I want a Mars map.

[Tenko]

Being beyond lousy at designing maps I thought I'd post my idea for others to persue. Wouldn't it be bloody marvelous to colonise Mars? There's enough maps of the red planet to do a huge map and it would feel perfect to play it in SMAC. If you've read Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy I'd think you'd agree.
[This message has been edited by Tenko (edited January 27, 2001).]

[Jasonian]

Ooooh! A Mars Trilogy mod! What a concept!! I love it!

[Tenko]

Exactly. I've been tinkering with some existing maps but Im just learning to get to grips with the designer. I reckon that just about anyone else could do a better job than me.

Question? If I have no water to start with (ie: barren mars)and warmed it up would water "spring forth" at the lowest points? I hope so as it would be just like the books!

[Jasonian]

Maybe. I assume the sea rise algorythm figures out the lowest points and, if they are lower then the levels the sea is expected to rise, just covers those tiles with water.

To get this to happen earlier, you could probably tweak the "ecological death spiral" variable in alpha.txt. This would cause lots of fungus, but I believe it's actually possible to turn off fungus and planet in the scenario editer.

So yes, it may very well be possible.

[Maniac]

Good news. I am in possession of a VERY good Mars map, even a scenario on it.

Bad news: because this site-owners seem to be neglecting the SMAC site, there's little chance it'll ever get on the site. I sent a Mars AND Earth map to DanQ in the beginning of December, another time to MarkG at the end of January, but they still haven't added it. So, if you want a Mars map, go complaining to Markg about his lousy service and demand him to add it.
[This message has been edited by M@ni@c (edited February 04, 2001).]

[networknode]

Hey m@ni@c, I'm trying to get a scenario section up and running on my site, If you like I'll post them for you.

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[Maniac]

Thanks! That would be great! I already had a look at your site some weeks ago, really good!

PS: perhaps my last post was a bit rude with the word 'lousy service'. Apolyton is a great site for news and for the forums. Though I really must say Apolyton is the last place I'll look for files.

[networknode]

Any luck with sending those files over?

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[Maniac]

I haven't forgotten you, but I'm making some arrangements to the map so that the terrain that has to be flooded à la Mars trilogy, IS flooded after one Polar Cap Melt. Means making that terrain as close to 10m as possible.

[Maniac]

Files ready and sent on this very moment!

[Maniac]

But I received a message there are delivery problems. It must be something with your address, because I send the files to two other guys as well and I haven't got any problem with them.

[networknode]

sorry about that please try dooze@mac.com

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[Tenko]

Bugger me!


Nice one m@ni@c. I've just downloaded the Mars map from the networknode and can only express my gratitude and admiration at its quality. Ive been practising at creating my own map but i can't get the terrain to the correct depth. Did you use a greyscale editor or am i missing a trick? (appologies if this seems like a stupid question but I am, in fact, quite dim).

[Maniac]

Haven't got a clue what a greyscale editor would be. You just have to do it manually. Sometimes it's correct after two times, other times you have to try dozens of times. Obviously then, such a map takes more than a few hours/days/weeks to complete.

[Tenko]

A greyscale editor is a piece of software that records height differences as a shade of grey. Ive seen editors used for other games where actual terrain maps are converted into game maps and i think Ive seen one which can be used for SMAC and CTP, somewhere on Apolyton I think. Dont know how good it was but as the images in such editors are often saved as a graphic they can sometimes be ported to and from a graphics package, great if you can get colour coded terrain maps as changing the palette can give you a readily usable map.