We need more terrains

[WarpStorm]

I will agree that adding terraforming to the game would be far easier than adding new terrain types.

[Martinus Magnificus]

They could easily make terraforming an option in the editor. I would probably never use it though. What I would really like to see is a reworked global warming feature, so that coastal regions turn into marsh or something. Now that would be spectacular! The random desertification is just too... well, random.

[WarpStorm]

I would rather it be less random and more "concentrated" around the ares that are already dry. Make the deserts grow rather than have random tiles change.

[Panag]

hi ,

yes terraforming should be in !

have a nice day

[sun_tzu_159]

Hi all,
Additional landscape types would make the maps look better but the whole engine of how the map is drawn would have to be redesigned as each tile has borders with other tiles. The way forward would be to produce edge graphics where-by each tile has an x (probably 3-5) pixel blank border. You then produce thin strips of graphics to overlay between each terrain type. e.g. forest to hill, forest to mountain etc. All the base tiles are then the same and only have one graphic for each landscape. The small edge graphics have to be produced but will be much easier to process.

The job done for coastlines is great. All indented and natural looking. This could be done for all landscape type borders, no more squares on the map.

For each type of landscape several graphics could then be produced so that a hill surrounded by hills looks different to hills bordering plains and a mountain by the coast could have sea-cliffs while inland it has crags and stuff like that.

The roads look ugly covering the whole map, perhaps these could be refined so that between cities there are wide roads as on the maps now and other squares could have a thin road graphic.

A little bit of thought could refine the graphical look of the game so that it looks more realistic overall.

I would add a coastal swamp that could be terraformed into land as the Dutch nation has done.

Many nations were covered with lakes and swamps before they were filled in or drained even in ancient times. So I would also introduce the fresh-water swamp and small lakes landscape that would be terraformed.

I disagree with a previous point that removal and addition of forests is not terraforming as it changes the basic properties of the land so that when a forest is chopped down the land beneath should change to river plain, plains, grassland, etc.

Hills and mountains should have many more forests and jungles than now in the early game as this is reality. Movement should be more difficult and they should take longer to clear than plains forests or jungles.

Also hills and mountains of extreme north and south should have added snow.

Other terraforming or changing the base land-scape is not valid. Man has never done any such thing. He has added water in a very few arid areas and granted removed a mountain of stone here and there. But nothing else. Terraforming in this type of game only means that the player wants to turn everything into a green and fertile plain to out-do the AI and give another human player advantage - this dilutes the game-play. No atmosphere/choices on a one-hundred square patch of green with 6 cities.

All of which brings another point up which is the rampant irrigation in this game. Its use should be restricted to within one square of the original water source. I have seen entire thirty square islands irrigated from two squares of river - It just doesn't happen.

Anyway in conclusion.
Yes to some terraforming as above but not rampant of every landscape.
Yes to new landscape types - Fresh and Salt Swamps, Reefs offshore, Snowy mountains and hills.
Yes to a better way of allowing more landscape types and a more polished look to the whole landscape graphics.

Regards
Sun_Tzu

[SMIFFGIG]

hi ,

Except for Mediterrainian/Thorn Scrub
All these terrains are already in Call to Power 2

have a nice day

[statusperfect]

Originally posted by SMIFFGIG
Except for Mediterrainian/Thorn Scrub
All these terrains are already in Call to Power 2

Making many terrains/units for CTP2 isn't a big deal. CTP2 IS ugly as HELL.

[SMIFFGIG]

Making many terrains/units for CTP2 isn't a big deal

haha,
you obviously dont know what the heck your talking about.

Making units for ctp (basically creating a sprite using 3d software like Lightwave 3d) hmm, wouldnt exactly say that wasnt a big deal

and creating terrain in which needs tile boarders to fit in with every other kind of terrain in the game and also needing its own terrain rules. There are no mods with new terrains because this is so hard

CTP2 IS ugly as HELL

A matter of opinion, although in most peoples opinions including mine ctp2's graphics are much better. Furthermore they are 16bit graphics where as Civ3 is 8bit.


I just hate it went ppl post things and dont know what there talking about

[Odin]

we need swamps, us northern Minnesotans are feeling left out without the sloughs (reedy ponds) visible on the map . But, then again, the mosquitoes are horrible up here (West Nile anyone?) .

[statusperfect]

Originally posted by SMIFFGIG


haha,
you obviously dont know what the heck your talking about.

Making units for ctp (basically creating a sprite using 3d software like Lightwave 3d) hmm, wouldnt exactly say that wasnt a big deal

and creating terrain in which needs tile boarders to fit in with every other kind of terrain in the game and also needing its own terrain rules. There are no mods with new terrains because this is so hard



A matter of opinion, although in most peoples opinions including mine ctp2's graphics are much better. Furthermore they are 16bit graphics where as Civ3 is 8bit.


I just hate it went ppl post things and dont know what there talking about

I have a friend who works with lightwave 3D (among other programs). He can make a CTP2 quality unit over a night. With Civ 3 it's much harder. There is a lot more realism involved in how the units look. (But he hates coputer games, what a wasted talent. )

I forgot about the terrain borders, guess you're right.

But i still believe CTP2 is ugly. I quit playing it because i couldn't stand it's uglyness (still, this is a matter of opinion).

[WarpStorm]

Originally posted by sun_tzu_159
but the whole engine of how the map is drawn would have to be redesigned as each tile has borders with other tiles.
.
.
.
The job done for coastlines is great. All indented and natural looking. This could be done for all landscape type borders, no more squares on the map.

Actually, you could do this now without any change to the engine. It just take a lot of work.

[sun_tzu_159]

Warpstorm,
You missed my point.
If you put narrow strips in between each tile then you need only have a file for this and for each terrain you can then easily have many varied tiles to make the on-screen experience much more varied. The way the tiles are drawn would have to be modified, and you would only have to have 1,920? different edge strips for unrestricted tile placement - any bordering any - and a minimum of 16 tile graphics.
If you do not do this for sixteen terrain types each tile can border up to 15 different terrains on each of 4 sides. Can anyone work out how many tile graphics that is?
Regards
Sun_Tzu

[WarpStorm]

This is essentially how it's done now. What you see as a grass tile is actually a really big transition (a 64 pixel wide strip if you will) where 4 grass to something else transitions join. There is no grass tile per se.

The other problem with your thin strip suggestion is that it's real easy to see the repetitive strips. To do it right you would need many variations on each thin strip.

Have you looked at the current terrain files? I have. I've redone nearly all of them.

[Zero]

Originally posted by Odin
we need swamps, us northern Minnesotans are feeling left out without the sloughs (reedy ponds) visible on the map . But, then again, the mosquitoes are horrible up here (West Nile anyone?) .

flood plain could be said like a swampy region. But yes I miss the wonderful swamps from Civ I

[WarpStorm]

I know, I've gone on about the difficulty of working with the current graphics files. Even so, I'd like to see swamps and desert hills.