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Mapping FAQ and Basics


Chris

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Ok I have a question about the basics. I've been playing with farm maps (because, perhaps unlike industrial/town maps, I think there is something in the regularity of fields that means I could write code to procedually generate farm maps).

As a first step, I've made my own farm map. I wanted to try it out in quick battle - so I edited the levelsetup_quickbattle.xml This is where I fall down. I can get quick battle to now give me farm maps - but I don't seem to be able to specify the mapname. What ever I put here, I always get farm_lightscout1 !?!! Is this a bug I should report in the bug thread, or am I doing something obviously wrong?

My levelsetup_quickbattle.xml is as follows (I here tried using a standard map name that everyone would have, as I thought this was a cleaner test, but it still gives me farm_lightscout1 rather than farm_corvette1 that I specify here)

<?xml version="1.0" ?><LevelSetup>       <Map tileset="farm" mapname="farm_corvette1" /> <!--<Map tileset="alienbase" mapname="test_small_sebillian" />--> <!--<SpawnTarget dropshipType="airplane.human.chinook" ufoType="airplane.alien.lightscout" />--> <Aliens>   <Alien name="AI 1" race="Caesan" rank="Guard" script="offensive" isKilled="0" />   <Alien name="AI 2" race="Caesan" rank="Soldier" script="offensive" isKilled="0" />   <Alien name="AI 3" race="Caesan" rank="Soldier" script="offensive" />   <Alien name="Civilian 1" race="Human" rank="NonCombatant" script="civilian" />   <Alien name="Civilian 2" race="Human" rank="NonCombatant" script="civilian" />   <Alien name="Civilian 3" race="Human" rank="NonCombatant" script="civilian" />   <Alien name="Civilian 4" race="Human" rank="NonCombatant" script="civilian" />   <Alien name="Friendly AI 4" race="Human" rank="NonCombatant" script="friendlyai" /> </Aliens></LevelSetup>
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As far as I have to been able to determine, you have to specify the spawntarget if it's not a lights scout.

So

<SpawnTarget dropshipType="airplane.human.chinook" ufoType="airplane.alien.corvette" /> must be included if you are trying to use a corvette spawn.

I could be wrong, this is speculative.

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always get farm_lightscout1 !?!!

You must be sure your map has correctly placed spawns for ufo and dropship. And has correct spown for ufo you want to get

If not specifed then game try to place light scout and chinook.

If there no such spawn points on map then game look for map where it present from same tilset.

If there errors in spawn placing then game launch some other map from same tilset.

Game also is not like too much if spawn points is not complitly replace submaps if placed(no matter is there default tiles specified), it's must work(and most time it work) but game tend to just take another map where it placed more correct.

Farm tilset is tend to be used by default if there no correct map in your tilset

Farm lightscout is tend to be used by default if there mistakes in your map or level setup

Well, as far as you use default map your only problem (probably) is not specifing ufo type(as described in post above).

But this can be just some empirical addendum for mapping faq

Edited by zzz1010
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  • 6 months later...

Well, I'm not sure what actually went wrong when I tried to create a custom spectre. I tried both the "add spectre" button and going for a .png, and editing a copy of an existing spectre. The editor didn't seem to load it, except after I made that longwinded post. Then it did. Of course. (;

I have no idea what I did differently, so it wouldn't really be any help. It was probably user error rather than a bug, too.

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Okay, so now I'm getting Baby's First Submap building up and running - it's only a simple house in the town tileset. I'm having to alter some spectres, though, because they're set to passable and such. These are props I'm using to decorate inside; kitchen counters, sofas, bookcases and the like. If I create a (say) terror level map wihich includes my submap, do I need to include the modified spectres with any maps I create?

If I dip into other tilesets (like soviettown for the wood textures), again, will that cause any problems for people trying to use my maps?

Oh, and where do we stand in regard to heights? Back in the first alphas I played, there was at least one map with proper stairs up and running, but since then I've heard that the heights were problematic with the game's engine. Am I going on bad/outdated info, or are we okay to place multiple floors in the submaps?

Sorry for the possibly dumb questions, but this is all new to me.

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If you adjust any spectres you will need to supply those altered files with your submap.

Remember to save the spectre separately from the submap as well or you will not adjust the actual spectre file, just the specific instance of that item that is on your submap.

I can't remember if it still only lasts until you load up that submap again but it may look fine until you actually go to play it.

You can have multiple floors for buildings using the stair tiles, the height problem is purely with terrain.

The engine doesn't handle slopes so it is only things like hills that are a problem.

There is no way for the engine to have partial tile heights so all hills would have to have vertical sides that were a full tile in height, i.e. a wall.

That is my recollection, could be inaccurate!

Using tiles from other sets shouldn't be a problem, the path to the spectre should be saved with the submap so it will always know where to locate it.

Some or all of this may be incorrect for players using the compressed builds.

You may need to provide all files for those players so they can use any of your custom submaps, I haven't personally tested that so can't be certain.

Edited by Gauddlike
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Any spectres you change need saving but if you must remember that you will edit every version of that file on every map.

I am submitting a list of tiles that bug so that giovanni can fix them in the main build. Mainly windows that are walked through and doors that are miss aligned. Unless the devs have used the spectre they will have never fixed it.

The soviet tiles are in the worst state ATM

Any sub maps you create need to be put into your map file and any spectres for those submaps. Just remember that all floor tiles must be layer 0 and walls and props layer 1.

If you use spectres from different tile sets then the XML file will record the location automatically. These do not need to be included.

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Damn, you guys are helpful. Okay, cheers for the assistance. I'll leave out custom spectres for now, since learning all of this is enough of a task on its own, I don't need to make it more complicated. I do think I'm on the way to taming the sub-ed now. I've only got one issue left with my submaps: props that are more than one tile in size tend to take precedence over (say) walls. Here's a pic.

GcxXVmq.png

It's only when the beds are seen by a soldier that this happens. Layers shouldn't be the problem - I checked and the wall and the bed are both on 1. (Unless that's a mistake, but I thought 0 was for ground tiles and 1 for objects on top.) Any suggestions on how to fix it?

Edited by Ol' Stinky
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