03-11-2001 17:23									#31
	The Maps and Map Editor Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

I'm having a rather strange experience. It was commonly known that the Civ2 world maps were horrible concerning accuracy. Now, the first civ2 map converted to civ3 is the civ2 world map, as a desperate attempt to get rid of the even more horrific civ3 world maps! Maybe the inaccuracy was intended, like in Age of Empires, where maps were never intended to be accurate. If so, I think Firaxis made a gross mistake, especially taking into account the vast amount of accurate maps and scenarios created for civ2. If this wasn't intended, I suggest you have a talk with Zach Wilson (and the rest of you, because you obviously left him little time to do a good map on his own)!

The map editor is not much better, being in many ways worse than the already mediocre civ2 mapeditor.

Essential additions to the map editor, in no particular order:
1. Include a small overview window
2. Allow zooming in and out
3. Make the terrains, resources and overlays more easily accesible. If someone wants to draw a map quickly using different terrains, he now has to work his way through a whole list of menus before he can even change the terraintype to draw with.
Civ3 requires a minimum resolution of 1024x768. Why don't you use it? You could add a window pane like the terrains bar in the civ2 map editor, the favorites/history/search bar in Internet Explorer, or the color spectrum/palette in any decent paint program. This pane could contain different tabs, each having all the existing terrains, resources and overlays in them. That would allow for easy switching between drawing tools. And while you're at it, extend these tabs to include units and cities for easy creation of scenarios.
4. Add more versatile drawing options, such as:
- flood filling an area with the same terrain,
- replacing all occurences of one terrain by another
5. Display round maps as actual round maps in the editor, not as a flat map.
6. What's up with the undo function? Especially because of the limited access to the terrains and resources, having to redraw something after a mistake is unnecessarily tedious.

As for the maps:
1. Add the possibility for flat maps at least. As a bonus, and to make up for the bad start, you could add some more fancy types like a map that wraps around vertically in stead of horizontally, and a torus (wraps around both horizontally and vertically). And you'd better make damn sure the "go to" function works!
2. If you add reasonable scenario support, remove the obligatory coast around land. Now the editor will always need to have a bit of coast immediately around land. I'm sure scenario creators would find plenty of reasons why this shouldn't always be the case. But this may also require the change of existing or addition of extra coastline graphics in case the water surrounding it is not the coast terrain?

That´s my 2 cents.
I also sent this to askthecivteam@firaxis.com

	04-11-2001 02:52									#32
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

Hmmm. Maybe this is where I can get an answer... maybe not.

I am playing Huge Earth, 16 civs, Regent.

Edited scenario to increase barbarian activity (first try had very few incursions). Scenario default was Restless (? 1 above minimum). Increased it to Roaming (? 1 below Raging). Can't be sure of labels (at work now, its OK, I own the company).

Added 1 square of Grassland to Southern California/Baja. (I found the first game where I was in the Pacific NW very interesting and wanted to try again with just this 1 minor benefit to aid in perfect city placements.

No other changes.

Tech tree is OK. No problem, ditto Science advisor, BUT... Neither Monarchy, Republic nor Court Houses are having any effect on Corruption. It sounds like other people broke the game in some way with the editor. Did I break the game in a different way?

I have not built the Forbidden City. The cities I would build it in have only 1 shield uncorrupted no matter how I arrange the workers and with no improvement from govt or Court House.

I recalled one reviewer saying very negative things about the game along the lines of Corruption, so I thought that maybe this was a bug affecting the whole game, but now I'm hoping, hoping, hoping. Either that, or conquer the world as a despot while waiting for a patch.

notyoueither

	04-11-2001 12:16									#33
	Still can't get this to work. Browse Apolyton AD-FREE

I tried copying civ3mod.bic to "scenarios\t4.bic", and tried loading that; broken tech tree. Basically, any scenario I use with "load scenario" that doesn't have "use default rules" checked *ALWAYS* has the broken tech tree... so I can't edit any rules at all and still play the resulting scenario.

Just a side question: Is there *any* difference between the limited edition discs and the regular ones? If so, are the people having this problem using LE or regular? I'm using LE.

	04-11-2001 13:16									#34
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

I'm using the LE, here, and having problems with the editor just as stated above.

The only way I can edit is to backup the civ3mod bic file and edit from there. Naturally, though, this prevents me from generating a map since, whereas I can edit the rules, the moment I go to 'Load Scenario' (even the civ3mod.bic 'scenario') it locks the science advisor.

One thing though, when editing this file (other than to BACK IT UP REPEATEDLY) do NOT change the civ colors to the currently 'unused colors' (like, for example, the very light shade of blue.'

Causes an Invalid Page Fault and crashes upon start-up.

Also, my aformentioned granary issue is a graphical issue only. The granaries are actually there. The little food box 'line' isn't until the food storage bin 'hits' where the line should be. Then, as it should, the city grows, the # of 'turns to growth' and little line in the food box all become accurate.

Corruption, btw, is BAD.... in general, even on huge maps.

I'm sure there will be a patch and more added to the editor as time passes. The game is a week old, well, not even.

So much for this past week in my life... all I've done is mess with this thing.

Best,

Scott

	05-11-2001 08:16									#35
	Wow! I can edit scenarios (sort of) Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by Scott_S The only way I can edit is to backup the civ3mod bic file and edit from there. Naturally, though, this prevents me from generating a map since, whereas I can edit the rules, the moment I go to 'Load Scenario' (even the civ3mod.bic 'scenario') it locks the science advisor.

I found a way to do this! Edit civ3mod.bic, set it for 'no map', and change the rules. Now, make a scenario with the map you want, and "use default rules" checked. Load your map... and you get the rules you modified and saved in civ3mod.bic! It works great.

	05-11-2001 08:33									#36
	Re: Wow! I can edit scenarios (sort of) Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

quote: Originally posted by seebs I found a way to do this! Edit civ3mod.bic, set it for 'no map', and change the rules. Now, make a scenario with the map you want, and "use default rules" checked. Load your map... and you get the rules you modified and saved in civ3mod.bic! It works great.

Which works great for what we're using it for now-tweaking our personal games. When it comes time to download scenarios, it's going to be a pain in the rear to have to change the name of the file all the time, not to mention be a bit confusing to have a million civ3mod.bics running around.

Marc

	06-11-2001 19:31									#37
	Tired of ads?

I'm noticing the same science advisor bug in my map. I changed the movements of the sea units and the huge map size to 200x120. I did not change techs.