Mod recommendation

[Andostre]

Hello everyone!

I love Civ4, and when I discovered FFH, that turned to love². I'm looking to crank that up to love³. This is where you come in!

My absolute favorite part of a Civ game is exploring the terrain at the beginning of the game (or coming across an undeveloped area of the world later in the game). I enjoy discovering new resources, unique improvements, weird terrain formations, tribal villages, and barbarians. And then I love smothering all that stuff in my cultural borders!

Essentially, I love games with unfettered exploration, but what can ruin that for me is when I find that my newly-awakened civilization of explorers woke up just around the bend from a nation of... well, not me. Granted, I recognize that other civilizations are necessary for a satisfying endgame (right?), but it's that early game with simple cities to run and simple solutions to military conflicts that I enjoy the most so that I can concentrate on exploration. After that... well, my interactions with the other civs have to be particularly interesting or satisfying for me to continue the game, many times.

It's very possible from many of the other strategy conversations I see on these forums that my viewpoint is in the minority, and I'm okay if someone has a strong viewpoint about the endgame that they want to share, but what I'm asking for right now is a recommendation for a mod that would enhance the exploration aspect of the game, preferably one that works with FFH. Maybe some new things to discover? A way to keep other civilizations at bay or less worried about expansion? I'm open to most ideas. The best I've managed so far are custom games with massive continents and few civs. That was fun for a while, but now I'm looking for new things to explore.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

 

[Demus]

some mapscripts have enhanced exploration potential, like the erebus maps or mountain coast (i think it's called that anyway). Check the maps n mods section of these forums for em

 

[jacktannery]

Andostre, I'm exactly the same as you.

The best ways to increase the exploration phase are to play with raging barbarians/barbarian cities, to play with stronger animals (i.e. FF Mod), and to play on larger map sizes. The latter is not an option for me with my crappy computer, but the stronger animals and barb cities keep wilderness in the game for far longer. Also, consider reducing by one or two the number of AI civs in the game.

For a satisfying end game with lots of wilderness, play on a largish map against very few other civs but including the Sheaim (if possible completely isolated from you), and just ignore them (except if they convert to leaves or kilmorph in which case World Builder them the Ashen Veil). By the time the exploration phase is over, the AC should be rising nicely, leading to a whole host of other fun problems for you to deal with.

 

[Gelvan]

someone mentioned to add the start with barbarian cities and no settler option. never tried it myself, but it seems to be quite an idea. also the Austrian and Balseraph have a very interesting recon line. Erebus_continents 2.0 is my all time favourite - especially with "massive desert".

 

[cyther]

If you want to go crazy with exploration you could use one city challenge.

Another thing that could work is Rise of Darkness. If you use the Hinterland option it would creates vast areas of wildlands that are very hard to enter and unsettleable. It goes away with time and can be cleared with cultural borders.

 

[phungus420]

My understanding is that Fall Further incorparates alot from RevDCM. So I really think you try Fall Further (if this is true)

 

[Malkaviel]

how about custom game, huge map, 3-5 total civs. If single player, do a map like earth 2 which starts the western hemisphere only populated by barbarians. Then add raging barbarian, barbarian world, wildlands and set difficulty to monarch.

 

[Korias]

Check out the Planet Generator 0.68 mapscript. Its an all time favorite of mine, mostly due to its large range of customizable options: from the exact number of continents, to percentage of water on the map, to continent edges, to overriding the mapsize so you end up with an absolutely gigantic world. Combine this with FF or FF+, and play as the Austrin, as they seem to fit in with your play style rather well. In normal FfH, try playing as the Hippus or Ljosalfar, to slake your thirst for exploration.

 

[Emptiness]

I think you mean "slake your thirst".

 

[Korias]

I think you mean "slake your thirst".

.... Probably. Maybe quench? I dont know, those sayings always confused me.

 

[Honor]

Quench works too.

 

[zup]

Increase the maximum number of barbarians that spawn. Lots more to kill, significantly more dangerous wilderness that lasts to the very end game, very difficult to expand. Either play on a higher difficulty level or use aggressive AI so they won't get butcehered. Feel free to experiment with exact numbers but I got some nice results multiplying by 5.

Beware, this is an insane exploit if you build the Baron, the will be so many weak barbarians around you will soon have hundreds of blooded werewolves, many highly experienced.

It can be a nice challenge if you let the AI get the Baron.

Does Basium get angels from werewolves who die under his control?

 

[rief_s]

Try Final Five with 7-8 civ. After awhile you will find area as ruin of a civilization. With Fall Further or Orbis, this ruin will be haunted, full of barbarian, etc . And all remaining AI will be a good rival.

 

[Andostre]

Thanks for the suggestions, all! I will have to try some and get back to you.

(More suggestions are still welcome!)

 

[Tasunke]

Increase the maximum number of barbarians that spawn. Lots more to kill, significantly more dangerous wilderness that lasts to the very end game, very difficult to expand. Either play on a higher difficulty level or use aggressive AI so they won't get butcehered. Feel free to experiment with exact numbers but I got some nice results multiplying by 5.

Beware, this is an insane exploit if you build the Baron, the will be so many weak barbarians around you will soon have hundreds of blooded werewolves, many highly experienced.

It can be a nice challenge if you let the AI get the Baron.

Does Basium get angels from werewolves who die under his control?

yes, Basium gets angels from werewolves that die under his control, as they are living. I think living is the only requirement ... although it would be funny if certain non living units could turn into angels upon death, like a Basium unit that accidentally turned into a demon upon dungeon exploration, ect. Of course, I kind of think units with the demon promotion should automatically die if under Basium's control, but maybe thats just me (and his pedia entry)

I personally would like to try a werewolf army, for instance under the Ljosalphar or the Svartalphar. I understand it is becoming increasingly easy for the Doviello, and I may yet try that, but I like the idea of the werewolf plague to start from a single unit XD

 

[popejubal]

yes, Basium gets angels from werewolves that die under his control, as they are living. I think living is the only requirement

Animals don't. That's all I can think of, though. If you can summon a living unit (Mistforms used to be alive until someone noticed), that unit could come back as an Angel if killed.

 

[Tasunke]

hmm. I guess then the question is if Beast units are grouped in with animals for the no angel thing.

 

[Rystic]

hmm. I guess then the question is if Beast units are grouped in with animals for the no angel thing.

They are. I see no point in the code where Beast-types are excluded.

 

[Tasunke]

So beasts do not grant angels then?

 

[MagisterCultuum]

As of patch b at least, Beasts, unlike Animals, are not excluded from returning as Angels. No unitcombat is excluded from returning as Manes, but of course animals would need a religion or the entropy1 or death1 promotion to come back that way.