Author Topic: Map Questions  (Read 771 times)

Offline Shrugging Khan

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Map Questions
« on: March 11, 2011, 04:32:24 pm »
Two simple questions. Both arose due to my spending lots of time generating new maps until I find a good one to start on.

Firstly, I heard there was a way to rearrange planets in the galaxy view. It sounds like something that might reasonably exist, but I've yet to find a way to drag them around. Is it only a rumour, or is there more to it?

Secondly, I'm wondering why single players can't just specify what ship type they start with, as opposed to the current system of having a randomised selection. All it does to me is make me regenerate maps for half-hours, until I grow bored and take whatever's closest to what I want. Really, why can't we just have the cake to eat it?
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Offline x4000

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Re: Map Questions
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2011, 04:33:25 pm »
For the first question, that used to be in the game, but hasn't been ported to the new engine yet.

For the second one: http://arcengames.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=AI_War_-_Design_Complexity#Why_Does_The_Game_Force_Variety_On_The_Player.3F
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Offline Shrugging Khan

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Re: Map Questions
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2011, 05:44:31 pm »
I once spent four hours without so much as a visit to the toilet generating new maps to get what I wanted (And it wasn't *that* far out, even. I just didn't get lucky :/ ). And today, I spent at least 20 minutes looking for a two-gate planet with bombards on it. Is that such an exotic wish?

Look at it from my particular position - I play ultra-long games that, historically, can go on for thirty, forty or even more hours without even spotting an AI homeworld (granted, I'm AFK a lot of the time, but most is still spent governing my galactic empire). And since the player's homeworld is something you tend to spend a lot of time with, even late-game, it ought to be a good place to be at. With any outlying planet, I don't mind having to compromise - if it really pisses me off, I can just ditch it and take to another angle. But being off to a bad start because the RNG refused to spit out something likeable can really take the fun out of early-game; and realising halfway through that your starting choice was crap is something that made me quit quite the number of games in the past.

Granted, if you play a 20 planet map with 10 AIP per 5 minutes, then you really take in the landscape as much. But there's the other extreme, and that's where I am.

Meh.
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Offline x4000

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Re: Map Questions
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2011, 05:46:41 pm »
I don't know what to tell you.  I play games that last 13-20 hours, too.  Having the "perfect" start situation isn't something the mapgen is trying to help you achieve, as the wiki article noted.
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