New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wrap FIXED!
 

Attached here is v 1.01, the best current working version.


If you scroll down I have posted as an attachment the full map (20mb). This is the good resolution map. If people want, I can try to make a smaller (5mb) version. Thanks for the patience and feedback!

-----------------------------------------------------
Folks,

Here's my first attempt at a map. I was just learning the ropes, figuring out how stuff works, so it's pretty basic. I went with someone's suggested theme of a mostly desert oasis. This ended up limiting the aesthetics more than I would have liked, but.. oh well. I don't know how it would play, I've done some testing, but I have never myself played any MP. I imagine it might get people trying different races from a normal map, and using different strategies. But maybe it sucks. Feedback is welcome. I'm very busy in life now, but I'm looking forward to making much better maps in the future.

Thanks,
Z

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

Hrm. My screenshot link is wrong somehow http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

I think so too http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif
I'll post my map (not the multi-layer one but the wrapped water-map) tomorrow with the hints I got today I should be able to finish it.. it's simple but clean

I can't open your map on this (work) comp so I'll check it tomorrow.

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/9...altransqu4.jpg

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

Thank you sir. Can I ask how you did that?

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/9...altransqu4.jpg

<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/9...altransqu4.jpg</pre><hr />

It wasn't a problem with your html, per se, except that this forum doesn't allow html. You have to use UBB code or in the advanced posting/preview option, the instant ubb code.

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

Oops!
Sorry Zylithan, I had meant to post an explanation with it (thanks LP!), but I was distracted and when I came back to the PC I just hit submit.

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

Thanks for the help. I'll get that right for my next map, whenever that comes. Feel free to leave opinions on this map whenever you get a chance to check it out, and I'll use them to make future maps better.

Thanks,
Z

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

Looks nifty, but I'm currently overworked. It'll go on my list of must-tries. I've only had the chance to look at that thumbnail.

It might be all my RPG/SimAnt experience talking, but I feel there needs to be a giant, mighty, manslaying antlion in the center province devouring all who pass through.

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

Well, i tried it, and it "can't find a valid starting province".

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

Halancar my guess would be he didn't disable water-based races and that is what you started with.

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

Yeah, there are 8 preset land starts, as the map states in the description. If you are random or have random AI, it will crash if a water race is selected. Sorry about that.

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

hey there are commands to change that Zylithan i't's not hard (even I foudn them already and implemented on my new map) I'll post an example but for more read the .doc files also for the race numbers needed

#allowedplayer 21#allowedplayer 22#allowedplayer 26#allowedplayer 46#allowedplayer 47#allowedplayer 48#allowedplayer 67

these ones allow only the water-races so you basically need the opposites.. you need to #allowedplayer all other races

(there might be better ways but I don't know em)

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

I did try with only land races. Even with all mods disabled and choosing only one land player, I still "could not find a valid starting location"

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

Looks very nice. How did you produce the graphics?

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

lol load the map in the editor and see if he's made them all nostart?

Or did he label them all sea maybe http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

only things I could think of really.

anyway.. he should STILL enter those lines I mentioned because crashing if a random player is a water race isn't very elegant and it's only 1 min work to change.

PS save your .map file in another location too.. cus if you ever change something in the editor (a neighbor or a landtype) then it will just save it without all things you typed below the continues lines of the editor (and that is where I put those and other lines) so it's easier if you can copy paste them back then instead of having lost them

or save under different names of course

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

Also got the no start locations

Some provinces have the terrain type "4194880"...whats that?

Didn't see anything but provinces, names, terrain types and neighbors. No specific start locations or special provinces

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

I expect it will be playable before I start wandering the world, uttering my lonely shout like the mad banshee I'm becoming...
A very nice map (no water !!).

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

hey that is insulting to my water map huma

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

I don't think so, cause your map offers a very specific gameplay. I don't like water because my favorite factions usualy don't do well in water (marignon, abysia...), so I'm very pleased to see a map with NO water on it.It is really boring not to finish a game because of a water faction holding in those "BIP" seas.

I will give a try to your mod/map tonight, as I usualy find annoying to play a water nation on maps with 75 % of land.

I hate water, with all those strange beasts doing all sort of stuff in it...(I NEVER wash myself)

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

They look... familiar, actually.
Now, where would I find a giant antlion graphic?

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

Map was made in age of wonders 2 shadow magic editor.

I'm curious about the no start locations. I've played the map many times, and a bunch of other people have to and have never seen the no valid start provinces error. Is this still happening?

Thanks,
Z

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

Okay. I'm a moron. When I compressed the image to make it small enough to upload to this site, I lost a lot of the white dots apparently, and the whole map is screwed up. Sigh. I'll fix and respost, apologies to those who had this problem, and sorry for doubting. I had been using the real version, with better graphcis than the one I posted, which is why I didn't see this.

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

HERE IS THE GOOD GRAPHICS QUALITY WORKING MAP. 20 MB.

Private message me if you need a smaller, lower quality one uploaded. Thanks! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

Making most of the map a wasteland forces the player(s) to choose wisely who will play on this map. I tried it only with human civs, and a civ like Machaka could only produce a spider from time to time. I think the main pbm is the AI doesn't even try to adapt to low income, she tries the usual mass armies, which are condemned from start. To my sense it can be an enjoyable map, but not against the AI.
I let you guess what happened to the AI massive armies in those barren lands...

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

yeah, I sort of imagined that could be a problem. But thought it could be interesting for MP, because it changes game dynamics as you mentioned. THanks for the feedback.

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

I'm liking the map a lot.

Few thoughts: Seems that getting 4 sites at 75% site frequency isn't difficult, and with only 8 players with so many provinces it equates to a ton of gems. Playing an astral race, accumulated about 500 astral gems then just let loose with ashaic (spell i rarely use), usually 3-4 sites per province. Anything less was a rarity.

Have you thought about taking about a third of the provinces out (possibly down to like 35/player)? With so little reward per province it seems like you'd need em but having so many kind of defeats the purpose by still allowing moderate incomes. Or put in about 100 more mountains/chokepoints. Would change the map drastically though.

Possibly add 8 smaller farms/forests/grasslands between the positions. Gives an additional direction to shoot for and possible border castle.

I'm playing a blood nation, so it actually works out pretty well - lots of provinces where losing the 17g income isn't a big deal. Its not optimal, but I don't feel like i'm shutting down a gold producer to get slaves.

Possibly make the middle a bit more appealing, either a few special provinces/sites or increase the pops about 30% (most are 6k-8k it seems). Maybe even make the inner ring 15-20k pop provinces.

I ran my bigger game at 125 supply, plus I have 3 growth so I havne't run into many supply issues. AI seems to be doing ok with moderate sized armies or huge armies of undead. Could be that they're all dying before they get to me, but I border about 4 positions so unsure.

Would it work to make the starting green areas even higher pop? say 40k? Give death scales a bit more time and everyone slightly higher starting incomes.

Having fun so far, will let you know if anything else comes to mind.

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

Wait... 75% site frequency? I really didnt mean to do that. It's supposed to be the basic site frequency. Is that something you did, or did I turn that up somehow? If so, I'll change it. Thanks for letting me know.

Thanks for all the other comments. I appreciate your feedback, and am up for changing this map if people prefer a different way, and it will help me make better ones in the future.

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

its a setting when creating the game, I always do 75 cuz I like lots of magic... with so many wastelands its kind of unreal though. With no globals up i'm making large amounts of gems/turn. I'm probably at mid game, haven't been in a war yet (for some reason the usual AI tendency to attack the player didn't work, they're all fighting each other), and I'm making almost 40 of each per turn. (48 astral and 26 nature are the extremes).

Bit out of the normal though, I blew tons of gems on ashaic record which is uncommon, I'm near the top of the province charts, and I've fully searched every single one of my provinces.

As the map maker, the only thing you'd probably want to do is recommend a 50% or lower site frequency at game creation. 75% is nuts.

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

any other comments? I only see 20 downloads... but the attachment is sort of far down the thread. Maybe I'll try to fix that this evening when I'm with my files.

Re: New Map: Infinite Sands - Multiplayer Wraparou
 

Like I said, I like this map. It might be worth it to even take it a step further and see what level of game creation supply % is needed to make it absolutely brutal to cross the wastelands. Right now it still seems worth it to conquer everything, wondering if it could be made NOT worth it.

I'm wondering if its possible to map code specific domain into a province, make all wasteland misfortune, death, unlucky, heat, drain at dom 10 until taken over by a players dom. Start with supply 50, resources 50, gold 125 or something at game creation. Heavy magery, small elite armies.

OTOH, other thoughts:

Have a lush middle like you have, possibly 8-12 provinces

Have each capital be surrounded by useful territories, so capital and maybe 3 other mid-pop/income territories.

Have "pathways", i.e. useful (mid-high pop/income) provinces towards the middle and towards the closest neighbors.

So, with 8 players we'd be looking at (4(near capital)x8)+12 (center) + 14?(2 between each neighbor) for 58 total "good" provinces" out of the total. How many total? like 225 or something? Might actually be too many, hmm.