Thoughts on the New Map Types

[Cerilis]

In my game all the CSs were on the second continent. There were natural wonders on both though, although I use terra mirabilis so that may change the scripts

Mhm, im not quite sure i like none CS at all on the starting landmass :/

 

[Ceydezed]

Mhm, im not quite sure i like none CS at all on the starting landmass :/

TheGameCommon on twitch made a test with most of the new map types, he rolled a couple of Terra and there were city states in the starting landmass too.

 

[jozef57]

love the new maps can not wait to try them, wished for an even bigger map seize

 

[Krajzen]

Is AI on Terra actually mass settling the second continent?

 

[Ziad]

Continents and Islands with low sea level is actually perfect. It's like Small Continents except the main landmasses are bigger (so it's better for the AI).

 

[Victoria]

You can also set a bigger map without filling every player slot.

I find a large map perfect for a lot of these new map types. Huge is too big.

 

[Kaan Boztepe]

terra on large/huge does not work as intended for me. some civs starts on second continent with some CS on the "old ontinent". i also tried to remove some civs.

 

[MrRadar]

Far too early to tell something more coherent. I've tasted just the very tip. All the animations are on for full enjoyment, so I'm only ~80 turns into my first Terra map game with Norway (deity standard size/speed). Haven't built a single longship yet, not even got the Celestial Navigation. No time. Fighting for survival. And smelling blood!

My very close neighbour, with whom I'm in a deathly embrace, is Korea. I got two cities and was preparing to attack her when she preempted me. Good girl. But she left me no time to clear a barb camp, so now I'm taking her cities while being in a Dark Age, so it is a bit complicated. But as long as she does not get city walls and those deadly Hwatchas, I think I'll be fine. Lautaro is further away with some room between us, and I've been also discovered by Kupe. When I get to the New World eventually, I'm expecting to find his massive empire there... Nah, just kidding, I expect to find his capital somewhere near the South pole as usual

I have found one CS in the Old World, but a massive mountain range across the landmass and lots of hills there make things really difficult for my scout.

AI still not too bright. Korea already has x-bows, while I'm still at warriors, chariots, archers and horsemen, but I see some erratic AI movements from the tile they stand on into a city and back again on the original tile. At one point AI chose to move an isolated x-bow into a besieged, heavily damaged and doomed city which it lost next turn together with that x-bow. It could've shot one of my besieging and damaged units instead, or even damaged barbarians nearby, but it chose the most senseless action in that situation. Otherwise, much fun so far.

<...> the crowdiness of Terra. Makes the game unplayable from Emperor and up, except for a few key civs that can muscle their way out of the choke. <...>

Unplayable? Most certainly not! Just more challenging and maybe delays a while your steamrolling the map.

But I see a potential problem in that player experience on this type of map might be reduced to something similar to playing Pangaea. Once you're out of the starting hole and got your place in the sun, you can dominate the Old World, but then, Civ 6 being what it is, you probably won't need any new possessions in the New World to win the game. But then you could start in some mostly closed off area made safe by natural borders and the New World might offer an easier way to expand than war in difficult terrain. Anyway, some more games will be needed to form more grounded opinion.

 

[Tomice]

I'm extremely happy there's finally an official terra map A long-expected classic returns!

terra on large/huge does not work as intended for me. some civs starts on second continent with some CS on the "old ontinent". i also tried to remove some civs.

I believe 2-4 continents are randomly generated first, then measured and ranked according to their land percentage.
If the largest continent has enough space to place all civs, it happens so. If it is even larger than necessary, some CS are also placed on it. All other CS are then placed on the remaining continents.

If the largest continent isn't enough for all civs, another continent is probably declared as second "old world". If the two "old worlds" have spare space, a few CS might also end up on them.

At least that's how I remember previous terra scripts.
_______________________________________________

I tried a huge map with 8 instead of 12 civs, and 12 instead of 18 CS. Seemed to work well (though I only revealed 4 maps using the console).
Sometimes a few CS spawned in the old world, but not always. the majority was usually in the new world.
The script seems generate a nice mix of 2-4 continents with a few major islands. There seem to be rules to guarantee oceans between larger landmasses, but I've also seen medium-sized islands that can be reached with early ships.
The main oceans seem to be connected in most cases, but there's usually only one east-west passage (in the north, south or middle). Sometimes there's none before global warming.
________________________________________________

Terra might also benefit a lot from mods that change the difficulty progression (less free Ai settlers/workers/troops, but scaling bonuses that increase over time).

 

[Lord Lakely]

Unplayable? Most certainly not! Just more challenging and maybe delays a while your steamrolling the map.

Not "unplayable unplayable", just unappealing. I like a bit of a challenge. Getting crushed between two AIs who start with two cities and a bunch of free warriors each is too much of it.

Besides, I don't play Terra just to play a dom game; I only resort to Ancient Era aggression when I roll Monty, Teddy or Gilgamesh- If I get any other leader, I'd prefer peaceful expansion. Getting pigeonholed into using a strategy I don't like is not why I chose to play Terra. .

But I see a potential problem in that player experience on this type of map might be reduced to something similar to playing Pangaea. Once you're out of the starting hole and got your place in the sun, you can dominate the Old World, but then, Civ 6 being what it is, you probably won't need any new possessions in the New World to win the game. But then you could start in some mostly closed off area made safe by natural borders and the New World might offer an easier way to expand than war in difficult terrain. Anyway, some more games will be needed to form more grounded opinion.

It's a more crowded, pangaea, yes. Like the vanilla map generation that also put you right next to other AI empires (or in the middle of 3 barb emcampments). I think the map can be loads of fun on lower difficulties, (so, up to King), or maybe on Emperor if you start near the edge of the continent, but I wouldn't want to play this map on immortal/deity, unless you play an S-tier Civ or Norway/Maori.

 

[Victoria]

Twisted seems to be a small continent map with the temperature twisted rather than the entire map, still playing though.

 

[Gedemon]

terra on large/huge does not work as intended for me. some civs starts on second continent with some CS on the "old ontinent". i also tried to remove some civs.

update YnAMP if you're using it.

 

[iammaxhailme]

Is AI on Terra actually mass settling the second continent?

In my game, AI Norway explored a bunch of the new world and got the first-met-CS bonuses, but hasn't put any cities there yet. But it's kind of early and I beelined ocean sailing to get there

 

[Abaxial]

Tilted axis is proving interesting. Since ice-covered land is impassible, it means that the map is essentially divided into two halves that cannot easily interact with each other. I have Brazil and Hungary as neighbours, and I think Canada is nearby, which means four civs are on the other half of the map, doing I don't know what (by 1180 AD).

 

[MrRadar]

Getting pigeonholed into using a strategy I don't like is not why I chose to play Terra.

Maybe it is too early to talk about pigeonholing yet. You may also get peaceful or easily befriended neighbours and avoid early war, then lack of space will be a very strong incentive to seek new free lands. Even neighbouring Monty and Chandra may not be an instant death warrant, if they choose to go at each other first, instead of you.

Since ice-covered land is impassible, it means that the map is essentially divided into two halves that cannot easily interact with each other.

Oh, that's how it is? That's a very good reason to beeline coal and start opening that Great East-West Passage! Or is it also a strip of land in the middle of all that ice, to be canal-ed through?

 

[Caprikel]

I like the concept of lakes although, like Terra, it seems in this case very susceptible to a few civs really steamrolling (namely, the dutch, and the incans/anyone who can move between patches of land separated by water and mountain easily.)
Only downside is you will really rage as the dutch because mountains don't count as land for polders, although Natural wonders do, and mountains frequently run into the lakes. Is total control of the water table too much to ask for?!

I really like terra maps. Although i think "TerraLite" where you have a continents maps and then leave some continents blank/city states would be a nice mix to not make a Maori completely overpowering.

I think I can see why you were also drawn to the lakes map by your location, a map full of lakes does remind me of my home state.

 

[Lord Shadow]

Is AI on Terra actually mass settling the second continent?

Haven't been able to play yet, but this is THE question.

There might be a very challenging start, but if the AI will likely stay imprisoned in the "old world" while the player runs away settling new lands, it kind of defeats the whole point of the concept.

 

[SammyKhalifa]

Continents and islands is pretty fun so far, though i haven't exposed the whole map yet. In a freak geographic accident though it was quite a long time before I met another civ and I had to take over a city state in order to feed my bireme-fueled anger

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I'm on a C&I map. It suffers from the same issue as Island Plates, Small Continents, and similar map where you have to send a whole flotilla to explore uninhabited areas because of all the barbarian quads. Nature of the beast, I suppose.

Beyond that, my chief complaint is that strings of coastal water connects the landmass groups together both directions. I strongly feel that you shouldn't be able to access the whole map until you can cross open ocean. I'm going to try again with higher ocean levels.

 

[Victoria]

Twisted is not what I thought. One pole in the middle and one on the 4 corners. You cannot navigate through any of the map edges but you can get circumnavigation getting to both ends.