Average amount of resources per player?

[Ratkid]

Hello!

I'm making maps with Atlas (Scenario Editor) and im wondering if anyone knows the minimal/max/average amount of resource a player should have. I want to make a balanced map 1v1 and 4v4, but I don't want the game to abruptly end because people run out of resources, but I also want to push the players to contest resource locations on the maps. ( which might not happen if the already have an abundance of them). I was able to find information on this Age of Empires but I figure the ratio might be slightly different in 0 AD.

Thanks in advance!

-Ratkid

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

39 minutes ago, Ratkid said:

Hello!

I'm making maps with Atlas (Scenario Editor) and im wondering if anyone knows the minimal/max/average amount of resource a player should have. I want to make a balanced map 1v1 and 4v4, but I don't want the game to abruptly end because people run out of resources, but I also want to push the players to contest resource locations on the maps. ( which might not happen if the already have an abundance of them). I was able to find information on this Age of Empires but I figure the ratio might be slightly different in 0 AD.

Thanks in advance!

-Ratkid

It's hard to gauge exact resource amounts in Atlas, as that info isn't displayed, but I would say you'd want 2 large stone mines and 2 large metal mines within the starting territory of each player, then you'd want about 3 of each for each player scattered around the map, roughly equidistant. Berries, you want probably 2 patches of 4-5 bushes each in the player start territories, and then maybe one more patch for each player somewhere nearby outside their territory. Probably 1 boar and at least 5 deer/gazelles in the starting territories and probably at least 20-ish more animals per player around the map.

For trees, for a desert map at least 30+ in the starting territories, and then some patches and stragglers here and there, very sparse. For a jungle or temperate map, the sky's the limit on the number of trees you place. More in a jungle setting, of course, but in both biomes trees should never be an issue. Keep in mind, players need space to build, so don't let there be too many stragglers blocking up too much building area. A good idea would be to design "expansions" for the map, essentially areas where there's an "orgy" of resources around a nice open area good for planting a new Civic Center for... expansion. This is a Starcraft-ish concept. 

On each end of the spectrum, Desert/Polar maps have more stone and metal, while jungle maps have more wood. Polar/Jungle maps have more berries and animals, while Desert has fewer berries and animals. Temperate is the most balanced of all maps for resources.

In Empires Ascendant, there's a weird tendency to put a large stone and large metal mine right up next to the starting CC. If you want to continue that trend, feel free. However, I feel it's more interesting for build orders to put those starting mines a little further away from the CC so that the player must choose to build a storehouse or just eat the shuttling time.

Edited March 23, 2021 by wowgetoffyourcellphone

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

Here are some examples:

Desert/Saharan starting area

 

Expansion. You can see this is an area that would be good to build another CC. On this map it's guarded by creeps. 

 

Temperate starting area. The stone mines in the rear are enough for roughly 2 "large" individual mines. You see 2 patches of berries, a boar, and a small herd of deer, with more animals just outside the territory.

Edited March 23, 2021 by wowgetoffyourcellphone

[Ratkid]

57 minutes ago, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

It's hard to gauge exact resource amounts in Atlas, as that info isn't displayed, but I would say you'd want 2 large stone mines and 2 large metal mines within the starting territory of each player, then you'd want about 3 of each for each player scattered around the map, roughly equidistant. Berries, you want probably 2 patches of 4-5 bushes each in the player start territories, and then maybe one more patch for each player somewhere nearby outside their territory. Probably 1 boar and at least 5 deer/gazelles in the starting territories and probably at least 20-ish more animals per player around the map.

For trees, for a desert map at least 30+ in the starting territories, and then some patches and stragglers here and there, very sparse. For a jungle or temperate map, the sky's the limit on the number of trees you place. More in a jungle setting, of course, but in both biomes trees should never be an issue. Keep in mind, players need space to build, so don't let there be too many stragglers blocking up too much building area. A good idea would be to design "expansions" for the map, essentially areas where there's an "orgy" of resources around a nice open area good for planting a new Civic Center for... expansion. This is a Starcraft-ish concept. 

On each end of the spectrum, Desert/Polar maps have more stone and metal, while jungle maps have more wood. Polar/Jungle maps have more berries and animals, while Desert has fewer berries and animals. Temperate is the most balanced of all maps for resources.

In Empires Ascendant, there's a weird tendency to put a large stone and large metal mine right up next to the starting CC. If you want to continue that trend, feel free. However, I feel it's more interesting for build orders to put those starting mines a little further away from the CC so that the player must choose to build a storehouse or just eat the shuttling time.

I feel like most starting locations come with 1 ore of each type, and just the 5/6 berries. Altho I have seen a few starts with two 'berry bunches', but the normal is just 1 right? or am I wrong

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

9 minutes ago, Ratkid said:

I feel like most starting locations come with 1 ore of each type, and just the 5/6 berries. Altho I have seen a few starts with two 'berry bunches', but the normal is just 1 right? or am I wrong

Hmm, I guess it depends the exact number of bushes instead of patches. 

[Grapjas]

1 hour ago, Ratkid said:

I feel like most starting locations come with 1 ore of each type, and just the 5/6 berries

This would be your typical map setup for the initial phase yes. Along with 10 chicken and about 10 trees in direct reach near the CC that can be effectively cut down without needing a store house.

But the more important thing for balanced maps is that each player would have more or less the same amount of resources available. If someone has a group of deers nearby but the enemy doesnt, thats already a decent/big (depending on players skill) advantage.