What's the best map generator?

[Higher Game]

Fractal is good but it's unusable for a 5+ person multiplayer match because someone always ends up getting plainscowed.

Also, is the unofficial patch worth using? How does overflow change the game?

 

[Jarlaxe Baenre]

I would agree that Fractal is the best, but if you have 5+ people playing multiplayer, well, that's a lot.

 

[Dragonxander PR]

For someone who wants superb maps all the time, the regular Civ IV map-generating scripts are rather defficient--if you want superb maps all the time, I advise you to get PerfectWorld2--be aware that this maps creates well-defined climate & humidity zones, as well as realistic & really pleasant geography, & this in turn needs a longer generation process--but it's always worth it, even with jungle starts.

 

[Manfred Belheim]

The only problem I have with PerfectWorld2 is that it makes maps that are too big (meaning that Huge is larger than a typicl Huge map), and I end up with acres of unused land still to settle even in the late game. But it was easy enough to fiddle with the map script to alter this. It also doesn't seem compatible with the RevolutionsDCm mod for some reason.

 

[Dragonxander PR]

You have the option to increase the number of players on the map--I just noticed that problem last night. Also, I do notice that some continents reach out up to the poles, so it seems the warmer climate zones have been expanded. As for the RevolutionDCM problem, I haven't tried it yet there.

 

[Manfred Belheim]

Yes but I used to play it on an unmodded Vanilla game and I could only have 11 civs on a huge map. That wasn't enough to really fill a huge PerfectWorld2 map. It was a quick fix in the script though. I suppose I could add a few more civs on BTS now, but I'm used to 11

 

[s.bernbaum]

Three questions here.

Does PerfectWorld2 only make huge maps or can it make smaller ones as well?

Do you just drop it into the folder where the other map scripts are?

Where does one get it?

 

[ace94d]

What's wrong with Plains Cows?

 

[Dragonxander PR]

Three questions here.

Does PerfectWorld2 only make huge maps or can it make smaller ones as well?

Do you just drop it into the folder where the other map scripts are?

Where does one get it?

Some answers for your questions

1. PerfectWorld2 can make maps of various sizes--the thing with them is that they have less polar ice caps occupying space (thus have more usable land), & it seems the maps are slightly bigger than their regular game counterparts (I'll check that during these days).

2. Yes, you'd place the mapscript with the other mapscripts (...\Documents\My Games\Beyond the Sword\Public Maps ).

3. You can find it on Civ4 - Creation & Customization > MapScripts. You will also find many other scripts there.

 

[s.bernbaum]

Thanks! I'll have to check it out.

 

[Higher Game]

What's wrong with Plains Cows?

It's possibly a "bug" (there is debate apparently) that sometimes makes your capital unusually food-poor.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

What's wrong with Plains Cows?

The game thinks a plains cow + one flood plain = 2 riverside corn and 2 gems. That's what's wrong.

The game requires only 1 food resource in the capitol + at least one tile with 3f yield. Oasis or flood plain = 3 food, so if your start location already has a plains cow that's all you're going to get.

Bad as capitol logic is, spawn positions are even worse. If you want a BALANCED game, you're just about forced into using something like mirror.

 

[Dragonxander PR]

Thanks! I'll have to check it out.

I found out what are the map sizes for PerfectWorld2. It seems each size name has been assigned to the next bigger size (your PerfectWorld2 Large map would be a regular Civ Huge map).

144 * 96 (huge)--I recommend at least 14 civs
128 * 80 (large)--at least 11
104 * 84 (standard)--at least 9
88 * 56 (small)--at least 7
64 * 40 (tiny)--at least 5
48 * 32 (duel)--at least 3

 

[Earthling]

Erebus Continents. Not sure it always works perfectly in vanilla but it sometimes does. It has a lot of options that won't be relevant but some especially useful ones.

Failing that, PerfectWorld2 is actually designed for civ4 BtS and works on the same principles, (EC actually is based on/borrows some algorithms) creates rather dynamic terrain.

Out of the default maps, I'd go with Tectonics, Fractal at least gives variance though so that's ok.

 

[Scoottr]

Is PerfectWorld the one where you get all the civs on one continent and then have a 'new world'?

I don't like to know that that there is another continent out there..takes away the randomness for me.

Otherwise I am big on fractal...but guess you said that doesn't work on MP

 

[Venereus]

Erebus Continents. Not sure it always works perfectly in vanilla but it sometimes does. It has a lot of options that won't be relevant but some especially useful ones.

Failing that, PerfectWorld2 is actually designed for civ4 BtS and works on the same principles, (EC actually is based on/borrows some algorithms) creates rather dynamic terrain.

Out of the default maps, I'd go with Tectonics, Fractal at least gives variance though so that's ok.

I love Tectonics' mountain chains, but it tends to make some sort of ecuatorial belt made entirely of plains, is this normal or is it just me?

 

[plasmacannon]

Planet Generator 0.68 is coming up with excellent maps.
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=180995

It has a lot of variables you can tweek to make each map what you are looking for that game.

Start a custom game, on future era to see what the maps look like.

You can set it for less desert, more wet to produce more trees.
Even no land at poles, to have fewer barbs appearing from down there.
Number of continents, even where you want Flood plains to occur, such as next to fresh water or ocean.
Which is interesting, since it can produce Tiles with 5 food next to a river, without a resourse.

 

[Dragonxander PR]

Is PerfectWorld the one where you get all the civs on one continent and then have a 'new world'?

I don't like to know that that there is another continent out there..takes away the randomness for me.

Otherwise I am big on fractal...but guess you said that doesn't work on MP

It is possible for it to do that, but it's not mandatory--you can have it with civs starting everywhere, with civs starting on the Old World only, or have it random between those 2.

 

[NihilZero]

The game thinks a plains cow + one flood plain = 2 riverside corn and 2 gems. That's what's wrong.

The game requires only 1 food resource in the capitol + at least one tile with 3f yield. Oasis or flood plain = 3 food, so if your start location already has a plains cow that's all you're going to get.

Bad as capitol logic is, spawn positions are even worse. If you want a BALANCED game, you're just about forced into using something like mirror.

It's also quite possible to get a solitary plains cow and no floodplains at all. And then there was that time when I saw an AI Mehmed get a capital with no food sources, just a couple of silks...don't ask me to explian that one.