GalCiv v2.7 - NOT a fan of the new map generation settings...

This is what those same settings give me now.

Are you kidding me???

Basically, what I want and was previously able to do was generate a map with a lot of small to mid-sized sectors.

What you have now is a chaotic mess with many of the user map generation settings completely ignored.

How exactly can removing a player's control over the map generation parameters be perceived to be an "improvement" or a good thing?

Did you try rerolling a few times?  I'm not getting anything like that.  My settings are different but similar.

I've actually seen results similar to yours in previous versions, but they were rare & didn't repeat with rolling new maps.

One of my biggest issues with the game is the map settings and in fact with previous titles as well.  It's far too random the exact same setting can have extremely different outcomes and just when you have a slight grip on things a patch will change it again.

I've tried modding to get the settings I want and given up, basically some things I can change successfully e.g sector size and amount of sectors to a small degree but others it's just not reliable and getting the amount of civs I want in large/huge sectors is nearly impossible with proximity as it stands.  I found trying to mod the settings to reliably create a huge map with 6 tiny sectors surrounding it impossible after hours of trying.

I've just reverted to playing a huge 1 sector map and made it 400 size I don't think I will be returning to sectors until something changes.  The AI doesn't know how to deal well with sectors anyway so the opaque settings and xml files aren't the only issue.

I'd like the player to be able to choose the size of sector the player start in, how many huge, large etc sectors there are how many connection points, how many civs per sector dependent on size etc. without earning a phd in modding preferably.  More options for the player less opaqueness please.  The more complicated options can be placed in an advanced settings tab so not to confuse new players.

I'm enjoying playing the 400 large sector map I'm playing but it took a lot of effort, trial and error and eventual limiting what I wanted to get there.

Could it be that you have a mod installed? This looks like the one which gives you a huge single sector. 

Thanks for the detailed feedback!

For your personal preferences, do you think, you'd prefer to just have more customization in the game menu, or to be able to design maps, like with a map editor?

Also what was your experience with the AI and sectors, you are displeased with?

Do not know what others might want but for me it is both.

I Agree with the frustrations of the update effect on map generation before a Gigantic map with many sectors See picture 1 for my settings. 

Will have like 15+ sectors now with the 71-player max having enough room to spread and build empires. See Picture 2 (the red circles are showing 3 sectors that did not show up on the zoom out.

Now I have the same setting and 48-player max (I also don't like the decrease in player count) have 5 sectors where we are on top of each other and can only get 3-4 star systems before colonizing is worthless and then can only have war. see picture 3.

I feel that the update made in 2.7 takes the fun element of the game of colonizing and doing all the colonization events out of the game. previously Max players, Which we could have more players in 1 game by the way. Have fun and could expand empires for over 300 turns. Now I am on turn 30 and out of planets to colonize with the new LOWER player count. 

Thanks for the reply Zabik_2 

Personally I'd like more advanced map options game layer within the game settings menu UI where you can change the fine details on the map settings some of which I mentioned yet still retain enough randomness with exploration.

I'm not interested in a map editor I'd rather spend my time playing the game.  The only reason I have resorted to using cheat codes e.g. fow and modding is because I can't produce the map settings I want and e.g. fow allows to see what is going on without playing multiple hours on a map.  Map editors remove the randomness and surprise which I want to maintain but yet still know how many sectors what size they will be and roughly how many habitable planets those settings will produce.  Knowing this also gives the player an idea about how long a game will last.  

In regards of AI I feel I have noticed improvement over the patches but in regards of sectors they should actively be trying to find entry points and militarize with star bases and fleets, particularly important entry points and send colony ships ,constructors etc to them more than they are currently doing so.  Some sector entry points will be more important than others, preferably it would be great if the AI was capable of evaluating the difference but this is likely only something in the human realm currently or would make turn times too long, but I'm sure some improvements could be made.  AI's on their own in a sector should be throwing everything they can to expand into other sectors.

It would be great if the A.I. was actually capable of achieving victory on anything but the tiniest of maps or because of prestige calculation issues.

*sigh*

Rolled again.

Sectors are now too **** big.  I know there are at least 3,4,5,more other Civs in the following.

Actually, I much preferred the base GalCiv 4 settings (before even SuperNova).

You really had much more control on Galaxy map generation than either SuperNova or v2.7.

In basic GalCiv 4, I could easily generate 8 sectors with 2 Civs per Sector.

Try doing that now!

After about 10 attempts finally got my own sector.... but nothing like I wanted for the rest of the Galaxy.

I do not want a huge sector and the rest of the AI to be starved of expansion space.

Desired: 8 Medium Sized sectors with approx 2 Civs / Sector.

I was previously able to do this from the UI without having to go Mod an XML file.

FYI - I changed the Galaxy settings to "Large" this time hoping it would give more space for more Medium sized sectors.... but no. 

I agree more controls of sector layout would have tremendous positive impact on the range of game scenarios one can play.

1. Overall size of galaxy (# stars)
2. Sector size
3. Number of sectors 
4. Interconnectivity 

OK this may seem simple minded but that's because I'm simple minded.  To set up a galaxy, instead of vague terms about "the size of this" or "far apartness" etc.  why not 

1. Set the number of sectors

2. Set the approximate number of civs per sector.

3. Set the total number of civs. With a fairly narrow window of acceptable combos.

Done.

Of course the numbers will have to align so that it makes sense - and  you won't be able to select impossible combinations, like 1 civ per sector, 10 sectors and 30 total civs.  The player will have to adjust things until the numbers work, but it won't be hard.  In this example you would rarely get 3 civs in a sector or zero, but mostly 1 or 2.

Small variation is allowed on a random basis, but I can suggest as an example, say, 1.5 civs per sector with 10 sectors, and a total number of civs. Say in this example,  15 total civs.   That's the way I have thought about it but the mechanism actually provided is as I say rather vague and generally doesn't give me what I hoped for.

My further comment is that this seems rather trivial superficially but it actually has a ton of importance for a player getting the right "feel" to the game.  (How much exploration do you want?  How soon you will bump into other civs?  etc.)

My 2c.

Bamdorf,

Thanks for the save game.  It was helpful in identifying the problem.  We are working on a fix.