Map making

[SlowThinker]

I am lazy to test it: Must players have Map Making if they want to swap maps in MP?

[finbar]

No, they just need to have made contact in the game.

[SlowThinker]

This is bad IMHO. It is more interesting with a need of map making.

[finbar]

Why? The Map Making tech serves a particular function - it lets you build triremes and one of the Wonders. The actual exchange of maps is a function of in-game diplomacy, like exchanging techs and so on.

[Ming]

I agree with finbar that Map Making is already important because it gives you the power to start using the sea...

On the other hand... I find it funny that you can exchange maps without being able to make maps

But I see no reason or desire to change the way it is.

And in our games... who cares... we usually don't trade maps anyway

[rah]

Yeah, I haven't traded maps with anybody in quite a while. (not including game over map trades) I don't trust most of the cut throats that we play with.

[-Jrabbit]

I can't imagine a MP game situation where a map trade wouldn't (or at least couldn't) bite you.

[Yeah, I can just see rah in king chat -- "Oh, by the way, here's the location of my capital, War4."]

In SP, you know the AI "has" the maps anyway...

[rah]

There are rare occassions where it might make sense.
1. In a three man game, you start 6 squares from someone and the other person has 2/3 of the rest of the map to grow. I have traded maps to avoid an early war that will hand the third person the game. It makes it easier to establish a peaceful border.
But since I'm not usually into peace, a rare occurance.
2. Later in the game and you want to gang up on the person with a big lead. (fortunately this doesn't happen much either )

[SlowThinker]

I would suppose that in a 4-people MP the diplomacy (and so map trading - with maps you may persuade an opponent you are in a good situation to make an alliance) is extremely important. I would think a 3-5 player MP is not Civ2 but 'Diplomacy' - winner is a player that persuade others not to attack him but another guy.

I started a PBEM and it IS about alliances and about map trading. But the map is large enough - bad for wars .

[rah]

We don't allow official alliances in our games and tech trading is not allowed, so diplomacy still exists but is limited. We do allow tech stealing and caravan delivery agreements, but all aggrements are suspect and likely to be broken at almost anytime.

[Ming]

Yes... in our games, "agreements" aren't something you depend on for very long... because the second there is an opportunity to gain by breaking it...

[rah]

Yes, when you cram 4 people onto a 39x49 map, the outcome is inevitable. Fight for land.

[atawa]

I actualy never knew you needed mapmaking to trade maps with AI.

[finbar]

You don't.

[Alexander's Horse]

what's a map?