The map scripts in Civ VI are pretty horrible

[Nathaniel VII]

So yesterday I reinstalled Civ V (with community patch) and started playing a game on a continents map. I had completely forgotten how much better the map scripts in that game are compared to VI. And I don't think the CP changes the map scripts. There were forest areas, vast plains, and deserts that spanned several tiles in all directions, and the entire continent was cut up by mountain ranges.

In VI the maps just seem to be a jumbled mess of tiles. Forests mix indiscriminately with rainforests, and biomes are often one or two tiles in size. Individual forest, rainforest, lake, mountain and desert tiles will often fill a cities working radius. Mountains are just randomly dispersed across the map, nothing gives the impression that this is in any way imitating real geography.

I don't know if just wasn't a priority during development, or if this is intended for "greater balance" (because spawning close to medium-sized desert region will obviously limit a civ's expansion if they don't happen to draw value from desert tiles).

Also, the island plates script doesn't seem to know the difference between islands and continents. If you want islands, fractals with high sea levels seem like a much safer bet.

Has anyone been working on porting mods like Perfect World or Tectonics to Civ VI? Is that even possible with how modding works in VI?

 

[Archon_Wing]

I actually thought the terrain was pretty consistent across maps even if problematic at times. Continents offers pretty good variety if you ask me.

And here's a mountain range for you. I didn't like it very much, so honestly I'm not too upset I don't see this much.

 

[Nathaniel VII]

That's actually quite beautiful. What map size is this?

Also, while we are talking maps, is there anything akin to V's Terra map yet, where all civs start on one continent?

 

[sonicmyst]

Ynamp mod now has terra option.

 

[Archon_Wing]

I think it was standard size; this game is from last patch sadly.

And yea I'm surprised there's no Terra option.

 

[Gedemon]

Ynamp mod now has terra option.

and in all modesty, it's a great option if you ask me !

"Detailed Worlds" was also working on better terrain generation (forest, rain forest, desert), but I don't know if it still works as intended since the summer patch.

There is also a port of "Perfect World" for civ6 on github, but I don't know if it has been updated for the last patch, neither if it was publicly released at some point. The "modding possibility" was here from the start anyway.

 

[Nathaniel VII]

Ynamp mod now has terra option.

Nice, I'll try that next game.

and in all modesty, it's a great option if you ask me !

I'll just take your word for it. ;-)

 

[nzcamel]

So yesterday I reinstalled Civ V (with community patch) and started playing a game on a continents map. I had completely forgotten how much better the map scripts in that game are compared to VI. And I don't think the CP changes the map scripts. There were forest areas, vast plains, and deserts that spanned several tiles in all directions, and the entire continent was cut up by mountain ranges.

In VI the maps just seem to be a jumbled mess of tiles. Forests mix indiscriminately with rainforests, and biomes are often one or two tiles in size. Individual forest, rainforest, lake, mountain and desert tiles will often fill a cities working radius. Mountains are just randomly dispersed across the map, nothing gives the impression that this is in any way imitating real geography.

I don't know if just wasn't a priority during development, or if this is intended for "greater balance" (because spawning close to medium-sized desert region will obviously limit a civ's expansion if they don't happen to draw value from desert tiles).

I suspect that they have made smaller mountain ranges (right down to one mountain) more common in VI due to the adjacency bonuses. In relation to what you said re jungle - it's still mostly a band around the equator (probably more so in VI than V), so that's not quite right. A change that actually annoyed me on this level happened after the Australia DLC was released. They made resources clump together more with others of the same type, so that the Outback Station could more easily get a couple of pastures in it's range. The change was quite distinct from pre that DLC.

Of course (in terms of not liking tiles so mixed up) you could elect to play on a younger map which has more like tiles grouped together.

 

[Tech Osen]

Game I'm playing with Nubia I have three cities with one spot of desert for the nubian pyramid.

 

[nzcamel]

Yeah, that kind of thing feels like a contrivance. Are any of them attached to a larger desert outside of your city limits?

 

[Tech Osen]

No, though I have one city near with 4 tiles of which 3 hills but for that there wasn't a good spot for a pyramid. Build Petra there.

 

[Tech Osen]

Though back on topic: I often see mountain ranges and larger areas of forest or jungle.

 

[nzcamel]

It seems to vary from game to game. One game I'll see a massive mountain range that separates the continent it is on - another game there will be nothing like that. And I always play the middle age Earth (not old nor young).

 

[Karpius]

Just to throw in my two cents.... I have seen an interesting variety of maps as well. Most were quite playable, though a few were odd.

One map had a horseshoe mountain ranger that surrounded some tiles with only one passable opening. A great little hole in the wall, if you like that sort of thing, but getting in and out was tedious.

Off topic.....how do you folks take screenshots?

 

[Tech Osen]

Off topic.....how do you folks take screenshots?

I just use ctrl+printscreen and then paste into Paint.

 

[Drakul]

and in all modesty, it's a great option if you ask me !

"Detailed Worlds" was also working on better terrain generation (forest, rain forest, desert), but I don't know if it still works as intended since the summer patch.

There is also a port of "Perfect World" for civ6 on github, but I don't know if it has been updated for the last patch, neither if it was publicly released at some point. The "modding possibility" was here from the start anyway.

Gedemon.What do you think about ynamp map version of Europe+North Africa+Red Sea+Asia regions ? I saw a map like that in Civ 5 called From Occident to Orient and it was amazing....

 

[Karpius]

I just use ctrl+printscreen and then paste into Paint.

Duh!

I never even thought of that! Sometimes the simplest solutions elude us.

 

[Gedemon]

Gedemon.What do you think about ynamp map version of Europe+North Africa+Red Sea+Asia regions ? I saw a map like that in Civ 5 called From Occident to Orient and it was amazing....

If you find a good map you can put a request for conversion (with a link to the original map) in the YnAMP forum, but no promises (and no ETA).

I've seen one of the workshop, but it seems to lacks rivers, so it's a no-go for civ6.

 

[shaglio]

There's a map mod in the C&C forum called Fantasy (Reverse Fractal) that lumps similar terrain types together. I've only tried it once so far and it does a pretty good job of delivering what it promises. The only issue I have is that I wish it had map scripts for Continents, Pangaea, and Island Plates, instead of just Fractal.

 

[Rosty K]

Off topic.....how do you folks take screenshots?

Phone, of course. Then send it to Reddit and have a gazillion angry replies