Starting Distribution of Homeworlds

[randal7]

Is there a setup which distributes homeworlds more or less evenly across the galaxy? Using random pretty much guarantees somebody right in your face early on, and setting all opponents to average or far distance will sometimes result in several of them being crowded into one corner. This seems to be a setting this game needs.

[Plant]

Yeah, I always set at random distances and start off with many civilisations next to me, and with the ones furthest away with plenty of space to expand. It really doesn't make any sense, it seems to be a basic requirement that the standard should be for evenly distribution

[Jim D Burns]

Yeah and even if you do get a reasonable spread for most, there is always one area where a bunch get jumbled together near an edge/corner and two or three areas of the map are wide open with nothing around. An even/equal spread setup would be nice to have. Maybe have it so no empire can set up within at least 1 to 2 full sectors of another?

Jim

[Cauldyth]

Grrr, based on my first game of Shadows, I thought this had been changed, but now that I've played more I see that it hasn't. [:@]

Erik, I know it seems like a minor thing, but for some of us it's a major annoyance. I've resorted to doing the following when I want to play a new game:

(1) Start a new game
(2) Open game editor to see that the starting locations are reasonably spaced
(3) If not, go to (1)

The problem is, I often have to do this 10-20 times before I get a semi-reasonable spread, and even when I do, some of the fun of discovery is lost because I know where the other empires are. There's a very simple, fool-proof solution to this:

(1) Use a clustering algorithm (like K-means clustering) to categorize all of the stars into N groups, where N is the number of empires to place.
(2) The clustering algorithm will also determine what the centroid of each cluster is (the star that's essentially the "center" of it). Change a planet in each of those centroid star systems to be the homeworld of a particular race.

An added benefit of the clustering algorithm will be that every starting position will have a reasonable density of other stars around it (i.e., there shouldn't be a starting point out in the middle of nowhere).

[jpwrunyan]

I thought there was a pulldown designating whether a faction should start distant, average, near, or same system. Has this changed in Shadows? Note, it requires you to use the detailed setting instead of the "start with x random empires" option.

This may not guarantee they don't start close to each other, but they shouldn't be in your face.

[Cauldyth]

Yeah, I don't want them to start near each other either. I like everyone to get a decent start! [;)]

[necaradan666]

That might seem fair but... some races need trade with other nearby races to get ahead, some need to be at war all the time. Having everyone evenly separated instead of randomly placed leaves those guys that prefer no contact with aliens, or focused on research or defence with advantages over the rest. Random means you deal with what you get, good or bad.

[mikeCK]

I wish there was a Checkbox for " evenly space homeworlds" that would do just that...divide the map symmetrically by how many players there are and place each home world in the middle of its relative section

[Tanaka]

ORIGINAL: mikeCK

I wish there was a Checkbox for " evenly space homeworlds" that would do just that...divide the map symmetrically by how many players there are and place each home world in the middle of its relative section

This would be great. I was really hoping for this in Shadows [:(]

[Plant]

ORIGINAL: necaradan666

That might seem fair but... some races need trade with other nearby races to get ahead, some need to be at war all the time. Having everyone evenly separated instead of randomly placed leaves those guys that prefer no contact with aliens, or focused on research or defence with advantages over the rest. Random means you deal with what you get, good or bad.

No, if you leave it at random, you will always face some right next to you, and some with the rest of the galaxy to colonise, the ones with the least space being next to you, the ones with the most space furthest away from you; the difference in space to colonise between empires could be as much as 10 times more. This is always the deal, whether it is good or bad is your opinion.