charlesolmsted
Chieftain
Download link is dead... looking forward to trying out this great application.
[Map Script] SmartMap
- Thread starter surt
- Start date
charlesolmsted said:
Here ya go, at least I can give back to the community for such a great little script until the author is ready to update:
From my personal webserver: SmartMapV72.zip
Enjoy!
-=R=-
jray
King
Hi, I've really been enjoying your mod!
One thing I've noticed is that with the SmartMap bonus settings, resource types tend to have a lot more local variation than with the standard setting. This offers a totally different gameplay experience, which is definitely commendable
. However, sometimes I also like to play with the standard setting because it tends to cluster same-type resources a lot more, leading more often to situations where you need to trade to get a certain resource. (Or maybe you have a monopoly on one). With the SmartMap layout, you're a lot more likely to be successful just turtling in your niche somewhere with access to all the resources you need to keep your cities growing fast. And it's a lot easier to ramp up your health and happiness due to the large variety of resources within easy reach.
But I feel like when I use the standard bonus setting, I'm missing out on some of the nice features of your algorithm. I wonder if you might consider working on a setting that mimics the clustering that the standard method does but uses the smarter placement you've implemented.
On another note, I'm curious about how things work on the Small map size. I seem to get significantly more resources using SmartMap Normal than standard bonuses. In fact, in my last game, I was able to put my second city on top of 10 resources in the ancient era! That never happens in a standard game... it's hard to find as many as 5 in one city plot. I also see about 3 times as many goodie huts on SmartMap Normal goodies as I do on standard goodies. Anyway, I'm wondering if this is all intended, or whether things might need a little downsizing on Small maps. Thanks!
One thing I've noticed is that with the SmartMap bonus settings, resource types tend to have a lot more local variation than with the standard setting. This offers a totally different gameplay experience, which is definitely commendable
. However, sometimes I also like to play with the standard setting because it tends to cluster same-type resources a lot more, leading more often to situations where you need to trade to get a certain resource. (Or maybe you have a monopoly on one). With the SmartMap layout, you're a lot more likely to be successful just turtling in your niche somewhere with access to all the resources you need to keep your cities growing fast. And it's a lot easier to ramp up your health and happiness due to the large variety of resources within easy reach.But I feel like when I use the standard bonus setting, I'm missing out on some of the nice features of your algorithm. I wonder if you might consider working on a setting that mimics the clustering that the standard method does but uses the smarter placement you've implemented.
On another note, I'm curious about how things work on the Small map size. I seem to get significantly more resources using SmartMap Normal than standard bonuses. In fact, in my last game, I was able to put my second city on top of 10 resources in the ancient era! That never happens in a standard game... it's hard to find as many as 5 in one city plot. I also see about 3 times as many goodie huts on SmartMap Normal goodies as I do on standard goodies. Anyway, I'm wondering if this is all intended, or whether things might need a little downsizing on Small maps. Thanks!
jray said:Hi, I've really been enjoying your mod!
One thing I've noticed is that with the SmartMap bonus settings, resource types tend to have a lot more local variation than with the standard setting. This offers a totally different gameplay experience, which is definitely commendable
But I feel like when I use the standard bonus setting, I'm missing out on some of the nice features of your algorithm. I wonder if you might consider working on a setting that mimics the clustering that the standard method does but uses the smarter placement you've implemented.
On another note, I'm curious about how things work on the Small map size. I seem to get significantly more resources using SmartMap Normal than standard bonuses. In fact, in my last game, I was able to put my second city on top of 10 resources in the ancient era! That never happens in a standard game... it's hard to find as many as 5 in one city plot. I also see about 3 times as many goodie huts on SmartMap Normal goodies as I do on standard goodies. Anyway, I'm wondering if this is all intended, or whether things might need a little downsizing on Small maps. Thanks!
It's quite possible that things may be a bit off in small map size. I do almost all my testing on standard/large/huge. I will have a look at some of the smaller sizes when I get back from my trip.
charlesolmsted said:
The server has a daily virus scan that seems to prevent the web server from responding. I'm trying to find out if I can lower the priority on the virus scan. Sorry for the inconvenience. There's also a copy hosted on civfanatics on the 7.2 specific link.
Hi!
I haven't played the script yet, but kept getting "Failed to load Python module SmartMap" in the menus. It turned out that I had placed the SmartMap.py file in the wrong PublicMaps directory. Seems it's not supposed to go in the Civilization4 install directory but instead in the Civilization4 directory in the user's profile. The correct PublicMaps directory was empty (the wrong one had Civ4's default map scripts in it). Hope this helps some of you...
I haven't played the script yet, but kept getting "Failed to load Python module SmartMap" in the menus. It turned out that I had placed the SmartMap.py file in the wrong PublicMaps directory. Seems it's not supposed to go in the Civilization4 install directory but instead in the Civilization4 directory in the user's profile. The correct PublicMaps directory was empty (the wrong one had Civ4's default map scripts in it). Hope this helps some of you...
EL_OSO
Warlord
MrSnap said:
I just ran a server last Sunday that used this script with no issues between clients at all.
mkyl said:
Actually, it usually belongs in
civ iv install directory\PublicMaps\
Most people with trouble with that have had unrelated civ iv installation problems, and a reinstall has solved it every time.
The other common error is to have
civ iv install directory\PublicMaps\SmartMap\SmartMap.py
when you should have:
civ iv install directory\PublicMaps\SmartMap.py
MrSnap said:
I don't play any multiplayer, but I believe only the host should require it. The map is generated on the host, and then transmitted to all the clients, so the clients only get the result of the script, and do not need to have a local copy.
Hi, I think I found somewhat of a bug: when you set the forest/jungle settings to "normal forest, light jungle", it covers almost all of the map in forest. Literally all but two spots were covered in forest.
edit: same happens on "normal forest, normal jungle". I found literally ONE square on the map that didn't have forest on it.
edit: same happens on "normal forest, normal jungle". I found literally ONE square on the map that didn't have forest on it.
I put the zip and link both on the main page, to avoid the problem with my server occassionally not responding:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3599863&postcount=1
# 8.0
# Use pickle to store last preferences.
# Tweaked the adjustment to rivers and lakes so that many rivers will be more
# noticeable, and few lakes will really cut down the amount of lakes.
# Fix resource rates for smaller maps.
# Allow start placement to place settlers on hills as well as flatlands.
# Weight hills for start placement appropriately to the defensive bonus.
# Add spiral search feature, this may be of use to other mapmakers, used in
# my script to assign fragments as belonging to the nearest continent. Spiral
# search is the most efficient method of doing a 'find nearest X' on any grid
# based map, assuming you don't have a list of all X available.
# On higher river levels, make hills more likely to start rivers.
# Make rivers a little more common in general. Make the automatic river for each
# sufficiently large continent always start from a hill or peak if one is
# available, or a random tile if no hill or peak is found.
# Improve river paths by using spiral search to measure distance to nearest ocean
# Don't flatten peaks on coast, as this can create interesting strategic issues,
# and also tended to leave far fewer than the expected number of peaks.
# Fix a bug in the start placement picker that was giving extra scores for the
# start plot when it was supposed to be scoring nearby plots.
# Adjust how fragments are generated, and the number of fragments for few/many,
# to make maps using smaller numbers of fragments look less chaotic. Fragments
# also now sort-of obey the sealevel rules: they are allowed to start anywhere,
# but can only grow into one neighboring continent, so they are more likely to
# create an archipelago type of continental extension, rather than so frequently
# causing continents to merge.
# New SmartMap Clump Happy resources option which distributes all happiness
# resources like the standard generator (in clumps so trade is more likely to be
# necessary, hence 'clump happy'), but other resources in the smartmap style so
# that the distribution is fairer.
# Corrected a small land counting problem that sometimes gave too much land for
# a given ocean percentage.
# Added a few new options to the override width and height to allow for generating
# random ranges of sizes, as a couple of people had requested that.
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3599863&postcount=1
# 8.0
# Use pickle to store last preferences.
# Tweaked the adjustment to rivers and lakes so that many rivers will be more
# noticeable, and few lakes will really cut down the amount of lakes.
# Fix resource rates for smaller maps.
# Allow start placement to place settlers on hills as well as flatlands.
# Weight hills for start placement appropriately to the defensive bonus.
# Add spiral search feature, this may be of use to other mapmakers, used in
# my script to assign fragments as belonging to the nearest continent. Spiral
# search is the most efficient method of doing a 'find nearest X' on any grid
# based map, assuming you don't have a list of all X available.
# On higher river levels, make hills more likely to start rivers.
# Make rivers a little more common in general. Make the automatic river for each
# sufficiently large continent always start from a hill or peak if one is
# available, or a random tile if no hill or peak is found.
# Improve river paths by using spiral search to measure distance to nearest ocean
# Don't flatten peaks on coast, as this can create interesting strategic issues,
# and also tended to leave far fewer than the expected number of peaks.
# Fix a bug in the start placement picker that was giving extra scores for the
# start plot when it was supposed to be scoring nearby plots.
# Adjust how fragments are generated, and the number of fragments for few/many,
# to make maps using smaller numbers of fragments look less chaotic. Fragments
# also now sort-of obey the sealevel rules: they are allowed to start anywhere,
# but can only grow into one neighboring continent, so they are more likely to
# create an archipelago type of continental extension, rather than so frequently
# causing continents to merge.
# New SmartMap Clump Happy resources option which distributes all happiness
# resources like the standard generator (in clumps so trade is more likely to be
# necessary, hence 'clump happy'), but other resources in the smartmap style so
# that the distribution is fairer.
# Corrected a small land counting problem that sometimes gave too much land for
# a given ocean percentage.
# Added a few new options to the override width and height to allow for generating
# random ranges of sizes, as a couple of people had requested that.
surt said:
A little comment on this: yes, in theory this is right, however I highly recommend that every client also has a copy of SmartMap.py in their PublicMaps directory. Civ4's netcode is still quite horrible, and we've had many transfer timeouts while sending the .py around.
(Why do I think Civ4's netcode is horrible? Because it chokes connections. While sending Game Data to a rejoining player, don't try to do ANYTHING else with your connection. You'll be lucky if you're still connected at all in the end. I don't know what they did wrong there, but I know that rejoining is no fun at all because of that. Typically it looks like this: player 1 drops from the game for some reason... player 1 tries to reconnect... host times out, leaving player 2 alone in the game. Player 1 manages to connect to player 2. (Former) host reconnects... Player 2 times out. Etc.)
jray
King
surt said:
Wow, looks awesome!! Thanks for making the effort to accommodate so many of our suggestions-- you rock!
I'll be travelling the rest of the week, but I'll look forward to trying this as soon as I get back. One quick question: I wonder if you'd consider adding a Clump Healthy
option as well (or maybe just merge it into a Clump Happy and Healthy option).I really like the Clump Happy settings but I seem to be having some *major* problems with v8. 1. It takes a really long time to generate a standard sized map. Perhaps, 5-7 minutes. 2. I often get a fatal error, "Memory allocation failure - exiting program. Reason: bad allocation". Maybe it's just me or just my computer. I dunno but I thought I would report it anyhow.
Great work otherwise. I never play with any other maps anymore.
Great work otherwise. I never play with any other maps anymore.
