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Old 21-07-2004, 10:05   #2
Aggie
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Join Date: Mar 2003
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The tool Map Tweaker has made map making a lot easier. We are now capable of making more balanced maps. These can either have equal landmasses or -with a bit of effort- similar landmasses with a couple of differences. This all can be done relatively easy. However, compared to the conventional way of mapmaking there are a few things that should be watched more closely:

-availability of resources: a simple copy/paste of landmasses will always result in an unbalance of the resource availability. Some resources may show up more while others may almost dissapear. Map Tweaker has an analyse tool. This allows you to check this out. Tip: check out how resources are spread in a normal map and compare this with your tweaked map. This makes it easier to normalise the map.
-distribution of luxuries/resources: luxuries and resources are very important trading goods. So I try to avoid spreading them over the globe too much, but at the same time I try to avoid that two or more tribes have the exact same types of luxuries and resources (especially the humans). I also want to avoid the placement of one type of luxury on different landmasses. On a generated map you will not find one tuype of luxury on two different islands. If I do distribute them otherwise, I will tell so.
-coast, sea, ocean. Tweaked maps often have a no sea squares between a coast and an ocean. This you will not see in generated maps.
-Desert in the north pole. Map Tweaker allows you to copy a desert island near the north pole and snow on the equator. I think that the players should be asked if they want to allow this.

There will probably be more items to discuss. Please do
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