New Map

[Gandalf Parker]

Originally posted by Keir Maxwell:
My big concern in this area is that we get enough small maps. Big maps with starting positions for 17 players are great but often the corresponding small maps get left out.

Just to clarify my idea of small I would rate Aran as medium. Even maps with as few as 40 provinces could be fun for a certain sort of multi-player or head-to-head game.

Im surprised someone didnt jump on my comment in another thread. Dont remember which. Some discussion about the lack of a battle simulator. Even the old simulator left much to be desired and making it better amounted to making it treat battles with all the options of a game. So the advnaced players just learned how to test-bed using games.

The .map I will mess with, its just a text file. The .tga takes abit more doing and I dont totally understand how Dom2 treats them (and Im still learning GIMP paint program). But someone should be able to create a 3 province .tga with a simple heavily commented .map file which explains to people how to assign their desires to 2 nations and duke it out in the middle.

Sorry to jump in the wrong thread with this.

[Kristoffer O]

Originally posted by apoger:
Gandalf's map is pretty cool. I've enjoyed it myself. The chaos is fun.


My scenario is a seven nation game where each nation starts with 10 provinces, temples, forts, armies, and some spells. Effectively it begins with players in control of a small "kingdom" rather than a province.

I have now played briefly on your map and i like it. Shorter initial period of peace (good), but a bit less enjoyment in taking new territories. Miasma with swampguards recruitable in all those towers was nice.

[apoger]

I appreciate the warm words K.O., but I'd like to get some feedback from someone that isn't associated with Illwinter.

Anyone?

[Keir Maxwell]

Originally posted by apoger:

Anyone?

I can't handle the wrap around. Perhaps its all the anti-flu medicine but I'm sure the map goes for ever and keeps multiplying/spawning. Aaaaaaaaaargh - its a Cuthulloid plan to take over the world and Alex is the head Cultist! No wonder no-ones replying - they failed their sanity roles and won't be heard from again. The reason Alex keeps asking for feedback is to get more people to see the map and go mad!

I might be able to cope with wraparound on a world map running east-west but the whole north-south wraparound runs into where the Poles should be. Sure you could have some wacky worlds but in general physics/geography should have some bearing.

I would suggest a non-wrap around Version created by stealing the code from Calanor's non-wraparound Eye map. Shouldn't be to hard to make and if no-one has done so by the time my head clears I'll put it together if you want.

Don't worry, be happy . . .

Keir

[ November 07, 2003, 00:36: Message edited by: Keir Maxwell ]

[apoger]

Making the map non wrap-around would only require removing a few lines of text from the .map file. That's not the issue.

The problem is that some nations would effectively have their backs to the new "wall" and would reap huge defensive benefits.

To balance such a situation I would have to completely revamp the positions/situations of the nations. I am unsure if there is a single player out there enjoying the map. Until I get some feedback (outside of your issues with the wrap-around map) I am not spending hours on alterations.

[Kristoffer O]

Originally posted by Keir Maxwell:


I might be able to cope with wraparound on a world map running east-west but the whole north-south wraparound runs into where the Poles should be. Sure you could have some wacky worlds but in general physics/geography should have some bearing.

I would suggest a non-wrap around Version created by stealing the code from Calanor's non-wraparound Eye map. Shouldn't be to hard to make and if no-one has done so by the time my head clears I'll put it together if you want.

Don't worry, be happy . . .

Keir

It is rather easy to make a e-w wrap with poles. The tga must be made in this way of course (so that players aren't confused). If Calanors map is used it would appear as a wraparound, but there would be a strange invisible (polar) wall going from east to west that stops all movement north-sounth.

[Gandalf Parker]

I dont mind the east-west wrap as much as the full globe wraps. It would be easy to "justify" an "east-west only" wrap by saying that even the most cold-loving of races arent ready to go up over the poles to reach someone.

I havent played with the mapeditor yet. A thin line of really REALLY white provinces although there might be a drawback to investing province numbers in provinces that no one can enter. And Im not sure if painting polar onto the top and bottom edges of the farthest north/south provinces will affect their stats. Giving those provinces mountains definetly would.

The background seems to be full size? Not a tile? Strange. (actually it seems to be a full size created from a tile pasted 4 times). Well anyway, since it isnt tiled it would be nice if there was an option in the .map to use a different one.

In the case of an e-w wraparound it could be solid polar seeming at the top and bottom with regions such as temperate and tropical down the sides. Also I could see some with hotkeys (such as for the already started game for the demo to include) or one of those old maps warning about going to far (beyond here there be Dragons) or maybe part of the storyline for the map (one ring to rule them all).

[ November 07, 2003, 13:59: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]