Is there a quickbattle function?

[Max_Caine 149]

Hey all,

Would like to try my hand again at a few maps, and the level viewer is useless. Back in the days of yore, there was a quickbattle function. Is that still working? Would it be xenonauts_gc_editor.exe ?

[kabill 37]

Yes, but you need to create a shortcut for it to work. From memory:

- Create a shortcut (either the normal .exe or _gc.exe is fine)

- Right click on the shortcut and select properties

- In the file path, add " -quickbattle" (without the quotation marks but with the space) to the end (I'm pretty sure this is right but it might be something slightly different).

- Then run the game from the shortcut.

[llunak 15]

Hey all,

Would like to try my hand again at a few maps,

That would be very welcome. And I hope you'll give linked submaps a try.

and the level viewer is useless.

Why? It does the job for me.

Back in the days of yore, there was a quickbattle function. Is that still working?

Nothing has changed there. Well, except for the fact that 1.5x removed the .bat file to launch it, apparently :

Xenonauts_gc_editor - Quick Battle.bat :

start xenonauts_gc_editor.exe -quickbattle

Would it be xenonauts_gc_editor.exe ?

It works with the normal .exe too, but then one loses U for the GC editor, Ctrl+Q for revealing the map, etc. , so the GC editor .exe is indeed better.

[Max_Caine 149]

I'll give it a try, but it's been a loooong time since I last tried my hand at mapmaking, so I'll see what I can do with the toys in the chest before I start whittling my own. With regards to the level editor, all I get is a black screen, so it's not very helpful. Thanks for the help with the quickbattle - I'll find that very useful for testing maps.

[llunak 15]

I'll give it a try, but it's been a loooong time since I last tried my hand at mapmaking, so I'll see what I can do with the toys in the chest before I start whittling my own.

Ah, sure, no pressure . Do you have any specific plans?

With regards to the level editor, all I get is a black screen, so it's not very helpful. Thanks for the help with the quickbattle - I'll find that very useful for testing maps.

I expect you need this:

http://www.goldhawkinteractive.com/forums/showthread.php/9670-Unpacked-Game-Tiles-Required-for-Mapping!

(Have you looked at the mapping howto sticky? It's the very first item there.)

[Max_Caine 149]

Specific plans: I'd like to make themed maps. Maps that possibly tell some kind of a narrative. And I'd like to help other modders make maps for their mods.

I've read the sticky, and it didn't help. The level viewer is still dark. But that's alright, I find that quickbattles are more helpful than the level viewer when editing the map.

[llunak 15]

Specific plans: I'd like to make themed maps. Maps that possibly tell some kind of a narrative.

Note that the game more or less randomly chooses a map from all the ones are that valid for the dropship/UFO combination, so there's no guarantee for any specific order or even your map being selected.

And I'd like to help other modders make maps for their mods.

Hmm. Why would mods need their own maps? The map situation is much better than at the 1.09 times, but IMO it'd be still better to do maps for general use.

I've read the sticky, and it didn't help. The level viewer is still dark.

I actually tried that with the Steam version and it made it work for me, so maybe you just didn't unpack the archive correctly, didn't restart the level editor, or something like that.

[llunak 15]

FWIW, the final 0.34 level editor should work out of the box, i.e. without unpacking tiles.