The 'Terrain Workshop'

airdrik · December 24, 2000, 02:59

Not nearly as excentric as the Unit Workshop, but here goes:

A terrain is composed of 4 basic things: Base, Upper layer, Improovments (unimproovments), Resources.

Base: Rock, Dirt, Grass, Water, Desert

Upper layer: Forest, Swamp, Water (river), Ice, None

Improovments: Cold(between Ice and no Ice), Pollution, Land Mines, other terrain imp's.

Resources: Exactly that.

Some terrains cause damage, though no more than 1/4-3/4 the total hp of the unit (diseases/freezing/overheating). These include Mines(3/4 hp), cold(1/2 hp), ice(2/3 hp), pollution(1/3), swamp(1/2), desert(1/4).

Air units are immune to such damages. Also, certain advances negate damage from certain terrains.

Comments, Suggestions?

Ralf · December 24, 2000, 07:10

quote:

Originally posted by airdrik on 12-24-2000 01:59 AM
Not nearly as excentric as the Unit Workshop, but here goes:

I think this idea is MORE excentric then the Unit Workshop.

------------------------------------- edited:
I partly take that back. If these maps are created by human map-creators, then its OK. This idea together with the idea in the "Vote: should the map-generator be scrapped?" thread, perhaps? Im not that sure, however: i am all for the KISS "keep it simple stupid" game-develop formula.

[This message has been edited by Ralf (edited December 24, 2000).]

eNo · December 24, 2000, 15:56

Seeing as I've seen it twice, I'll have to ask waht does "excentric" mean? or do you mean "eccentric"?

I'm reminded during the Map dicucssions on the old Firaxis boards that somebody mentioned a similar system.

It was kind of like SMAC but even more extensive. I think it was:

Rainfall
Rockiness/Soil
Elevation
Temperature
Vegetation

and then improvements/resources/specials on top. There would be different tile graphics for different combinations and even though that would mean a lot, the maps would be beautiful.

I'm thinking that Elevation should be replaced by Topography because elevation implies that the entire square has that elevation and therefore mountains arn't done very well (see SMAC)

Ralf · December 24, 2000, 17:41

quote:

Originally posted by eNo on 12-24-2000 02:56 PM
Seeing as I've seen it twice, I'll have to ask waht does "excentric" mean? or do you mean "eccentric"?

You absolutely right. Well, english is not my native language.

quote:

It was kind of like SMAC but even more extensive.

Personally, i dont want the wavy SMAC terrain-solution in Civ-3. I prefer the Civ-2/CTP-2 solution, but with small elevation-increments depending on terrain-type.

Basically: less "wavy", and more "engraved" look.

Theben · December 25, 2000, 00:06

quote:

Originally posted by eNo on 12-24-2000 02:56 PM
I'm reminded during the Map dicucssions on the old Firaxis boards that somebody mentioned a similar system.

It was kind of like SMAC but even more extensive. I think it was:

Rainfall
Rockiness/Soil
Elevation
Temperature
Vegetation

and then improvements/resources/specials on top.

See TERRAIN AND TERRAIN IMPROVEMENTS in the other forum. It was mentioned here, too.

quote:

There would be different tile graphics for different combinations and even though that would mean a lot, the maps would be beautiful.

Hopefully beautiful, but possibly cluttered. We'll have to wait and see...

DarkCloud · December 25, 2000, 15:25

IF the 'resources' in certain squares could shift over years to "Pheasant-Grain-Pheasant-Grain-Oil-Pheasant" it would also be interesting.

eNo · December 27, 2000, 16:52

Ralf - I agree that the SMAC elevations wern't that hot. I like true mountains, hills and plains. Which is why I suggested topography in instead (plains, mountainous, hilly). I havn't played CTP so I can't comment on the etched map steps but I hear it's pretty good. I the map steps get combined with topography we can have some nice plateaus.

Theben - I thought that forum kinda died down since there doesn't seem to be much activity there. Guess I'm wrong

. I'll go check it out.

Theben · December 27, 2000, 22:40

quote:

Originally posted by eNo on 12-27-2000 03:52 PM
Theben - I thought that forum kinda died down since there doesn't seem to be much activity there. Guess I'm wrong

. I'll go check it out.

It kinda DID die out, but the ideas remain, and remain valid. You SHOULD go check them out.

markusf · December 28, 2000, 05:33

Only thing i hate on maps, is stuff like tundra appearing in the center of the map out of nowhere!. here is a example

airdrik · December 29, 2000, 00:36

quote:

Originally posted by eNo on 12-24-2000 02:56 PM

I'm reminded during the Map dicucssions on the old Firaxis boards that somebody mentioned a similar system.

It was kind of like SMAC but even more extensive. I think it was:

Rainfall
Rockiness/Soil
Elevation
Temperature
Vegetation

and then improvements/resources/specials on top. There would be different tile graphics for different combinations and even though that would mean a lot, the maps would be beautiful.

That suggestion has more to do with the atmospheric aspects, while my idea has more to do with the physical aspects of the terrain.

quote:

I'm thinking that Elevation should be replaced by Topography because elevation implies that the entire square has that elevation and therefore mountains aren't done very well (see SMAC)

I forgot about elevation, though. I don't think hills/mountains/lowlands can be incoropated in my idea without revampment. Perhaps 3 types of 'elevations': flat, bumpy, steep rise (tiles on opposite sides of a steep rise will be different hights)

eNo · December 31, 2000, 01:32

airdrik - True the model that I brought up has more weather involved whereas your system does concentrate more on the effects of different physical results. I like the idea of hostile terrain though I hope there's a less gameplay fustrating way to model it instead of just pinging it with damage and sending it back to town to heal before it dies. Slowing was one way it was modelled. Maybe the supply lines that were mentioned could control how much damage the unit takes. Good lines = no damage kind of thing. Your elevations thing is basically topography. The shape of the land instead of the placement of the land.

markusf - What version of CivII is that? The graphics are different from what I've grown to love!

markusf · December 31, 2000, 04:01

Just added my own graphics... Got sick and tired of the crappy ones in civ2

you just need to change a few gif files.
[This message has been edited by markusf (edited December 31, 2000).]

Theben · January 3, 2001, 03:03

Hey, I think I like those fish, corn, and hut .gifs. Are they available to download?

markusf · January 3, 2001, 19:53

http://216.232.0.147/brushup.zip

and a thread on my "mod pack"
with more images http://apolyton.net/forums/Forum4/HTML/001033.html?11