Мaps

[Xcom Veteran]

This doors in ship not fit in my opinion. It's not futuristic. Looks like old WC.

[Gorlom]

what doors in ship?

[Xcom Veteran]

what doors in ship?

Look on the soldier second from right. He is standing close to some doors in this round ship construction. That doors looks strange for me - like traditional doors with handle.

[Gorlom]

I think that is just some kind of light, not an actual handle. (there' 2 more white areas on the door that I suspect is supposed to be light))

Also I think that is standard to how the UFO looks. not any modification done by zz1010.

[zzz1010]

Yes, not sure is you mean this, but it's looks like you think I have any responsibility to how ufos in game looks. As I say i didn't change or add anything there(well, I did couple of new barn submap variations but it's with only goldhawk's sprites), it's just map.

[Xcom Veteran]

Yes, not sure is you mean this, but it's looks like you think I have any responsibility to how ufos in game looks. As I say i didn't change or add anything there(well, I did couple of new barn submap variations but it's with only goldhawk's sprites), it's just map.

I know, I know. I just found it here and reported. Sorry for off-topic.

[zzz1010]

I'm not care about off-topic, just it's happened to be little confusing(at least for Gorlom).

And I don't like to criticise goldhawk team, in general I realy like their game arts

Edited November 15, 2012 by zzz1010

[Chris]

The UFOs may get a redesign based on the level testing we're going to be starting shortly, as our new system lets us be a bit more flexible with the design than we were before.

[Xcom Veteran]

And I don't like to criticise goldhawk team, in general I realy like their game arts

Sorry, but don't understand me wrong . I realy like the game arts too. Tactical map graphic is super! Only this "doors" looks strange for me.

[zzz1010]

First thing what I thought when saw this trains is - they can be randomly placed, this why I quick did this. Rails always at same place but most of all other is total mess. It still feel the same most time but depending from starting position and how RNG place carts it plays a little differently

Didn't support scout(it's too big and too vertical), only lightscout and corvette.

Requed http://www.goldhawkinteractive.com/forums/showthread.php/3658-Farm-stuff/page2Raaku's trains assets

http://rghost.ru/41622762

And this is industrial map

Edited November 17, 2012 by zzz1010

[zzz1010]

Whatever. Another map. It's somthing like big industrial complex. I call it Gauddlike Industries.(maybe to place such signboard somewere, but too lazy for that)

It will be always different, but you will not notice that.

It's can be big for light scout(at least with default crew amount).

There lot of second level things, but its more just decoration because AI is not like it and to shoot from second level is bad idea curently(you will never hit from above, but will be hit(hiten? hitted?) (and better visible)from below)

Industrial map, only stock sprites, support for first 3 alien crafts.

http://rghost.ru/41726894

that's odd

Your care is so sweet Then it's just rghost is try to trick me. Ok, I'll know.

It's not about stopping, I do it if just have some idea anyway

Edited November 21, 2012 by zzz1010

[thothkins]

that's odd. I could have sworn I downloaded the train one. Haven't had a chance to play it yet, but as I will, please don't let that stop you coming up with these.

[Donkeyfumbler]

zzz - please don't stop producing these maps. I'm waiting for beta before I start playing the game again but I can guarantee that I'll be downloading the maps then and I'm sure they'll be plenty of demand once the games is properly released.

[Gauddlike]

I call it Gauddlike Industries.(maybe to place such signboard somewere, but too lazy for that)

Not to worry it will probably all be on fire soon anyway

[zzz1010]

This means you, yes. I'm not consider you as the inventor, but you often mention(maybe promote) such way of making things. Something like "splicing random"

[Gauddlike]

It is how I made my little test submaps for the early industrial tileset.

Nothing as large scale or playable as yours though.

[Game_tester]

Another experiment

It's pine forest map for arctic. Worth a try

Beware alien partisans

http://rghost.ru/41099440

---

It's the map, at first it intended to be just funny thing(not sure why), but it also playable

http://rghost.ru/41065054

It's count as industrial map and not replace original goldhawk files

It's 72x59, and don't afraid - there only one floor in these buildings

Very good ideas for big maps !!

___

[Jacksknife]

Nice maps zzz1010

[Gauddlike]

Yeah some good work, much more talented than I am with photoshop

[Harmonica]

I have just starting tooling around with the map editors. I didn't realise they were already available for the alpha release, oh well. I think that the map randomisation aspect is one of the biggest selling points for Xenonauts. Ideally after release my game can pick from hundreds of available maps. I intend to create a lot of maps.

But I have a question to those who are more experienced: could you outline your basic workflow or thinking process when it comes to creating maps? I am trying to get my head around how to plan out adding a map to the game. For example, I live in a rural area so I thought I would focus on creating some simple rural type maps. Do I start with the sub-maps themselves? Do I think about an overall 'type' of location I would like to add? (ie, a particular style of farm)

Getting my head around how the game will randomise my level-editor layout composed of my submaps is difficult. Here is how I currently think I need to plan it:

1. Think of a type of location/environment to design, ie a farm with surrounding land.

2. Sketch roughly the areas that might be added to the level editor: ie, field/forest/field/barn, etc etc.

3. Pick one of those areas (ie forest), and create sub-map for it. Now work on variations of this submap until there are 3/4 of them. (ie, for a forest, different arrangements of trees, land, maybe sometimes a structure in there too).

4. Go through the rest of the submap areas in the same way.

5. Create multiple other level editor maps using same submaps but laid out in a different arrangement?

Does that sound right? So, maybe an entire single level editor map will not vary too much - different shaped barns with different interiors, different trees and fields, and so on [always a forest in 1,1 submap space, always a barn/structure in space 1,2, etc] - but because the game will pick out of the various new 'farm' submap arrangements I created that then gives more variation?

Or, do I have it wrong, maybe I should make many more submaps, and vary them a lot, but only create one overall level editor map. So for a [forest area] I would in fact sometimes have almost no trees with a bit of a field, and a hut in there. Sometimes dense trees you cannot pass through. Sometimes a road through the forest. Etc. Then when the game adds from that submap it is very different each time, rather than just always trees in different spots.

Which method is better?

My head hurts I would love a step-by-step guide to create a basic (ie, small urban with houses) layout that I could follow - I have looked (and read the wiki) but cannot see one.

Edited December 15, 2012 by Harmonica

[Gauddlike]

I tend to do both.

I start off by designing an archetype, for example a specific farm layout.

I then make any submaps I feel it needs in order to fit my idea for it.

Then I make a few extras of each submap to increase variation.

Once that is done I start to make new levels based on those submaps.

I also try to use multi-submaps instead of single ones.

As I suggested earlier in this thread (I think) I find it increases the amount of variation without significantly increasing the workload.

Two 20x20 forest submaps give you two variations for your level, eight 5x5 (with set positions so 1A only gets placed in the NW, 1B in the NE and so on) will give you ~14 variations.

The same is true of buildings for town maps.

Instead of creating four 10x10 town houses I would create eight 10x5 to make each house more individual and each run through different.

As long as you have a set of rules to follow the buildings will still make sense.

For example divide each house into SE and NW sections.

The NW always has the stairs and kitchen.

SE always has the front door.

The SE never has an internal wall along the NW border (but can have furniture there).

NW always has an internal wall along the SE border, with doors three or five tiles from the edge, SE never has furniture in those spots.

Windows and doors always have at least a one tile gap between them and the border.

Rooms should end along the border (in case of different floor types).

Your rules don't need to be that structured obviously, it just makes life easier for me

[Gauddlike]

Incidentally I would love to be able to set a selection chance for individual submaps.

If I have three options in the submap folder I don't always want each of them to have the same chance to appear.

A way to easily split your submaps would be nice as well.

It isn't too hard to edit the spectre with notepad but it can lead to mistakes.

[zzz1010]

Incidentally I would love to be able to set a selection chance for individual submaps.

If I have three options in the submap folder I don't always want each of them to have the same chance to appear.

You can increase chance by putting additional copies of same:)

[Gauddlike]

Yeah but that wouldn't be as viable an option if you were sharing your levels/submaps with the public.

[Harmonica]

advice

Thanks for all the tips and information. Inevitably so far I have succeeded in biting off more than I can chew in my multiple mapping attempts. I always start off like this. Best way to learn, perhaps, anyway.

Now I'm working on something that is more straightforward but is quite effective, which is a map where the team lands on an apartment block roof and has to clear the various rooms and hallways on all sides - which are all made up of randomised submaps, of course. Currently just 10x10 areas but I might try doing the 5x5s at some point.

My main problem is getting tiles to match up. The editor is powerful and robust but it would probably be easier if you could select a grid tile and cycle through tiles to see which will fit in nicely. Unless there's some 'proper' way to layout ground tiles that I'm missing...