Too many cities

Caligastia · October 23, 2000, 13:17

I got this message on my latest game when I tried to build another city. What is the max?

kcbob · October 23, 2000, 13:38

I've heard it's 255. Since I've never even come close, I couldn't say for sure.

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Frodo lives!

Better dead than "Red"... or green... or blue... or yellow... or orange... or purple... or white.

Ming · October 23, 2000, 13:50

It's actually 256... But that's because the AI has to have at least one, or the game is over.

kcbob · October 23, 2000, 16:26

This implies that the number is cumulative. If that's so, then the total would still be 255 for one person vs. the AI, n'est-ce pas?

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Frodo lives!

Better dead than "Red"... or green... or blue... or yellow... or orange... or purple... or white.

Caligastia · October 23, 2000, 17:10

But is there a max that one civ can have or is 256 the max that any map is allowed no matter what civ owns them.

rah · October 23, 2000, 17:52

256 is the max any map can hold. which makes sense since 256 is a magic number in base 2.
2 4 8 16 32 64 126 256 which means that 8 positions were allowed for city numbers.

RAH
You will notice that a lot of limits in the game relate to base 2 "magic numbers"

Empress · October 24, 2000, 00:11

well aren't you the smart one, Rah

kcbob · October 24, 2000, 07:54

Please forgive me but I have to slightly disagree. In base two with an 8-bit field you have a max value of 11111111 which equals 255. If you bump to 256, then you open up another byte which would increase the potential number to 4095. Based on that, I would still think that 255 is the max.

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Frodo lives!

Better dead than "Red"... or green... or blue... or yellow... or orange... or purple... or white.
[This message has been edited by kcbob (edited October 24, 2000).]

rah · October 24, 2000, 08:27

You forget 00000000 which is 0 so 1 + 255 = 256 possible combinations.

For future techs they start at 1 so 255 is the max before it resets, but for cities they used the 00000000.

RAH

Simpson II · October 24, 2000, 08:28

kcbob,

A number theorist would agree, but a computer scientist wouldn't. The range of values for 8 bits is from 0-255, which gives 256 values, including zero. Programmers always start lists with the 'zeroth' element (as some people at the Clash forum are fond of rubbing in.

)

DaveV · October 24, 2000, 08:29

kcbob - there really are 256 values, since you can also use zero. However, I saw a mention on another thread which said that a city index of 0 means a "NONE" unit. The AI need not have a city; if an AI has a settler, the game won't end. So I think the max number of cities is 255.

rah · October 24, 2000, 09:25

Gee three posts within 3 minutes to point out 0. Now I'm waiting for someone to point out that I misstyped 126 instead of 128.

More programmers out here than I thought. (Or just smart people)

When Ming and I were doing our "friendly" high points score competition, I seem to remember having 255 cities and the AI one before I got the too many cities message. But as anyone would know that has tried this, I was probably brain dead at that point from boredom. Couple that with our advanced age and I could easily be wrong.

RAH

kcbob · October 24, 2000, 09:31

quote:

Originally posted by rah on 10-24-2000 08:27 AM
You forget 00000000 which is 0 so 1 + 255 = 256 possible combinations.

RAH

Would you believe someone stole my handle and posted instead of me? Nope?

Can we just forget about this thread???

You wanna know what really makes this so sad? I have a degree in Computer Science, University of Missouri-Rolla, '71.

*hangs head in great shame*
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Frodo lives!

Better dead than "Red"... or green... or blue... or yellow... or orange... or purple... or white.
[This message has been edited by kcbob (edited October 24, 2000).]

Caligastia · October 24, 2000, 09:48

I have another question:
Has anyone else ever attacked AI armor and artillery stacked and not killed all in the stack?
I did this and it only appeared to kill one of the armor. There wasnt a fortress or anything, so I dont understand.

rah · October 24, 2000, 11:00

Caligastia,
Never seen that. Interesting.

But back to the original discussion. Since you just got the message, could you reload the game and add up all of your cities and the AI's and tell us how many cities there are? Why speculate when we can test. AND why test when you can get someone else to do it easier?

RAH
and to kcbob, A computer Science Degree

I will convienently forget this thread ever existed after Caligastia posts the number of cities, FAIR?

Caligastia · October 24, 2000, 11:53

OK I will count the number of cities in my game. I really didnt think it was up to 255 tho

DaveV · October 24, 2000, 13:23

I found the thread that this one reminded me of.
http://apolyton.net/forums/Forum29/H...tml?date=07:29

kcbob · October 25, 2000, 00:20

quote:

Originally posted by rah on 10-24-2000 11:00 AM
RAH
and to kcbob, A computer Science Degree

I will convienently forget this thread ever existed after Caligastia posts the number of cities, FAIR?

Fair enough.

[whisper]Pssst. Caligastia. Can you be bought?[/whisper]

------------------
Frodo lives!

Better dead than "Red"... or green... or blue... or yellow... or orange... or purple... or white.

Caligastia · October 25, 2000, 09:33

OK The results are in:
CITIES
I have - 138
Celts - 28
English - 27
Japanese - 19
Indians - 17
Egyptians - 15
Americans - 10
Barbarians- 1
TOTAL - 255

I guess youre right after all Kcbob!

rah · October 25, 2000, 09:36

Thanks for checking.

So kcbob was right but for the wrong reason

RAH
Sorry couldn't pass up that last shot, but now the thread can be forgotten, until someone else asks the same question and someone posts a link to it.

Chainsaw · October 25, 2000, 14:54

LoL ... just LOL!!!

kcbob · October 26, 2000, 00:22

quote:

Originally posted by rah on 10-25-2000 09:36 AM
Thanks for checking.

So kcbob was right but for the wrong reason

RAH
Sorry couldn't pass up that last shot, but now the thread can be forgotten, until someone else asks the same question and someone posts a link to it.

Actually, I knew it all the time. I thought that if you all found out the answer for yourselves, you'd remember it better.

Now, anyone who believes that, I've got some shore front land in Montana I'd love to talk to you about.

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Frodo lives!

Better dead than "Red"... or green... or blue... or yellow... or orange... or purple... or white.

Julius Brenzaida · October 30, 2000, 17:51

It's definitely 255, all civilization included. It means that if there's one AI city left, you can only build 254.
Once, eager for a big score, I created a map with horrendous starting locations for the AI tribes. Stuck on little islands of ice, they never build any cities, and I build 255 of them, but then got the famous message "too many cities". The explanation of 255 positive numbers, the 0 being reserved for none units, looks good to me. Good insight, Dave V.

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Oh Man, when will you understand that your greatness lies in your failure - Goethe

Matthew · October 31, 2000, 02:23

Kbob

I will never forget.

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The camel is not a part of civ.

THE CAMEL IS CIV !!!!

SAVE THE CAMEL !!!!!!

kcbob · October 31, 2000, 08:49

quote:

Originally posted by Matthew on 10-31-2000 01:23 AM
Kbob

I will never forget.

Kbob??? Matthew, Matthew, Matthew. You live in Manhattan, Kansas and you fat finger my "honored" name? kcbob. That's kc. You know, as in "...the home of the...CHIEFS!!!

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Frodo lives!
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