Sirian's Map Info Reference

Sirian · October 29, 2005, 01:52

Hey Hey to Poly natives.

If you are interested in understanding what to expect from each of Civ3's official map scripts, or you are curious about what those custom map options will do, I have your solution. Download my Map Guide, attached to this post. A text file provides all the information. An image will show you actual in-game samples from each map, one to six images per script.

Also, here's a hot tip: Ice Age is my best map script. It may not be everybody's favorite, but it's got a unique flavor that turned out better than expected and nothing else plays quite like it. Probably better to start on something more standard (Continents, for instance) but I hope you will give Ice Age a try!

Terra is another of my favorites. I gave that script more TLC than any other, tweaking it over and over until the effects were "almost like the real thing". That was the idea, of course: an Earth-like map, yet randomly generated with significant variance in the details of the islands and continents.

Highlands is another favorite. This one is probably the toughest map (on average) to beat in Civ4. Anybody complaining about "cramped" maps should try a Large or Huge game of Highlands with fewer than the default number of civs. Go ahead, TRY to ICS your way through that. I double double dare you.

Happy civving!

- Sirian

Sirian · October 29, 2005, 01:57

Well, I thought it would attach. Dan Q asked me to attach it to a forum post until they could arrange a more permanent home for it, but it may be too large.

Sorry about that!

It will be available here at Poly soon, though.

- Sirian

Locutus · October 29, 2005, 03:10

I put it here: http://civilization4.net/files/sirian_mapscripts.zip

Sirian · October 29, 2005, 03:25

Thanks.

Nacht · November 1, 2005, 20:56

Thank you. But shouldn't some of this information appear as mouseover text or whatever during the screens when you set up your game?

ixnay · November 1, 2005, 21:24

For those who don't want to download anything:

http://civilization4.net/3/175/

sanska · November 2, 2005, 01:56

Uhm, the link in the article points to the bit about 'Leaders', not to the map write-up.

Jon Shafer · November 2, 2005, 03:54

Quote:

Originally posted by Sirian
If you are interested in understanding what to expect from each of Civ3's official map scripts, or you are curious about what those custom map options will do, I have your solution.

You're always behind the times Sirian...

Arrian · November 2, 2005, 08:52

CivIII.

Good guide, though.

-Arrian

quinalla · November 2, 2005, 10:00

Thank you, that is very helpful! Now to try messing with some map settings

Footie Mad · November 2, 2005, 12:53

This is great. Pure genius by Firaxis to offer so many different variations, I want to try them all and i'm sure all of them offer different challenges and styles of play. For those who think navy has a to small effect on the game there's the island maps and so forth, each variation demands new strategic thinking. Adding features for longevity and caring about the fans.

duodecimal · November 2, 2005, 12:58

Terra is very interesting:

The new world is arranged similarly to North/South America:

Even so far as to replicate a possible Panama Canal setup:

As for the Old World, did you intend to set up a central bottleneck to simulate the Middle East?

DanQ · November 2, 2005, 15:25

Quote:

Originally posted by sanska
Uhm, the link in the article points to the bit about 'Leaders', not to the map write-up.

Fixed.

-------
Dan; Apolyton CS

CanusCerebus · November 3, 2005, 11:12

Quote:

Originally posted by duodecimal
Terra is very interesting:
The new world is arranged similarly to North/South America:
Even so far as to replicate a possible Panama Canal setup:
As for the Old World, did you intend to set up a central bottleneck to simulate the Middle East?

I've been finding Terra to be great fun! From the maps you posted I can see that there is a lot of variation allowed in the script. While my new world also has a potential Panama canal there is no central 'Middle East' bottle neck. Also, the Barbarians have set up quite a little epire of their own on the New World! Several well improved cities linked by roads, some as large as 7 or 8!

I'm looking forward to trying some of the other map scripts!

Nikolai · November 3, 2005, 12:31

Terra next.

jkp1187 · November 3, 2005, 14:10

Sirian -- I am LOVING the Terra map! Thank you!

How much bigger is "Terra" than the normal-sized equivalent map? Is it just wider longitudinally -- or across-the-board?

duodecimal · November 3, 2005, 14:15

For reference, the one in my screenshots is a "huge" map. I think the one on the on-line guide is "standard".

donbrid · November 4, 2005, 16:20

Sigh, this is all Greek to me. The game I ordered from Amazon is in transit. I'm sure I'll understand when I get it. Maybe tomorrow.

Byelotsar · November 5, 2005, 06:10

I was disappointed not to find a few map scripts in the game the names of which we got to see in Sulla's tutorial (which still seems to be down

), but I'm terribly grateful for this guide. These maps look so great... especially the fantasy map! Crazy resources, four-way map wrapping... mmm. I wonder how the AI handles that...

Krill · November 6, 2005, 16:03

have you checked the custom game part of Single player? Lots of maps are only available there. Still playable, of course.

Arrian · November 7, 2005, 10:01

I love the Terra map! It's a blast. Next up is Ice Age, I think.

-Arrian

khumak · November 16, 2005, 17:55

It doesn't seem like the "balanced" maps are working properly. Aren't they supposed to guarantee that all civs are relatively close to all strategic resources? I've played several balanced maps where there was no copper, stone, or marble anywhere near me. At least I've never had a game without iron...

MasterDave · November 21, 2005, 18:58

Yesterday I played a "balanced" map on multiplayer where I was surrounded on three sides by Ice and snow, where my opponents starting cities were not. I did have both copper and iron in range of my capital, so I guess that is what was "balanced" about it.

Terra maps are fun, but on medium size on Prince level it is HARD for me to survive the extremely close quarters of the old world.

drellock2 · November 28, 2005, 14:25

Anybody when/if this Fantasy map is going to be available?

solomani · December 8, 2005, 21:30

Yeah I want the fantasy map as well

LDiCesare · December 19, 2005, 19:09

I found out I don't like many of the scripts. But since there are many, there are a few I like. These include, in this order:
Ice Age.
Pangaea.
Inner Sea.
Terra (would be great if the ai could know there's another continent out there).
I've never been a fan of archipelago maps, but I'm really disappointed with the continents map, where I tend to always end up alone on my continent when I'd like to have neighbours. Maybe I'm consistently unlucky here, or there are either too many continents for my taste on normal map.
Another thing I think could need more work: The distribution of deserts/prairies/plains sometimes seems to make no sense. You sometimes get nice big deserts, and sometimes strips of deserts and prairies on the same latitude with no hills or mountains in between which would explain the climate change.

penbeast · December 28, 2005, 17:58

I like archipelago/tiny islands . . . better than islands since in islands, each start island is big enough not to be a challenge. Nice to have to build on 2 square islands or travel long distances to expand.

player1 · January 16, 2006, 10:14

We want fantasy map!

And all other still unreleased maps.
First as free download, and next time implemented in official patches.

Urban Ranger · February 13, 2006, 02:50

Is the Highlands map intentionally resource poor? It seems to have a lower density of special resources than the continents map, which I usually play.

Rav · August 24, 2006, 13:27

What does "shuffle" do exactly?