Map Balance/Custom Maps

I have released a number of balanced, symmetrical maps intended for online multiplayer competition.  You can find an auto-installer that will allow for an easy 45 second install here:

http://tinyurl.com/Sins9

Here is a thread with screenshots of some of the newer 5v5 maps:

https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/372237

Here is an older thread announcement with screenshots of some of the other maps.  (They are included in the auto-install at Sins9.)   As you can see from reading the second post in that thread, having to do a manual install could be a pain-in-the-ass for people who are not very computer saavy.  The reason for the autoinstalls is that custom maps will not auto-download so if someone wants to join a custom map game on Ironclad Online (check out ICO sometime) they can do it very easily and quickly with the auto-installer packs.

https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/363325

There is also an auto-install for a compilation pack which includes Darvins' maps and those of one or two other people, which you can find here.  The file you want is Setup.exe (for the auto-install).

http://tinyurl.com/Sins6

ah i shall be sure to have a shift through those this evening then, thanks. did play my first game on ICO today, lost to [_]Minds i think his name was. more to come i reckon

The "stock" maps have various issues, but in general the 1v1 maps are relatively balanced.

Unfortunately, it's not possible to "balance" the random maps, since there is no way to create conditional probability in either the map designer or galaxyforge.  If it is random, there is no way to assure both players will get the same kinds of planets.  Worse, you cannot control militia or resource levels; those are randomly assigned at the start of the game.

Ok, thanks Darvin.

I think i will play around and amend the random map somewhat so that it is more pseudo random for use here. We had a few games yesterday that were pretty damn tilted to one player, although we understand the probability of this happening in any one game is small. Should be easy enough to make all the phase lanes the same lengths on the mirrored maps too

Random maps are notorious for this sort of thing.  The map giving a specific player an advantage is just par for the course.  You really only need one well-placed asteroid belt or asteroid near a homeworld and that player gets a huge boon because those are easy pickings for your early-game economy which in turn results in a mid-game boost.  The worst part is what we call "map-screws".  These go beyond a simple disadvantage to the point at which they are completely crippling.  The opposite, "map-boons" where someone has a jaw-dropping advantage also happen, but are rarer than map-screws.

Typically, large numbers of asteroids or uncolonizable wells with lots of resource rocks near your start location is considered ideal.  These are so easy to acquire that your capital ship isn't needed, allowing you to immediately divert it to colonizing the middle of the map while your regular frigates can pick up all the easy stuff (very quickly, I should add) without any support.  The worst-case scenario is when you have few or no asteroids in a close proximity to your homeworld, and only a few planets with heavy militia guarding them.  Empty neutrals (uncolonizable wells with no resource rocks) are also considered bad.

Phase lane length isn't actually as big a deal as you might think.  Far more important are the angles of those phase lanes.  The difference between a long or short jump might be 20 seconds or so.  The difference between just turning around to make an acute angle jump or having to cross the gravity well to make an obtuse angle jump may be a full minute.  If it's the star, maybe two or three minutes.  That's far more significant.

Ah i see, the angles. didnt think of that. I will make them all symettrical anyway.. i don't like the ones that aren't. Understand that solar systems arent symetrical really, but hell, its a game

If our (real-life) solar system is any indication, solar systems with 20 or more major gravity wells are very unrealistic.  The low number of gas giants, and the high number of terrans are two other huge issues.  You just live with the fact that it's hand-waved for the game.

I'm surprised this hasn't been more of priority to fix.  The 'no lane to first asteriod' thing is devestating, and nobody is going to colonize a two extractor ice or volcanic planet early on.

Diplomacy definitely didn't fix this, as a game I played game me a two extractor planet beside my homeworld...with 6 cobalts, 3 heavies, 4 LRMs, 3 flak and 4 seige.  It was a fair while into the game before I could spare the forces to take that on safely.

I once had a start like that, but it was even worse.  That ice lead to a heavily guarded desert, the pirate base, and an empty neutral.  I had to go three jumps to find a planet I could realistically colonize.  My TEC enemy had a 3-roid chain next to their homeworld.  It's extremely difficult to get a worse start than that.

You know its funny, if you use the in game map generator. It always give you an asteroid. But it also give just 1 phase lane from your starting place and it usually way out in the end of the map. If we could find out why that is on the in game map generator and maybe see about applying it to the random maps you might get your starting asteroid at least.

The problem with the map designer is that the homeworlds are a fixed distance from the star and are evenly spaced about it.  The spacing was clearly designed on the presumption of 20+ planets per star system.  I tried creating multi-star systems with fewer planets in each system (more like derelict) but it doesn't work, you just end up getting a bunch of hard choke lanes.

This might help you guys:

Guide to In-Game Map Designer

It's always seemed like black magic to me.  Perhaps this guide will help clear it up.  Still, it will never be a substitute for real, Galaxy Forge-made custom maps.  It's a shame that they don't want to enable auto-download for real customs.

True, an it is quite a shame, but you can still make some fun little maps with the in game map designer if you know how to use it.