The Complete Guide to Map Creation (image heavy)

[INDENT][INDENT][INDENT][SIZE=5]The Complete Guide To Map Creation[/SIZE]

There is an excellent semi-official map guide written by Robert B. Thomas (a.k.a. Sirian), who coded on the map generator himself. You can find it [URL=”http://www.civfanatics.com/civ4/reference/map_scripts_guide.php”]here[/URL]. However, that guide does not cover all map types available today, including popular ones such as Hemispheres, Fractal and Big and Small. This guide will cover [B]all[/B] official maps, so in addition to the 11 different map types not covered in Sirian’s guide, feel free to use it as a complementary to the map types described in his guide.

Understanding exactly how each setting in the map generator will impact a world to be created can be both a bit difficult and confusing. For example, there is nothing stating how a Highlands or Shuffle map will turn out without actually trying them out. Neither might it be easy to understand certain settings and which results will be given from them. For example, how would [B]Normal Continents[/B] on a [B]High Sealevel[/B] fare against [B]Islands[/B] on a [B]Low Sealevel[/B]?

Maps that do not turn out as expected are usually not maps you will be satisfied with. Personally, I find it crucial to understand what kind of map you are about to generate, as a desired map often leads to a good game. With the many different options available, it is not always easy to create the kind of map you are looking for. This guide will hopefully clear up some confusion and give you more power over your results.

In this guide, most of the examples will show three different maps generated with the same settings. This is to show possible differences that can occur when generating a map even if the settings are the same. The exceptions to this three-map-rule are when the differences would be too minimal, or when the various options in all their possible combinations would create a flood of images if they were all represented graphically. Because of this, it might occasionally be a good thing to refer to other map types for more information on certain settings. The main point of this guide, however, remains to graphically show the results of different map configurations.

Note: The guide has been split into several posts due to the forums limiting users to 20 images per post.

Now, let’s get started…

[B]All maps in this guide are generated with a Medium Sealevel and a Tropical Climate unless stated otherwise![/B]

[set_anchor=quicklinks]Quicklinks in alphabetical order:[/set_anchor][INDENT][anchor=arboria]Arboria[/anchor]
[anchor=archipelago]Archipelago[/anchor]
[anchor=balanced]Balanced[/anchor]
[anchor=bigsmall]Big and Small[/anchor]
[anchor=boreal]Boreal[/anchor]
[anchor=continents]Continents[/anchor]
[anchor=customcontinents]Custom Continents[/anchor]
[anchor=donut]Donut[/anchor]
[anchor=fantasy]Fantasy Realm[/anchor]
[anchor=fractal]Fractal[/anchor]
[anchor=globalhighlands]Global Highlands[/anchor]
[anchor=greatplains]Great Plains[/anchor]
[anchor=hemispheres]Hemispheres[/anchor]
[anchor=highlands]Highlands[/anchor]
[anchor=hub]Hub[/anchor]
[anchor=iceage]Ice Age[/anchor]
[anchor=inlandsea]Inland Sea[/anchor]
[anchor=islands]Islands[/anchor]
[anchor=lakes]Lakes[/anchor]
[anchor=maze]Maze[/anchor]
[anchor=mediumsmall]Medium and Small[/anchor]
[anchor=mirror]Mirror[/anchor]
[anchor=oasis]Oasis[/anchor]
[anchor=pangaea]Pangaea[/anchor]
[anchor=rainforest]Rainforest[/anchor]
[anchor=ring]Ring[/anchor]
[anchor=shuffle]Shuffle[/anchor]
[anchor=teambg]Team Battleground[/anchor]
[anchor=terra]Terra[/anchor]
[anchor=tiltedaxis]Tilted Axis[/anchor]
[anchor=wheel]Wheel[/anchor]
[/INDENT]

Quicklinks in order of appearance:[INDENT][anchor=hemispheres]#1 Hemispheres[/anchor]
[anchor=fractal]#2 Fractal[/anchor]
[anchor=bigsmall]#3 Big and Small[/anchor]
[anchor=mediumsmall]#4 Medium and Small[/anchor]
[anchor=archipelago]#5 Archipelago[/anchor]
[anchor=balanced]#6 Balanced[/anchor]
[anchor=continents]#7 Continents[/anchor]
[anchor=customcontinents]#8 Custom Continents[/anchor]
[anchor=shuffle]#9 Shuffle[/anchor]
[anchor=pangaea]#10 Pangaea[/anchor]
[anchor=terra]#11 Terra[/anchor]
[anchor=tiltedaxis]#12 Tilted Axis[/anchor]
[anchor=globalhighlands]#13 Global Highlands[/anchor]
[anchor=highlands]#14 Highlands[/anchor]
[anchor=greatplains]#15 Great Plains[/anchor]
[anchor=inlandsea]#16 Inland Sea[/anchor]
[anchor=lakes]#17 Lakes[/anchor]
[anchor=arboria]#18 Arboria[/anchor]
[anchor=boreal]#19 Boreal[/anchor]
[anchor=iceage]#20 Ice Age[/anchor]
[anchor=oasis]#21 Oasis[/anchor]
[anchor=rainforest]#22 Rainforest[/anchor]
[anchor=fantasy]#23 Fantasy Realm[/anchor]
[anchor=islands]#24 Islands[/anchor]
[anchor=donut]#25 Donut[/anchor]
[anchor=teambg]#26 Team Battleground[/anchor]
[anchor=mirror]#27 Mirror[/anchor]
[anchor=maze]#28 Maze[/anchor]
[anchor=hub]#29 Hub[/anchor]
[anchor=ring]#30 Ring[/anchor]
[anchor=wheel]#31 Wheel[/anchor]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=hemispheres]#1 Hemispheres[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Climate, Sealevel, Continents Size, Islands Size, Number of Continents[/B]

[B]Continents Size: Varied
Islands Size: Islands
Number of Continents: 3[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]As you guessed, the [B]Continents Size[/B] option of [B]Varied[/B] will create a random continent type for each continent on the map.
[*]Even though the [B]Number of Continents[/B] is set to [B]3[/B], it might not look that way partly due to the [B]Water Level[/B] setting, as well as how the map generator actually works. Remember that a continent is not necessarily one single land mass (think Oceania).
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/hem1.gif~original[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Continents Size: Varied
Islands Size: Islands
Number of Continents: 5[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Same settings as above, only now with [B]5 continents instead of 3[/B].
[*]Total amount of land mass remains mostly the same.
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/hem2.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Continents Size: Snaky Continents
Islands Size: Islands
Number of Continents: 3[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Now we will see how a map with only [B]Snaky Continents[/B] will turn out.
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/hem3.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Continents Size: Snaky Continents
Islands Size: Islands
Number of Continents: 5[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Only [B]Snaky Continents[/B] again, but this time with [B]5 continents[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/hem4.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Continents Size: Normal Continents
Islands Size: Islands
Number of Continents: 3[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Now we will see how a map with only [B]Normal Continents[/B] will turn out.
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/hem5.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Continents Size: Normal Continents
Islands Size: Islands
Number of Continents: 5[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Only [B]Normal Continents[/B] again, but this time with [B]5 continents[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/hem6.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Continents Size: Massive Continents
Islands Size: Islands
Number of Continents: 3[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Now we will see how a map with only [B]Massive Continents[/B] will turn out.
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/hem7.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Continents Size: Massive Continents
Islands Size: Islands
Number of Continents: 5[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Only [B]Massive Continents[/B] again, but this time with [B]5 continents[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/hem8.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Continents Size: 1) Snaky 2) Normal 3) Massive
Islands Size: Tiny Islands
Number of Continents: 4[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]We will now use [B]Tiny Islands[/B]. These islands are tinier than some might think, as they are usually just one plot in size. This setting will generate certain areas full of 1-3 square plots. However, [B]the difference is not very big compared to the normal Islands setting[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map has [B]Snaky Continents[/B], the [B]second[/B] has [B]Normal Continents[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map has [B]Massive Continents[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/hem9.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Sealevel: 1) Low 2) Medium 3) High
Continents Size: Snaky Continents
Islands Size: Islands
Number of Continents: 4[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Time to check the impact of [B]Sealevel[/B] for [B]Snaky Continents[/B].
[*]Obviously, a [B]Low Sealevel[/B] will have [B]more landmass[/B], and vice-versa.
[*]The higher the [B]Sealevel[/B], the more likely it is that you will get areas of [B]archipelago[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map has [B]Low[/B], the [B]second[/B] has [B]Medium[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map has [B]High Sealevel[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/hem10.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Sealevel: 1) Low 2) Medium 3) High
Continents Size: Normal Continents
Islands Size: Islands
Number of Continents: 4[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Time to check the impact of [B]Sealevel[/B] for [B]Normal Continents[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map has [B]Low[/B], the [B]second[/B] has [B]Medium[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map has [B]High Sealevel[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/hem11.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Sealevel: 1) Low 2) Medium 3) High
Continents Size: Massive Continents
Islands Size: Islands
Number of Continents: 4[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Time to check the impact of [B]Sealevel[/B] for [B]Massive Continents[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map has [B]Low[/B], the [B]second[/B] has [B]Medium[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map has [B]High Sealevel[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/hem12.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=fractal]#2 Fractal[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Climate, Sealevel, World Wrap, Resources[/B]

Fractal maps are less configurable, but that is not always a bad thing as they also have a tendency to be more random. Exploration and surprise are both often desired, and Fractal delivers! Fractal, in comparison to Hemispheres, usually have more compact continents, less archipelago and a little less total land mass. The main configuration option for Fractal maps is the [B]World Wrap[/B] setting. There are three such options:
[LIST]
[*][B]Cylindrical:[/B] You can cross the world at the east and west side of the map. This is the usual way Civilization maps work.
[*][B]Flat:[/B] You can [B]not[/B] cross the edge of the map in [B]any[/B] direction.
[*][B]Toroidal:[/B] You can cross the edge of the map in [B]any[/B] direction.
[/LIST]

Now, let’s have a look at some Fractal maps at different settings:

[B]World Wrap: Cylindrical[/B]

[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/frac1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]World Wrap: Flat[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]A [B]Flat[/B] setting will have no impact on the layout of the map compared to a [B]Cylindrical[/B] map. This change will basically only prevent you from crossing the east and west edges of the map, but we will still take a look at three maps generated with this setting.
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/frac2.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]World Wrap: Toroidal[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]A [B]Toroidal[/B] setting will be likely to create long stretching continents from north to south.
[*]This setting allows you to cross any edge of the map.
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/frac3.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Sealevel: Low
World Wrap: 1) Cylindrical 2) Flat 3) Toroidal[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]A [B]Low Sealevel[/B] will often cause massive continents, sometimes Pangea-like.
[*]The [B]first[/B] map is [B]Cylindrical[/B], the [B]second[/B] is [B]Flat[/B] and the [B]third[/B] is [B]Toroidal[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/frac4.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Sealevel: High
World Wrap: 1) Cylindrical 2) Flat 3) Toroidal[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]A [B]High Sealevel[/B] will decrease the size of the continents by quite a bit.
[*]The [B]first[/B] map is [B]Cylindrical[/B], the [B]second[/B] is [B]Flat[/B] and the [B]third[/B] is [B]Toroidal[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/frac5.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[/INDENT]
[/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT]

[INDENT][INDENT][INDENT]
[INDENT]
[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=bigsmall]#3 Big and Small[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Climate, Sealevel, Continents Size, Islands Size, Island Overlap[/B]

For more information on [B]Islands Size[/B], refer to [B]Hemispheres[/B] in section #1.

[B]Continents Size: Snaky Continents
Island Overlap: Island Region Separate[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*][B]Island Region Separate[/B] will ensure a map with more open oceans. This will be more apparent in combination with other continent sizes, since [B]Snaky Continents[/B] have a tendency to remind of archipelagos already.
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/bigsmall1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Continents Size: Snaky Continents
Island Overlap: Islands Mixed In[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*][B]Islands Mixed In[/B] will generate a lot of small islands covering most areas that would otherwise be open seas. If you prefer maps with archipelagos, this option is probably for you.
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/bigsmall2.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Continents Size: Normal Continents
Island Overlap: Island Region Separate[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Now let’s take a look at [B]Normal Continents[/B] instead.
[*][B]Island Region Separate[/B] will ensure a map with more open oceans. [/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/bigsmall3.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Continents Size: Normal Continents
Island Overlap: Islands Mixed In[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*][B]Islands Mixed In[/B] will generate a lot of small islands covering most areas that would otherwise be open seas. If you prefer maps with archipelagos, this option is probably for you.
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/bigsmall4.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Continents Size: Massive Continents
Island Overlap: Island Region Separate[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Next up are the [B]Massive Continents[/B]. As you will notice, [B]Massive Continents[/B] do not necessarily mean you will always get [B]larger[/B] continents than with a [B]Normal Continents[/B] setting, but they are usually [B]more compact[/B].
[*][B]Island Region Separate[/B] will ensure a map with more open oceans. [/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/bigsmall5.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Continents Size: Massive Continents
Island Overlap: Islands Mixed In[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*][B]Islands Mixed In[/B] will generate a lot of small islands covering most areas that would otherwise be open seas. If you prefer maps with archipelagos, this option is probably for you.
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/bigsmall6.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Sealevel: Low
Continents Size: 1) Snaky 2) Normal 3) Massive
Island Overlap: Island Region Separate[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Now we will check the impact of a [B]Low Sealevel[/B] setting, which is good if you prefer [B]more landmass[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map has [B]Snaky Continents[/B], the [B]second[/B] has [B]Normal Continents[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map has [B]Massive Continents[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/bigsmall7.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Sealevel: Low
Continents Size: 1) Snaky 2) Normal 3) Massive
Island Overlap: Islands Mixed In[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Now we will check [B]Low Sealevel[/B] with [B]Islands Mixed In[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map has [B]Snaky Continents[/B], the [B]second[/B] has [B]Normal Continents[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map has [B]Massive Continents[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/bigsmall8.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Sealevel: High
Continents Size: 1) Snaky 2) Normal 3) Massive
Island Overlap: Island Region Separate[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*][*]Now we will check the impact of a [B]High Sealevel[/B] setting, which is good if you prefer [B]less landmass[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map has [B]Snaky Continents[/B], the [B]second[/B] has [B]Normal Continents[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map has [B]Massive Continents[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/bigsmall9.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Sealevel: High
Continents Size: 1) Snaky 2) Normal 3) Massive
Island Overlap: Islands Mixed In[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Now we will check [B]High Sealevel[/B] with [B]Islands Mixed In[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map has [B]Snaky Continents[/B], the [B]second[/B] has [B]Normal Continents[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map has [B]Massive Continents[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/bigsmall10.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=mediumsmall]#4 Medium and Small[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Climate, Sealevel, Continents Size, Islands Size, Island Overlap[/B]

In comparison to [B]Big and Small[/B], these maps are a little less random in appearance when you look at the map as a whole. The pattern is a split between east and west. Not surprisingly, this map type also creates smaller main continents.

[B]Continents Size: Normal Continents
Islands Size: Islands
Island Overlap: Island Region Separate[/B]

[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/medsmall1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Continents Size: Snaky Continents
Islands Size: Islands
Island Overlap: Island Region Separate[/B]

[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/medsmall2.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Continents Size: Islands
Islands Size: Islands
Island Overlap: Island Region Separate[/B]

[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/medsmall3.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Continents Size: Unpredictable
Islands Size: Islands
Island Overlap: Island Region Separate[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]An [B]Unpredictable Continents Size[/B] will be mostly similar to [B]Normal Continents[/B], but the continents are usually a little less compact. They would be best categorised between [B]Normal Continents[/B] and [B]Snaky Continents[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/medsmall4.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Continents Size: 1) Normal 2) Snaky 3) Islands 4) Unpredictable
Islands Size: Islands
Island Overlap: Islands Mixed In[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*][B]Islands Mixed In[/B] will, in comparison to [B]Big and Small[/B] maps, not cover all empty oceans with small islands. Instead, each continent is more likely to be surrounded by islands, but the split between east and west remains.
[*]The [B]first[/B] map shows [B]Normal Continents[/B], the [B]second[/B] shows [B]Snaky[/B], the [B]third[/B] shows [B]Islands[/B] and the [B]fourth[/B] shows [B]Unpredictable Continents[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/medsmall5.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Continents Size: 1) Normal 2) Snaky 3) Islands 4) Unpredictable
Islands Size: Tiny Islands
Island Overlap: Islands Region Separate[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Now we will check [B]Tiny Islands[/B]. As been said before, [B]Tiny Islands[/B] will not make much of a difference compared to [B]Islands[/B], but it is noticeable.
[*]The [B]first[/B] map shows [B]Normal Continents[/B], the [B]second[/B] shows [B]Snaky[/B], the [B]third[/B] shows [B]Islands[/B] and the [B]fourth[/B] shows [B]Unpredictable Continents[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/medsmall6.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Continents Size: 1) Normal 2) Snaky 3) Islands 4) Unpredictable
Islands Size: Tiny Islands
Island Overlap: Islands Region Mixed In[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Same as before, but now with [B]Islands Region Mixed In[/B]. Islands will now be more scattered.
[*]The [B]first[/B] map shows [B]Normal Continents[/B], the [B]second[/B] shows [B]Snaky[/B], the [B]third[/B] shows [B]Islands[/B] and the [B]fourth[/B] shows [B]Unpredictable Continents[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/medsmall7.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[/INDENT]
[/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT]

[INDENT][INDENT][INDENT]
[INDENT]
[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=archipelago]#5 Archipelago[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Climate, Sealevel, Landmass Type, World Wrap, Resources[/B]

[B]Archipelagos[/B] are generally avoided by people that do not like small islands, however, an [B]Archipelago[/B] map can be very interesting for anyone and offer quite large continents when correctly configured.

Since maps that generally do not have large continents are very sensitive to [B]Sealevel[/B], this setting will be included in all maps we will look at for [B]Archipelagos[/B].

[B]Sealevel: 1) Low 2) Medium 3) High
Landmass Type: Archipelago
World Wrap: Cylindrical[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]First up is [B]Landmass Type Archipelago[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map shows a [B]Low Sealevel[/B], the [B]second[/B] shows [B]Medium Sealevel[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map shows [B]High Sealevel[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/archipelago1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Sealevel: 1) Low 2) Medium 3) High
Landmass Type: Snaky Continents
World Wrap: Cylindrical[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Now for [B]Snaky Continents[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map shows a [B]Low Sealevel[/B], the [B]second[/B] shows [B]Medium Sealevel[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map shows [B]High Sealevel[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/archipelago2.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Sealevel: 1) Low 2) Medium 3) High
Landmass Type: Tiny Islands
World Wrap: Cylindrical[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Next is the [B]Landmass Type[/B] of [B]Tiny Islands[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map shows a [B]Low Sealevel[/B], the [B]second[/B] shows [B]Medium Sealevel[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map shows [B]High Sealevel[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/archipelago3.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Sealevel: 1) Low 2) Medium 3) High
Landmass Type: Snaky Continents
World Wrap: Toroidal[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]A [B]Toroidal World Wrap[/B] setting has a bigger impact on a map when larger continents are available compared to small islands. Obviously, this is because small islands will be quite evenly spread across the map no matter the [B]World Wrap[/B] setting, whereas continents are able to stretch further from north to south. Therefore, we will only look at [B]Snaky Continents[/B] at different [B]Sealevels[/B] with a [B]Toroidal World Wrap[/B] setting.
[*]The [B]first[/B] map shows a [B]Low Sealevel[/B], the [B]second[/B] shows [B]Medium Sealevel[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map shows [B]High Sealevel[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/archipelago4.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=balanced]#6 Balanced[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Climate, Sealevel, World Wrap[/B]

[B]Balanced[/B] maps will always generate one large continent.

[B]World Wrap: Cylindrical[/B]

[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/balanced1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]World Wrap: Toroidal[/B]

[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/balanced2.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=continents]#7 Continents[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Sealevel, World Wrap, Resources[/B]

[B]Continents[/B] will, as expected, generate large continents.

[B]World Wrap: Cylindrical[/B]

[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/continents1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]World Wrap: Toroidal[/B]

A [B]Toroidal[/B] setting on this map type generates 4 continents every single time.

[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/continents2.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=customcontinents]#8 Custom Continents[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Climate, Sealevel, Number of Continents, World Wrap, Resources[/B]

Custom Continents are actually not all that customizable. You can choose the amount of continents, but that’s it for continent configuration.

As I have stated before, remember that [B]a continent is not necessarily one landmass[/B].

[B]Number of Continents: 3
World Wrap: Cylindrical[/B]

[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/cust_cont1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Number of Continents: 5
World Wrap: Cylindrical[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]A very apparent pattern often appears with this amount of continents, as you will see.
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/cust_cont2.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Number of Continents: 3
World Wrap: Toroidal[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Now we will check a [B]Toroidal[/B] setting.
[*]It might not always look like it due to the way the map generator works, but the third map does indeed have [B]Number of Continents[/B] set to [B]3[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/cust_cont3.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Number of Continents: 5
World Wrap: Toroidal[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]And finally, a [B]Toroidal World Wrap[/B] with [B]5 continents[/B].
[*]Here it becomes apparent that the map script does not take advantage of a [B]Toroidal World Wrap[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/cust_cont4.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=shuffle]#9 Shuffle[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Climate, Sealevel, World Wrap, Resources[/B]

[B]Shuffle[/B] will create very random maps. If you want the map to be a complete surprise, [B]Shuffle[/B] might be for you!

[B]World Wrap: Cylindrical[/B]

[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/shuffle1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]World Wrap: Toroidal[/B]

[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/shuffle2.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=pangaea]#10 Pangaea[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Climate, Sealevel, Shoreline, World Wrap, Resources[/B]

[B]Pangaea[/B] gives you one huge continent. [B]World Wrap[/B] will have no impact on the actual rendering of the map.

[B]World Wrap: Cylindrical
Shoreline: Natural[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]A [B]Natural Shoreline[/B] will create irregular continents and tiny islands in certain regions.
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/pangaea1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]World Wrap: Cylindrical
Shoreline: Pressed[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]A [B]Pressed Shoreline[/B] will create more compact continents and likely also a few tiny islands in certain regions.
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/pangaea2.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]World Wrap: Cylindrical
Shoreline: Solid[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]A [B]Solid Shoreline[/B] will create very compact continents without islands, save rarely one or two larger ones.
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/pangaea3.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Sealevel: Low
World Wrap: Cylindrical
Shoreline: 1) Natural 2) Pressed 3) Solid[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Now we will check the impact of a [B]Low Sealevel[/B] in combination with each [B]Shoreline[/B] setting. This will, naturally, give you [B]more landmass[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map has a [B]Natural Shoreline[/B], the [B]second[/B] has a [B]Pressed Shoreline[/B] and the [B]third[/B] has a [B]Solid Shoreline[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/pangaea4.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Sealevel: High
World Wrap: Cylindrical
Shoreline: 1) Natural 2) Pressed 3) Solid[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Now we will check the impact of a [B]High Sealevel[/B] in combination with each [B]Shoreline[/B] setting. This will, naturally, give you [B]less landmass[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map has a [B]Natural Shoreline[/B], the [B]second[/B] has a [B]Pressed Shoreline[/B] and the [B]third[/B] has a [B]Solid Shoreline[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/pangaea5.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[/INDENT]
[/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT]

[INDENT][INDENT][INDENT]
[INDENT]
[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=terra]#11 Terra[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Climate, Sealevel, World Wrap, Resources[/B]

[B]Terra[/B], unsurprisingly, tries to create an Earth-like map. Every time, it will create one large continent (resembling Euro-Asia) and a smaller continent with a thin connection in the middle (resembling America).

[B]World Wrap: Cylindrical[/B]

[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/terra1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]World Wrap: Toroidal[/B]

[LIST][I]
[*][B]Toroidal[/B] will have no impact on the map layout.
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/terra2.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=tiltedaxis]#12 Tilted Axis[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Climate, Sealevel, Landmass Size, Resources[/B]

[B]Tilted Axis[/B] maps will tilt the north and south to the east and west.

[B]Landmass Size: Massive Continents[/B]

[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/tiltedaxis1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Landmass Size: Normal Continents[/B]

[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/tiltedaxis2.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Landmass Size: Small Continents[/B]

[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/tiltedaxis3.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Landmass Size: Islands[/B]

[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/tiltedaxis4.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Landmass Size: Tiny Islands[/B]

[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/tiltedaxis5.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=globalhighlands]#13 Global Highlands[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Climate, Sealevel, Mountain Pattern, Mountain Density, Landmass Size, World Wrap, Resources[/B]

[B]Global Highlands[/B] will create a very random map with a few decently large continents. These maps have a lot of hills and especially mountain peaks. This map type is great if you enjoy limited territory for building cities and fighting for vital passages between mountain ridges.

[B]Mountain Pattern: 1) Scattered 2) Ridgelines 3) Clustered
Mountain Density: Normal Peaks
Landmass Size: Normal Continents
World Wrap: Cylindrical[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Your choice of a [B]Mountain Pattern[/B] will depend on if you prefer [B]Scattered[/B] mountain peaks across the map, lines of peaks with [B]Ridgelines[/B] or having them [B]Clustered[/B] in specific areas. We will look at all of them in combination with a different [B]Mountain Density[/B], starting with [B]Normal Peaks[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map shows [B]Scattered[/B], the [B]second[/B] shows [B]Ridgelines[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map shows [B]Clustered[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/globalhighlands1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Mountain Pattern: 1) Scattered 2) Ridgelines 3) Clustered
Mountain Density: Dense Peaks
Landmass Size: Normal Continents
World Wrap: Cylindrical[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Next is [B]Dense Peaks[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map shows [B]Scattered[/B], the [B]second[/B] shows [B]Ridgelines[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map shows [B]Clustered[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/globalhighlands2.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Mountain Pattern: 1) Scattered 2) Ridgelines 3) Clustered
Mountain Density: Thin Peaks
Landmass Size: Normal Continents
World Wrap: Cylindrical[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Next is [B]Thin Peaks[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map shows [B]Scattered[/B], the [B]second[/B] shows [B]Ridgelines[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map shows [B]Clustered[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/globalhighlands3.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Mountain Pattern: Ridgelines
Mountain Density: Normal Peaks
Landmass Size: 1) Snaky 2) Normal 3) Massive
World Wrap: Cylindrical[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Now we will compare the different [B]Landmass Sizes[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map shows [B]Snaky[/B], the [B]second[/B] shows [B]Normal[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map shows [B]Massive[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/globalhighlands4.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Mountain Pattern: Ridgelines
Mountain Density: Normal Peaks
Landmass Size: 1) Snaky 2) Normal 3) Massive
World Wrap: Cylindrical[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Now to compare the different [B]Landmass Sizes[/B] again, but this time with a [B]Toroidal World Wrap[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map shows [B]Snaky[/B], the [B]second[/B] shows [B]Normal[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map shows [B]Massive[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/globalhighlands5.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=highlands]#14 Highlands[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Mountain Pattern, Mountain Density, Water Setting, World Wrap, Resources[/B]

[B]Highlands[/B] maps are very different from [B]Global Highlands[/B] and will create one continent spanning the whole map.

Refer to section #13 about [B]Global Highlands[/B] for more info on [B]Mountain Pattern[/B] and [B]Mountain Density[/B].

[B]Mountain Pattern: Ridgelines
Mountain Density: Normal Peaks
World Wrap: Cylindrical
Water Setting: 1) Small Lakes 2) Large Lakes 3) Seas[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]The [B]first[/B] map shows a [B]Water Setting[/B] with [B]Small Lakes[/B], the [B]second[/B] shows [B]Large Lakes[/B] and the [B]third[/B] shows [B]Seas[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/highlands1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=greatplains]#15 Great Plains[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: World Wrap[/B]

[B]Great Plains[/B] will create one continent spanning the whole map. It is not particularly random and this map shown is close to what you will get each time.

[B]World Wrap: Cylindrical[/B]

[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/greatplains.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=inlandsea]#16 Inland Sea[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Climate, Sealevel, World Wrap, Resources[/B]

[B]Inland Sea[/B] will create one continent spanning the whole map with a large sea in the center.

[B]Sealevel: 1) Low 2) Medium 3) High
World Wrap: Flat
[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]The [B]first[/B] map shows a [B]Low Sealevel[/B], the [B]second[/B] shows [B]Medium Sealevel[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map shows a [B]High Sealevel[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/inlandsea1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Sealevel: 1) Low 2) Medium 3) High
World Wrap: Cylindrical
[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Now we do the same thing with a [B]Cylindrical World Wrap[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map shows a [B]Low Sealevel[/B], the [B]second[/B] shows [B]Medium Sealevel[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map shows a [B]High Sealevel[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/inlandsea2.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=lakes]#17 Lakes[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Climate, Sealevel, World Wrap, Resources[/B]

[B]Lakes[/B] will create one continent spanning the whole map with several lakes of varying sizes.

[B]Sealevel: 1) Medium 2) High 3) High
World Wrap: 1) Cylindrical 2) Cylindrical 3) Toroidal[/B]

[LIST][I]
[*]To make the lakes more apparent, we will [B]not[/B] check [B]Low Sealevel[/B].
[*][B]Toroidal[/B] will have a strange impact on the southern border by causing a long stretch of water all the way through from east to west (as seen in the last map).
[*]The [B]first[/B] map shows a [B]Medium Sealevel[/B] on a [B]Cylindrical[/B] map, the [B]second[/B] shows [B]High Sealevel[/B] on a [B]Cylindrical[/B] map, and the [B]third[/B] shows [B]High Sealevel[/B] on a [B]Toroidal[/B] map.
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/lakes1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=arboria]#18 Arboria[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: World Wrap[/B]

[B]Arboria[/B] resembles [B]Pangaea[/B], but looks less natural and is less configurable. One massive continent with small lakes and a decent amount of mountain peaks will be generated, but no deserts.

[B]World Wrap: 1) Flat 2) Cylindrical 3) Toroidal[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*][B]World Wrap[/B] has no effect on the actual map layout, but we will use different [B]World Wrap[/B] settings anyway since it’s the only setting available.
[*]The [B]first[/B] map is [B]Flat[/B], the [B]second[/B] is [B]Cylindrical[/B] and the [B]third[/B] is [B]Toroidal[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/arboria1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=boreal]#19 Boreal[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: World Wrap[/B]

[B]Boreal[/B] maps will create one continent spanning the whole map. This map has a cold climate and is covered with forests and clustered mountain peaks. Some relatively large lakes will be generated.

[B]World Wrap: 1) Flat 2) Cylindrical 3) Toroidal[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]The [B]World Wrap[/B] setting will only have a slight effect on the map layout in the edges where you are able to cross the map. The difference is the linking of objects like mountains and lakes from one side to the other.
[*]The [B]first[/B] map is [B]Flat[/B], the [B]second[/B] is [B]Cylindrical[/B] and the [B]third[/B] is [B]Toroidal[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/boreal1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[/INDENT]
[/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT]

[INDENT][INDENT][INDENT]
[INDENT]
[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=iceage]#20 Ice Age[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Sealevel, Landmass Type[/B]

[B]Ice Age[/B] maps can be generated with a large variety of land masses, but the climate remains cold and the terrain will reflect this.

[B]Landmass Type: Wide Continents[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]First up are [B]Wide Continents[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/iceage1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Landmass Type: Narrow Continents[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Now for the [B]Narrow Continents[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/iceage2.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Landmass Type: Islands[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Now the [B]Islands[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/iceage3.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Sealevel: 1) Low 2) Medium 3) High
Landmass Type: Small Islands[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]And last are the [B]Small Islands[/B].
[*]Any map with a [B]Small Islands Landmass Type[/B] will look very similar each time they are generated, and [B]Sealevel[/B] has a higher impact on archipelago type maps. Therefore, we will look at different [B]Sealevels[/B] instead of creating several maps of the same kind.
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/iceage4.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=oasis]#21 Oasis[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: World Wrap, Resources[/B]

This map is rich in desert and jungle, where the deserts are full of oases. The north will have an ocean.

[B]World Wrap: Cylindrical[/B]

[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/oasis1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=rainforest]#22 Rainforest[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: World Wrap[/B]

This map contains mainly of jungle, but also some large spots of desert and clusters of mountain peaks. Lakes will also be present.

[B]World Wrap: Cylindrical[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]These maps are not very configurable, and different [B]World Wrap[/B] settings will only have a marginal effect on the edges of the map. We will still use different [B]World Wrap[/B] settings for each map just for the sake of not rendering them with the same settings.
[*]The [B]first[/B] map has [B]Flat World Wrap[/B], the [B]second[/B] has [B]Cylindrical[/B] and the [B]third[/B] has [B]Toroidal[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/rainforest1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=fantasy]#23 Fantasy Realm[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Sealevel, Resource Appearance, World Wrap[/B]

[B]Fantasy Realm[/B] maps will generate one continent spanning the whole map. The terrain will be very mixed with grassland, plains, tundra and arctic all mixed together from plot to plot. Lakes will be present around the map.

There are three levels of [B]Resource Appearance[/B]:
[B]Logical[/B] will have normal resource appearance.
[B]Irrational[/B] will cause resources to appear in irrational places, such as rice in the snow and deer in the desert.
[B]Crazy[/B] will add lots and lots of resources all over the map.

[B]Sealevel: 1) Low 2) Medium 3) High
World Wrap: Cylindrical[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]The [B]first[/B] map shows [B]Low Sealevel[/B], the [B]second[/B] shows [B]Medium Sealevel[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map shows [B]High Sealevel[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/fantasy1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=islands]#24 Islands[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Climate, Sealevel, Number of Large Islands, Number of Tiny Islands, World Wrap, Resources[/B]

A [B]Toroidal[/B] or [B]Flat[/B] setting will have no impact on the layout of the map.

Fewer islands will give slightly larger islands.

[B]Number of Large Islands: 1 Per Player
Number of Tiny Islands: No Tiny Islands
World Wrap: Cylindrical
Total Number of Players: 6/11/18[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]We will begin by checking maps without any fancy settings to see the difference the amount of players will make.
[*]The [B]first[/B] map has a total of [B]6 players[/B], the [B]second[/B] has [B]11 players[/B] and the [B]third[/B] has [B]18 players[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/islands1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Number of Large Islands: Extras
Number of Tiny Islands: No Tiny Islands
World Wrap: Cylindrical
Total Number of Players: 6/11/18[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Now to see the difference with [B]Number of Large Islands[/B] set to [B]Extras[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map has a total of [B]6 players[/B], the [B]second[/B] has [B]11 players[/B] and the [B]third[/B] has [B]18 players[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/islands2.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Number of Large Islands: Several Extras
Number of Tiny Islands: No Tiny Islands
World Wrap: Cylindrical
Total Number of Players: 6/11/18[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Now to see the difference with [B]Number of Large Islands[/B] set to [B]Several Extras[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map has a total of [B]6 players[/B], the [B]second[/B] has [B]11 players[/B] and the [B]third[/B] has [B]18 players[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/islands3.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Number of Large Islands: Extras
Number of Tiny Islands: 1) Few 2) Various 3) Many
World Wrap: Cylindrical
Total Number of Players: 11[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Now we will check what the [B]Number of Tiny Islands[/B] setting will do. As you will notice, the otherwise empty oceans will now be filled with very small islands.
[*]The [B]Number of Tiny Islands[/B] on the [B]first[/B] map is set to [B]Few[/B], the [B]second[/B] is set to [B]Various[/B] and the [B]third[/B] is set to [B]Many[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/islands4.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=donut]#25 Donut[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Center Region, Jungle, World Wrap, Resources[/B]

[B]Center Region[/B] has the following settings available: [B]Hills/Peaks/Desert/Ocean/Standard[/B]. If you choose [B]Standard[/B], the centre will look like the rest of the donut, containing jungle (if turned on) and grassland.

[B][COLOR=”Red”]BE WARNED[/COLOR]: When creating Donut maps, if you select No Jungle AND a Center Region other than Desert, there will be no oil generated on the map, not even in the oceans. The only way to prevent this from happening with such settings is to put Resources to Balanced.[/B]

[B]Jungle: Jungle
Center Region: 1) Peaks 2) Ocean 3) Standard
World Wrap: Flat[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]The [B]Center Region[/B] of the [B]first[/B] map is set to [B]Peaks[/B], the [B]second[/B] to [B]Ocean[/B] and the [B]third[/B] to [B]Standard[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/donut1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=teambg]#26 Team Battleground[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Climate, Team Placement, Team Setting, World Wrap[/B]

[B]Team Battleground[/B] will always generate:
Water in the middle with a [B]Team Placement[/B] of [B]Left vs Right[/B].
Desert in the middle with a [B]Team Placement[/B] of [B]Top vs Bottom[/B].
Water in between the corners with a bridge in the middle with a [B]Team Placement[/B] of [B]Four Corners[/B].

[B]World Wrap: Flat
Team Placement: Left vs Right[/B]

[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/teambg1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]World Wrap: Flat
Team Placement: 1) Top vs Bottom 2) Four Corners[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]The [B]Team Placement[/B] of the [B]first[/B] map is [B]Top vs Bottom[/B] and the [B]second[/B] map is set to [B]Four Corners[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/teambg2.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=mirror]#27 Mirror[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Climate, Mirror Type, Team Setting, Landmass Type, World Wrap[/B]

[B]Mirror[/B] is perfect for balanced multiplayer maps, where one side will be a copy of the other. [B]Mirror Type[/B] will decide in which way they will be mirrored.

[B]Mirror Type: Reflection
Team Setting: Start Together
Landmass Type: 1) Tiny Islands 2) Archipelago 3) Snaky Continents
World Wrap: Flat[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]First we will check the [B]Landmass Types[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map shows [B]Tiny Islands[/B], the [B]second[/B] map shows [B]Archipelago[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map shows [B]Snaky Continents[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/mirror1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Mirror Type: Reflection
Team Setting: Start Together
Landmass Type: 1) Wide Continents 2) Small Lakes 3) Varied
World Wrap: Flat[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]…and we continue with the next three [B]Landmass Types[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map shows [B]Wide Continents[/B], the [B]second[/B] map shows [B]Small Lakes[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map shows [B]Varied[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/mirror2.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Mirror Type: 1) Inversion 2) Copy 3) Opposite
Team Setting: Start Together
Landmass Type: Varied
World Wrap: Flat[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]Now we will look at the different [B]Mirror Types[/B] on a [B]Varied Landmass Type[/B].
[*]The [B]first[/B] map shows [B]Inversion[/B], the [B]second[/B] map shows [B]Copy[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map shows [B]Opposite[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/mirror3.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=maze]#28 Maze[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Climate, Maze Width, World Wrap, Resources[/B]

No description needed for this one!

[B]Maze Width: 1) 1 Plot Wide 2) 3 Plots Wide 3) 5 Plots Wide
World Wrap: Cylindrical[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*][B]Maze Width[/B] in the [B]first[/B] map is [B]1 Plot[/B], the [B]second[/B] map is set to [B]3 Plots[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map is set to [B]5 Plots[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/maze1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=hub]#29 Hub[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Climate, Sealevel, Areas Per Player, Land Shape, Neutral Territory, Isthmus Width, World Wrap, Resources[/B]

[B]Isthmus Width[/B] determines how many plots wide the bridges should be.
[B]Areas Per Player[/B] determines the amount of islands.
[B]Land Shape[/B] determines how compact the terrain will be.

[B]Areas Per Player: 1
Land Shape: Pressed
Neutral Territory: Varied
Isthmus Width: 2 Plots Wide
World Wrap: Flat[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]The [B]first[/B] map has [B]6 players[/B], the [B]second[/B] has [B]12 players[/B] and the [B]third[/B] map has [B]18 players[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/hub1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[/INDENT]
[/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT]

[INDENT][INDENT][INDENT]
[INDENT]
[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=ring]#30 Ring[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Climate, Sealevel, Areas Per Player, Land Shape, Neutral Territory, Isthmus Width, World Wrap, Resources[/B]

[B]Isthmus Width[/B] determines how many plots wide the bridges between islands should be.
[B]Areas Per Player[/B] determines the amount of islands.
[B]Land Shape[/B] determines how compact the terrain will be.

[B]Areas Per Player: 1 Per Player
Land Shape: 1) Natural 2) Pressed 3) Solid
Neutral Territory: Natural 2) Pressed 3) Varied
Isthmus Width: 2
World Wrap: Flat
Total Amount of Players: 10[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]The [B]first[/B] map shows [B]Land Shape/Neutral Territory[/B] as [B]Natural/Natural[/B], the [B]second[/B] shows [B]Pressed/Pressed[/B] and the [B]third[/B] shows [B]Solid/Varied[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/ring1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[SIZE=”4″][set_anchor=wheel]#31 Wheel[/set_anchor][/SIZE]

[B]Available Settings: Climate, Sealevel, Areas Per Player, Land Shape, Ring Width, Spoke Width, World Wrap, Resources[/B]

[B]Ring Width[/B]: This will determine the width of the bridges between the islands.
[B]Spoke Width[/B]: This will determine the width of the bridges between the islands and the center region.
[B]Land Shape[/B]: This will determine how compact the terrain will be.

[B]Areas Per Player: 1 Per Player
Land Shape: Pressed
Ring Width: 2
Spoke Width: 2
World Wrap: Flat[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]The [B]first[/B] map has a total of [B]6 players[/B], the [B]second[/B] has [B]12 players[/B] and the [B]third[/B] has [B]18 players[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/wheel1.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]

[B]Areas Per Player: 2 Per Player (Max 10)
Land Shape: Pressed
Ring Width: 2
Spoke Width: 2
World Wrap: Flat[/B]
[LIST][I]
[*]The [B]first[/B] map has a total of [B]4 players[/B], the [B]second[/B] has [B]7 players[/B] and the [B]third[/B] has [B]10 players[/B].
[/I][/LIST]
[SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg70/Mortac/wheel2.gif[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER]
[RIGHT][anchor=quicklinks][top][/anchor][/RIGHT]
[/INDENT]

Well, there you have it! I hope you enjoyed it and that you now feel more knowledgeable when creating your maps! If you have any suggestions or requests please let me know!

Best of luck! 🙂

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[url=http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=246788]Discuss this article on the forums[/url]