I now have space for Ancient TW!

[Raz]

:grin2:
After removing a few things off of my hard-drive, I now have enough space for another total conversion of a mod. I chose this straight up, since I've been lurking around it for the past few months and really like the thing as a whole.

Now, what should I do to get it going? Get a new install of MTW:VI, right? Then put on the full install of Ancient TW 2.53, correct? Also, I love the idea that you, macsen, have cut it up into pieces for those on Dial-Up... or those slowed back down to dial-up speed after going over their limit of downloads - like me. :laugh4:

Edit: Or should I just wait for v3 to be released? :thinking:

[macsen rufus]

Hi Raz,

what you'll need is a clean, fully patched up install of MTW:VI, and the 2.53 installer. There are a few folders and files (see list in "Downloads" sticky) that you can delete to good effect - it's not essential, but I think there's a slight improvement on stability.

I wouldn't suggest waiting for v3.0 as this current release (2.53) will be the LAST of the single-install issues. All future releases will be in the sub-divided installs (ie ATW1 Bronze Age, ATW2 Eastern Empires, ATW3 Roman Wars) :bow:

[Raz]

So I've been playing ATW for the past, well since I posted this thread... and all this time I've been immersed into the mod. I love this. I've only played the Alexander campaign but I'm loving it so far. That map in the corner (the zoomed up part) is really amazing. I've been turtling along but the battles I've been in are really something. This brings up a question though... do the provinces in the zoomed up part act as entirely different separate provinces?

I haven't actually been attacked or have attacked one of those provinces yet but I'd like to ask. If a stack is in one province and another in the other, are they together? or does the engine see them as separate? :thinking:

Thanks. Jawdropping mod BTW. :nice:

[macsen rufus]

The provinces on the zoomed map are still "part" of the province on the main map, the actual physical separation makes no difference - any stack on either part will be in the same province. It's the same as if you have two stacks in the vanilla Denmark, you could have one on the island, the other on the mainland, but it's still the same province. Or like Constantinople, which is split between Europe and Asia in vanilla.

Glad you're enjoying it :2thumbsup:

[Fenixx]

Macsen,
Just had to post a reply after seeing this. Ive recently downloaded your mod, and of all the map features, this one on the Alexander campaign map is absolutely brilliant!!! You can move units on the main map into the inset map, or leave them in the territory on the main map,where they'll show up next turn in the inset map (Im no modder, but I assume it has to due with the connectivity matrix and the center coordinates of each territory).
The important aspect of this (I guess) is that mixed maps can be made for mods. Imagine a Thirty Years mod (I know, I know) with a grand map of north central Western Europe with an inset map of Germany with many territories and the grand map with the periphery powers like Sweden, England, Italy, Hungary, Switzerland, and Eastern France and Western Poland as larger fewer territories. Or a Crusader mod (for MTW) with a middle East inset map and a Grand map of the Eastern Med with additional starting terrtories for the Crusades (not actual land masses but quasi-terrtories to represent external Crusades appearing from the West).
Could really change the way regional mods could be done!!! Could it???
Anyway, thanks for all your work, and your continuing efforts. Have really enjoyed the Alexander campaign!!!

[seireikhaan]

Fenixx- This could have really changed things, but alas, there's a hardcoded limit to the number of provinces that can be made. I think its something like 108 or something...Otherwise, modders like Macsen could've made some really brilliant maps by now.(not that they aren't very good, of course).

[Fenixx]

Kamikhaan,

Yes, I suppose this is true. But I would glady sacrifice the number of provinces on the outside global map for a number on the detailed inset map.
Hypothetically, this could allow for focused regional campaign mods, like those that are being done recently, but allow for some, be it minimal, inclusion of surrounding powers. For a hypothetical 30 Years War era mod, Germany herself would be some, say 64 provinces, while each of the surrounding partial nation-states would be about 4 each. I realize there would be play balance issues that need to be worked out for any such regional mod, but the possibilities for MTW mods would increase, despite the engines age. I only bring this up as just about all time periods have been covered on a grand scale now. Plus I heard some of the hard coded limits are being cracked. Just fuel for thought!!

[Fenixx]

Macsen,
Didn't mean to come off topic. Your map work concept just opened up a wealth of new possibilities IMHO. It, of course, could just as well apply to any of your future Ancient TW work (i.e. regional Gallic campaign, regional Dacian campaigns of Trajan, future Eastern Empires campaigns, etc.)

[macsen rufus]

Hi Fenixx, and thanks for the comments - yes, there's no resason you couldn't do an inset for Germany as you say, so long as you keep to the total number of provinces. Those ones in two parts are quite simple to implement - just need to use the same colour on the LUKUPMAP, and decide where the castle, port and origin will show, then define the appropriate borders in the startpos file. Provinces are adjacent when you tell them they are, so you can do all sorts with the campaign map if you like.

I was forced into this route by necessity really, once I'd found a good map, using the inset was the only way to do justice to Greece, really (and there is some scope to subdivide it a bit more yet.... ~D) If anyone else wants to fly with it I'm sure there are some excellent campaigns that could be realised :2thumbsup:

[Fenixx]

Macsen,
Thanks for the reply. I haven't looked yet, but is there a tutorial in the alchemy/engineers lab on this type of mapmaking or just mapmaking in general??? I'm no modder, but this is something I'd like to check out, and who knows???

[macsen rufus]

Try these threads first:

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=13155
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=26411

This will give you the basics - the LMM automatic LUKUP map/script software is great once you can get to grips with it as it saves a lot of time eventually. However it takes a bit of learning and you will need to gather a few tools from the Org's download section. I'll warn you, it took me over a month to get my first brand-new campaign map working, such was the learning curve, but even so I think LMM saved me a further two months.

Ideally you will need something like Photoshop for your basic graphics work, and specialised tools including ReadBIF, and the Mithel Image Convertor (converts editable BMP images into MTW-format LBM images, which the LUKUPMAPs use). With the Photoshop stage you'll need to be comfortable using different colour modes, layers, indexing and colour tables.

As well as creating the actual LUKUPMAP you will need a MapTex (which is the background map that you see in-game), new minimaps, and front-end maps.

In the startpos file you need to declare all the regions and define neighbours and borders, plus co-ordinates for ports, castles and origins - LMM can do all this from an outline map that has been properly prepared, then you can tweak details later. I used LMM2 even though it's now available up to version 4.

If I've made it sound like a big job to take on, it is. But it's not impossible :beam:

[Fenixx]

Macsen,
Again Thanx. Looks like I have some self-enlightening to partake of. Time to retire to the laboratory!!! If I have more questions (sooner than later), I'll post elsewhere. Now which map.....

[macsen rufus]

Now which map.....

That's the spirit :2thumbsup:

If it's any help, the second one is a lot easier :laugh4:

[Fenixx]

Second One??? Moving to main thread, now. Thanx again.

[naut]

Ugggh, remember to make sure you are using the right colours, there's nothing worse than finding out your palette was incorrect after having made your map. :no: