Alpha Centauri 2

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri & Alien Crossfire => Modding => Topic started by: vonbach on May 14, 2015, 12:24:44 PM

Title: Maps
Post by: vonbach on May 14, 2015, 12:24:44 PM

Heres a question. Serious modding isn't my forte but I can work with the map editor to an extent.
I've made a map or two and modified some more. Are there any maps that people would like to see?

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: Mart on May 15, 2015, 01:40:59 PM

Some time ago I was collecting maps for singleplayer. Was it on Apolyton, or WPC later? I have to find it and as there were maps that I made, they could be added here to resources. And now I see, we have only few of them.
I think there is always need for good maps, that will enhance AI performance.
Recently, the changes in alphax.txt in Yitzi patches regarding world generation are very good. My impression is, that they greatly improve created maps.
Nevertheless, a map that is attended by a human-creator can be much better and more interesting.

Having a large set of maps for singleplayer is good to some extent. People download it, try it and mostly do not leave feedback.
What is more fun, is that we play singleplayer on some map and then share experience, maybe even writing an AAR.
And this could be connected  with exploration of a map, that you do not know. Just a player does not open a map before playing it. This can be done only once though. Like the standard Chiron map from 1999 release of the game. The map is probably boring to most of the players (veteran ones).

We could try to make a set of maps for this purpose. So a player could use such maps instead of getting a randomly generated.
I do it in other games, that I play (civ games). I generate 10 maps, check them, if they are quality ones, save with numbers (that I later shuffle :) ) and after some time I have 10 maps, that I really do not remember how they look like.

I also try to make a new standard of Chiron map for a mod (universal one - community wide)
There would be though different size ratio:

Quote from: Mart on April 17, 2015, 02:02:02 PM

Maybe this would be good for tests:

68   60   4080 - proposed standard
80   70   5600 - proposed large
102   90   9180 - proposed huge

There is more about this ratio, why this much. In short, traveling around the globe is much more lengthy compared to pole to pole travel. Also, we kinda do not play on near pole regions.

But leaving that aside.
How about we make 10 maps for other players to try them? Later we ask for feedback.
It would be though more interesting for me to use these new size ratios, at least some of them.

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: vonbach on May 16, 2015, 03:48:10 PM

I've modified some mods like not for you to have small thin land bridges so the AI can invade but ships can cross.
I made a 100 by 100 high fungus all land map called hades. I was just wondering what types of maps people would like to see
One map Idea I had was a map of long thin strips of land and mostly sea. I also found some 300 by 300 maps.

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: vonbach on May 25, 2015, 05:50:04 PM

Here is one with the continents and oceans reversed.

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: Buster's Uncle on May 25, 2015, 05:54:00 PM

Thanks for posting it to Downloads - I moved it to the Maps section (we do have one, and I wish there were more maps in there...)

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: vonbach on May 25, 2015, 08:16:34 PM

I've added some more Including a huge all land map called Hades based on hell.
Significant portions of the map are covered in Fungus. I have a 100 by 100 version of it.

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: Buster's Uncle on May 25, 2015, 08:43:35 PM

Good man!  ;b;

You might want to snap screenies to post with the files - it's a packaging/marketing thing that'll give users a better sense of the maps and help get them into more hands.  You can start an album here under the Media tag at the top of the page, and link the images from there.

The Downloads postings auto-generate a Chiron News Network thread that shows on the front page - if you link the screenshots there, they show on the front page, which is good for everyone...

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: vonbach on May 25, 2015, 08:54:08 PM

Lol I'm not entirely sure how to even do that.

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: Buster's Uncle on May 25, 2015, 08:56:56 PM

If you can manage that horrible map editing interface, this will be easy.

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: vonbach on May 26, 2015, 12:51:35 AM

I figured it out or rather my brother did. Here is inverted

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: vonbach on May 31, 2015, 08:30:56 AM

Added two more maps Riverworld and Pangea both huge sized maps.

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: Geo on May 31, 2015, 02:56:20 PM

Quote from: vonbach on May 26, 2015, 12:51:35 AM

I figured it out or rather my brother did. Here is inverted

No Lake Aotearoa? :'(

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: vonbach on May 31, 2015, 03:11:05 PM

Sorry it was the best I could manage.  The 100 by 100 is probably a better scale.
Anyone have any requests?

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: vonbach on June 07, 2015, 03:08:17 PM

Heres a question. Does anyone know why your cities get locked into a certain pattern for names in some maps?
And how do you fix starting locations?  I have another two maps in the works.

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: vonbach on August 25, 2015, 09:21:08 PM

I have been experimenting with ring shaped maps. I even made a map shaped like a Firaxis Icon.
Unfortunately the AI doesn't seem to handle it that well.

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: Buster's Uncle on August 25, 2015, 10:28:49 PM

Mart?  I know you were real interested in maps a few years ago.  Talk to this gentleman.

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: Vidsek on August 26, 2015, 02:20:08 AM

  By chance I'm also a lover of maps (and even have some cartography training, which often gets in the way of doing SMAC/X ones....).  I've made a few for myself, mostly from a blank ocean with nothing computer added, doing every little thing by hand (I call it perfectionism, a psychiatrist might have a different diagnosis...).
  I'd be quite happy to share these with the community, but I'm still learning what folks want in a map, and what makes a good one for gameplay.  Especially with the wide range of playing styles, and the solo/multiplayer differences.
  If I had a better grip on 'good' map design, I'd probably find myself in the familiar downward spiral of a new useless-in-the-so-called-real-world-but-fun-and-satisfying pastime.

  So:  any guidelines/advice/directions to existing articles and forum threads?

                              Vidsek, who could map where you peed behind a bush or on a tree.  But never ever will.

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: vonbach on August 26, 2015, 05:57:48 AM

Quote

  If I had a better grip on 'good' map design, I'd probably find myself in the familiar downward spiral of a new useless-in-the-so-called-real-world-but-fun-and-satisfying pastime.

  So:  any guidelines/advice/directions to existing articles and forum threads?

Depends what you are looking for in map design. Pangea the AI handles ok but its a free for all.
Ring shaped maps the AI treats like a very small Pangea map and clusters all the factions on top of you and
ignores the rest of the map. Linked islands the AI handles very well (lots of mini continents linked by thin
land bridges). The AI has room to make build and expands when it wants to and can actually invade without
ships.

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: vonbach on October 28, 2015, 09:30:17 PM

Added a new Map a terraformed version of Mars. Working on Venus next

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: vonbach on October 28, 2015, 10:26:27 PM

Venus is going to be a pain lots of little islands and separate continents. I'm thinking of doing Titan next.

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: vonbach on November 05, 2015, 10:32:47 PM

Heres my Terraformed Venus Map

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: vonbach on December 12, 2015, 07:55:34 PM

Added two more maps. A terraformed Venus with more landmarks  and a Terraformed Ganymede map.
Sorry no pics it takes me longer to figure out the pic capture thing than it does to make the map.

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: vonbach on December 13, 2015, 07:46:22 PM

Have a few new ideas in the works. One the Gaia map from one of the Final Fantasy games.
30k Earth from warhammer is also in the running.

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: Mart on December 13, 2015, 08:37:04 PM

Quote from: vonbach on December 13, 2015, 07:46:22 PM

...
30k Earth from warhammer is also in the running.

Is it the same as WFRP? Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay?
It is Earth-ish map, resembles Earth?

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: vonbach on December 13, 2015, 09:19:18 PM

30k is 40k Before and during the great crusade. WFRP is the fantasy version.
That map is a thought as well.

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: vonbach on December 16, 2015, 09:04:44 PM

(http://andrewscrolls.deviantart.com/art/GAIA-WORLD-MAP-Final-Fantasy-VII-485774047)I made the Gaia map from Final Fantasy 7. Three main continents, I added as many landmarks as I could.
I even added the Chocobo Farm.How on earth do you add a picture?

Quote

http://andrewscrolls.deviantart.com/art/GAIA-WORLD-MAP-Final-Fantasy-VII-485774047

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: Buster's Uncle on December 16, 2015, 09:27:33 PM

The way I added the one from your link was to right click on the image>copy>wrap in [ img ] tags...

(http://pre05.deviantart.net/497f/th/pre/i/2014/274/6/3/gaia_world_map___final_fantasy_vii_by_andrewscrolls-d817tnj.png)

You can start an album here, and link pics from that, or some external host, or even link from a post attachment if you add "image" at the end of the URL - that's how I added it a few times before when you'd posted a screeny...

I encourage doing one of those, BTW; you'll get more downloads if people have a better idea of what it looks like.

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: vonbach on December 16, 2015, 09:30:02 PM

I'm still trying to figure out how to add an image. Sorry. Maps are easy.

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: Buster's Uncle on December 16, 2015, 09:33:34 PM

...You tried the link to the page, which is the first thing I tried, too...

Title: Re: Maps
Post by: vonbach on December 16, 2015, 09:40:28 PM

Thats what I did but it didn't work.  ??? I'll stick to making maps. 30k age of strife is probably next unless someone has any suggestions.