How to edit the strategic map

**Midnight** · 10-12-2004, 20:58

I suggested to a friend of mine, MonocerosDragon, that the strategic map might be edited, but I didn't know how. Within fifteen minutes he'd cracked it, and I took it from there.

RTW uses the file map.rwm for all of the map data (geography, climate, regions, etc.). However, should this file not exist Rome will attempt to build it from several other files detailed below. Rome looks for map.rwm or the files needed to build it in the campaign directory first (i.e. data\world\maps\campaign) and then in data\world\maps\base.

If you delete map.rwm, you can then get to work modifying the campaign map. Note: map.rwm will be generated at the point you start the campaign and you have to remember to delete map.rwm each time you make a change - Unfortunatly RTW doesn't realise the other files have been modified more recently and rebuild it. If some of the files required to build map.rwm cannot be found, or one or more of them is incorrect, the game usually crashes at this point. Some changes require corresponding changes to be added to multiple files - i.e. adding a new island requires changes to map_regions.tga, map_heights.tga and map_ground_types.tga as a minimum.

I haven't tried everything, and I'm not certain what everything does, but I'll do my best here:

map_FE.tga
I haven't edited this, but I suspect it's nothing more than the image shown on the faction selection screen

map_heights.tga
This is a basic heightmap, and it determines the core geometry of the strat map. Blue is the ocean, and the land ranges from very dark (low land) to quite light (mountaintops)

map_ground_types.tga
A map which determines the type of terrain. The reds are the ocean (the darker, the deeper). Greens are fertile land, black is desert, browns are rocks and mountains.

map_roughness
Self-explanatory, really. Determines how rough the ground is. The whiter, the rougher.

map_features.tga
The red dots are volcanoes, the yellow lines are stretches of coast you can't land on, the blue lines are rivers, the white dots are the beginnings of rivers, and the cyan dots are river crossings.

map_climates.tga
This map controls the climate (bet you didn't see that one coming!). Roughly: blues and purples are arid, pinks and reds are temperate, greens and yellows snow in winter.

map_regions.tga
Each colour is a different region The ocean is that big blue thing where the ocean should be

. The white dots are ports, the black dots are towns.

map_trade_routes.tga
Presumably has something to do with trade. I have tried editing this yet, because I'm not exactly sure what it indicates.

water_surface.tga
Some sort of water surface map. Not part of map.rwm.

map_heights.hgt
Not sure. map_heights.tga contains the height data, so I'm not sure what this does. I can't open it, anyway

I haven't tried playing with the following, but it's pretty easy to work out what they do (it's actually explained in the files themselves).

descr_disasters.txt
All the lovely disasters you face through the course of a game.

descr_terrain.txt
Map parameters.

descr_regions.txt
Region parameters. No idea what a 'triumph point value' is, though.

So far I've managed to put a mountain in Britannia Superior; added a river with two crossing points just north of that; stopped snow from falling over the Alps; moved the positions of Deva, Eboracum and Londinium; and added a small island just east of Corsica.

Hope this is of some use.

**ChaosLord** · 10-12-2004, 21:04

Thats awesome, from the sounds of it things are easier to edit then the old map was in MTW. Great work MonocerosDragon and Midnight.

**BassV2** · 10-13-2004, 01:00

so basically we just have to change how the image looks like and we'll see the effects? (they look yuseless...) but that means we can finnd these maps for certain regions say asia, find a real picture, put it in, and it will be on the real map ?

**Midnight** · 10-13-2004, 07:48

Not quite. In order to change the strat map completely (something I'm trying to do myself), you need to edit all of the files. You can't just take a map of somewhere and throw it in.

btw, can a Mod please move this to the Dungeon?

**Duke John** · 10-13-2004, 07:53

Oh just **** off! You can't be serious! That easy!? Oh my god! ....

I will try this at once.

Give your friend a six-pack!

Edit: ok, in the Sons of Mars folder I tried deleting map_heights.hgt and map.rwm since these are the only files that cannot be edited. The campaign started without a CTD! This means that we are able to edit the campaign map, such wonderfull news! Who needs CA when we've got our own masterminds! I'll get back as soon as I have added a simple island.

**Duke John** · 10-13-2004, 08:34

Yep, it's possible. Please post all your discoveries in this thread

Cheers, DJ

Since when can moderators only post one message in every 30 seconds?

Edit: and a picture to prove the theory and how I feel right now:

**HicRic** · 10-13-2004, 08:37

CA mentioned this would be a very moddable game. I think some rather clever chaps here have just gone and proved it!

Great news for the modding community!

**Darkmoor_Dragon** · 10-14-2004, 02:37

Well afaict to add a new province all you need to do is:

edit the map_regions.tga using a unique RGB value for th new province, then add a black and white dot for town and port.

You then reference the rgb value in the descr_regions.txt

You have to then update all referencing files for the new province - and i think this is where i am stuck atm.

Ive added it to *campaignname*_campaign_regions_and_names_lookup.txt in data/test folder

and then also to descr_strat.txt
descr_regions_and_settlment_name_lookup.txt
descr_mercenaries.txt

but althoughit creates a new map.rvm the cmapaign wont load and it just returns you to the provincial campaign selection screen.. if you try to run it again you CTD (map.rvm is already there i guess causes this).

I must be missing something

So - atm - stuck

**MonocerosDragon** · 10-15-2004, 00:37

Darkmoor Dragon,

Sounds like you've changed all the neccesary places - without knowing more details as to exactly what you've changed it's difficult to try and guess why it's not working.

For some reason best known only to the programmers RTW seems to CTD if you so much as breathe on the campaign map the wrong way - any little error / inconsistancy in a change can cause it to crash - very annoying. Sometimes, even if it manages to apparently load correctly the fun doesn't stop there - certain changes can cause the game to crash when scrolling over the capaign map - i.e. if I try to obliterate a faction by making all their cities rebel - the campaign appears to load correctly but will the CTD when you scroll the map over that region.

Although I've now managed to do a number of things with the map, including increasing it's size, adding new land masses and new provinces I still haven't fiigured out why some changes which would seem to be fine don't work and cause the game to CTD. I also as of yet can't get a totally new map to load correct. I'm still trying to figure out the minimum requirements for a new map and procedures to make modifications that won't end up causing the game to CTD. As and when I do I'll post details.

**BassV2** · 10-26-2004, 23:52

since the black dots are towns, if you add multiople dots in a region, will it create multiple cities in a province?

**General_Sun** · 10-27-2004, 23:51

Originally Posted by BassV2

since the black dots are towns, if you add multiople dots in a region, will it create multiple cities in a province?

My guess is that it'll crash. Because there is no multiple city support ATM. But I'll take a crack at it...

**Duke John** · 10-28-2004, 09:17

I have tested it, and it also doesn't give you 2 towns. While it does not crash immediately it may have some invisible unwanted side effects. Don't do it.