Diagonal Galactic Map

You can rotate your main view so that it is at a "90 degree" angle.

I'm not exactly sure why games do this (the diamond map), but it's been a convention for strategy games as far back as Age of Empires. Personally I like it as it makes everything feel bigger than it might actually be, more epic.

I'd like to understand why the galactic map (and minimap) is designed along 45° lines... (and not along vertical and horizontal lines of a monitor).

You may find what you want in the dev journals :
https://www.galciv2.com/Forums.aspx?ForumID=164&AID=65894

If you hit F4 you can get the overhead view for the main map.  The reason that we made the angled view the default one was because you lose a lot of the aesthetic value of a 3D engine when you just have an overhead view.

I can make an option for the options window that corresponds to the F1, F2, F3, and F4 keys so that your games will always start in that set angle.

Ok, I've reviewed the reasons for it.
My idea is that IF the map has to be diamond shaped THEN also the minimap must be (like now is).
BUT IMHO I do prefer square maps because of efficency in using the monitor viewing area.



The aestetic value of the 3D will stay also with square maps.

Apreciated both comments and the Link. I missed that discussion. Too busy...
gherardo

You can rotate your main view so that it is at a "90 degree" angle. I'm not exactly sure why games do this (the diamond map), but it's been a convention for strategy games as far back as Age of Empires. Personally I like it as it makes everything feel bigger than it might actually be, more epic.

I really hope I can rotate it 45° and have it square!
gherardo

PS: in the previous post the quote didn't show... the first one was for PP and the2nd for Cari.

F3 iz my favourite

When I said 45 degree angle, I meant the rotation of the map as presented from a top-down view. Take a square and rotate it 45 degrees, it is now a diamond. Rotate it 90 degrees and it remains a square. I'm guessing you're talking about 45 degree view angle along the z-axis.

You can rotate your main map so that it is square and then slide your view down to get that 45 degree isometric view. You only lose out on monitor space when you're dealing with the edges of a map, and even then it's not that big of a waste. On huge maps most of your time will be spent away from the map edge, so no lost screen real estate

If you're worried about screen real estate relative to amount of information on the screen, zoom out to strategic view and adjust the main map view to be a square, with the 45 degree view angle on the z-axis. With the minimap though, having it diamond shaped allows them to fit more into the UI and have less dead space.

I remember the transition from vertical to diaginal that happened between Civ and Civ2. At first I did not like it at all. I have gotten used to it after a fasion, but I find it still makes it difficult for me at times. If all of these 3D things are such a snap, can't we have a choice between square and diaginal?

Like I've been saying, except for the minimap (which is a UI piece, and not a 3d item), you do have the square vs diagonal choice. Just rotate the map.

Square it all. Please!

I'm casting a vote.
Add your preference below.

Leave it rotatable. I like the diamond sometimes.

Yeah...honestly, I don't see the big deal. It does add a little edge by making it a bit more "3Dish". The space that you are complaining about is minute. Leave the option!