Making own maps. Terra map with three continents, and huge 'huge' maps.

[snoochems]

Hi all.

I’ve been playing around with Civ 4.

I would like to play on a map that is like the Terra map. As in, very large with a continent that no one starts on.

But, I would like to have a total of three continents, with two having civ’s starting on them.

Is this possible. I’ve tried the ‘World Builder’ but OMG!!! It’s just soooo slow and tedious.

For one, it just runs really slow. My PC specs are right up there, so it’s not my PC. What am i doing wrong? Or is the world builder just that bad.

Also, placing rivers… is there some kind of magical wand I need to get them to go where I want or something?

On top of this, is there a way to make the HUGE maps larger? I want to play with 18 civiliazations, but i want it to be spread out like it is with the normal 12 civilizations. Can this be done?

Thanks.
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[Sirian]

You have to do these types of things in Python. (You have to program them.)

The sky's the limit, but the learning curve is fairly steep.


- Sirian

[snoochems]

Okay, say if i just want to make the huge maps even huger.

Can i easily change the X*Y size to A*B size? (where A > X and B > Y)

I'll be content if i can just do that.

[Solver]

CIV4WorldInfo.xml in Assets\XML\GameInfo folder has map sizes for maps - iGridWidth and iGridHeight. Please note that the Standard map grid is 21x13, but the map's obviously bigger than that, so there's a proportion between grid size and plot size.

You could also program a custom map in Python that would be like Terra with two continents where people start. Or alternatively, create a map more similar to Custom Continents, with there always being three continents and one of them empty.

[snoochems]

What is this python stuff, and why do people assume i'm some form of crack programmer. I do know a bit of C and C++, so the general 'jargon' of programming is half understandable to me.

I'm assuming there is just a file i can change a couple of numbers around to get some bigger maps.

[SpartanLord]

I have been testing different sizes for most of the day and the biggest stable size I could get my duel Xeon (3.2Ghz) workstation (4GBs RAMM) to run smoothly was 55x33. Please note: It used over 1GB of memory. It also to long enough for me to see the entire opening "show" by Mr. Spock.

Currently I'm trying to figureout how to increase the landmass ratio. It seems that the land size it fixed at about 30% from the dozen or so maps I generated to date. Furthermore I seem to always get two land masses. One of them is nearly always 20% of the area and the other is about 10%.

[Grandpa Troll]

Originally posted by SpartanLord
I have been testing different sizes for most of the day and the biggest stable size I could get my duel Xeon (3.2Ghz) workstation (4GBs RAMM) to run smoothly was 55x33. Please note: It used over 1GB of memory. It also to long enough for me to see the entire opening "show" by Mr. Spock.

Currently I'm trying to figureout how to increase the landmass ratio. It seems that the land size it fixed at about 30% from the dozen or so maps I generated to date. Furthermore I seem to always get two land masses. One of them is nearly always 20% of the area and the other is about 10%.

and I know this isnt CTP and the ai has immensly improved since but when I was modding CTP for these epic game map sizes with a lot of civilizations, the downside was sometimes the ai just wandered for years or when they actually did build were confused acting

Just adding as I too would love to have one of them "MEGA MAPS" but dont wanna wait for ever to load the map either

Thanks for all your hard work folks

[SpartanLord]

I agree with you about the "wonder" factor. Oddly enough from the maps I have made the game has impressed me with its placement on home cities after a small change. I figure this has to do with the target number of cities variable. I set it to 10 (default was 6) afterwhich the placment was very nice. Prior they were all rather close and in one area.

[snoochems]

Originally posted by SpartanLord
I have been testing different sizes for most of the day and the biggest stable size I could get my duel Xeon (3.2Ghz) workstation (4GBs RAMM) to run smoothly was 55x33. Please note: It used over 1GB of memory. It also to long enough for me to see the entire opening "show" by Mr. Spock.

Currently I'm trying to figureout how to increase the landmass ratio. It seems that the land size it fixed at about 30% from the dozen or so maps I generated to date. Furthermore I seem to always get two land masses. One of them is nearly always 20% of the area and the other is about 10%.

Well, it sounds like you're trying to do what i am. I'm not aiming for that big though. Proabably 40x25 or something would be good.

What would be better though is to have a greater land to sea ratio. I've played around with the sea level XML file, but i don't think it works too well. I took it to -24 for the low sea level, started a map, opened up the world builder, and it looks just like the normal 'low sea level'.

If anyone figures this out, please post.

[SpartanLord]

Originally posted by snoochems


Well, it sounds like you're trying to do what i am. I'm not aiming for that big though. Proabably 40x25 or something would be good.

What would be better though is to have a greater land to sea ratio. I've played around with the sea level XML file, but i don't think it works too well. I took it to -24 for the low sea level, started a map, opened up the world builder, and it looks just like the normal 'low sea level'.

If anyone figures this out, please post.

LOL - I tried the sea level option last night and like you I had no luck. I guess at the moment without any Pro help the only option is to WB a mega map. It woul dbe nice if we could make maps like in SimCity.

Anyway, I hope the CivIV SDK is released soon after the first patch.

[snoochems]

For the love of all things holy... it's just as bad with the patch.

[FexFX]

CONFIRMED
Great Plains, Highlands, Hub, Ice Age, Inland Sea, Lakes, Maze, Mirror, Oasis, Pangea, Ring, Team_Battleground, Terra, Tilted Axis, Wheel
DO NOT WORK WITH SIZE CHANGING MODS!
All of these map scripts result in a single land mass without any water, and climate banding, from ice to arid at the edges gradiating to jungle in the very middle.
Their Scripts specify map sizes.
I attempted to make my own versions of these maps by simply inserting the new map sizes...however this DID NOT work!

The following map types should work without a problem:
Archipelago, Balanced, Continents, Custom Continents, Islands.

[StevetheMagnus]

Same here

I'd like to do the same as you - I find the "terra" map to work best for online gaming with a friend. We're guarenteed to be in contact with each other however there is the new world to explore later in the game. Have you had any luck with this? I'd even be satisfied with us being on the same continent - but if we're going to invest hours in an online game the map needs to be one that gives both of us a fair shot.