It'll be a day or two though. At the moment However, the only Civs that are "officially supported" are the ones playable in the current version. Playing any of the others may have adverse effects. I don't know if this is the reason for your errors but you could set up only those Civs as playable and see how that goes.

 

[Sanotra]

That map is beautiful! Who made it?

 

[Fullerene]

That map is beautiful! Who made it?

It's BTS map from these forums, but I can't find the thread now... however it might actually be bit too big for good game play.

I guess I start building scenario again with python scripting, since worldbuilder is prone to crash sooner or later.

 

[Fullerene]

I have not yet created a proper scenario, but I did create a mapscript that creates fresh game on real Europe map.
The script reads WBS file and adjusts civ's starting locations. This way you can choose which civs you want in the game and they will start on historical locations. Every game is little bit different.
Script allows you to select between smaller and bigger Europe map. Warning: Bigger map means endless barbarian villages!

Instructions: Unzip contents of below attachment into the vanilla game public map folder: (NOT in the mod public map folder.)
Start new game and choose MedievalEurope.py mapscript.

 

[Kailric]

I have not yet created a proper scenario, but I did create a mapscript that creates fresh game on real Europe map.
The script reads WBS file and adjusts civ's starting locations. This way you can choose which civs you want in the game and they will start on historical locations. Every game is little bit different.
Script allows you to select between smaller and bigger Europe map. Warning: Bigger map means endless barbarian villages!

Instructions: Unzip contents of below attachment into the vanilla game public map folder: (NOT in the mod public map folder.)
Start new game and choose MedievalEurope.py mapscript.

Awesome, Fullerene, can't wait to check this out!

 

[Kailric]

We must have broke your mapscript, Fullerene, as no ocean plots appear anymore

 

[Fullerene]

Well, the script never was complete, as it didn't generate all trade routes I think.

Hmmm, what do you mean that ocean plots don't appear? Does it generate grass plots instead? Is the sea terrain renamed in the XML?

 

[Kailric]

Well, the script never was complete, as it didn't generate all trade routes I think.

Hmmm, what do you mean that ocean plots don't appear? Does it generate grass plots instead? Is the sea terrain renamed in the XML?

Yes, grass plots. It shouldn't be renamed as far as I know.

Edit: We may have broke something when we changed up how Europe tiles are assigned.

 

[Fullerene]

To me this script still seems to work just fine.

What does the pythonErr log file tells you after you launch the script?

 

[Fullerene]

Just few thoughts of the game flow on Europe map:

In the beginning of the game there are few remaining cities of the Western Roman Empire spread around the map. (Italy,France/Gaul,Spain, England).

-Anglo-Saxons start in England and are likely to Conquer Roman Britain very soon after game start.

-Franks start in France and are likely to take the remains of Romans there.

-Normans will spawn in Normandy or nearby during late Viking age.

-Scandinavian invaders will spawn somewhere near Anglo-Saxons and Franks during Viking Age.

-Visigoths start in Spain and they will have to fight against Arab/Moor Invasion around 700 AD

-Ostrogoths start somewhere near Italy/Rome. They are in good position to Conquer the Rome but it won't be easy.

-Byzantines have advanced start but they have to take 2 invasive civilizations spawning near their borders (Ayyubid Arabs (ca.600-700 AD) and Turks(around 1000 AD)

- Mongols invade the map during high middle ages.

-If Byzantine city Jerusalem is controlled by non-christian civilization, the catholic nations may boost their relations to Pope by capturing the City.

---

I hope the mod supports these concepts.

 

[Kailric]

I hope the mod supports these concepts.

The question is how do you setup Starting Locations? Looking at World Builder it seems bare on things you can do to setup a map. We would need a way to set a predefined Starting Location for Civs that appear latter in the Game. Once we have a predefined starting location we can do all that you ask. Does the scenario have to be setup in World Builder?

I have it set up for Civs to appear at Certain Ages, we can set it up for them to appear at certain Dates as well, but they have random starting locations.

We can have a special building that adds Bonus Diplomacy points to Civs that own it, for the occupying Jerusalem effect.

 

[Fullerene]

WorldBuilderSave file has startingX,startingY parameter for players I think. Maybe it's possible to spawn civs on this position?

I think that civ spawning can also be done with python (actually it's possible to create whole scenario with python). I want to have some events too so there will be some python code anyway.