This is an idea I've had for the ultimate civgame for a long time that handles the multimap problem quite differently. First off you start in the prehistoric era in a map that actually is a small area of the world map as seen through a microscope. Then when you reach enough technological sophistication this map is converted to a normal world map. This idea can be extended further, so when we reach a certain stage we no longer care about individual cities on earth but the earth itself is handled like a city. And depending on how much infrastructure you've built up determines what kind of "buildings" are on it. And later when the solar system is sufficiently developed the map transforms again into a galactic map where each habitable solar system is handled like it's own city. At any given time you have no more than one or two maps to care about.
multimaps and other questions
- Thread starter Civ4newbie
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primem0ver
Emperor
Here is the table I mentioned twice.
Map Type
|
City Represents
|
Land Represents
|
Portal Building
|
Portal Restrictions
|
Portal Type
|
Map Destination
Homeworld|City|Land|Space Port|Open Border Player|Single|Planetary System
Planetary System (Internal Access)|Colony|Planet/Moon|(Colony Lander)|Race Member|Multi (Space Port)|Planet or moon represented by land
Planetary System (External Access) | | |Warp Port|None|Single|Galaxy Map
Moon|City|Land/Habitable Areas|Space Port|Open Border Player|Single|Planetary System
Terrestrial Planet|City|Land/Habitable Areas|Space Port|Open Border Player|Single|Planetary System
Jovian Planet|Floating City|Area of stable winds |Space Port|Open Border Player|Single|Planetary System
Galaxy Map|Inhabited Planetary System|Habitable Planetary Systems|(Warp Node) |None|Multi (Warp Port)|Planetary System represented by land
Note that Portal buildings in parentheses automatically appear when their counterparts appear (for example, once a space port is built on planet, the corresponding Colony lander is built in the colony "city" on the solar system map.)
Homeworld|City|Land|Space Port|Open Border Player|Single|Planetary System
Planetary System (Internal Access)|Colony|Planet/Moon|(Colony Lander)|Race Member|Multi (Space Port)|Planet or moon represented by land
Planetary System (External Access) | | |Warp Port|None|Single|Galaxy Map
Moon|City|Land/Habitable Areas|Space Port|Open Border Player|Single|Planetary System
Terrestrial Planet|City|Land/Habitable Areas|Space Port|Open Border Player|Single|Planetary System
Jovian Planet|Floating City|Area of stable winds |Space Port|Open Border Player|Single|Planetary System
Galaxy Map|Inhabited Planetary System|Habitable Planetary Systems|(Warp Node) |None|Multi (Warp Port)|Planetary System represented by land
Note that Portal buildings in parentheses automatically appear when their counterparts appear (for example, once a space port is built on planet, the corresponding Colony lander is built in the colony "city" on the solar system map.)
Faustmouse
Deity
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2012
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The problem is that civs are most certainly not at the same tech level. So for example what happens to other nations if you reach the point where the earth is represented by just a planet?
Hydromancerx
C2C Modder
Civ Fuehrer
Drifting through space, lost
Thing is, I'm not 100% sure it could be done either, but it seems a hell of a lot simpler than an over-use of multi-maps. It would basically be the DLL telling what can and cannot be seen on the current viewport. If you tell the game you want to view orbit (z = 2), then the game will check all units and make units with z = 0 or z = 1 invisible to the player while making units with z = 2 visible. Naturally, units with z = 2 will have the ability to move over any terrain. Units where z = 0 will also be able to move over any terrain given the tile has the cave property. If the underground portion of this suggestion is unfeasible due to terrain masking (That is, showing underground terrain in favor of surface terrain) then a 6th multi-map may be called for and units with z = 0 will be put on the underground map instead of the original idea.
In light of all this, I'm pretty sure that an Orbit mode can be viewed via a toggle as described earlier.
@Hydro
That's what I was thinking for those maps save for the solar system map. It needs to be MUCH bigger - possibly have the different planets randomly placed throughout the map and not in a line with more in-scale distances (i.e.
Hydromancerx
C2C Modder
That particular image was taken from a previous picture that was just to show off the graphics of the solar system. Of which are not all in the mod yet. How the solar system is set up could be made however we want to. Basically consisting of a Star, various types of planets, moons, asteroids and possibly the gas at the edge of the map since the map would be flat.
How big and far apart I think would depend upon your map settings. If possible it would be really cool if the planets could move their spots in an orbital pattern around the sun each turn. That way you would have to time your movement from one planet to another. However that's just thinking big. Getting the multi-maps to actually work is more important.
Dancing Hoskuld
Deity
Why would it be only one sun? Habital zones with planets have been found in multi start systems.
primem0ver
Emperor
Exactly. Basically the same idea but my chart gives details on how to implement the change between maps. When a unit enters a "city" that has the portal building for the type of map, the mission for switching maps appears (as long as the player ALSO has a transport unit in the corresponding city on the other map).
If the portal type is a "single" type, then their is only one corresponding location on the linked map that the unit can go to and when the mission is pressed, the linked map appears with the unit (and/or transport vessel) in that spot. If the portal is a "multi" type, then a list of all "friendly portals" (designated by portal restrictions) on the map appears when the mission is pressed and the player selects the "portal" they want to "land" in. In the case of the galaxy map there are no restrictions since if we incorporate "aliens" into the game, they should be allowed to enter the system.
NOTE: I broadened the "restrictions" on the four planet type maps to friendly/open border player player, meaning any player with an open border treaty with the moving player.
Thunderbrd
C2C War Dog
You could also have launch to site missions that work somewhat like paradrops. When pushed, it sends up the map type that the launch is meant to take you to (or a list of maps if you have the ability to launch to multiple various maps with that mission - then once selected, you're taken to the map surface) and you get to then select the plot that your unit will end up at.
I see the launch from Earth to Moon as working this way.
I see the launch from Earth to Moon as working this way.
You need to also allow projects (apollo mission, etc) to create new stuff and send it to another map. I can see some new projects (Mars Mission, Journey to Alpha Centauri) for the other maps (Mars, Galactic).
primem0ver
Emperor
With my setup, it wouldn't work this way. You would go to a city with a "space port" portal, click the mission for going to the planetary (solar) system map, then move to the moon (very short distance), then click the "lander" mission and select the city you choose to land in (from the list of friendly space port portals).
Thunderbrd
C2C War Dog
You're assuming there will BE a spaceport to land at. What happens when there isn't one?
Dancing Hoskuld
Deity
Except that it would also allow you to go to Mars, Jupiter or the portal to the Galaxy. Since you move the unit. My suggestion would still seem like yours except that once launched the unit goes to the destination you launched for, ie you don't have control to alter course. Which should be the case until you have the techs to reach the other targets and the infrastructure to support changing your destination - eg an Earth-Moon system base probably in one of the Lagrange points.
No, it would allow you to go to the Solar System map, and from there you would navigate to your destination manually.
Faustmouse
Deity
- Joined
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I think at least at the beginning of space flights, the returning "ships" just "crashed" in the ocean rather than near the spaceport they were launched?
Also, there were different landing strategies on other planets and the moon. First there was an airbag system which wasn't very accurate - definetly not usable for landing in spaceports. For the Curiousity-Rover they used a way more accurate landing strategie. Will you implent more or less "random" landing spots at the beginning that gains more accuracy with more advanched techs?
primem0ver
Emperor
There are three situations to consider here.
The first situation is that the only way you can get into space is through a space port. Once you (or an ally/person you have a border treaty with) builds a space port, the corresponding "Colony Lander" is automatically built in the world link (colony "city") in the system view (or corresponding warp node to the warp port in the galaxy map). So if you can get into space, you can get back onto the planet to begin with (unless your only friendly port city is taken over while you happen to be on the system map, in which case you are stuck until another port is built... which makes sense anyway).
The second situation is when you are going to a world on which you have no cities at all. In this case, you would need a "colony ship" unit to build the first city on that world which would come complete with a space port.
The third situation is on the galaxy map only in which any star system should be explorable. In this case, building a colony should not be necessary. Instead, a warp node (tile improvement?) could be built automatically using an "explore system" mission or a "build outpost" mission. Placing the corresponding warp port on a world would be a matter of selecting an object within the system that can support the outpost/warp port.
Hydromancerx
C2C Modder
Well on the Galaxy map they only have one star. Also I am not sure how you would portal between maps if you have 2 stars to portal from. In addition it would be nice if we eventually had graphics for different star types and double stars in one tile.
primem0ver
Emperor
I think what he is saying is that before the technology is discovered that allows you to change course, only one destination should be reachable. That makes sense as well. However, the solution to this is simple even with my proposed system. Have a "lagrange" type portal that only allows you to access a specific destinations on a specific map. It would work the same as the multi-ports on the system map but link you directly to the map for the planet/moon.
Another issue here is the number of turns it would take to get to the particular destination. But that can be handled fairly logically as well. After city builds are recommended (on multiple maps), new arrivals can be announced.
Ultimately we are still going to need to be able to switch between maps even without a mission so that we can move units on any map we desire. That could be done with a mini-map button that pops up the maps you have units on.
primem0ver
Emperor
It works the same as the system map! The Galaxy map is the map used between systems... That was the whole point of my chart post. The galaxy map is a map of all habitable star systems.
As far as "star types" that should be easy too. We just have multiple terrains, one terrain for each type of star.
EDIT: we could also have nebula's as a feature.
