Texas Area Map
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Bushdoctor
- Posts: 116
- Joined: Sun Dec 17, 2006 12:39 pm
- Location: The Netherlands
Thanks for the installer. I love installers.
The problem I have with custom maps is that there is no fixed difficulty level to them.
There is no way of knowing how a map should be played unless the creator includes that info.
Which I haven't seen any do yet.
I noticed several comments that certain elements of this map are too easy, well:
Have you guys tried it with 1 opponent and difficulty at Mogul setting and Hard for routing?
Because I tell ya: After a dozen orso tries I still have to finish the first part.
Either I'm getting bought out or I don't finish one of the goals.
I still love this map, but before I toss it around the room from frustration:
At what difficulty levels is this map supposed to be played dear mister Jowe10?
Greets and thanks!
Doc.
The problem I have with custom maps is that there is no fixed difficulty level to them.
There is no way of knowing how a map should be played unless the creator includes that info.
Which I haven't seen any do yet.
I noticed several comments that certain elements of this map are too easy, well:
Have you guys tried it with 1 opponent and difficulty at Mogul setting and Hard for routing?
Because I tell ya: After a dozen orso tries I still have to finish the first part.
Either I'm getting bought out or I don't finish one of the goals.
I still love this map, but before I toss it around the room from frustration:
At what difficulty levels is this map supposed to be played dear mister Jowe10?
Greets and thanks!
Doc.
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Bushdoctor
- Posts: 116
- Joined: Sun Dec 17, 2006 12:39 pm
- Location: The Netherlands
There is another aspect I'm really curious about and thats the starting position.
Isn't it supposed to be fixed as opposed to a random position?
If players start at random positions, then what's the purpose of
setting tight goals?
I'm hardly able to complete the goals when starting in the immediate surrounding, let alone from the opposite coast.
Greets,
Bushdoctor.
Isn't it supposed to be fixed as opposed to a random position?
If players start at random positions, then what's the purpose of
setting tight goals?
I'm hardly able to complete the goals when starting in the immediate surrounding, let alone from the opposite coast.
Greets,
Bushdoctor.
The Editer requires at least 4 starting positions. Also, in order for you to play with up to 3 bots, you must have four. as to randomness, thats hard-coded into the game and cannot be changed. Look at it this way, each time you play it it's a different challenge1 
I'm correct 97% of the time..... who cares about the other 4%....
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Bushdoctor
- Posts: 116
- Joined: Sun Dec 17, 2006 12:39 pm
- Location: The Netherlands
Aha, I didn't know that about the editor. Thanks for the reply.
That does indeed explain things.
I agree that each time you play a map, it's a different game.
I don't necessarily see that as a positive thing though...
At least not for a Scenario.
The random element makes reaching the goals a lot less challenging for me
because I have no idea if my current game is the way that scenario was meant to be played.
You start to wonder, am I having a hard time because I'm such a noob,
or did I just get a bad starting position... Perhaps I should start over...
Having said all that, I really appreciate all the work you map-creators put into all of this.
It's because of my fascination with the game and your maps that I feel the need to offer my views, praise and critisism. Please don't take any offense.
Greets and thanks,
Bushdoctor.
That does indeed explain things.
I agree that each time you play a map, it's a different game.
I don't necessarily see that as a positive thing though...
At least not for a Scenario.
The random element makes reaching the goals a lot less challenging for me
because I have no idea if my current game is the way that scenario was meant to be played.
You start to wonder, am I having a hard time because I'm such a noob,
or did I just get a bad starting position... Perhaps I should start over...
Having said all that, I really appreciate all the work you map-creators put into all of this.
It's because of my fascination with the game and your maps that I feel the need to offer my views, praise and critisism. Please don't take any offense.
Greets and thanks,
Bushdoctor.
There are two ways to get the starting position you want every time you play a map.....
1) Start the map repeatedly until you get the city you want and save it. Next time you want to play that map, start from the saved map.
2) Go into the RRT_Cities XML for the map and change all the <bIsStartLocation> lines to 'false' except the one you want to start at. I tested it on Alaska (changed it back afterward) and it did work.
As to playing with the Editer to change a map, that can only be done if the creater included the .SMR_Scenario file with it. The Installers do not do that, and few of the regular downloads do either. Now you can use the Editer and use the ground work, you just loose the Cities and Industries. There are ways around that, but that is for another thread......
1) Start the map repeatedly until you get the city you want and save it. Next time you want to play that map, start from the saved map.
2) Go into the RRT_Cities XML for the map and change all the <bIsStartLocation> lines to 'false' except the one you want to start at. I tested it on Alaska (changed it back afterward) and it did work.
As to playing with the Editer to change a map, that can only be done if the creater included the .SMR_Scenario file with it. The Installers do not do that, and few of the regular downloads do either. Now you can use the Editer and use the ground work, you just loose the Cities and Industries. There are ways around that, but that is for another thread......
I'm correct 97% of the time..... who cares about the other 4%....
Bushdoctor Wrote:
What you will find here is that people play the maps in different ways and like different things. Some like to reach scenario goals, some like laying really cool track layouts, some like cities and industries close together, and some like them spread out. The great thing about it is you can choose to play any way you wish. I play some maps in two entierly different ways. First, I will play against a single opponent and try to reach the scenario goals. Then I will set the difficulty to the highest, and play against 3 competitors, ignoring the goals and just trying to buy all of them out by the end of a particular year. The great thing is that the user can play however they want and change at any time.
When playing my maps and trying to reach the goals, where you start has a definite impact on how the game plays. I like the variability. I play all my maps from all locations before I post to make sure you can complete the goals from any postion. However, how you get there changes. I put goals in that require you to go around the map to complete. you may start with food in one case and move to gold later, or start with gold and then move to food. In any event, you can complete all the goals from any starting position. Some positions will be a little more difficult. Then again, if you get frustrated, reduce the difficulty level or the number of opponents.
Another variable in game play is that sometimes you have to play the map before you figure out some of the tricks. For example, a goal may state that you have to deliver 100 carloads of food to a village. however, villages do not accept food. Therefore, you will learn (sometimes after failing) that you better get to that village and start delivering mail early in the game so that it grows into a town, and then start delivering people so that it grows to a city, so that now you can work on getting food there. This is another aspect that I think adds to the long term playabiity of the map.
The final comment I will make on goals is that they are easily changed. With a simple xml edit you can reduce the amount or eliminate the goal altogether. I am not an xml programmer, so you don't have to be one either, to make a simple change to the scenario file. in that way you can tailor the goals any way you like.
I am glad you like the map despite some frustration. I don't intend to frustrate anyone. I do like maps that have some challenging goals with things spread out. That is why my maps are made that way. Again, that is just what I like. Others don't and that is perfectly OK. The great thing about this forum and community is that you will find a variety of stuff and most surely something to your liking.
In general, I try to make it challenging at mogul level. However, I don't really recommend a setting because based on a persons experience, the proper level would change. You can always start at one level, and if it is too easy, try a more challenging level.I still love this map, but before I toss it around the room from frustration:
At what difficulty levels is this map supposed to be played dear mister Jowe10?
What you will find here is that people play the maps in different ways and like different things. Some like to reach scenario goals, some like laying really cool track layouts, some like cities and industries close together, and some like them spread out. The great thing about it is you can choose to play any way you wish. I play some maps in two entierly different ways. First, I will play against a single opponent and try to reach the scenario goals. Then I will set the difficulty to the highest, and play against 3 competitors, ignoring the goals and just trying to buy all of them out by the end of a particular year. The great thing is that the user can play however they want and change at any time.
When playing my maps and trying to reach the goals, where you start has a definite impact on how the game plays. I like the variability. I play all my maps from all locations before I post to make sure you can complete the goals from any postion. However, how you get there changes. I put goals in that require you to go around the map to complete. you may start with food in one case and move to gold later, or start with gold and then move to food. In any event, you can complete all the goals from any starting position. Some positions will be a little more difficult. Then again, if you get frustrated, reduce the difficulty level or the number of opponents.
Another variable in game play is that sometimes you have to play the map before you figure out some of the tricks. For example, a goal may state that you have to deliver 100 carloads of food to a village. however, villages do not accept food. Therefore, you will learn (sometimes after failing) that you better get to that village and start delivering mail early in the game so that it grows into a town, and then start delivering people so that it grows to a city, so that now you can work on getting food there. This is another aspect that I think adds to the long term playabiity of the map.
The final comment I will make on goals is that they are easily changed. With a simple xml edit you can reduce the amount or eliminate the goal altogether. I am not an xml programmer, so you don't have to be one either, to make a simple change to the scenario file. in that way you can tailor the goals any way you like.
I am glad you like the map despite some frustration. I don't intend to frustrate anyone. I do like maps that have some challenging goals with things spread out. That is why my maps are made that way. Again, that is just what I like. Others don't and that is perfectly OK. The great thing about this forum and community is that you will find a variety of stuff and most surely something to your liking.
Woo Hoo ... really good map, cleverly constructed, rigorously tested and with a lot of little teasers which means you need to play it two or three times to optimize - just like I love it! 
I managed all the goals with 6 years to spare on Robber Baron and Hard Routing on my third try, but my layout is a bit messy. So I will give it another go tonight - if I had started the fish deliveries earlier, I could have shaved off a year or two. (I also got cheap tracklaying early, without that it may be rather more difficult!)
I managed all the goals with 6 years to spare on Robber Baron and Hard Routing on my third try, but my layout is a bit messy. So I will give it another go tonight - if I had started the fish deliveries earlier, I could have shaved off a year or two. (I also got cheap tracklaying early, without that it may be rather more difficult!)
Re: Texas Area Map
Added Installer and SAM version to first post.