Communicate your team's locations better with 9x5

[myrock]

Hi,
I have recently made a mini map mod that may add value to team games. Namely, it will help to more accurately describe one's own location and also to find your teamate's locations. You can also use it for assisting rushers also. For example, scouting civs let "rusher" teamates know the exact location of enemies early in the game (which makes early gang bang rushes a more likely occurence in teamers)

Preview of some available versions:
Black fonts on original Civ's minimap, at the start of game:


[glow=red,2,300]NEW!!![/glow]
Minimalist's red fonts on black minimap, at the start of game (left), and once all the map has been explored (right):

Minimalist's white fonts on black minimap, at the start of game (left), and once all the map has been explored (right):

Minimalist's black fonts on metalic minimap, at the start of game (left), and once all the map has been explored (right):


I couldn't put attachment in this post, so I'll link it to the civfanatics website where you will find more descriptions and the mod downloads:
forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=112716

Comments and suggestions for improvements welcomed of course.


myRock
[e-mail]

[Immortallord]

good job my rock, i think this will be very helpful in my future teamers =0

[JONZEE116]

yeah i have been using this for the past week and i really does make life so much easier

[Immortallord]

ya, i used to use the whole clock idea u know 4 oclokc, 3 oclock etc. bu this is better becasue u get the spot in between. ;D

[myrock]

Thanks for the comments..

I really hope that sometimes in the future, we can automatically assume that any of our ladder teamates will be able to communicate their locations in this manner. Its usefulness depends on the number of players using it.

After I got used to using it with my KC clan and experienced ladder players, it has been somewhat frustrating to hear directions like "I am northwest, a little east of northwest, and Aztek is west of me..."

I would love to hear something like, "I am at B4", or "the NW corner of B4"

For those who would like to know roughly what this is about without clicking further links, here is roughly how your mini map (that appears at the bottom left of your game) is divided:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
A
B
C
D
E

Basically, this mod puts a grid with numbers and letters on your mini map so that you can really objectively see and state where you are in the world. The mini map is essential in this game, but "a map won't help, if you don't even know where you are... ".

I welcome improvement suggestions.. Thanks
myRock ;D

[Maxfin]

Maybe you could fix the color. It somehow catch eyes and gives me headache.

Damn good idea btw.

[Earl Harewood]

i would also suggest releasing it in different colours.

im not so sure, but i think im starting to becaome colour blind, ive had trouble seeing blue's recently.

(haha imagine running around with your red team mates on halo 2 and he's like "why didnt you shoot?" "i couldnt see him!!")

a change of the colour to a bold red would be nice for me

[Elrad]

This is a great idea and anyone that doesnt think this would realy improve a teams ability to coordinate information, is crazy

I like the idea so much that I have even gone as far as to adopt the "rock" standard and made my own ver hehe.



"Destroyer spotted in E4 east section, westbound"

how long would it take me to figure out where that destroyer is? 2 seconds tops.

there are essentialy 405 locations on this map, and thats alot better then "nw of center, kinda deep, close to some rubber and a coast on the topwise part, topwise on the left but not sideways, got it? omg, how can you not get it!??! can I be anymore clear? NW of center TOPWISE coast but not sideways! omg..."

I will hereby refer tot his 9x5 as the "rock grid" standard

[whiplash]

This concept had actually been developed quite some time ago by Simian. Kudos to Rock for building the graphics into the software.

[Rambo]

This is very Nice. it works with np at all

[Radikul-D]

Excellant job rock! ;D No more "Im in the north east corner" then a few turns later "Oh did I say north east ? I meant north west ". Something ive never been guilty of btw. heh

[orionkcc]

excellent work myrock. Impressive. I grant you the blessing of much poon in your life. Great job.

Poon

[Soccermaster06]

I would suggest stickying this thread somewhere. This is going 2 be something all the new players should upgrade to once they start playing teamers

[PinkToad]

It's great. This is like that system of luftwaffe centrimetric radar during ww2. They had one fighter-wing scouting each sector, getting info to gang up on bombers when they got the coordinates where they were heading. such as A1 and B2 goto A2, and suddenly they had 3 flights on the bombers heading thru A2. What did they call it? west wall or sumthing?

[Avogadro]

Downloaded grid can someone please tell me how to install it?
Asks for which program to open with so....I target conquests and nothing happens.
Please and thank you