New Campaign Map

[heisme]

How do you start making a new campaign map? and which file do you edit

[Ramashan]

This shold give you all the answers you need to get started with making a new campaign map.

Making a New Campaign Map

[heisme]

are there any other than that tutorial it is useful but not wuite what I want as I need to know how to do more than just add new settlements but also to create a new map

[Ramashan]

are there any other than that tutorial it is useful but not wuite what I want as I need to know how to do more than just add new settlements but also to create a new map

Hm, I've created two entirely new campaign maps from scratch using thid tutorial. It is my, go to map changing reference.

Lets see, or the map regions, ground_types, and climates, the above link is good.

For map_heights - your can try:

Red Spots way

or BDH's method of using satallite imagery

I don't think there is a tutorial that takes you step by step through the process of starting with a blank photoshop document through to a working map.

Here's my method if it helps. (I am assuming you know the basics of photoshop)

- I follow Mydraal's tutorial regarding creating new folders and moving files around to make a personalized provincial campaign.

- I create a photoshop document called (My campaign)map MASTER

- I then size canvas to the size I want my map to be. (the vanilla map size is located in the terrain.txt file as mentioned in making new campaign maps)

- I think create three layers named 'regions' 'ground types' 'heights'

I fill the entire regions layer in with the water color for regions; RGB = 41.140.233 (you can find this by opening the vanilla map and using eye dropper of scrolling over the sea area and looking in the info window.

I fill the entire ground types layer with the color for shallow sea; RGB = 196,0,0 (you can find this in 'making new campaign map' link

I fill the entire heights layer with the color for water; RGB = 0,0,253 (again this info is in the makin new campaign tutorial)

OK, now you should have a photoshop file with three layers, two with shades of blue and one a medium dark red. Now for making your land.

Hide the regions and ground types layers so that all you see in the heights layer. Click on the pencil tool and choose a color with a black value of between RGB = 1,1,1 to at most 5,5,5

No start drawing your map.

If you have a pre-drawn map you want to use, I tend to load this into photoshop as well as a template layer. By resizing and adjusting it to look the way you want on its on layer, I then will either cut out the area I want with the laso tool or decrease the opacity of the layer and use it as a guide.

Either way, you want to complete the out line of your land and fill in all land areas so that in the end you have a solid single black value mass of your land. (Sounds confusing but I'm having a problem wording this. It should basically my what your map will look like if it had no height data)

Ok, now to adjust the other layers.

Take the 'magic wand tool' set it for a value of '0' and click off all the check boxs at the top (can't remember the names, the important one to have unclicked in congruant {I think thats the name}

Click on the black area. Everything black, thus everything you want to be land, should have be chosen.

- Now, with the marque still active, click on the ground types layer in the layers window so you are working in this layer. Choose the color for 'fertile medium' RGB = 96,160,64 (Again found in making a new campaign map. You can choose any fertile color, I like this one)

Click on the Edit pull down menu, click fill, and fill the margue area with this green. (Don't deactivate the marque tool)

With the marque tool still active click on the regions layer in the layer window. I generally fill this with black so that I can see what areas I've missed as I'm adding my regions.

When complete you should now have three layers all with the exact same area filled in for your land.

That's the easy part. Now for the laborious part.

- Open the vanilla map-regions file. Using this as a color picker, begin adding your regions. Follow Myrdraal's guide regarding placin towns, ports, and common errors in changing regions.

I tend to use the magic wand tool to select the black land area so that I don't accidently spill over into the water area. Also, as I add each region, I subtract that region out using the magic wand tool so I don't accidently paint over it.

Read all the posts that follow Myrdraal's tutorial. There is a lot of good info there. Especially some concerning regions you NEED to have for the game to load.

Once you have all your regions drawn out. Save each layer out as a targa. Ie map_regions.tga, map_heights.tgs, map_ground-types.tga.

Resize the map-regions file as per the sizing requirements at the bottom of Myrdraal's tutorial. The way I do it is.

- click on the Image pull down menu.

- click 'Image Size'

- type in the size I want

- (VERY IMPORTANT) change 'bicubic' to 'nearest neighbor'

Now, copy and paste these into your total war/data/world/maps/campaign/ (my campaign) folder.

Final step. Download the TIME map editor (need to find the link) and load your campaign into this. Doing this allows you to delete and move all un-necessary units (like those out in the ocean), rename city and regions, re-assign city and regions to different factions, and most importantly test for any bugs.

Once you've done this, create a short cut to RTW using show_err: "Program Files/ The Creative Assembly/ Rome - Total War/RomeTW.exe" show_err

Now, expect many many many kick backs and errors. Simply write down the document and line that the error message gives you, correct it and try again.

I typically get about 10 or more errors, but in the end, the map loads.

I'm sure someone else will find fault with my method or have a much easier way to do all this. But this has worked for me in the past and continues to work for me. Post any questions or problems you may have and I'll make sure you get a working personalized map loaded up.

Good Luck. And remember, a patient modder is a successful modder.

[Makanyane]

Ramashan's explanation is excellent
and I think is similar to way I would approach things, but as some people in past have had problems getting a start up map loading I did a while ago make some minimal base maps for RTW1.5 and RTW1.6

working links to that are in posts #8 and #10 of:
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=83770
there is some brief explanation in earlier posts...

that would give you a starting position you can check loads (so you know you've put files in right place) you can then re-size, add coast shape, add more regions etc.

difference would be in Ramashan's approach you end up with as many regions as were in vanilla which still have vanilla names but are re-sited. Working up from my files you start loading with a minimal number of regions and armies and add regions as you go along and name them as you add, and then add extra factions to descr_strat.txt at the end.

I used the approach of copying the vanilla regions over in some earlier maps but decided in the end that ending up with 100 regions which all have different internal names than what you want is more of a pain than adding them in individually. Of course if you are doing a map that is similar to original and can put regions in correct location for name then it is much quicker that way....

umm, horses for courses I think.....

and

Good Luck. And remember, a patient modder is a successful modder.

definitely

[Ramashan]

difference would be in Ramashan's approach you end up with as many regions as were in vanilla which still have vanilla names but are re-sited.

Actually so long as you include the regions that the game needs for the first senate missions (which are listed some place in that making a new campaign map thread) the TIME map editor takes care of the rest. I'm too lazy to go through all the files myself.

but as some people in past have had problems getting a start up map loading I did a while ago make some minimal base maps for RTW1.5 and RTW1.6

I should check these out. My next map I would like to not have as many vanilla names to keep track of.


Oh, and two things I realized I forgot in my little tutorial there.

1) Go to the map_features fie and fill it all in with black

2) Go to the map_trade_routes file and fill it all in with black

This way you wont have problems with rivers and such.

Let us know how you fair heisme.

[Ramashan]

OK guys, I got your map to load on my system. Now lets get it loading on yours.

[heisme]

what do you mean Ramashan

[Makanyane]

I think he's in the wrong thread


....mapping does that to you! Be warned.....

[Ramashan]

Yes, erm, I'm on the wrong site. I get confused sometimes. Its like internet altheimerz.

Have you been able to load your map heisme?