MapSize?

[dreadmime]

How do you edit the Mapsize? I know i've seen it in several threads, but I can't seem to find it offhand.

[puree]

I think it is meant to be in RandomMap.xml, the MapSize element (default = 256).

However, if I alter that then the game just crashes on me when I go to generate a map.

[dreadmime]

Yah. I found it... Mine didn't crash at all, in fact, it's been running better than ever. I'm sure everyone else will go "WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO?" ... but I rather enjoy the "challenge" of setting the mapsize to 128. 32 was.. impossible. 64 was still just a little too small. I'm thinking of trying some non-standard sizes as well, just to see what I can get without it crashing. I also fiddled and tweaked with a bunch of XML Settings and finally (yay!) got it to generate nearly completely flat terrain by default in the map generator (but still allow for hills and junk if I want 'em.) without the game crashing (setting anything but "MinWater" to 0 = Bad Idea... but setting it to 5 is barely noticeable, and it doesn't crash.) ... Still tweakin' a bunch of variable and constants (and saving the originals, of course. lol.) but there's a lot more challenge in hitting 30,000+ people on a 128 Map. It's not too hard on a 256.

[puree]

It crashed on me when I upped the size, I didn't try setting it smaller to be honest - but it looks like anything above 256 is not liked.

[tobing]

Funny thing is, just tried it and was surprised that my SCS runs fine with maps of sizes 500 and 800 resp. Patch 3 installed, of course, but no mods.

[moxiegraphix]

I posted about this in the tech forum. Basically the patch broke being able to play on anything larger than 256, at least CREATING the maps. My old cities load just fine but if I have the random map set to 512, it crashes to desktop when it tries to create the map. *sighs* This is a very low priority (according to TM) to fix and they even said it was a 'happy accident' you could play with a larger map size at all.

Sucks. The ability to choose small, medium, or large maps should have been included as a feature to begin with. If our computers can handle larger map sizes, we should be able to play them. I hope they fix it in the next patch (and the EA site has already mentioned the next update and showed the new 'disaster' in a screen shot). I can't play on these tiny, squished up maps. It bugs me to no end.

[tobing]

If you can load those large maps, maybe we should have a few large empty maps to download somewhere? I could make some and post them here...

[Primetime01969]

Yes, please do!

[tobing]

Here's one example, please check someone to verify 1) is it really large and 2) does it work? The setting in RandomMap.xml is 1600 for that file.

[Primetime01969]

It works, but it is only 256.

[Akodis]

192 works for me. 256 seems too big, and I run out of ideas before I can fill up the map on temperate river terrain. Other terrain types are more challenging, though. 128 is too small.

[tobing]

Originally Posted by Primetime01969

It works, but it is only 256.

That's strange, it was supposed to be 1600. But I got suspicious when I saw the file size which seemed too small...

So, what setting should I try next? This is what my RandomMap.xmp file looks like:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<!-- User changeable random map parameters -->

<RandomMapTable>
<Entry name="MaxAmbientUnits" value="48000"/>
<Entry name="MaxApronAmbientUnits" value="32000"/>
<Entry name="PreviewMapTerrainTexture" value="1"/>
<Entry name="MapSize" value="256"/>
<Entry name="MinWaterSliderValue" value="0"/>
<Entry name="MaxWaterSliderValue" value="50"/>
<Entry name="MinSmoothingSliderValue" value="3"/>
<Entry name="MaxSmoothingSliderValue" value="25"/>
<Entry name="MinElevationSliderValue" value="30"/>
<Entry name="MaxElevationSliderValue" value="70"/>
<Entry name="MinElevationRangeSliderValue" value="50"/>
<Entry name="MaxElevationRangeSliderValue" value="120"/>
<Entry name="ShowAlgorithmControl" value="1"/>
</RandomMapTable>

and I think the right setting to change would be

<Entry name="MapSize" value="1600"/>

right?

[Primetime01969]

I think the biggest you can go is 1024. Try making one at 512 and another at 1024 and save the games and upload them.

[moxiegraphix]

I wouldn't recommend 1024, however. Before patch 3, trying to make a 1024 map slowed things down in a huge way upon drawing the map and then again later, when I would reload the city. 512, however, worked like a dream.

[Akodis]

I just started a new city, SimTopia, with a map size of 160. I did not touch the sliders. Here's the view from home position. It will be challenging (and fun, for me anyway) to build anything of appreciable magnitude upon it.

[dreadmime]

*nods* I'm enjoying the Sub-256 Range, and right now i'm happy @ 140. It's just enough room to "do something" with, but really requires careful thought and management to get anything accomplished. You literally have to demolish something to upgrade it to produce more productivity. 140 still leaves enough room to build everything you need, as well.

If only Patch 4 came with a "Mapsize" slider. Wouldn't that be awesome? Say 128 on the left, 640 on the right. Slide around to your hearts content.

[tobing]

Originally Posted by Primetime01969

I think the biggest you can go is 1024. Try making one at 512 and another at 1024 and save the games and upload them.

I have tried 512, 800, 1200 and 1600. They all have similar file sizes, but the large ones 'feel' bigger, that is on the minimap the green highlighted area is smaller.

[Akodis]

I tried the smaller map size and it seems like cheating. Certain transit problems start to occur on normal size maps because it can take several hours for sims to cross the map on the subway, sometimes making it difficult for them to visit venues in a timely manner, or get to work on time the next day after venue visits.

I've never tried larger maps, but it seems that this would only get worse as the maps grew larger.

The game is balanced for 256. It's just large enough to generate problems without making them too severe.

[moxiegraphix]

I've never had any transportation problems in my games. I"m not sure why, to be honest, after reading problems some other people have been having.

[Akodis]

Originally Posted by moxiegraphix

I've never had any transportation problems in my games. I"m not sure why, to be honest, after reading problems some other people have been having.

Maybe your city layout is just superior to ours.

One problem occurs when too many sims exit multiple workplaces at the same time and attempt to enter the same transit station, either bus stop or subway. It can take hours for the sims in the back of the line to get in and start moving, possibly because as some of the destination venues fill up, some sims stop and stand in place to change their destinations.

Another problem seems to be that a particular destination venue can fill up after a sim is already in transit. Considerable time is lost as the sim appears to return to the transit station just boarded to select another destination.

It's also possible that pathfinding efficiency may be variable according to the capacity of the hardware running the game, so different players may experience completely different problems.

In any case, transit takes time - hours instead of minutes it would take to cover the apparent distance according to scale.

The game could use a time mod, but it would be rather boring for most players, I think. A single sim day would last several hours.