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Map Editor - I like it

Posted on Friday, February 5, 2016

 

I like it.  I really like it.  I was able to get my first map up, insane sized, in a couple of hours. 

 

A nice feature is being able to rename an entire system at once.  One of the first issues I had was that the star names get funny when you plop systems (using '4' instead of 'IV' for the 4th planet, for example, and adding a random number at the end of a body's name), but then I discovered you can rename an entire system at once, which made things go a lot faster. 

 

You can predict where races will start if you keep track of the order in which you plop down 'random AI starts.'  The placement order corresponds to the sequence of your chosen opponents at the start of the game.

 

Super massive black holes.  Love these.  I'd like to see an option to click-and-drag black holes, to make them bigger, or have a super super massive black hole.

 

I made one map from scratch, and another by loading random maps until I found one that was sort of what I wanted, and editing it.  The second option is obviously much faster.

 

A few things I'd like to see:

a) tool tips /mouseovers for planetary improvements, hard to remember them all.

option for a non random opponent map, and plopping down specific races (although this may conflict with the upload option I guess).  I only had 2 or 3 races I wanted at specific start locations (out of @ 27 factions on the map), so this not being a feature was not much of a problem for me, but on insane maps with a lot of AI factions, I could see it being a pain for some people.

 

As an aside, not editor related... but the military hexes are too limited imo.  Maybe red hexes could be a + to both military improvements AND manufacturing, or a + to military production/sponsored shipyard when used by a military factory (new type of improvement, higher bonus than normal factory equivalent, but military production only).  Simply because I hate putting down non military improvements on a military hex, but don't really have a use for military improvements that often (except Preparedness, Shrinker, and Logistics system.)