Since the first day or three of any game seems to be such a critical time, do you spend the hours necessary to run some sort of map?

In a 5k game it isn't that long a time, but a 20k sector game can take half a day to get a good map. Using SWATH's built in ZTM script I plow through a 20k game in 8-9 hours (approx, hard to track), using TWX's more accurate ZTM script I am going on 12 hours now to map my local test game of 20k sectors.

So here is my poll:

Which helper/script do you use to map?
Do you bother doing a ztm?

When I used to play used Swath to map a game but that is just my preference. Many others use different things to map.

Use supg's ztm script, found at http://www.scripterstavern.com Will be faster and incredibly accurate. As to the importance of a good ztm, that really depends on what you plan to do with it. When I'm playing, I find it to be critical.

so is there a way to view the supg ztm in a map form like swath. or can you import the supg ztm into swath? is so how?

If the bang is 5k sectors or less, suggest you try twassist.exe
45 mins to ztm 5k sectors. Misses maybe 10 warps out of typical 12,500.

quote:Originally posted by lewdpotato

so is there a way to view the supg ztm in a map form like swath. or can you import the supg ztm into swath? is so how?



You can do an export from TWX and import it to Swath. How well this works or what kind of map you end up with in Swath I dont know as I have never tried it.

quote:Originally posted by Boss

quote:Originally posted by lewdpotato

so is there a way to view the supg ztm in a map form like swath. or can you import the supg ztm into swath? is so how?



You can do an export from TWX and import it to Swath. How well this works or what kind of map you end up with in Swath I dont know as I have never tried it.


Xide should have followed all of the promper inport/export options for handling of "TWX v1" files..
2.01 TwxProxy did not export correctly so DO NOT share a 2.01 version file. Swath will display all of the information correctly.

In 3 years I have never understood the practicality of ZTM though I know there must be some purpose. As far as I can tell the only benefit is to know where are the bubbles, deadends, and tunnels. What else is this data good for? Also..Say that you have run supg's twx ztm script. Does twx store this data internally? How do you recall it for whatever use?

Been playing unlim games for 3 years and have never had more than a basic understanding of the ztm.

Having a full map of the universe is generally more important in a turn limited game. The most basic reason for a map is finding adjacent sectors for photoning someone. Alternately, as you get more complex, with a map you can predict where someone is going. As you get more complex, you can use your data to find the nearest fig to a sector or even do complex traffic reports on the universe. It can help you to find fuel efficient selloff paths for your planets, or the most efficient clearing path for gridding. These are just the things I can think of off the top of my head. Of course, if you don't do anything that requires an accurate map of the universe, a ztm is probably just wasted time.

quote:Originally posted by Harley Nuss (teamEIS)

Having a full map of the universe is generally more important in a turn limited game. The most basic reason for a map is finding adjacent sectors for photoning someone. Alternately, as you get more complex, with a map you can predict where someone is going. As you get more complex, you can use your data to find the nearest fig to a sector or even do complex traffic reports on the universe. It can help you to find fuel efficient selloff paths for your planets, or the most efficient clearing path for gridding. These are just the things I can think of off the top of my head. Of course, if you don't do anything that requires an accurate map of the universe, a ztm is probably just wasted time.


I agree except for 1 point you didnt hit, when you find the bubbles and deadends from a ztm then you have a list of sectors that you can use to hunt for bases of other players. Look at the bubbles and deadends in the Swath map and see if it would be a good or bad bubble or deadend to put a base in. The smart ones will start out in very short tunnels or very small bubbles because there are more to search through. Once they get some planets to level 4 or 5 they move them to a larger bubble. The dumb ones immediately go for the biggest bubbles and tunnels in the game and they are easy pickin then.

How about the second question..anybody?

I disagree on where the "smart ones" put a base Any strategy of "always put a base in xxx" is going to limit where your opponent searches. It's best strategy to mix it up, build in 1 warp to 3 warps sectors, bubbles, tunnels, different distances from terra, etc. Make the enemy unable to rule out any location.

oops pressed send twice

yea, TWX stores the ztm data, along with everything else it sees - in the database

the most basic way of recalling that data is having TWX export a list of bubbles or deadends, as theyre built in functions. there are also a number of scripting commands that need a good map to be reliably funktional, like getdistance, course, sector.warpcount, and such

So does twx put ztm data together with cim data?