I was using a python library to create my image, so it was as simple as adding an argument to write the file as ".tga" rather than what it was doing by default.

I'm interested in making my own map at some point, how did you solve the file size dilemma?

@Baronfuming with the new version, the files should be much smaller! The Targa image format has a way to compress repeat pixels, which obviously is pretty useful for a map like this where 90+% of the pixels are either off-white or black.

@Baronfuming it is pretty large! I did use a high resolution - I felt it looked blurry any smaller - but mainly it's that in Dominions 6, one map is actually many images: one for every terrain type provinces can change into, plus winter versions of each, and of course the base map. So it's actually 14 images I believe.

For example, Asphodel will change its lands into forest over time, and Dominions shows that on the map by replacing parts of the image it shows you in game with the map where every province is a forest.

If its size is a problem for you, you could do the following: find the map's folder in your computer, copy it (don't change the folder's name), then delete every image from the copy except the original DescartesSnark.png. You wouldn't be able to tell what temperature or terrain a province really is, but it would take up 1/14th the space!

How come the file size is so large? Almost 5GB seems huge for just a map.