Ishmeria - The Map from Gemfire

[King Phaedron]

Based on Ishmeria, the map from SNES Gemfire, which is itself probably based on the UK. More of Europe map, but as always I've included an advanced line up. I was originally just going to make the vertical Pangaea in the center and do nothing with the oceans, since Gemfire is not about the oceans, but decided to do something with it, and included a bonus 13th Civilization. This map is best suited for: Domination. The Center of the original Map is massive mountains. There are a lot of mountains, but to make things interesting I made Centra into a water area for six city states, and while the Gemfire map doesn't show any rivers or inner coast, it's clear they exist when you enter the battle stage for each province. Religious Civs start in Areas with good spots for Holy Sites. Very little Snow in this map, but you can build the Amundsen on the northern Fish shaped Island.

Civilizations: 13 (Built the map around some Civs and their abilities, others just added based on personal preferences)
City States: 21
Wonders: 16
Recommended modes: Apocalypse / high disasters, Secret Societies, Heros, Barbarian Clans
(Note: I do NOT designate coastal lowlands in any of my maps. It's too much work and Climate predictions have been wrong for 50+ years)

Based on... (Skulls are start locations of Civs. I turned the 30 provinces into 30 Continents.) Gemfire was mainly a "conquer every region" kind of game. The map is a bit wider then it should be. There is room for a good 10 cities or so before additional expansion via War. There is a lot of open grassland in this map, but always a nearby mountain for an aquaduct.

Advanced Starts Lineup:

Regions 7,8 Norwood, Lisle - Scotland (also good for: Coastal Civs)
Details: Tons of Forests, lots of Luxuries
Districts: Good setups for Harbors, Commercial Zones, Industrial Zones, Tier 3 Holy Sites for 6 cities
Home Wonder: Torres Del Paine, Nearby Wonder: Giants Causeway (likely to also be controlled by Scotland)
Nearby City States: Zanzibar

Region 10 Rodale - Vietnam
Details: Forest everywhere, Horses and Niter, but hard to find Iron. Close distance to Scotlands capital.
Nearby Wonder: Giants Causeway
*I wasn't going to include Vietnam, but no one else is suitable for this area.
Nearby City States: Brussels, Bologna, Ayuthaya, Valetta, Kandy, Samarkand (Hereafter to be called The Big Six)

Region 3 Cobridge - Russia (Also good for: Canada, Poland)
Home Wonder: Everest
Nearby Wonders: Kilmanjaro, Eye...
Districts: Tier 2 Holy Sites, Good Harbors, one or two good setups for Industrial

Region 4 Banshea - Macedon
Home Wonder: Eyejafkal...
Home City State: Kabul
Details: Good spots for Industrial Zones, lots of Strategic Resources. Limited Fresh Water

Region 6 Hyland - Gaul (Also decent for other hill lovers like Ethiopia)
Details: Lots of hills, strategic resources, limited lake and rivers. Close distance to Russian Capital
Nearby Wonders: Mount Roraima, Nearby City States: The Big 6

Region 12 Ostlan - Netherlands (also good for, Egypt, Babylon)
Details: tons of Swamps and Sugar, especially in the rows of grassland just south.
Excellent setups for Polders. (region 18 was swamp and water heavy in Gemfire)

Region 22 Londre - Byzantium (Also good for Germany, England, or religious civs)
Details: Tier 1 Holy Site Setups for 12 cities, Tier 1 Harbors, C Zones, a couple good Industrial Zone Setups
*Strong resources. This province was home to King Eselred, ruler of Ishmeria, Gemfires main enemy, The lankshire family
*Byzantium has the strongest setups on this map. Gemfire begins with the other lords declaring indepdence
Home Wonder: Sahaya Beyda (with nearby mountains, intended for 3 Epic Holy Sites with 6 or 7 adjacency)
Nearby City States: The Big 6, Mohenjo Daro, Muscat, Granada, Chinguetti

Region 30 Farlan - Mongolia (Also good for non religious Cavalry Civs.)
Details: Good harbor setups, not intended for holy sites. Limited Fresh Water)
Nearby Wonder: Tsingy

Region 29 Cambry - Georgia (I usually add them to a game for their music)
Details: Tier 4 holy Sites for 6 or 7 cities, Tier 3 Harbors.
Nearby Wonders: Uluru, Delicate Arch (likely to be settled by Georgia, and good holy sites for cities 8,9)
Nearby City States: Nazca, Armagh, Buenos Aries
*wedged between Scythia, Mongolia, and Byzantium, this is a hostile neighborhood for Georgia, but their lands are highly defensible

Region 27 Penzan - Scythia (think Pirates of Penzance)
Details: Lots of Horses, Cows, Sheep, this area was made with Scythia in mind.
Home Wonder: Gobustun. (With town setups for 3 adjacent holy sites)
Nearby City States: Armagh, Buenos Aries
*As with Scotland, their capital is forward, so they can forward settle and fill out backlands later

Region 13 Powice - Spain (also good for, other coastal Civs)
Details: Tier 2 Harbors, Tier 3 Holy Sites in about 8 cities.
Home Wonder: Devils Tower
*Spains area is a bit crowded, but they should also settle the island chains, rather then Scythia

Region 23 Attley - France (As Medici) Also good for: Inca, Ethiopia, Gran Columbia, Babylon. (although not many rivers)
Details: One must pass through their lands to go just about anywhere. Lots of mountains, Rainforest, good setups for Campus
Home Wonder: Pamukale
Nearby City States: The Big 6, Armagh, Buenos Ares
*Limited Fresh Water for about 6 cities, Crowded, Defensible, Surrounded. Competes with Byzantium for Coastal Access

Region ?? Ocean - Indonesia (Also good for England, Phoenicia, Portugal, other Coastal and Religious Civs)
Details: An isolated narrow snake continent with lots of islands, and strong resources at the Capital
Districts: Tier 3 Holy Sites for up to 12 cities, but tile buying required. Good Harbors.
Nearby Wonder: Crater Lake
Home City States: Auckland, Nan Madool, La Venta
*A very strong coastal religious setup with ideal CS allies. The holy sites get bumped up due to their ability.

Provinces:
0x00 1: Dunmoor - Vaalbara
0x01 2: Carveti - Lemuria
0x02 3: Cobrige - Siberia
0x03 4: Banshea - Vendian
0x04 5: Petaria - North America
0x05 6: Hyland - Europe
0x06 7: Norwood - Pannotia
0x07 8: Lisle - Avalonia
0x08 9: Erewood - Pangaea
0x09 10: Rodale - Rodinia
0x0A 11: Hermet - Pangea ultima
0x0B 12: Ostlan - Euromerica
0x0C 13: Powice - Baltica
0x0D 14: Cardyf - Azania
0x0E 15: Eljing - Kernorland
0x0F 16: Centra - Zealandia
0x10 17: Culver - Columbia
0x11 18: Lindum - America
0x12 19: Caster - South Ameirca
0x13 20: Anglia - Asiamerica
0x14 21: Oldlyn - Kazakstania
0x15 22: Londre - Gondwana
0x16 23: Attley - Cimmeria
0x17 24: Linden - Congo
0x18 25: Ashlan - Amasia
0x19 26: Penzan - Terra Australis
0x1A 27: Belgam - Australia
0x1B 28: Celsea - Laurentia
0x1C 29: Cambry - Laurasia
0x1D 30: Farlan - Asia

CS resources: Turtles9, Mercury11, Iron10, Horses6, niter5,
Faith: Kandy, Armagh, La Venta, Nazca, Chinguetti
Cultr: Mohenjo, Ayuthaya, Nan madool
Trade: Hunza, Mogadishu, Samarkand, Zanzibar, Muscat
Miltr: Valletta, Kabul, Granada,
Indus: Auckland, Brussels, Buenos
Scnce: Bologna, Nalanda,
Note: (Other Luxury Resources capped at 8, with 4-6 copies in the same land for Trading)

I could've made this a 15 Civ map, and it would've been a good map for Maori, but too many Civs puts a strain on Heros and Great People)

 

[King Phaedron]

Strategies:

For a long time with this map, I wasn't happy with the Civilization east of Spain and changed it many times. I was going to play Gran Columbia this game and put Scotland there, but decided they were a better fit for the north, where I wanted to play. Decided to add France instead, under the Black Queen, however, this is not the best area for them, and they are overall not a good fit for this map. They are the underdogs, but here is to win with them:

Universal Strategy: Get Sinbad, and you stand to make about 20,000 gold. Most of the wonders are inland, but the number of continents are high.

Strategy for France:

They start with Diamonds, Marble, hill forest Deers and Banana, Cows, and Stone.
They are likely to be the first to meet many city states.
There aren't a lot of good spots for cities with fresh water, so it is advisable to defeat Spain in the Classical Age.

1. They start with Stone, and good production tiles. Build Stonehenge, Start the first Religion, and get Reliquaries.
2. Settle a city in the south next to Matterhorn to secure it, and train your warriors down there.
3. Suzerain Kandy, and send out to scouts to discover the 16 World Wonders on this map.
4. Make other cities, and make holy sites. Get Monumentality Golden Age.
5. Go Voidsingers so that you get lots of Old God Obelisk with Relic Slots.
6. Get your Matterhorn military and make cities cornering Spain. Defeat them in the Classical era.
7. Take Advantage of Spains superior setup for holy sites, and make even more cities.

When you're pumping out 400 tourism per turn, and have 16 relics, there's a good chance you can win a cultural victory before the Renaissance even begins. Even if you don't, the early Tourism will help out a lot towards winning in later eras. Kandy is close to Byzantium though, so it won't be easy to Suzerain them. You will have to give up on putting Envoys elsewhere, get Amani, and make sure your first envoy counts as 2.

8. Build wonders that increase Faith in a city by 10 or 20%. (The one that gives you warrior monks) Build a Temple. Put your relics in your Palace, 3 in the Obelisk, and another in the Temple.
9. Get Chorus in the Medieval Era for a huge boost of Science and Culture.

That's one easy way to win, but even if you don't do any of that, France can still amass an army, and go after Spain just to west, which is closer then any other Civ and doesn't have any immediate combat bonus. Stay away from Scythia and Vietnam. No matter what Civ you play, once you defeat someone in the Classical Era, you're well on your way to victory.

Of course this strategy is far more brutal if you play Byzantium, which is setup for a brutal religious victory. In their case, it's too easy, and the game will end too quickly when you win that way. In fact, you might just want to replace Kandy with another city state entirely.

I suggest playing Hot Seat Multiplayer instead of Single Player, because the AI has no sense of strategy. The lazy programmers even have Civs that didn't get a Religion picking Exodus of the Evangelists, not using Monumentality, like come on dude. Mainly Play 2 Civs, and chime in playing everyone else once in a while, like when it's time to choose the dedication. (you will need the "More Civs in Multiplayer Mod")

Playing like this also lets you stir the pot and make things interesting. Things getting dull? Take control of a Civ with strong Combat Prowess and invade someone, get some drama going. Also, don't play lower then Immortal. It's just too easy.

To the east in the picture is Byzantium's land across the coast. Their Tier 1 holy Sites generally consist of 3 mountains, 2 forests, and most of them are built next to a river (also so are Scotlands and several others) making River Goddess a powerful pantheon. (Especially for Scotland)

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By the way, if that victory seems exploitative, let me tell you about how I got early Culture Victory in Civ 5 on a legit map that wasn't made in world builder.

I had a Religion with Pagoda and Mosque, while Egypt made a Religion with Reliquaries, and I think Cathedral and the fourth religious building in that game. After spreading my religion to my cities, and getting them Mosques and Pagoda's (boosting my faith per turn) Egypt actually handed me the victory, when I captured one of their missionaries or prophets and then converted all of my cities to their religion. Then I was able to get all four religious buildings in all my cities, and they had Reliquaries so that each one was generating mega tourism.

Another Civ, Phoenicia I think, seemed eerily aware of what was happening, and was angry at both me and Egypt. This was Civ 5 so the AI was actually good and the fighting was much better. Anyways, I remember that I wound up with all four religious buildings in my cities generating mega tourism and won a cultural victory I think in the Reinaissance era.

 

[King Phaedron]

My apologies, there was a tiny error in the map (Indonesia's start did not exist for some reason. I didn't forget it, but it probably got removed at some point for some reason, and then I forgot it.) I have fixed the issue and added their start. If you already downloaded the map pack, add their advanced start, turn on advanced start in worldbuilder. It's on the plains hill, with I think Spices, Bananas, and Cocoa next to it. (Bananas might've been a third luxury.) It's in the apex center point between the 3 city states. If you got the attachment after 1/29/2025 you don't need to do anything.