My created maps in hot seat multiplayer

[SweetBoy19]

Hi all, I'm new to this forum

I have a problem...
I didn't started playing Civ4 yet... because firstly I created a world map... but the problem is we want to play this map with my friends on my PC by hot seat... but you can't play own created scenarios in hot seat! :S!

Or... can we do it??

Then I have another problem... To creat this map, i started a Single game with a random map huge size, and then I went to map editor, I put all the map ocean, and started to draw and decorate the world map, now it's finished.... but firstly I can change the civilizations that are going to play on the scenario... I mean if the single game I started to create my own world map, the civilizations were Spain, India, Germany, USA, Japan, etc... now in the created map, I can't change these civilizations! I would like to play with Russia, but it wasn't in the single game base to create then this own map, so I can't use Russia... Or can i???
Also, when I choose the start place, I can only see where are the start units of Civ I chose to play... So other players, have the start places I edited + random start places or maybe their places before editing map... And in editor I just can see my player units... well i clicked on the tool see cell, and I saw a builded city on 4.000 bC, but then I don't see where are their start units...

They was saying, this Civ would be easier and more simple than the others.... but I don't see that... The others Civs, 2,3 were much more easy and editable for simple players... Now in CIv 4 I see an editor hard to use, with very few creating options... and I CAN'T use these maps for Hot Seat games!

If somebody can help me I will be pleased:
1- How to play my own created map by Hot Seat?
2- How to change the civs that are going to play in the map? (not their characteristics, I don't want to edit them, I just want to put them on my game)
3- How can I add beggining places, but just my added beggining places, and erase other random places, that I can't see, but they are them randomly because the game before entering world editor

PD: I have Python on my PC, but I've never used... but If it's easy I can follow your help

 

[Exavier]

I don't know the answer for #1 but i think i can answer 2 and 3...

I have a map that i made for myself and use in multiplayer if i choose to. Basicly after playing with the ingame editor and saving your map the easiest way i have found to do it is set it up for random Civs (player gets to choose his all AIs will end up random). the only problem i have found is that the start locations are not random... i need to figure that one out.

anyway...

go into the directory where the map from worldbuilder is saved. open the map file up in a text editor... the places you need to modify are the BeginTeam/EndTeam and BeginPlayer/Endplayer sections... the beginteam will have tecnologies in it based on who is in that team when the game was created... replace with:

BeginTeam
ContactWithTeam=0
EndTeam

for each one... that gives no free techs once we set it up for the player to choose their side. for the beginplayer sections below it you want to change the stuff in that to:

BeginPlayer
Team=0
LeaderType=NONE
CivType=NONE
Color=NONE
ArtStyle=NONE
StartingX=36, StartingY=29
Handicap=HANDICAP_NOBLE
EndPlayer

this will make it so that the player chooses their civ at start (AIs will be random) and has a specific starting location (StartingX=##, StartingY=##).

The AIs will be spawned based on the size of the map if you set it up this way... 5 small, 7 for standerd, 9 for large (only ones i have tested). if you want more AIs on a smaller map there is a trick... find this:

world size=WORLDSIZE_LARGE

change where it says large (or small, standerd, huge depending on size of map before editing) to whatever you want... so if you make a tiny map and change this to Large the game will try to spawn 9 ppl on it (you and 8 AIs).

then go through the rest of the text (Find works well) and search for all the BeginUnit entries and remove them (up to the EndUnit). this way there are no stray units on the map when the game starts.

What this will do is make a map similar to what you can get in Civ 3... a blank map with start locations and lets you (and other players) choose the civ you want.

However there is a catch... The players will be put at the start locations based on their player #. so player 1 (game creator) will pretty much always be in the same spot. If anyone reads this and knows how to randomize it I would apreciate it (PM me please)... I can't seem to find a thread with the answer.

EDIT: Also check out Dale's threads in the Tutorials forum above... he has written some really nice explanations for the WBS (Worldbuilder save)

 

[SweetBoy19]

Thank you very much

I was looking the forum, and I found some like that,
then I opened the map file using note pad, and also I opened a map with my choosen civs, then I changed as you said their civ characteristics

Now about the beggining places, I have to cound X and Y. To do it I put on the map, a linked place, then I see it on note pad, and I know the X and Y of this linked place. Then I cound using this point as reference the other places... But it tooks lot of time It would be great, if on editor, you could see the X and Y for each cell, but I can't find it, so I must count them

Also then I will have to erase all units in eachhhhhh cell if they are there, so I must check allllllll the text on note pad, and because it's huge map, it is veryy long

But I can do it

The unique problem I need to know, is:
How to play multiplayer by Hot Seat, using this map, because there is only option new game or load game, but hot seat hasn't option play scenario

How could we play by hot seat this map??

 

[Exavier]

to find the co-ordinates you could do what i do... in the editor place a marker unit... Since you know that BeginUnit/EndUnit marks units put on the map then place something you wouldn't find in a starting map... I used Tanks and Artillary... place it on the map where i want it.

then just open notepad and do a find for Tank or Artillary (or just go through the beginunit/endunit) and find ones with that tag. write down the coordinates that belong to the plot (will give an X and Y for that spot)

Edit: I just went and looked and it looks like only random generated maps can be played as Hot Seat or PBEM... that kinda sux.

 

[SweetBoy19]

ok, I got the map, with all starting places

now the unique I need, is how can we play Hot Seat by our own maps

and i see you don't know it neither

at least I can start playing single player... but I would like Hot Seat with my friends