Download Link (someone messing with attachments...)
Edit (Jan 2013):
Edit (Nov 2012):
Most of these maps were designed with 2 goals : strategic depth and competitiveness. Fixed strategy maps are pretty shallow and boring, so I wanted to give the player options. The tradeoffs between land and sea and booming and rushing make for much more strategic games, while the resource fairness and necessity to utilize a larger skill set make for much more competitive games.
You can expand each spoiler to see pictures and other details. Click a picture for a high-resolution view. On some pictures, the circle delineates one team. Standard resources means "8 sheep / 2 boar / 8 berries / 7+4+4 gold / 5+4 stone / maybe some deer"
All of these maps also support the regicide game mode, but without the extra villagers or a castle. The king replaces the scout. (regicide starting res are 500w 500f 0g 150s)
Special thanks to the folks who tested these with me. You know who you are...
Edit (Jan 2013):
- The 1.1 package gives all maps 4 boars with about half as much meat (instead of 2 with full meat). Only intended for use with 1.1/AoFE in order to minimize the damage from stealing
- Fairer Nomad has nomad resources with 1.1/AoFE
- I also attached the quick & dirty python script used to convert all RMS to the fair boar format
Edit (Nov 2012):
- Fixed some bugs with coastal goldrush, valley of gold, icy forest (and the respective compilations)
- I also added some maps that I had lying around. They work, but I wouldn't consider them 100% finished.
- 2TC@Separation and 2TC@Watercross 1v1. They aren't the typical multitown maps.
- Safe_Eco@Regicide. Neat map only for regicide. Economy and military are totally separate, so there is no raiding. Just war.
- Moats. Pretty much a land map with some interesting routes to opponents. Could be regicide.
- Fairer Nomad - nomad with fairer resources and fish (with 1.0f you start with nomad resources)
I love strategic games. For a game to be strategic, it needs to have tradeoffs and choices. Some choices will be better than others in certain situations, but the same choice must not always be the best option. Without this decision depth, a game cannot call itself strategic. If the choices are too few or too obvious, then the game is shallow.
I also like competitive games. Equal players should have equal opportunities to win. Victory should be determined by skill instead of luck. Also, better players should be able to utilize their skills and win efficiently.
I've been playing AoC on and off for about 10 years. I have also played many other strategy games. AoC does some things well, and some things poorly. The repetition of fixed strategies, lack of balance, and narrow skill gap are only highlighting this game's shortcomings to the point of frustration. I don't know why we've had over a decade of games determined by the luck of who finds sheep or who has better fish or who has the better civ. This stuff isn't even hard to fix, and has driven countless players away...
So, instead of just complaining about it and moving on, I've decided to give it one last shot and try and make things better. AoC is a game full of potential held back by a handful of pretty glaring flaws. These maps are a starting point of a plan to enhance the game and amplify its strengths instead of its weaknesses.
I also like competitive games. Equal players should have equal opportunities to win. Victory should be determined by skill instead of luck. Also, better players should be able to utilize their skills and win efficiently.
I've been playing AoC on and off for about 10 years. I have also played many other strategy games. AoC does some things well, and some things poorly. The repetition of fixed strategies, lack of balance, and narrow skill gap are only highlighting this game's shortcomings to the point of frustration. I don't know why we've had over a decade of games determined by the luck of who finds sheep or who has better fish or who has the better civ. This stuff isn't even hard to fix, and has driven countless players away...
So, instead of just complaining about it and moving on, I've decided to give it one last shot and try and make things better. AoC is a game full of potential held back by a handful of pretty glaring flaws. These maps are a starting point of a plan to enhance the game and amplify its strengths instead of its weaknesses.
Most of these maps were designed with 2 goals : strategic depth and competitiveness. Fixed strategy maps are pretty shallow and boring, so I wanted to give the player options. The tradeoffs between land and sea and booming and rushing make for much more strategic games, while the resource fairness and necessity to utilize a larger skill set make for much more competitive games.
You can expand each spoiler to see pictures and other details. Click a picture for a high-resolution view. On some pictures, the circle delineates one team. Standard resources means "8 sheep / 2 boar / 8 berries / 7+4+4 gold / 5+4 stone / maybe some deer"
All of these maps also support the regicide game mode, but without the extra villagers or a castle. The king replaces the scout. (regicide starting res are 500w 500f 0g 150s)
Mix of land and sea (amphibious)- Chaos
- Coastal GoldRush
- Square Donut
- Continents
Players are randomly placed on some continents. You may or may not be connected directly to the enemy. You always have a path to your team. Center island has gold/stone. Outer islands have wood/relics.
Good fish. Standard resources. Extra relics. No wolves.
for 2v2, the host's teammate should join last (to minimize the chance of it ending up like Team Islands)
- Quad Lakes
- Migration Plus
- _Amphibious_Vol1
A compilation that randomly chooses one of these maps (not all have equal probability for equal sizes)
Open Land Maps- HardWall@Arabia
- Valley of Gold
- Land Madness
- Tiny Lakes
- _LandRush_Vol1
A compilation that randomly chooses one of these maps (not all have equal probability)
Choke-point Land Maps (Unwallable)- Reverse Arena
- Focal Point
- Icy Forest
- Precut Michi
- _Chokepoints_Vol1
A compilation that randomly chooses one of these maps (not all have equal probability)
Special thanks to the folks who tested these with me. You know who you are...