Sierra del Oro

Description
Sierra del Oro is a new random map only for AOE3: The War Chiefs, for Single-player or Multiplayer use. This map represents a desert mountain region of the SW US or NW Mexico. This is an all new design, with players roughly opposite but crowded slightly toward one end. Resources are standard, except that each player has only one nearby mine. All of the other mines are goldmines and are located in a rugged mountain area in the quadrant away from the player start areas. In a 1v1 game each player is equidistant from the \'Mountains of Gold\'; in a game with more players the teams are equidistant but of course some players on each team are farther from the gold.

The terrains of the map will vary between several patterns that could represent arid mountainous regions - using patterns from Texas desert, Painted Desert, Sonora, the California desert or a palm desert. Each player has a nearby small oasis for their thirsty woodcutters.

Trade Routes can vary - either parallel routes separating the teams or one route running across the map from one team to the other.

There are 4 Native villages of one or two types at various locations (5 if there are over 4 players), randomly chosen from the following tribes: Apache, Navajo, Comanche, Cheyenne, Aztec and/or Zapotec.

In my testing this map produces extremely fair, balanced maps for 2 team play. Effective play involves scouting the various resources, Native types, Trade Routes, map terrain, and of course, the enemy. The gameplay on this map is unique and offers a variety of strategies. Do you make an all out rush depending on your only mine to support you, or do you establish a secondary base in the mountains to protect your miners? And the map is very well suited for coordinated teamwork.

To play this map, the two files (Sierra del Oro.xs and Sierra del Oro.xml) must be placed in the folder: My Documents\\My Games\\Age of Empires 3\\RM2. Please do not place them in the game\'s install folder - that will not work. When you start up a skirmish game in Single-player or Multiplayer, use the small blue \'Custom Map\' button, which allows you to then select one of the random maps in that My Games folder from the drop-down window. The files will transfer in Multiplayer if your allies or opponents have not downloaded the files. Please do not edit the files or you will have compatability problems in Multiplayer. Please do not place these in the usual folder for the original AOE3(or vanilla AOE3) custom random maps, as the addition of the new natives and new War Chiefs terrains will cause the map to not work properly. Note there is a separate version for the original AOE3.

Thanks to ES for providing the tools to make random map scripting possible.

Feedback appreciated!