Newbie questions about Civ: TOT

[Ouchy]

I am contemplating purchasing Civ: Test of Time, but I have a few concerns about the game:

1) Exactly how many maps are "linked". That is, can I play a massive campaign where my units are transferrable between the original map + Alpha Centauri, Midgard fantasy map, and the sci-fi map? From reading some of the reviews I was under the impression that I can play an original map + Alpha Centauri campaign as one campaign, with the Midgard map and the sci-fi map as separate scenarios by themselves (kind of like Civ 2 Gold....)

2) Besides units, what else is transferrable? If I discover technological advances on one map which allows me to build a new unit or building in a city on the original map, for example, can I build the same unit or building on a city in the fantasy or sci-fi map, and vice versa? (Assuming all the maps are linked)

3) Description of technological advances and units: I did not enjoy Civ 2: Gold because in most of the scenarios, there was little description in the encyclopedia files beyond the mere "-2 unhappy people in each city". I for one always enjoyed reading about the historical significance behind a particular civilization advance. When I was playing the Midgard scenario, there were no descriptions for any of the wonders of the world, which meant that while I knew the TOWER OF JOE BLOW reduced unhappy people by 2 in each city, I had had no clue as to WHY.

Thanks

[Cam]

Ouchy,

(1.) Test of Time permits up to four maps to be linked - or more correctly that is, allow four 'worlds' to co-exist in one game. The choice to link the worlds depends upon map transport relationships - see sleague.apolyton.net/Guides/sldt_tot_worlds.shtml for some insight here.

In practical terms, there are various 'sub-games' that come with Test of Time; the 'Original' game exists only on one map, while the 'Extended' game exists on two - Earth and Alpha Centauri. The 'Midgard' scenario however uses four maps - Surface World, Undersea World, Cloud World, and Underworld. The scenario author or the modpack author determines what 'worlds' exist (if you can call the fantasy and sci-fi games 'modpacks').

(2.) As far as I'm aware, it's up to rules.txt to determine which units may be created in which worlds, but typically (that is in the scenarios so far) most units may be built in most worlds. The normal rules re. adjacent to ocean squares for docks, coastal fortresses, and off-shore platforms still exist. Otherwise, to the best of my knowledge, city improvements may be built in any world given the requisite technology.

(3.) The 'pedia is similar to the standard Civ2 'pedia in that the initial advice is "Increases science output by 50%", however for the games there is further info' that may be obtained by pressing the "Description" button that does set out a greater explanation as you say as to "why". The 'pedia has been amended for the sci-fi and fantasy games / mod-packs.

I hope this addresses your concerns (and more importantly that this advice is right! )

[Ouchy]

Thankyou. Your explaination was very thorough and has cleared up a great deal of confusion on my part.

I now realize that in my original post, I had confused "maps" with "worlds", and mistakenly thought that "link maps" meant that the fantasy worlds, sci-fi worlds, and the original extended map were all linked up into one giant massive game. (What a micromanagement nightmare that would have been)

Now that I know, I think I will still pick up the game.

Thanks again.

[tobyr]

Here are further clarifications about the four maps:

There is a new order 'n' that tells a unit to jump from the current map to some other map, to the square with the same coordinates. This command causes the four "worlds" to be, in effect, stacked above each other.

In practice (playing the ToT fantasy game), one gets the feeling that this is one world with multiple levels. You feel insecure about your settler units, knowing that at any moment, a creature may drop out of the sky above, or surge up from the ground below to attack it.

Note that there is zero move cost to switch maps, so a unit can do a lot of map switching in one turn. (I sometimes use nine map switches in one turn of the sorceror unit.)

When you use the n command, the game checks rules.txt to determine whether this particular unit is allowed to use the 'n' order. If so, it checks which maps the unit is allowed to move to, from the current map.

There are six possible between-map moves:

between 0 and 1
between 0 and 2
between 0 and 3
between 1 and 2
between 1 and 3
between 2 and 3

A table in rules.txt, @MAP_TRANSPORT_RELATIONSHIPS, can be used to define as many of the six as desired. (The fantasy game in ToT uses only three of the entries, allowing movement only to and from the surface level map.)

If a unit is allowed to move from map 0 to 2, it is also allowed to move from 2 to 0; there is no one-way movement.

For a given unit, the game must also consult the @UNITS_ADVANCED table. That table has a bit flag saying whether a unit can exist on a given map, and also one bit flag for each of the six relationships in the MAP_TRANSPORT table, individually enabling zero or more of the 'n' possibilities.

When you press n and the unit is allowed to make a transfer, it transfers at once if there is only one possibility; otherwise you are given a list of maps from which to choose. However when you make your selection, you may still be unable to move if the terrain you are moving to is inaccessable to this particular unit.

In addition, units can be allowed to build a connection between squares of the same coordinates on two maps. In the ToT fantasy game, the dwarf is able to build these "tunnels" between the surface and the underground. Another set of flags in the UNITS_ADVANCED table defines these capabilities by referencing the relationships in the MAP_TRANSPORT table.

All in all, there is a remarkable gradation in the degree to which units can move among maps, since there are also the equivalent of multi-map airports. Maps can also contain premade tunnels just waiting to be used. Flying creatures are much more facile in their use of the 'n' command, since they are not restricted by terrain. A ground unit may find tortuous ways to cross an ocean without a boat, by threading its way among land masses on different maps with the 'n' command.

The game also makes it possible to create a set of maps that vary remarkably among each other. To see an example of this, just start a ToT fantasy game, reveal the whole map, and be fascinated!

- toby


------------------
toby robison
criticalpaths@mindspring.com