Civ2- CÓmo Crear Mapas

[Marquis de Sodaq]

Jorrit,
The GLOBE data is usable in the same way as the shaded relief image I've used. However, the resolution (1 km) is not much better than my image. That said, it does indeed give the user elevation zones. The downside of this is not so apparent on a continental scale, but closer in, misinterpretation could result. Namely, highland areas that are level terrain appear no different than rugged mountains - some other reference would be needed to accurately show terrain. The shaded relief cannot be converted directly, but can be used as a visual reference. I happen to have it on a cd-rom, so it's already on my desktop - other data (e.g. GLOBE) would require downloading and conversion to a format for mapping. The world image is almost 1 GIGABYTE! Try downloading that at 56k/sec! Sadly, cd-roms are not free...

The land cover layer is more readily usable than the elevation data - download/order and use. It differs from the images I had sent you in that it is current land cover. Appropriate for modern scenarios, not so for earlier times. But then, also not hard to change.

I can (in theory, anyway) project data to any projection. Images are more of a hassle than vector data, but still work. Their cut-up cylindrical view looks to be one of two versions that can be acquired. The other is continent-level, not the whole globe.

[Mercator]

Originally posted by Marquis de Sodaq
Namely, highland areas that are level terrain appear no different than rugged mountains - some other reference would be needed to accurately show terrain. The shaded relief cannot be converted directly, but can be used as a visual reference.

Yes, you´re right. I didn´t think of it that way. Wouldn´t it be possible somehow to show relief without shading? Say, use color hue to indicate elevation and color lightness to indicate "steepness" or something...
But then again, maybe it is just pointless. After all, unless someone can make a Civ2/3 map generator using such full datasets in stead of images, there will always be some inaccuracy, which will have to be adjusted manually. rying to put more and more info in the bitmaps already, will only shift the difficulty of making maps from accurately drawing to finding enough good data to please a program. And to be honest, I´ve hardly ever used MapEdit myself (except as a quick previewer and sometimes to resize maps).

I happen to have it on a cd-rom, so it's already on my desktop - other data (e.g. GLOBE) would require downloading and conversion to a format for mapping. The world image is almost 1 GIGABYTE! Try downloading that at 56k/sec! Sadly, cd-roms are not free...

Yes, I understand. Believe me, I´m already more than happy with what you can do now.

I can (in theory, anyway) project data to any projection. Images are more of a hassle than vector data, but still work. Their cut-up cylindrical view looks to be one of two versions that can be acquired. The other is continent-level, not the whole globe.

Well, those land cover data were just an example. It uses a rather strange division of vegetation (difficult to convert to a Civ2 compatible format that is ). I´m sure your data is sufficient, and even better.
Maybe you could create something like this: http://www.apolyton.net/cgi-bin/ctp2...iew.cgi?ID=596
Looking at the CtP2 maps OmniGod made from it, it´s pretty damn brilliant.

[Marquis de Sodaq]

OmniGod's image is the sort of thing that could be done with the land cover data, no doubt. Maybe that would be appropriate for some maps. I chose the simplified WWF ecoregion data because it provided an almost 1:1 conversion to civ terrain types. Granted, nobody would keep a 30x30 square swath entirely forest. Some grassland or hills would get added to make it more realistic. But, having played real-world maps many times, I feel that game playability is an important factor - no matter how accurate the source data, it will need to be altered to make the game enjoyable.

Your question about coloring/shading to depict steepness, called "slope." A grid cell would contain a value for how steep it is, based on its neighboring cells. These can be combined with elevation, but the result is similar to the shaded relief - the eye discerns the information easily, but a computer algorithm to do the same is not so simple! I agree that this enters the realm of added complexity that does not improve the output.

[Mercator]

I chose the simplified WWF ecoregion data because it provided an almost 1:1 conversion to civ terrain types.

Something like this? http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld

And I'm not sure if we mean the same with the slope... I think I would describe my idea, to put it mathematically, by taking the absolute value of the derivative of the elevation, if you catch my drift. But indeed it's pretty irrelevant anyway.

(Sorry for the threadjack alf )