Garniers New Maps

A quick download of the newest GCM mod and a single-player run has shown that you can use the "Random" and "Random2" maps stand-alone, that is without also having to use the full GCM gameplay mod. However trying to use the "Variant" maps without GCM caused my game to crash. The Variant maps also do not have any distinct names making them useless to choose from in the sandbox window.

I recall last time I tried this in MP none of the random maps were useable without full GCM running.

I installed the GCM in some random folder (not into the SoW folder) and then just copied the 3 new mod maps folders over.

It may be worth us doing some MP testing on this.

The maps look very pretty with some good terrain, crops, walls and so on, so great to do battle over, but they seem to lack any buildings but their main drawback is the minimaps lack all place names making them less useful for HITS play.

I'd be happy to do some tests using these tonight if anyone is interested, from about 19:00 UK time.

I think you may have.pointed out your own failing there by not.installing the gcm to the nrobsoftdev.folder it could cause you to crash.

10 new maps, with place names.

Marvellous!

http://www.norbsoftdev.net/forum/modifications/53464-released-random-maps-4

Absolutely Jeff. Really nice maps, and I particularly like the way Garnier treats streams. Much more attractive than the stock maps. The names are helpful too.

I've just played a short SP on one.

Martin (J)

I have updated the CourierAndMaps mod to 1.5001. It has usable mini-maps for Garnier's RandomMaps2 mod. The download links are in the first post.
Couriers & Maps Mod Thread

Uncle Billy wrote:I have updated the CourierAndMaps mod to 1.5001. It has usable mini-maps for Garnier's RandomMaps2 mod. The download links are in the first post.
Couriers & Maps Mod Thread

Many thanks Kevin. Are these the ones with names on them?

Martin (J)

No, the originals had no names. I made the more 19th century style maps and added fictitious locations to them.

Uncle Billy wrote:No, the originals had no names. I made the more 19th century style maps and added fictitious locations to them.

Terrific. Many thanks.

Martin (J)

Uncle Billy wrote:I have updated the CourierAndMaps mod to 1.5001. It has usable mini-maps for Garnier's RandomMaps2 mod. The download links are in the first post.
Couriers & Maps Mod Thread

Can you take a look at this please Kevin, Hays downloaded it tonight and the small maps version seemed to have the large maps in, plus the version number seems to be wrong in the side text.

I checked the small map version and they are all of the small size variety, no large ones mixed in. I did forget to change the version number on the intro page. I have re-uploaded the files with the correct number. Sorry about that. But that wouldn't cause the problem Hays sees. I can only guess that he downloaded the wrong one by mistake. He probably played the latest Histwar move, became terrified at seeing my juggernaut bearing down on him and with shaking hands, hit the wrong link.

re Random Maps.

They look very nice visually, but my first impression is that they all look pretty much the same. The terrain seems pretty flat overall, I haven't found any place yet where you can spot more than 500 yards in full 360° around in HITS mode. There is always another (very) soft elevation or a small forrest blocking the view. Has anyone seen a random map with some more distinct terrain features? I don't think of Devils Den, but rather something like McPhersons ridge for example.

I think the large random maps (5x5) are not very well suited for HITS and Hunt them down, given the large number of roads and the restricted view.
Again, this is only my first impression and I am looking forward to play on these maps

That's my impression too. But it may be that they will work better than we fear for HITS. They're still less enclosed than most of the Chancellorsville ones.

Having names will help enormoiusly on the courier side.

And they are very d*mned attractive.

Martin

I too agree with Stefan's assessment. The Random Maps 4 are even flatter still and without any distinctive features. Martin found out first hand that the version 2 maps do not allow a commander a good vantage point. Still, they may be worthwhile to use occasionally when we can't decide on a historic map..

I think the GCM players prefer maps like these so that one side can't secure a dominating feature or ridge and so play is more balanced which makes perfect sense for their kin dof competitive gameplay - nothing wrong with that. There *are* some dominating features on them though, like the hill overlooking the deep creek that Jeff and I attacked from in our battle last weekend where you played Howard, Martin.

But essentially I suspect that Garnier has some clever code that generates these maps from a few algorithms and when you get maps generated that way they never actually have the kinds of features on them that real life terrain has. The maps in the Total War series are generated the same way, on the fly, within the game itself and they lack realism too.

For a map to have one or two major features on like a ridge or prominent hillock you would probably have to hand-sculpt from imported DEM data, a huge job.

In defence of Garniers maps they do reward endless replayability - if you just take the East Cavalry Field map, which on the face of it presents similar rolling 'average' terrain you quickly find that most battles tend to conglomerate around a few prominent features. By excluding prominent features and adding more woodlands battles tend to get fought over wider areas of the map.

I have been playing these maps now and the large versions are massive areas to play being a 5mile map the biggest feature is often the main creek or a huge forest. I would have thought the rolling ground with all the forests over more realism because in general no civil war general could see every part of the battle field from his chosen position.