Map Changes

[Space_Ed]

Hi I'm tidying up the map for the first alpha release. I'm mainly working on the middle east and Africa as those areas need the most work. What changes should I make?

You can see the map I'm improving by downloading the beta version.

Thanks

[Morrowgan]

I almost got a heart attack There's still somebody working.

[Space_Ed]

I almost got a heart attack There's still somebody working.

Hi yeah I had some strange issues with my laptop and the game wasn't working but I managed to fix it. Working on the map now. Making Iran, Iraq and the Georgia region look a lot better right now.

[Morrowgan]

Are you currently the only one working or is the team just really quiet ?

[Space_Ed]

Are you currently the only one working or is the team just really quiet ?

No one is really using this forum much but work is being done by a few people.

[Morrowgan]

I'd appreciate it if you started using this forum more. People may be thinking this mod is dead.

[Space_Ed]

I'd appreciate it if you started using this forum more. People may be thinking this mod is dead.

I'd rather the others just concentrated on the work rather than get distracted here. I might use it sometimes.

[LusitanPlayer]

thats good news.

[Morrowgan]

What is the overall plan for DotS now ?

[Hengest]

What is the overall plan for DotS now ?

To keep working! The idea is to be methodical and release in small steps of working versions.

We have far more work done than we are releasing but it's patchy and buggy, so it is best we start from a skeleton and move on bit by bit. Which is what you are seeing now.

Currently we are trying to get all the units up and running so we can offer custom battles. Then there is the full tech tree to bring into a working campaign, enabling an economy, title traits, scripting features.... as you know, lots to do although much of that is technically done it just needs feeding into the main campaign step by step and testing heavily and redacting with each major bug. That is a lot of work, thankfully we have a few dedicated souls with the energy some of us old boys still had in our youth!

[Marvzilla]

Custom battle release ? Yay !

[LusitanPlayer]

its glad to see you guys keeping this game alive. I've been dying to play your mod.Slow and steady guys!

[Space_Ed]

Check out these badboys!

[Morrowgan]

It's a shame that there is no room for a central african faction, e.g. Mali or Ghana.

[LinusLinothorax]

It's a shame that there is no room for a central african faction, e.g. Mali or Ghana.

Especially as the map goes that far south. Atleast Makuria would had been a nice faction as you dont have to go that far south for it. Also why do the Fatimids stretch that far south? The border was at the first cataract, not on the border to modern South Sudan. A pretty heavy mistake.
Except of that, the climate and geography is pretty well done, probably the best i have seen yet in a Computer game. However i would fill Ethiopia with higher mountains and increase the fertily to atleast medium quality in that area. The average temperature in the Ethiopian mountains is around 20 degrees and it rains a lot.

[Space_Ed]

Especially as the map goes that far south. Atleast Makuria would had been a nice faction as you dont have to go that far south for it. Also why do the Fatimids stretch that far south? The border was at the first cataract, not on the border to modern South Sudan. A pretty heavy mistake.
Except of that, the climate and geography is pretty well done, probably the best i have seen yet in a Computer game. However i would fill Ethiopia with higher mountains and increase the fertily to atleast medium quality in that area. The average temperature in the Ethiopian mountains is around 20 degrees and it rains a lot.

Thanks for the suggestions. So those mountains in East Africa should be greener and more fertile? Could you use Paint to edit those photos so I can see what you mean? Thanks

I'm not sure why the Fatimids go that far south. That was decided by other members of the team. The Fatimid garrisons do currently go all the way into Sudan. Is this wrong? Perhaps another team member can tell you why it's like this?

This is Ross's response to your comment: "Yeah the issue with African factions is that like many others they simply weren't around long enough or had any continuity. Even Moldova can be twisted from the Cumans but in Africa we are talking about HUGE empires. However what we have done is made units for all sub factions of importance. There are for instance units for the major tribes in the SE and several for the Ghanese empire, and the Koumbi Saleh stuff more central.
The Fatimids go far south because there are not that many regions under their control and we need them to be powerful. Although the region appears to be under their control from the map colour, we know how our campaign works and that having control of a settlement that runs a region counts for little more than a colour blob on the map. Now if the settlement in question for that southern region should deco NOT be under Fatimid colony (it is supposed to be a vassal- Makuria I think) then so be it. Once the tech tree is set up as it is supposed to be with no CTDs then a colony region like that will not be under direct control of the player anyway. But that is for future builds."

I've attached a screenshot of the relief in the game and a relief map of Ethiopia. I think the mountains in our game are close enough to the reality so I don't think increasing the height of the mountains would be the right thing to do in this case.

It's a shame that there is no room for a central african faction, e.g. Mali or Ghana.

Yeah I think that would have been great but the factions were decided a long time ago and we can't add any more factions now. Perhaps we could take a faction out and put a Central African one in but I'd be surprised if the team would consider that.

[avatarius]

good to see you guys keep this mod alive and moving despite all setbacks. wish you best of luck.

[Grommel]

Unfortunately, I can't help you that much for this part of the world. But I would be glad to help if someone need help for France's map.

[anonimo272]

awesome news

[LinusLinothorax]

Thanks for the suggestions. So those mountains in East Africa should be greener and more fertile? Could you use Paint to edit those photos so I can see what you mean? Thanks

Currently i can offer you maps about rainfall, temperature and real life screens:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Aksum:

Qohaito in modern south Eritrea (The plains in the background are of course no desert, but just plains):

This is Ross's response to your comment: "Yeah the issue with African factions is that like many others they simply weren't around long enough or had any continuity.

Nah, i could call you 6 states alone in East Africa which lasted for around 1000 years.

Even Moldova can be twisted from the Cumans but in Africa we are talking about HUGE empires.

Well Makuria or Ethiopia at that time were no bigger then France or the Roman empire, same counts for Ghana. The first true super empires were Mali and Kanem.

However what we have done is made units for all sub factions of importance. There are for instance units for the major tribes in the SE and several for the Ghanese empire, and the Koumbi Saleh stuff more central.

Isn't Koumbi Saleh the capital of Ghana? Whatever, i am interested in how these units will look like.

The Fatimids go far south because there are not that many regions under their control and we need them to be powerful. Although the region appears to be under their control from the map colour, we know how our campaign works and that having control of a settlement that runs a region counts for little more than a colour blob on the map. Now if the settlement in question for that southern region should deco NOT be under Fatimid colony (it is supposed to be a vassal- Makuria I think) then so be it.

Even if Makuria ever would have been a vasall (Which it wasnt) the map still stretches to the Alodian capital Soba. If i were a developer i would rather cut the map under Egypt and give the free regions to the Fatimids rather then making such an unhistorical decision.

I've attached a screenshot of the relief in the game and a relief map of Ethiopia. I think the mountains in our game are close enough to the reality so I don't think increasing the height of the mountains would be the right thing to do in this case.

Well if you think that these hills do justice to over 2000 m high mountains, often referred as the roof of Africa...