Map Coordinates & Game Notes

[Olson]

When instructing someone to settle in or work a particular tile I notice no one gives x,y coordinates from the starting settler's/worker's tile or from a particular existing city tile.

I'm not saying one should, just that it seems to me a naturally occuring convention, to make it easy, would have been established.

Before I found CFC I was using x,y coordinates in my game notes/write-ups.

BTW, does anyone, besides me, make notes during a game?

 

[Seraiel]

I'm having a hard time understanding this.

Many people say things like "settle 1N2W" or similar. Sometimes, no exact coordinates are given because something has several possible choices that come with different advantages and disadvantages.

And I also take notes of the games I want to make a writeup about. I simply save a game by the name of the thought or plan I have, easier then switching to the desktop and large games have a tendency to crash sometimes when switching back, something that can ruin a good HoF round.

 

[Olson]

I'm having a hard time understanding this.

Many people say things like "settle 1N2W" or similar. Sometimes, no exact coordinates are given because something has several possible choices that come with different advantages and disadvantages.

And I also take notes of the games I want to make a writeup about. I simply save a game by the name of the thought or plan I have, easier then switching to the desktop and large games have a tendency to crash sometimes when switching back, something that can ruin a good HoF round.

1N2W = -2,1; so one would say, "settle -2,1". Cartesian Coordinates are always given in (x,y) order. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartesian_coordinate_system

(-x) = to the left; (x) = to the right
(-y) = down; (y) = up

 

[Ghpstage]

Its basically the same unless you want to go all the way with the cartesian system and define an origin, and I for one wouldn't really be interested in working out where -30, +20 is. Much easier to just say 2N, 3W of some landmark, and theres far less room for confusion.
Theres an extra possible cause of confusion for people who read into the gamecode as the AI does use a cartesian coordinate system.

I do use the games note function sometimes, so I can remember which direction an AI unit came from in the early game, and a few other things, but more often when looking over a save of someone whos asking for help on the forums.

 

[kossin]

Civ 4 already has a coordinate system, you can see cities coordinates in the F1 screen.
BUG/BULL introduced latitude and longitude after Calendar if I recall correctly.

We use relative coordinates simply because it's convenient, faster and (most of the time) clear enough to refer to map positions.

Alt-s "notes" are used a lot.

 

[pomthom]

I use Alt-S a lot for city dot mapping, but also to tag actions I shoud remember to do next time I load my game and stuff. I've taken the habit of tagging each AI's capital with the turn I last begged from them for example.

I also use Alt-M a lot because it's so easy to forget to do the simplest critical stuff when dealing with so many variables (even when focused). For example, when I'm a couple turns away from building the Mids, I use Alt-M to pop-up a message like this every turn: "Don't forget to switch to REP you douche bag!!!". It works!

 

[Olson]

I take notes. Lots of notes.

Freakishly, I have a written chronology of every game I've ever played. They're more detailed in the first 100t(turns) -incld'g when I produce a worker, settler, etc.- but I jot down, later as the game progresses, when I settle a city, research a tech, or when the AI builds a wonder, what trades I make, etc. If I swich a civic by request I write when I did it, for whom, and when I can switch back.

I guess this dates back to my board wargaming/AD&D days when note taking was necessary.

The primary reasons are: 1) for when I replay the scenario...to improve my REX or commerce or tech rate, and 2) to get a feel for which type of civ characteristics does what and how soon.