0. Player Requests: The player's requests take precedence, even if they contradict the following guidelines.
1. Balance: The map must be balanced, both in regards to land quality and availability and in regards to special civilization features. A map may be wonderfully unique and surprising, but, if it is unbalanced, the game will suffer and the player's enjoyment will not be as high as it could be.
2. Identity and Enjoyment: The map should be interesting to play at all levels, from city placement and management to the border-created interactions between civilizations, and should include varied terrain. Flavor should enhance the inherent pleasure resulting from the underlying tile arrangements. The map should not be exceedingly lush, but it is better to err on the lush side than on the poor side when placing terrain.
3. Feel (Avoiding Gimmicks): The map should not be overwhelmed or dominated by the mapmaker's flavor. Embellishment of the map through the use of special improvements, barbarian units, and abnormal terrain can enhance the identity and enjoyment of the map, but should take a backseat to the more normal aspects of the map. The game should usually not revolve around the flavor, but merely be accented by it.
4. Realism: Where possible, the terrain of the map should be realistic. Jungles on desert tiles, or even next to desert tiles, should therefore have a very specific reason for existing. Rivers should run downhill or across level ground into bodies of water. Irrigated terrain should have a higher grassland to plains ratio than dry terrain. Mountain chains should cast rain shadows. Islands, mountains, and peninsulas should follow logical plate tectonics.
(January 28th, 2013, 16:08)Merovech Wrote: Map is in the lurker thread.
So...assuming it's perfect and lurkers have no significant comments, when would you be comfortable starting us off? Sometime this week?
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I can see I'm going to have to step up my game on reporting this one, given the amount of time you've spent, and given the interest from new folk like Ryan.
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For the players: I know T0 is going to take a while. At least, I expect it to take some serious thought for myself, maybe the rest of you already know what you're doing. If Merovech has us started by mid week, though, I could be up for a Blitz session Saturday morning, say around 9 am local/1500 GMT, with the intent of knocking out T2-10 or so. Any interest?
For the players: I know T0 is going to take a while. At least, I expect it to take some serious thought for myself, maybe the rest of you already know what you're doing. If Merovech has us started by mid week, though, I could be up for a Blitz session Saturday morning, say around 9 am local/1500 GMT, with the intent of knocking out T2-10 or so. Any interest?
(January 28th, 2013, 17:25)gtAngel Wrote: I could do a blitz on Saturday, but I wouldn't be able to start until 1800 GMT, and I would prefer a little later than that.
Could work for me. I absolutely have to be done by midnight GMT, though, and Sunday's out for me as well.
1500 GMT is a little on the early side for my Saturday mornings, but 1800 or later should be doable.
This is assuming we get through a turn or two beforehand; I'm also thinking I'd like to take my time with T0, and
possibly also T1 if I don't end up settling immediately.
(January 30th, 2013, 00:04)Ellimist Wrote: Unfortunately, I have to work on Saturday.
Friday could work for me, though.
There's a chance I could be around Friday, I might not be working then. Should find out today or tomorrow morning.
But, it's not looking likely that we get T0/T1 out of the way before Friday, even if Merovech were to release the turn this instant (and I still don't want him rushed!) Maybe next week? Sunday the 10th could work for me, similar times.
Speaking of balance: Merovech, is the Heroic scout strictly necessary for your vision? It makes the Form of the Titan and Aeron's Chosen races less meaningful, in addition to possibly unbalancing things right away by giving gtAngel a Wane. gtAngel picked them before you released screenies, so it's clear he didn't base his decision on that unit.
