[No Players] Where the Lurkers Take Their Holidays

[RefSteel]

I'm glad you like it!  Here's a link to the WBSave to the updated version of the map whose pictures I posted above.

Edit: I'm planning on doing this next part manually but I guess it can't hurt to ask: is it possible to make the script more mountainous? Especially in the center?  Thinking choke points similar to my border with Thoth in pb71 in the middle.  Probably with some open areas mixed in still.

I think so, but it will take some time.  Removing the very last line of the Tectonics script (the Tiltless script I posted at CF is just Tectonics with a few extra options in the middle) should increase the number of mountains somewhat (it seems to call some kind of standardized peak-removal procedure) but to specifically increase mountains in the center, I'd have to dig a bit deeper in the script than I've done so far.  Writing a python script to look at an existing map, find the center, and raise some extra mountain ranges would take me at least a couple of days (but is part of a process I'm working on anyway, so no hardship) - implementing it as part of the mapscript itself might take longer or shorter, depending on how long it takes me to figure out how the script handles mountains normally.  Either version would probably take longer than just manually editing some mountain ridges in if you just want the result fast.

[pindicator]

If it's a big ask then don't worry about it - I'll take care of it manually. Also, I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking into I start drawing.

[Miguelito]

looking at the Pro discussion in ljub's thread, will there be islands?

[Krill]

Just looking at grasslands that maps looks unfair, but otherwise looks fine. Mountains would make it better, agree with Pin on that.

[pindicator]

I plan to balance the amount of green around each start too. At first glance the Japan start needs more Babylon needs less.

It would be fun to roll more maps but honestly that looks like a great starting point

[pindicator]

looking at the Pro discussion in ljub's thread, will there be islands?

No islands - mjmd asked me for a map that did not need emphasis on navy

[Commodore]

Green balancing is fine and well within the broad mandate.

General question, which would you rather have, a plains and a flood plain or two grasslands? Looks like there are FPs in at least some of the less green regions.

[Tarkeel]

Green balancing is fine and well within the broad mandate.

General question, which would you rather have, a plains and a flood plain or two grasslands? Looks like there are FPs in at least some of the less green regions.

I'd say custom-drawing a map is within the mandate. Would rather have the floodplain + plain than two grasslands (assuming all tiles are rivered): Not only does the plains combo have an extra hammer, it also has a higher single-tile yield which is important for the growphase. I also sort of like riverside plains cottages, assuming you have the food to work them.

[Tarkeel]

I really wish these starts were posted for lurker review first, as they seem very disparate.

Gavagai: dry corn, plainssheep, 2x crabs. 3 rivers (non-riverside capital!), no bonuses
Mjmd: wet wheat, forested plainsdeer, plainscow. 13 rivers, ivory
Superdeath: 2x wet rice, crabs. 10 rivers, dyes, marble
Greenline: pigs, plainssheep, plainscow. 4 rivers, no bonuses
Ginger: Wet corn, grasscows, clams. 7 rivers, no bonuses
Dreylin: Wet corn, bananaforest. 5 rivers (non-riverside capital!), sugars
Frogger: Wet corn, dry corn(?). 12 rivers, marble
Ricket: 2x wet corn, 2x clams. 7 rivers, silks
GT: Hill-pigs, grasscows, plainscow. 4 rivers, bo bonuses
Ljubljana: Wet wheat, grasscows, plainhill deer (unforested). 13 rivers, ivory, marble

I do like how different they are but there are some pretty extreme outliers in both directions here. Gavagai and Ricket somehow has four foods, while Dreylin arguably has one (although bananaforest counts almost as a food and the sugars can be farmed) and GT has a triple animal start. Mjmd seems to have the best start though, with twin hunting resources, but Rickety and Gavagai are both close.

Several starts are not riverside which matters a lot for early trade and resources.

[pindicator]

Nothing is set yet. I asked Commodore to look over the starts to try and get those ready for players

Edit: I didn't see starts were posted into threads