less is more -- second 'strategic' game board map

[Beer Engine]

SBG #2
Table of contents:
(4 posts, 4 attachments)

1. map zip file (attached to this post
2. minimap screenshot
3. map notes and map outline jpg.
4. second zip file (same map w/out preset start locations)

 

[Beer Engine]

mini-map screenshot

 

[Beer Engine]

First of all, thank you to all the kind folks who played my first map (you can find it on the forum at http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14695) and also took the time to give me some feedback.

From those comments, I picked up on three main points that people did not like about the older map:
1) It took too long to meet up with other civilizations. (translation: the map was too big)
2) Exploration got a bit monotonous, particularly since the map design includes so much repetitive terrain. (translation: the map was too big)
3) Folks couldn't get more than 12 civs when they started the scenario. (Is this my fault? I changed the option to 16 in the editor. I don't know what's up with this one.)

So, taking constructive criticism to heart, I present a leaner, meaner game board with more civ interaction (diplomacy, trade, warfare, etc.) and less navigation of one empty square after another.

Map Specs:
- overall size 120x106
- exactly 256 full game board 'squares', with an additional 12 half-squares to round things out along the top and bottom.
- 256 squares = 16 of each strategic and luxury resource. Exactly. Once again, when playing with 16 civs, if you can grab more than one of any particular resource, then someone else will be hurting.
- Fixed the 16 civ problem. Easy enough to do; from this point on no matter what size the map I create, it'll be 'huge' as far as civ3 is concerned.
- Each game board 'square' is home to a luxury or strategic resource. All terrain is important. There are no 'empty' spaces on the board.
- 22 pre-set starting locations. A few more than 16, obviously, but I found it easier to space things out this way.

Hopefully the smaller size will also mean games are faster, and nastier. I hope you'll agree that less is more. And if you want to scale things back a bit, just play with 12 or 8 civs rather than a full complement of 16.

 

[Beer Engine]

for those of you who would rather leave things up to fate, I present the same map BUT WITHOUT any pre-set starting locations. You'll be put wherever the comp thinks you should be...

 

[Satis5d]

I'm definitely going to try this one out. It looks like the kind of map I've been wanting to make but haven't had the time to get started on.

EXCELLENT!

 

[Noble_Sniper]

I love how you don't have to worry about your cities overlapping, just put them in the middle of the land areas, that solves one of my biggest headaches!

 

[Kyrillion]

I feel like I've remembered you answering this recently, but I'm really tired right now, so I'm no sure: how do you make preset positions, again? ^_^;; Sorry if this is a repeat of something you've doubtless heard many times ^^;

 

[Beer Engine]

Let's see if I get this right: You're asking one of two things here. Either how to make a player start location, or how to assign said start locations to respective civs.

1) In the editor, placing a player start location is as easy as placing a goody hut. Select 'player start location' from the overlay brush menu. Once your brush is 'loaded', you can click anywhere on your map to place a player start location.

2) To assign player start locations to specific civs, you'll need to use a utility like gramphos' civ3multitool. check out the thread for program, instructions, and discussion.
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7787