Island Plates, Archipelago, and Small Continents. Which do you like and why?

[iammaxhailme]

It seems these three all fill a kind of similar niche. I'm not even sure what the differences are between Island Plates and Archipelago...

 

[Mahi]

Best is "continents and islands" for me. Archipelago was my favorite in Civ V but in Civ VI it doesn't really play out that well since building tall is not that interesting in Civ VI.

Never bothered to play Island Plates as it seems like the Island Plates just seem to be islands in similar sizes. I prefer some asymmetry in the map layout.

 

[seanos08]

I like continents and islands. Big islands with swarms of barbarians are quite tricky to conquer.

 

[iammaxhailme]

I like continents and islands too, but I picked these three becuase they specifically seem to be the "small lands" ones for lack of a better term. Continents and Islands has, well, big normal continents.

 

[enKage]

Continents and islands is very different from other scripts. Sandard size you can have 2-4 civs per continent and usually all landmasses are possible to navigate before caravels. Very enjoyable mapscript, as a player can still settle new cities for new luuries in renessaince and later eras, also islands prevent city states from being captured by Germany Zulu, Mongolia and similar civs disliking CS the most

Some civs can benefit more than others:
England, Phoenicia, Indonesia (a lot), Ottomans...

 

[playshogi]

I like 7 Seas very much. Always a great spot for Petra, if you're lucky to be close by.

 

[Ivan Hunger]

As far as I can tell, it works like this:

Land surrounded by water, in order of fewest landmasses to most:

• Pangea
• Continents
• Continents and Islands
• Small Continents
• Island Plates
• Archipelago

Water surrounded by land, in order of fewest bodies of water to most:

• Inland Sea
• Seven Seas
• Lakes

Then you have the Tilted Axis map, which is water surrounded by land surrounded by water.

 

[Tech Osen]

Like others I have fallen in love with Continents and Islands.
But before that I often used Island Plates but that was mostly to protect myself from early AI aggression. Unfortunately, and I guess that goes for all three map types the OP mentioned, the AI doesn't do very well at all on maps with lots of water. The lack of AI naval and thus the ease of capturing coastal cities made it too easy for me to be enjoyable.

 

[Disgustipated]

Best is "continents and islands" for me.

Another with my tastes. I like it because the continents aren't as "blob-y" and seems a little more Earth like. But generally I like to change it up, I don't play the same map type every game.

As for the 3 mentioned in the OP I would say small continents is my preferred. Still enough land to build wonders and districts, but enough of a naval game to keep it interesting. I really haven't played island plates much since the new types of maps in GS were introduced.

 

[Socrates-]

I'm also in team continents & islands. When playing this map type I prefer to set sea level to 'low'. It opens up the possibility to explore a larger portion of the map before you get limited by ocean tiles. Especially the discovering of new continents (with unclaimed luxuries) & colonizing them feels cool!

Did not play an Archipelago map yet. Is there a huge difference between Island Plates?

 

[Abaxial]

Island plates in my experience tends not to produce islands, but just a big straggle of land - neither islands nor plates, in fact. I am using a "Gaia" map script, which seem to do a good job at producing reaslistic-looking continents.

 

[shaglio]

Island plates in my experience tends not to produce islands, but just a big straggle of land - neither islands nor plates, in fact. I am using a "Gaia" map script, which seem to do a good job at producing reaslistic-looking continents.

I used to love using Island Plates. But lately, I've been unsatisfied with the results. I usually choose it when I want to start on an island all by myself, but I've been getting 2 long, snaky continents instead. In my experience of late, it seems more like a Continents map script where the continents are less round.

In fact, I've had a really difficult time trying to get any map on which I am isolated on my own land mass. Whether I try Island Plates, Archipelago, or Small Continents.

 

[Sostratus]

I prefer small continents over the island plates/archipelago because I feel those other two just don’t give enough land to take advantage of things like adjacency effects etc- you are just so cramped in there is almost nothing you can do. I think I would prefer if island plates would be like smaller small continents- maybe blobs of that that can fit 2-3 cities somewhat decently.

 

[The googles do nothing]

I play on small maps. Islands may open up more spots to settle but they can be vulnerable to loyalty pressure. I would love a Pangea and Islands with some of the Natural Wonders had there own islands and make you set off into the unknown to find them.