Map Generation

[Redcoat Captain]

Hi Folks,

Its been a while since i've been on the forums, and just wondered if anyone was suffering from the Map Generation blues?

I seem to be getting plagued by desert tiles. It doesnt seem to make much difference what settings i use prior to initialising a game, i seems to end up with desert tiles littering the spawn point of my first city/settler.

I know several things affect map generation...

*Which Civ you choose
*Sea level
*Map type
*Temperature
*Rainfall

etc.

I'm aware things often even themselves out and an unfavourable start locale doesnt necessarily mean your Civ will struggle, its just it seems like i have no real, tangible control over the terrain when generating a map. Even on a lakes map with a cool temperature and heavy rainfall i still find myself moving from jungle to desert, often within 1 tile of each other

Anyone else finding themselves constantly fed up of having to exit to the main screen and set up another game because the spawn just looks so damn hopeless? On the lower difficulties i'd just play on but on King upwards you need a good start.

Anything i can do that i might have missed or overlooked?

Thanks folks

(Man i miss that regen map button )

 

[Liborio]

Are you disabling start bias when you start a new game? Because certain civs (like Egypt, iirc) are biased to start near desert tiles while others start near the coast, like England, or near forests like the Iroquois.

 

[bcaiko]

It sounds like you've played with the settings already, but a "wet" map really should generate less desert for you. I play on "cold, wet" a lot and rarely run into desert (tundra, on the other hand...). Sounds odd.

I'm aware things often even themselves out and an unfavourable start locale doesnt necessarily mean your Civ will struggle, its just it seems like i have no real, tangible control over the terrain when generating a map. Even on a lakes map with a cool temperature and heavy rainfall i still find myself moving from jungle to desert, often within 1 tile of each other

I think this is because Jungles can currently only spawn on plains. So the transition from plains to dessert doesn't seem that severe.

 

[Redcoat Captain]

Yeah, i make sure to disbale start bias unless i'm using a Civ that (if historical/geographical accuracy is taken into account) shouldnt be anywhere near desert.

I normally play on small maps (or smaller!), would this be a possible cause? I'm assuming that the world map includes an equator (or at least the effect of one) whereby the central strip of the map (East to West) features more arid terrain than the polar north and south?

Would a smaller map mean certain types of tiles become closer together due to its condensed space?

Also, would your rival Civs have an effect of the terrain type when a map is generated? For instance if i were to play a one on one with Arabia, could i expect a higher volume of desert tiles than if i were playing against, say, Polynesia?

Thanks for the replies

 

[General Awesome]

Hmm... quite a few times I've spawned near a desert with continents/normal settings/non-deset civs but it's just been a few tiles surrounded by grassland.

Also Idk why deserts should only spawn near the middle of the map, many people forget that their is "hot" deserts (Sahara) and "cold" deserts (Gobi)

 

[Optional]

As bcaiko said, the 'wet' setting gets rid of most desert.

The map generator uses a latitude system, where each terrain type is tied to a certain latitude. The bands get roughened up to make it look more natural.
The equator is a small band where actually only grass can appear, and desert is the band adjacent to that, although roughening the bands means desert can also appear on the equator.
Grass can appear elsewhere as well, as grass and plains are least tied to a band. Ice, Snow and Tundra are much more strictly tied to a band.

Desert isn't too bad, though, as long as you have hills for production. If you haven't got that, yeah, then I restart until I get something that I like better.

 

[Buckeye Kid]

Want a map that has almost all good tiles? Try Skirmish map with grassland setting and rivers setting. I don't even remember what 'bad' tiles look like. It only grasslands, with some plains. Lots and lots of rivers. No jungle, some forest. A few mountians. No desert, no tundra, no coast or ocean.