Map Making - General Q&A

[Alrowan]

Ok well i thought it best to start here for making a thread for mapmaking and such. Here you just need to ask your questions, and then someone should be here to give an answer. It will save having to look through all the seperate threads to find what you want.


well my first question

Im making a map, and it is a castle seige, i started from scratch, how do i set the deployment zones?? or should i edit a pre-existing siege map??

2nd Question

What steps should i follow on adding units to make a historical battle?? (using the adf files ect.)

[Bullethead]

Alrowan said:
Quote Im making a map, and it is a castle seige, i started from scratch, how do i set the deployment zones?? or should i edit a pre-existing siege map??[/QUOTE]

Caveat: I'm new at this also so am probably wrong http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

Anyway, I don't think you have any control over deployment zones--those seem to be hard-coded to specific areas of the map. IOW, all maps of a given size have their deployment zones in the same place. The trick, therefore, is to learn where those places are and build your map around them.

You can get around this if you use the map for an historical battle because you get to specify the deployment position of each unit in the adf files. But for custom battles using your map, you're stuck with the default zone.

Of course, I could be wrong...

Quote What steps should i follow on adding units to make a historical battle?? (using the adf files ect.)[/QUOTE]

Well, I'm working on my 1st historical battle now so I'll tell you what's working for me...

1st thing is build the map up to "a point". That point I define as having the key terrain features in place: contours, buildings, roads, rivers, or whatever is of tactical importance. Also plunk down a grid pattern of some strange texture that's obviously different from everything else on the map. Like sand textures on a Euro map. Put 1 such texture square every 5 or so tiles N-S and E-W on the map. This enables you to get a good estimate of the coordinates of any given place on the map, which you need when you place your units. And use another texture to mark the areas where you want the units to start.

Once you've gotten to this point, copy the 2 map files (mapname.inf and mapname.jjm) from the MTW/SaveMaps folder to the MTW/Battle/Map folder. I think this is necessary for the game to find it when the bdf file calls it. But note that the map isn't finished yet, and the editor saves to the SaveMaps folder, so you'll have to repeat this copy step each time you change the map.

Now set up the subfolder the ///Historical Battles with your bdf and adf files. Best bet is to copy existing files there and just rename and edit as needed, rather than starting from scratch, because you can create mystery crash bugs if you don't set up these files right http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/wink.gif. Then add 1 unit to each adf file so the game will have units on both sides. Position these units using your best guess of their coordinates based on the grid pattern on the map and knowing that 1 texture = 2048 units, starting in the lower left corner. Also, facing is as the real compass: N = 0, E = 90, S = 180, and W = 270.

At this point, assuming you want units in 1 or more lines, it becomes a tedious process of adding units 1 at a time and getting it into the correct position, then adding the next. This is complicated by their formations being of varying width, so it's hard to know where to put 1 unit until you have its adjacent unit. Add a unit, play the battle long enough to make sure it's in the right place, go back and tweak the position, repeat. If the opposing armies start a long distance apart and out of LOS of each other, you'll probably have to edit the bdf file to put the player on the other side so you can arrange those units correctly as well.

Once you have all the units in place, test the battle a number of times from both sides. You may have to adjust the forces for better balance, either adding or subtracting units or varying their number of men. If you're deploying units in lines, then any of these changes will affect the overall formation of the army so you'll then have to go back and adjust unit positions again.

Once you have both armies as you like them, then go back and finish the map, getting rid of all the grid and unit placement textures. Remember to copy the new version into the /Battle/Maps folder.

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-Bullethead

In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is strength, in water there is bacteria

[Alrowan]

thanks for that help, i actually managed to figure out how to make a caslte seige work, and the best way is to start by making the outermost perimeter of your castle, then test it. If it works then you have built the walls correctly, if it doesnt, then you need to make sure they all join and such.

now, moving on, ill try help with other features of map making later on, and ill explain a few things as i figure them out. as for now, i have several maps that are complete, and i need a place to host them

[dclare4]

Any way to make fordable rivers? Marshy area?

Gilbert de Clare

[Wellington]

Quote Originally posted by dclare4:
Any way to make fordable rivers? Marshy area?[/QUOTE]

Don't think so - I've been trying the same thing and it appears to be 'bridges or nothing'!
Would be a nice feature for the add-on!

[Kraellin]

dclare,

yes. hmm, better qualify that. yes, you could in we/mi. i havent verified this yet for mtw, but it's almost the same map editor. i've been so busy playing the campaign game that i havent done much with the map editor yet.

boy, i wish we had sticky threads in here. i made a great long map editor thread that goes all the way back to the stw demo game editor. ..most.. of the features from the we/mi days are still there, plus some new ones. some are gone. some are altered, but it's mostly the same stuff.

if you look at my 'k's_the swamp' map you'll see that the water there is ford-able, no bridges, and does look a lot like marsh in places.

you basically have to trick the editor by NOT following the water rules described in the readme file. i'll see if i can dig up the archive of that map editor thread and post it again. then you can compare it to the new mtw editor and see for yourself if it still works or not.

K.


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http://home.domaindlx.com/takiyama/kraellin/icons-1.gif

[dclare4]

Thanks Kraellin!

I'm thinking perhaps an area just below the 'water table' so the water rises and falls but there's still land. Something like that. I want to be able to make fords too if possible and but the most prevalent use is marshland in battles - for example I want to do Naseby or Prestonpans and those call for 'boggy ground' or 'rabbit warrens'.

Thanks again,
Gilbert de Clare

[Bullethead]

Kraellin said:
Quote you basically have to trick the editor by NOT following the water rules described in the readme file. i'll see if i can dig up the archive of that map editor thread and post it again. then you can compare it to the new mtw editor and see for yourself if it still works or not.[/QUOTE]

Boy, that would be nice. So many WotR battles had swamps or fordable creeks involved.

I'll start a thread on the subject of water tricks so when you find your info, please post it there so I can find it easier http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

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-Bullethead

In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is strength, in water there is bacteria

[Vanya]

GAH!

How can Vanya enable His map editor?

GAH!