Re: Too many mountains?
 

Really? I don't have the game with me on holiday, but I thought Middle Era Abysia had mountain survival. Maybe they just have waste survival, and I recall incorrectly. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Too many mountains?
 

It is waste survival.

Re: Too similar terrain?
 

Your terrain may be to homogeneous.

As a starting position, I got the province 288. I'm surrounded by forests, mountains, and wastelands. I don't have many options for gold.

It may be a matter of opinion, but it'd be nice if the terrain was broken up a little more.

That said, haven't seen any actual problems with the map, especially considering we crammed it so full. I am curious what's the intention behind the "border mountains" in the area?

When the scenario comes out, I'll look forward to it.

Re: Too similar terrain?
 

This is a problem in general.. it's hard to make a map look pretty and natural without making it homogeneous. Something I have noticed in making maps. But its important, right...

Re: Too similar terrain?
 

Hi LP & Zylithan:

Thank you for your comments.

When I was originally designing the map, I was worried that the mountain range would be too big. However, a good friend recommended that I go for it anyway to create a map that presented a new "challenge". Also, the map was designed for a scenario that would not really have players starting in the middle of the mountains (except maybe the Giants & Agartha). The mountains were intended to create a bit of a barrier.

Province 288 was certainly never intended as a starting spot, although the mountains and large waste area was intended as the home of Abysia. The mountain pass through 299 was intended to break up the mountains a little, but I wanted it a bit difficult. It has waste on one side and swamp on the other. The City at 299 was intended to be a bit of a Shangra-La, if you will.

Border mountains were intended to create the resource situation of mountains but without the movement restrictions.

I enjoyed creating the map, but it might not work perfectly for random nation placement. I still plan to create the scenario, plus a version that will have much fewer provinces (maybe 150). Also, with future map making, I will take care to keep the layers in GIMP longer (even when doing the pain-in-the-butt wraparound work), so that I can more easily make changes later.

If you have ideas of where nations should start in a late era scenario (and maybe a middle era, too), let me know. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Pasha

Re: Too similar terrain?
 

Can I request an update to the Threelake map, using the map making techniques from this map?

Specifically, the farmlands, wastelands and forests from this map looks much better as compared to Threelake. I won't mind the mountains too http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Too similar terrain?
 

Hi Ryo-Akashi:

Happily, I still have the GIMP file with all of the layers intact. So, it should not be too difficult to make the Threelake map look a bit more sassy and stylish. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Pasha

Late Era Scenario
 

[img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Dogbone.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Dogbone.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Dogbone.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Dogbone.gif[/img]http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/skull.gif [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Dogbone.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Dogbone.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Dogbone.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Dogbone.gif[/img]

Hello:

Here is a late era scenario that I set up. It includes all nations, except Ermor & R'lyeh. All it does is include predefined starting positions, but it prevents the AI from putting all players in funky spots on the map.

Be sure to remove the .txt at the end of the file name.

Pasha

[img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Dagger.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Dagger.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Dagger.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Dagger.gif[/img]http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/skull.gif [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Dagger.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Dagger.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Dagger.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Dagger.gif[/img]

Re: Late Era Scenario
 

Sound cool. Questions for you:

1. Do you have a concept of balance? It would be good to know, even if it isn't, who has it easier and harder, etc.. like Dawn of Dominions.

2. Would you have any interest in making in specifically imbalanced to enhance SP play. For example, make a scenario version where the player is supposed to be... LA Ulm for example, and specifically make tweaks to map balance r starting provinces, etc.

I'll check this out once I have more time... Just throwing these two out there as things that could give this map even more awesomeness, without requiring much work (drawing the map, white dots, neighbors is harder... so once its done, why not make multiple versions, etc.)

Re: Late Era Scenario
 

Hi Zylithan:

I had a few goals in mind with this scenario:

1. No two capitals should be within 2 provinces of each other, except perhaps, by use of sailing. Many are within 3 provinces of each other. It's a big map, but there are 17 capitals, and the mountains limited the number of good staring spots.

2. Keep most nations out of the big mountain range.

3. If I nation had sailing, forest survival, mountain survival, waste survival, etc., then I tried to put that nation near those kinds of terrain, etc., so they could be used.

I am not sure that some positions are specifically easier than others. I think each nation has a unique geographic challenge on the map. Agartha starts deep in the caves, which could present an income challenge. Atlantis is isolated by mountains but can sail and is aquatic, etc.

It would be fun to create a SP scenario that is more involved. I will think about doing one.

Pasha