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          TRULY GIGANTIC - ULTIMATE GALAXY OVERHAUL FOR GALCIV IV
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Welcome to TrulyGigantic, a total map and sector generation overhaul designed to push the Galactic Civilizations IV engine to its maximum procedural boundaries. Whether you want to conquer an endless sea of stars or engage in epic galactic diplomacy with up to 48 unique empires, this mod redefines scale, spacing, and sector density.

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1. KEY FEATURES & OVERHAULS
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* Massive Star Pool (4,000 Base Stars):
  All active galaxy sizes (Tiny, Small, Medium, Huge, and Immense) now start with a foundational capacity of 4,000 Base Stars, up from the vanilla base of 700 to 2,500. Combined with in-game frequency sliders, the procedural engine can generate over 1,500+ rich star systems across the map.

* Expanded Sector Geometry (310 Diameter / 155 Radius):
  Every sector tier (Tiny through Dynamic) is standardized to an optimal grid radius of 155 (diameter 310). When using Normal sector layout, star chains radiate outward in 12 distinct corridors.

* Balanced 49-Civilization Distribution (2 Civs Per Sector Circle):
  By setting sector starting location caps to 2 per circle, the map generator evenly distributes up to 48 AI opponents (+ 1 human player) across ~25+ sectors. Every sector receives approximately 2 major empires, preventing overcrowded home clusters while ensuring constant border tension across the galaxy.

* Expanded Sector Counts (Up to 28 Sectors):
  Choosing "Many" sectors on an Immense map spawns up to 28 distinct sectors connected by hyperlanes.

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2. INSTALLATION GUIDE
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1. Place the "TrulyGigantic" folder inside your Galactic Civilizations IV user mods directory:
   C:\Users\<YourUsername>\Documents\My Games\GalCiv4\Mods\TrulyGigantic

2. Launch Galactic Civilizations IV.
3. Go to Options -> Gameplay and ensure "Enable Mods" is checked.
4. Restart the game if prompted so the engine loads the modded data.

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3. RECOMMENDED IN-GAME SETUP SETTINGS
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To experience TrulyGigantic exactly as intended, use the following settings when starting a New Game:

* Galaxy Size: IMMENSE
  Provides the largest canvas and unlocks the 28-sector threshold.

* Number of Sectors: MANY
  Spawns up to 28 sectors across the galaxy, allowing our 49 civilizations to spread out across 2 empires per circle.

* Sector Layout: UNIFORM or NORMAL
  Uniform scatters stars evenly across the circular sector boundary (no dark voids). Normal creates 12 natural branching arms of stars radiating from the center.

* Star Frequency: ABUNDANT
  Multiplies our 4,000 base star pool to pack the galaxy with ~1,500+ star systems.

* Opponents: 48 (MAXIMUM)
  Fills all available major empire slots (48 AI + 1 Human = 49 total).

* Start Proximity: START NEAR AI
  Ensures players and neighbors spawn within interacting distance inside their assigned sectors.

* Victory Conditions: ALL ENABLED (INCLUDING INFLUENCE)
  Fully re-balanced specifically for our 28-sector / 4000-star scale (75% majority held for 50 turns).

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*** TIP: MAXIMIZE YOUR 48 OPPONENTS WITH CUSTOM CIVILIZATIONS! ***
Because the game caps major civilizations at 48 opponents, we strongly recommend creating a library of custom civilizations via the in-game Custom Faction Creator (or enabling all DLC factions). When you set opponent selection to Random, the game will draw from your custom pool so every single one of your 48 rivals across the galaxy is unique!

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4. TECHNICAL NOTES & FAQ
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Q: How does Influence Victory work with TrulyGigantic?
A: To make Influence Victory viable and plausible without being overpowered or causing early-game false alarms on massive 28-sector maps, we re-balanced the victory weights and thresholds in GlobalDefs.xml:
* Majority Required: 75% of total claimed galaxy influence (up from vanilla 59%).
* Duration Required: You must hold that 75% majority for 50 turns (up from vanilla 5 turns) while defending against rivals.
* Meter Calibration: Progress readout weights are evenly split between Influence Ratio (45%) and Turns Held (50%), eliminating early-game Turn 1 false alerts while rewarding sustained cultural dominance over time.

Q: Why can't I select more than 48 opponents (49 total civilizations)?
A: The 48 opponent limit is hardcoded directly into the C++ game engine (GalacticCivilizationsIV.exe) and lobby staging memory array. While TrulyGigantic pushes XML limits as far as possible, exceeding 48 opponents in the setup lobby will trigger the engine's built-in safety lock and disable the "Start" button.

Q: What is the difference between Uniform and Normal Sector Layouts?
A: Uniform turns off branching arms and distributes stars evenly across the entire 155-radius circle. Normal generates stars along 12 branching pathways, creating organic corridors of stars separated by manageable pockets of open space.

Q: Why do I need to clear .bin files after updating XMLs?
A: Galactic Civilizations IV compiles all XML definitions (Gameplay, Options, Particles, etc.) into binary cache files (*.bin) for faster loading. Whenever mod files are edited or updated, deleting any leftover .bin files inside your Mods folder forces the engine to re-bake the latest XML values on launch (without resetting your personal preferences or prefs.ini).

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Enjoy conquering the stars with TrulyGigantic!
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