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.
any particular leader/civ choices some to mind?
even though is does mostly come down to where we are in the snakepick Merovech Merovech
Well, it depends on the starting position, if we get to see it, but I'd like a civ with good starting techs
thats right, starts before picking is the norm pretty much these days
i can certainly agree with that, you want at least one of mining and agri
generally anyway Merovech Merovech
So, I'd personally like a financial leader because I'm more comfortable with a cottage economy
thats understandable, but half the teams probably wont be able to pick FIN Merovech Merovech
yes
Sury would be great for a non-fin leader
if we cant be FIN, then EXP is probably needed Merovech Merovech
Yeah
or Cre
i think im slightly leaning towards EXP this game personally Merovech Merovech
But I like EXp a little better
heh
secondary trait? well theres:
Spi, Ind, Phi and Org to decide from pretty much Merovech Merovech
Org is decent with these settings, probably moves up to very good with a lot of water.
on monarch/cylindrical? i doubt it
prefer Spi then Phi personally Merovech Merovech
I can see that
Ind isnt great with 9 other teams Merovech Merovech
Agreed, unless we are picking the leader last or close to last and only one other IND (HC) has been picked
indeed
i may be underrating org, but i cant see it much better then Phi
at best Merovech Merovech
Well, I'm not a huge fan of PHI personally; besides generating that first GS extra early for the capital academy, it needs situations where beelines are good (which very well might be this game).
Certain techs are hard to bulb, however, guilds being a classic one
well, the most popular one is GS bulb Philo and Edu
Guilds? well i guess a GE bulbs machinery, but aside from that...
alright, i can put org above Phi Merovech Merovech
I mean, it can certainly be done
ORG is a bit more measured in it's benefits, I think, while PHI gets them in bursts
But if the map is all land, then ORG loses a little luster
well, theres a slight preference towards a donut or bignsmall map, both have water
so, overall trait ranking seems to be:
Fin, Exp, Cre, Spi, Org, Phi, Ind, junk Merovech Merovech
Yeah, that seems about right to me
individually anyway Merovech Merovech
Yep
(for instance, cre/phi is better then exp/phi for library synergy) Merovech Merovech
Agreed
and EXP is slightly weaker (though probably still better than CRE?) if we can't take advantage of the bonus to worker producito nat the start of the game
EXP vs CRE is about preference
ive played CRE or inca 3 times while only EXP twice on rb
one of those EXP was me being a sub Merovech Merovech
Yeah, I think I prefer CRE over EXP if there is no first-worker bonus, but EXP if there is
so Id prefer EXP this game just for variety Merovech Merovech
There probably will be, however
okay
I'm not sure if I'd put Manse first though, or Darius either
neither have any expansion trait
and take some time to get going Merovech Merovech
I personally prefer Darius
Yeah, both of them need really good starting techs, like Argi/Mining or Agri/Wheel
SPI is interesting, really, but as long as we can line up our Golden ages with some of our civic switches, it is more of a luxury then anything else...
Unless we go for a psuedo-monk economy, which is more of, say, Isabella's area than Mansa's
dunno about monk economy, but i vastly prefer izzy to mansa
spi is mostly valuable for the ability to switch into caste often Merovech Merovech
Yes, good point
Where do you place Gahndi?
in fact it might be better then phi for more GP's, although not nearly as early
Gandhi, eh...
im playing him in PB10
plus he really wants mids Merovech Merovech
Yes
Phi doesnt matter much once a Spi civ can switch into Pacifism as well Merovech Merovech
I guess he also depends if any INDs besides HC are picked
Yeah.
are you lurking PB10 btw? Merovech Merovech
It's still a nice boost, but 50% instaed of 100%
Sort of, I haven't looked at it in a while
Lurking it in general, however
ah ok
well i guess it cant hurt to say i built mids there and dont really feel like trying again here
Merovech Merovech
Hah, okay
wouldnt mind izzy or hatty though Merovech Merovech
Yeah, for some reason, the format makes me not want to lurk as hard as I normally do, which is weird because I was super-excited to lurk it in the beginning and PB6 is indirectly what brought me to RB in the first place
Hatty is interesting
Solid all-around
but one thing that SPI does fairly well is give culture
Not as well as creative, of course
thats true
its somewhat more important to get a religion, but caste gives border pop anyway...
izzy > hatty then Merovech Merovech
Yeah, Hatty still gets a big boost from CRE early game, but it starts becoming a marginable trait faster with her than it normally does.
in fact, when i look at all the traits, i think i prefer exp and cre to fin for almost all of them Merovech Merovech
Hmm.
I think that I'd rather have Darius than Mehmed or Zara
for example
And I think that I'd rather have HC than Louis or Bismark
but I can see what you are saying
i can agree with that
the HC one anyway
darius, erm maybe if were isolated Merovech Merovech
Okay, yeah, I see what you are saying
alright so thats leaders done for now
civs? well its mostly pick one you like
eg, id like to play china at some point Merovech Merovech
China is good. techs are best, uu and ub are situationally good Merovech Merovech
Egypt is traditonally very good, Sumeria is good as long as we have horses
playing egypt right now, but its a good choice Merovech Merovech
Mali is decent because barbs are on, best when paired with HC
not a fan of mali Merovech Merovech
Okay
uu needs archery tech, which is usually delayed Merovech Merovech
Yeah, true
better in a random map
ub only gives +10% gold? thats bad Merovech Merovech
Well, not really
Forges are really common builds, so it's like a 5% economy boost once we get to the middle ages.
Certainly not world-breaking, but a decent UB nonetheless
i guess Merovech Merovech
Not that I'm saying that I would pick it over China or anything
thats fine, just i dont think we should pick mali
then theres the obvious synergies
Cre maya, Agg rom, Org HRE/Sumeria etc. Merovech Merovech
okay
Yep
Well, not Agg Rome
not worth it
I'd rather grab two economic traits with Rome as just use Preates as a detterrent
LOL I can't spell
it is a obvious synergy, but i agree not one we should aim for Merovech Merovech
Ahh, I see
actually, if we get a fishing start, Rome isn't a bad civ
otto's, maybe if we are one of the last to choose civs Merovech Merovech
Yeah, or babylon
not good, but okay
fishing start would be terrible, there are very few good fishing civs
from a mapmaker perspective anyway
Merovech Merovech yeah, Netherlands, Portugal, Rome, and Carthage are decent, but not really anything else. The Natives, maybe.
Actually, China isn't horrible for a fishing start
And the Vikings, no idea how I forgot them
yeah, im just really hoping that we dont need fishing Merovech Merovech
If we get a hunting start, we should consider HRE and Aztec, otherwise, no dice
HRE and Aztec arent great, if we need hunting then zulu is better
or mongolia Merovech Merovech
Oh yeah, Zulu are fun
Mongolia are decent,
actually both of those sound quite fun
and since everyone starts with a scout, they arent as bad as usual Merovech Merovech
Yes, very fun, but I'm not sure how effective.
True about the start scout...I didn't think about that
I'd rather not war in the anceint era, however
we dont need to war in ancient just because we have a uu there
zulu have a maintance discount from barracks and mongolian stable boosts knights
they just give us the option to war in ancient if nessecary Merovech Merovech
Well, yes, the Mongolia boost is good anyways, but I don't think the Zulu boost is that great, since the pay quite a few hammers for that rediction
*reduciton
*reduction
True, true
pick AGG for discount? lol
Initial Thoughts on Starts and Picks:
WarriorKnight
8:23 AM (12 hours ago)
to me
Hiya,
Looks like we got the starting screenshot and the pick order. We're 6th in order, which probably means we won't get a FIN leader but I'm not that unhappy about it, since we prefer EXP/CRE. Also means we're likely to get a good civ.
As for the screenshot, ugh. Not my favorite start. We have a fish which needs fishing, and most fishing civs are bad. There's a cow which needs AH, and some forests/hills. Not too bad in the long term, but starting off will be a pain. Lot's of 2nd tier techs are needed, so we need good starting techs for sure.
That's all I got atm,
WK
Merovech Merovech
3:22 PM (5 hours ago)
to WarriorKnight
Yep, I thought the same thing. I'd have personally rather been at the very top or bottom of the pick order, but 6th isn't too bad.
So, as for our start: Well, everything is green and there is a long river. That's nice. The food resources are pretty lame (I love cows as a supplementary resource, not as a main food resource, and ocean fish is only okay). You know, the Netherlands might be an interesting pick on a map where the GLH needed banning... It's too bad the cow isn't a corn, that would make our start a lot faster. I will probably run some quick and simple sims to see what starting techs are ideal. Probably Agri/Mining like normal. I assume we're going to pick leader first unless something crazy happens, so we don't have to decide for a while.
Merovech Merovech
3:24 PM (5 hours ago)
to WarriorKnight
Wow, Jowy first picked Mansa Musa. I'm not a fan of that. He's great, but I think that Sury is better, and while I'm not sure that I agree, your argument for Isabella over Mansa Musa was pretty solid.
WarriorKnight
7:40 PM (49 minutes ago)
to me
Lots of picks gone. Picking so far:
Mansa
Sury
Vicky
Liz
Mehmed
3 Fin leaders are gone, and the only EXP ones picked are paired with CRE and ORG. Only 1 pick left to go before us, and I think we should choose from Izzy or Darius. HC is an option, but I'm already playing him so I'd prefer not. And the remaining PHI leaders just seem weak to me. Not sure which of Izzy and Darius I prefer though, Monarch/Cylindrical doesn't seem good enough for ORG but there's a decent chance we'll be isolated long enough for the bonuses to kick in. Think I prefer Izzy though.
Netherlands? Steam Power is way too far off, and the UU is a ship. Something like Native America would be better, if only since the bonuses are much earlier. Think we should adopt a wait-and-see approach with civs atm.
Also, do you want to make the thread? I can't think of a snazzy name.
Merovech Merovech
7:47 PM (42 minutes ago)
to WarriorKnight
Hey,
Yeah, some of the picks are surprising to me. Well, I think there is a pretty good chance that Serdoa and Ichabod pick HC, but if they don't we should definitely look into it. I understand if you don't want to play him, but I'd say with some certainty that, since no other Industrious leader has been yet picked, he is slightly better than Isabella or Darius. I would personally prefer Darius over Isabella (financial really isn't that bad early game, although obviously weaker than EXP), especially since I don't see any way for us to get that first worker boost, but I'm willing to go with Isabella if you prefer.
Merovech Merovech 7:48 PM (41 minutes ago)
to WarriorKnight
I'll go make a thread now; there are some pretty good titles with which to compete, however.
WarriorKnight
8:17 PM (12 minutes ago)
to me
I can definitely see the value in HC. Things is, if we do pick him we need to make sure to build some wonders of some sort. That isn't exactly a terrible outcome, I can see value in a early Stonehenge at least, and there are other good wonders available too. I'm pretty sure Bismarck will be picked at some stage though, so its unlikely we're going to be the only one to pick IND.
Your probably right on Darius > Izzy. If we do pick Darius then something with a reasonably good, early UU is a must. Izzy is slightly more flexible in that regard.
Merovech Merovech
8:29 PM (0 minutes ago)
to WarriorKnight
Agreed. I'm currently making a fairly illegible chat dump in our thread, btw.
More Thoughts about Leaders:
so it looks like we have to decide on darius vs HC vs izzy
with izzy being somewhat the least likely Merovech Merovech
yeah, looks like one of those three will be picked and we'll grab one of the other two
I wouldn't be surprised if they grabbed HC, since both Serdoa and Ichabod like IND
serdoa likes unorthodox choices, but he also likes IND
dunno enough about ochabod Merovech Merovech
Ichabod is pretty good; he's played some good games and some bad ones
if we do pick IND though, we need to decide on some wonders we should seriously consider getting
oh, i know ichabod is decent, but dunno his trait preferences Merovech Merovech
Yeah, I jsut remember that he picked in in 45
It'll be interesting to see how the new players play, honestly. Some of the pickes were unexpected, like Elizabeth
Oh yeah, about wonders.
liz is alright, get a early PHI academy to boost FIN cottages Merovech Merovech
well, HC traditionally wants Oracle, but I've been thinking that an early Oracle is a trap (see Gaspar in PBEM 47)
it really depends on how you use it
Merovech Merovech
Yes. And when
you mean IND or Oracle? Merovech Merovech
A alte Oracle is really good
*Orcale
*I mean, I was referring to the Oracle
well, the later oracle is, the more beakers you can get from it
still, i went oracle with HC in PB10, so id prefer not to go for that Merovech Merovech
Stonehenge is great
agree, but we sorta need a myst/mining start Merovech Merovech
Ugh.
go BW and chop it out Merovech Merovech
Stonehenge is only really worth it after worker techs, in my opinion
even a second-city build
this is a 10 player game, i doubt itll last that long Merovech Merovech
if we can get away wit hthat
well, nobody's picked charismatic or IND yet
'yet'
I'm not convinced SH will last that long in a game this big Merovech Merovech
yeah
No need for the Pyramids, of course
last option is one of the later wonders, but what other wonder is early enough to justify IND over ORG to get the tech faster? Merovech Merovech
The Great Lighthouse...oh, wait
lol Merovech Merovech
I'm thinking that HC is losing some luster
only other thing maybe is HG, but I think thats a trap as well Merovech Merovech
I mean, IND still gives half-price forges
but without wonders, that's not great
not by itself at least
Merovech Merovech
Yep
So, let's say we get Darius vs. Isabella
what's your thoughts?
both are viable Merovech Merovech
(assume that we get a decent pick of civs)
Darius is the more extreme of the two
extreme commerce, minimal expansion boost
most like to pair with HRE, but that makes the pick even more extreme Merovech Merovech
Ugh, no HRE.
This start (unless there is something wonderful hidden in the fog) requires good starting techs
what darius has specifically over izzy is the ability to turn into a tech fiend if left alone long enough
'if' is the word that requires a good starting civ
Merovech Merovech
Izzy is more likely to get to that position, even if she can't capitalize as well
More Thoughts about Civilizations:
on monarch/cylindrical, i doubt maintanance will be bad enough to pick a courthouse UB
agreed Merovech Merovech
agreed
Even Sumeria doens't look that good because agri/wheel isn't idela here.
and normal Vultures stink
if darius, we need good techs and some UU/UB that we can get early for expansion benefit/military detterent Merovech Merovech
China is normally a very good pariing for Darius
china is a civ id want to play sometime Merovech Merovech
ME too
Yes, true
Izzy of China also has the ability to switch to a cultural victory attempt if things go sour. Then again, so does Darius
actually, we should define what techs we want/dont want
Well, I don't want Mysticsm
at this point
wheel is good if we want early pottery, but this is a slow enough start that i think we shouldnt pick that either Merovech Merovech
I agree. THe wheel is normalyl a great starting tech, and we have a lot of riverside greenland
but we need fishing and AH quickly if we can fogbust a grain in capital BFC, then it may be worthwhile
but thats theorizing Merovech Merovech
Yes, and I definitely can't tell from tile bleed
fishing... erm Merovech Merovech
Well, I'm not usre
It's cheap to self-tech
well we have a fish in BFC, but we dont have any 2 hammer tiles to build one t0 Merovech Merovech
yes.
with mining fishing, we could go worker-BW-chop into workboat, build some 1/3/1 mines and 3/0/1 farms until animal husbandry come ins
farms are terrible
if we have to, id rather build one on the cows Merovech Merovech
Agree
on farms being terrible
suppose its an option, but the best mining fishing civs are englan and rome
there are better choices Merovech Merovech
and Carthage
yes
there are
that too Merovech Merovech
Rome means nobody attacks us, but it's still not that great
since we need early IW
*while we REX
need? whats stopping us from using copper?
sure we want IW earlier, but needing it earlier isnt right
mining is obviously great
agri is probably the same as hunting since everyone starts with a scout, but agri is more expensive and leads to better stuff Merovech Merovech
I meant, if we want to use Rome as a deterrent to people attacking us
Yeah, the only difference right now between the two is that Agri costs 150%
Greece is a good civ, though
horrible starting techs
why? Merovech Merovech
but nice uniques
probably needs creative
phalanx isnt bad but not great
UB needs contruction and is outclassed by maya Merovech Merovech
It's probably better on close maps
I don't know, Maya gives i more happy, but Odeon gives culture, which means no need fore religion, etc.
You're right that they are not that oogd, htough
I probably should have said "okay"
why are you building a colisseum of all things for culture?
anyway, were getting too specific in civ choices
not a huge priority in new cities
still need to decide on izzy vs darius Merovech Merovech
Well ,the idea is that if you were planning on building it anyway, it would save the hammers, but it's not like a Colosseum is an early build
not as useful as I was thinkinh
Even More Thoughts about Leaders (and some map speculation):
Well, one think to consider is that I don't see us getting 4 hammers into a worker
no matter how we start
thats true
still, only needing 1 chop for a granary and being able to easily get workers if short is still good Merovech Merovech
Yes
but if its a high water map, then exp loses some value Merovech Merovech
Well, cheap harbors, but not as good
as spamming workers,ect
*etc
harbors arent really worth building unless carthage anyway Merovech Merovech
yeah, or one already has the great lighthouse
yeah Merovech Merovech
Org's lighthouse boost is a serious consideration on a high-water map
but I'm starting to thin that this might be a donut
starting landmass looks nothing like a donut?
or are you thinking it starts as a offshore donut? Merovech Merovech
IT's just that Krill didn't want to tel lthe map script, and that was one of the ones that some poemple wnted
krill did say it wasnt identical starts and he rolled a few times
unlikely its a donut Merovech Merovech
yeah, you're right
which probably means a fair amount of water
with GLH banned i agree Merovech Merovech
Yep
yeah
darius is actually pretty sweet for a water map Merovech Merovech
Yes, yes he is
financial coast is actualyl decent to grow onl not like normal coast
still think theres a decent amount of land out there though, didnt krill mention it would be something along the lines of PB5 and PB8?
'havent looked at PB5 map' Merovech Merovech
Well, he said more like PB5 and PB8 than PB2
PB5 had a lot of water; it was Big&Small
PB2 is a donut, so it probably isnt a donut :P erovech Merovech
True, true
very true
The PB2 map was such a cool idea, imo
but we did get another similar one in the demogame
its looking like darius is going to be 1, although i still dont like how vulnerable we are early
Hmm. It's all about whether or not we can claim our fair share of land
with ORG, we wont be constrained as much with affording it all Merovech Merovech
I think that we will absolutely have to put any infrastructure beyond granaries and maybe monuments on the backburner
does monarch/cylindrical have bad enough maintanence costs to halt expansion? Merovech Merovech
It's not terrible, but it's not great. I haven't checked in a while, let me take a look
i dont think we have to go to that extreme for infrastructure in new cities, but i agree that most of our early mfg should go in expansion
all the forests at the cap for instance
and try to find a 2nd city that has decent early production Merovech Merovech
Yes, or can share some food with the capital. I've been having some success lately growing only onto resources and turning everything else into expansion
thought that's a little extreme
we can probsbly afford to start working cottages later than we would like to, for example, if we go wit hDarius
dont think thats a good idea, the best way to use FIN is get those river cottages down ASAP Merovech Merovech
True, true
whipping off them though, is decent Merovech Merovech
Depends on what we're whi;pping. For example, its usually not worth it to whip off cottages into a library. There's an interesting post on the somewher on CFC.
oh no, i mean settlers and expansion stuff Merovech Merovech
Yeah, okay
I guess it depends on how many cottage turns we get versus how many worker turns we expend, but you are probably right in msot circumstances
yeah
sounds like we've sorta picked darius already Merovech Merovech
Heh.
Well, he's riskier
there haven't been any AGG Rome picks yet or anything Merovech Merovech
I think that he's a little stronger on this map, but I've never been the best as using Psiritual
yeah
*&Spiritual
You might be better at it
I've been learning SPI recently, its probably 4th are the big 3 traits
*after
its a mid game trait though Merovech Merovech
yeah, I think that at this point, I rate FIN a bit over EXP and SPI a bit over ORG, with the map helping ORG and hurting EXP
main use is switching between Caste/Pacifism and Slavery/OR, with some switching between the legal civics too
I'll fix the colors and formatting later, btw. Just making sure I get these posted right now.
Merovech's Mapmaking Guidelines:
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.
(May 12th, 2013, 20:47)WarriorKnight Wrote: Why isn't there anything about 'Today PB12, tomorrow the world!' in the first post?!?
There is now! Also, good call posting the start.
Merovech's Mapmaking Guidelines:
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.
I'm too lazy to color it, etc. now, but WarriorKnight and I had a long chat today about leaders and civs. Rough orders of desire: Darius>Isabella>HC; China>Carthage>Rome>Zulu.
Merovech's Mapmaking Guidelines:
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.
(May 13th, 2013, 00:47)Merovech Wrote: I'm too lazy to color it, etc. now, but WarriorKnight and I had a long chat today about leaders and civs. Rough orders of desire: Darius>Isabella>HC; China>Carthage>Rome>Zulu.
What he said. Darius is 1, Merovech let me decide between HC and Izzy if Serdoa takes Darius. Probably sticking with Izzy though.
Still umming and ahhing over civs though. For instance, is Carthage really 2nd if we get Darius? Izzy sure, with half price Cothons and all, but Darius would probably prefer the UU's of Rome and Zulu more.
Ah well, we like being religious zealots right? Feel like role playing AI Izzy? Yeah I didn't think so...
I'd if Jesterfool manages to pick HC with 9th pick after suggesting banning him pregame.
With Izzy in hand we don't necessarily need to pick a early UU, although I have yet to find a civ good enough without Wheel or Myst to replace them. For now I'd stick with China > Carthage > Rome > Zulu unless sims find Zulu better then Rome.
BTW, there are 2 smilies which respond to (: angry : ) if spaces are removed, but due to overlap the one I want to post can't be posted. That makes me
Argh! I was definitely hoping for Darius. Well, looks like we'll have to live without financial. I do want to abuse Spiritual...
Merovech's Mapmaking Guidelines:
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.
(March 3rd, 2012, 21:07)antisocialmunky Wrote: Civilization Economics: You have 1 Cow. You build some pastures around it to feed your people. The population grows uncontrollably. You enslave everybody and work half of them to death.
![[Image: PB12%20start%201bngjrsp%3Bbgfspbnw%20Merovech%2BWK.JPG]](https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/24745121/PB12%20starting%20screenshots/PB12%20start%201bngjrsp%3Bbgfspbnw%20Merovech%2BWK.JPG)
Probably sticking with Izzy though.
if Jesterfool manages to pick HC with 9th pick after suggesting banning him pregame.