Map Generator Error?

from Sins Forums
Just for fun, I decided to try playing around with the custom map feature a little. I have to explore each map "by hand", rather than just looking at the generated result.

My first game I created a 10 planet per star with 2 star systems (and only one other AI). The result I expected was two more-or-less equal systems, with the AI in one and myself in another. What I go, was one system with 10 planets, both me and the AI, and a second system with 4 planets (planets being any grav well, asteroid or planet).

This next one, I made one star with 100 planets (I didn't count to see if I got all of them) but the placement of one of them was... odd. It was a Terran planet, just about touching the local star. Not the star's grave well; the star itself.
18,971 views 9 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
It is the beta after all, I am sure there are a few kinks but I have noticed that planet balancing isnt exact. I think they try to work on a average so there is a bit variety, however an average of 4 and 10 does not come close to 10 so that does need to be reworked.
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

It is the beta after all, I am sure there are a few kinks but I have noticed that planet balancing isnt exact. I think they try to work on a average so there is a bit variety, however an average of 4 and 10 does not come close to 10 so that does need to be reworked.


I know its a beta. That's why I'm mentioning it so it goes from an (un)known issue to a known issue.
The Political Machine 2024
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
OK, I'm starting to think the custom map generator needs a little work. I'm not sure, but I think instead of having # of planets per star (as labeled), its a (rough) count of number of planets total (not counting asteroids and the like?). I wish there was a view-all cheat code or something similar, to let me play around some more.

On top of that, the artifact counter needs adjustment. As things stand, it reaches up to 9, the total number of possible different artifacts, but allows duplicate artifacts. Which means that I can end up with three or four copies of the stupid phase-lane jumping one... on a single star map. Either eliminate the duplicate artifact generation, or allow infinite artifacts.
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
It was a Terran planet, just about touching the local star. Not the star's grave well; the star itself.





Screenshots would help. (btw you can edit you posts so you don't need to double post)
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

It was a Terran planet, just about touching the local star. Not the star's grave well; the star itself.





Screenshots would help. (btw you can edit you posts so you don't need to double post)


Eh, good point. Edit (stupid forums locked me out for aloooooong time for some reason): I'm just used to forums where a second post is the preferred method after 10 minutes or so (either because admins wanted it that way... or they lock out edits after five minutes), because an edit doesn't cause a bump. And the admin just preferred it that way on the first forum I got really involved in, bad habits die hard
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top
I've run into a similar (same?) problem w/ the map generator If I setup a game w/ teams and multiple stars everyone seems to start in the same system. This problem looks to be w/ the number of players on a team and not w/ the total number of teams. Starting w/ one player per team appears to correctly split up the planet and player locations so that each star is equally populated.
Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top
Starting w/ one player per team appears to correctly split up the planet and player locations so that each star is equally populated.


Nope, in my current map there are as many teams as players... and of the five thoroughly explored stars, 2 had 2 empires, 3 had none... there are some more stars past that that I'm flooding with scouts now, but...
Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top
Oops, should have read your post a lil closer b/c I didn't see you were using so many star systems =0 I usually play w/ 2 or 3 systems and randomly assumed the problem I described applied to galaxies w/ tons of stars.

The unpopulated systems might actually be a "feature" and not an generator error. In the beta 2 change log Yarlen talks about tweaks to the map generator that are intended to make the game "more fun". In particular:

"+ Galaxy Generator:
- Improved planet generation for multiple systems.
- Distributes planetoids and players more equally. Note: If you only choose 3 or fewer players, they will all be in the same system as there are a variety of rules on how players are distributed."

Unfortunately some of the changes listed are less than clear =\

A quick way to explore a galaxy is to start the game w/ the victory condition being "last flagship standing". When you scuttle your Kol the defeat window comes up and you can hit "continue" to reveal the entire map.

Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top

A quick way to explore a galaxy is to start the game w/ the victory condition being "last flagship standing". When you scuttle your Kol the defeat window comes up and you can hit "continue" to reveal the entire map.


! Thanks, I'll have to do that... right after I finish this current game.