Can someone interpret this preview quote?

[Ralf]

I found below from a minor 1-page Civ-3 update at Gamespot:

quote: At the end of the demonstration, Firaxis also said it plans to ship a robust level editor with the game, which will give you much more freedom in the types of maps you can create.

Any ideas what this means, exactly? Level-editor? Not Scenario-editor or map-editor. Are they talking about 3D height-levels on the map, or what? Any ideas?

[Kull]

That's certainly what it sounds like. Especially given the comment that "Firaxis.....has created nearly 12,000 different tiles to give maps a lot of variety". That's an almost unbelievable number, and is only comprehensible if you have 3D terrain.

[Buck Birdseed]

The 12000 number was used for "number of frames of animation of units" in another preview. Misunderstanding.

"Level-editor" is industry-speak for "scenario editor" when applied to FPS games and so on. The use of it here is just a clumsy journalist's fumble, as is the "12000 terrain types".

[Ralf]

quote: Originally posted by Snapcase on 05-19-2001 04:02 PM "Level-editor" is industry-speak for "scenario editor" when applied to FPS games and so on. The use of it here is just a clumsy journalist's fumble, as is the "12000 terrain types".

Hmm! Your explanation sounds probable. I guess you are right. Anyway, even if one skip the 3D-landscape idea:

quote: ,which will give you much more freedom in the types of maps you can create.

My underlining. Amongst many other things, I guess it means that you are free to pin-point where resources shall appear in several layers. I also hope that it means that they have implemented one of my favourite ideas:

Allowing scenario/map-creators to manually dotting the map with ideal potential AI-city locations. These potential AI-city locations are invisible for the scenario-player, but the AI can ONLY found its cities on these pre-designated spots. Any AI-civ can start-out randomly from any spot, and spread out to other pre-designated spots in any direction - no limitations. But thanks to above, the AI doesnt have to be bothered with calculating optimal city-locations during the game - this have already been taken care for by the map-creator. This leads to ideally spaced out AI-cities, and therefore more efficient AI land-area exploitation.
Perhaps the scenario-creator also can choose if the human player should follow these pre-designated spots as well. IF so, the settler-unit is unavailable as a free-moving unit. The human player builds the corespondent amount of shields anyway and loses 2 pop-points, but the new city pops up later, on places pre-designated by the scenario-creator. This allows ultimate historical scenario-control. Above is of course optional - but it would be really nice if the scenario-creator had this type of geographical city-founding expansion-control - at least then it comes to AI-cives in historically accurate scenarios.

[This message has been edited by Ralf (edited May 19, 2001).]

[Harlan]

Actually, the 12,000 number might be believable as terrain, and without 3D terrain. Certainly a number of articles have mentioned it in the terrain context. If one starts creating different terrain graphics for every possible terrain combo: forest with hills to the north of it, hills with mountains to the east of it, etc etc etc, you start running into thousands of combos pretty quickly.

[Ralf]

quote: Originally posted by Harlan on 05-19-2001 05:14 PM Certainly a number of articles have mentioned it in the terrain context.

Its strange that the guy talks about "freedom in the types of maps you can create". Even if he used jumbled-up industry-jargon (as Snapcase suggests), one would at least think that he should be consequently jumbled: "freedom in the types of levels [meaning scenarios] you can create". But he isnt: he talks specifically about MAPS. Oh well, I guess we all just have to wait and see then.

[This message has been edited by Ralf (edited May 19, 2001).]

[Admiral PJ]

If the game is coming with numerous scenarios,
perhaps the editor can work with more scenario settings.. allowing tunnel
like maps (as in Test of Time) and more detailed random map settings.

It would be useful if they could make the editor help create scenario events files etc.. for placing where Suez Canals and scenario events map areas would occur, or for setting up areas that trigger certain events, like if Columbus' ship reaches the New World area the player receives 500 points.

Admiral Pete