New custom submaps

[flashman]

Just finished a rather different looking set of flats. Currently testing it to see if I have broken the game with it

Also fixed a major issue with my Germany Stasi buildings. The ground floor SW/SE walls were double lined so it bugged windows.

Edited May 20, 2013 by flashman

[flashman]

Tonnes of bug fixes.

If you have been using these submaps I recommend that you download and over write.

All stairs should now work. Had to change the direction of some to do this.

Stasi 1 roof is now accessible. Shot a dude and got killed on the roof! Frigging awesome.

I have also included the fixed spectre files for govt windows. I will include more spectre fixes as I have time.

I need to include fixes for sofas and kitchens which are currently passable.

[flashman]

Kind of going with the insane looks here. I have based the last 2 off of real soviet era buildings

[Ol' Stinky]

Damn, dude.

Okay. Well, I fixed my town submaps, they should be good for now - beds that wouldn't co-operate have been laid low by my wrath. I was going to go on and more town stuff, but I decided to play around with submap randomness in an "easier" tileset first. Flash is going to do desert, so I'm playing around with making "random" farm maps. I won't lie, I made a few farm maps, but I hate making them. That probably comes across in how they my handcrafted ones (farm 1-3) look/play. So if I can easily piece together farm jigsaw maps, great!

First submap is Stinky_farm_randomproplessfield_20x20, a submap so simple you create it without opening the submap editor. It picks an empty field at random from the seven or so available. That's it, that's all it does.

The second one's a bit more interesting, as it's a random field, but has props on at random. Stinky_farm_randompropfield_20x20 currently has 24 variants to choose from, but I can put up more if needed. Obviously, I'm not going to put up pictures of them all, but I will put up a couple of collages of how they look ingame. I put in three maps that use them almost entirely in my map pack if anyone wants to see the jigsaw map in practice - you can tell which ones because they have "random" in the name. The maps should also be perfectly playable, I think I squashed most of the errors already. Famous last words, I know...

Let me know if the pics are too big and I'll link them instead. Of course, I discovered I had a duplicate of that little shrubbery submap after I spent ages on the collages. Grr.

To do:

- random walls, i.e. you decide which kind you want to place (stone, fence, hedge, hedgerow) and the gap is selected at random

- random buildings, i.e. barns, stables, farmhouses, the OG X-Com storehouse type deals

[Gauddlike]

My plan, when I have time, would be to make variations on the submaps and buildings used by Chris in the official maps in order to quickly add variation to the included levels.

Hopefully without breaking his design vision for those levels.

[flashman]

I have done that to some of Chris's sub maps, however the soviet designs are so incomplete I decided to play around with things a little. Also some of the civic buildings just dont work. The roof tiles look bizarre or are incomplete and there was no furniture inside.

I plan to create around 3/4 versions of each sub map, with subtle changes.

My stasi maps are basically a variation on the soviet_civic and my factory is the factory and the apartments are the apartments only with decor.

The key differences is that once I did those maps I decided to expand on the variation because after making 3 maps I realised they were all looking exactly the same.

My next goal is to get the greenery/park sides done. to vary landscapes between buildings

[Gauddlike]

Did you consider my suggestion for splitting up the submaps for more potential variation?

To use that great looking building in post 28 of this thread as an example, you could split it into three sections and have two options available for each section, left, right, and middle.

That gives you much more possible variation than simply making two versions of the whole building*.

As long as you follow some rules like external doors are always in the middle section, stairs to floor two are always placed on the left section, stairs to the third floor are always on the right section etc then the buildings would still be functional no matter what combination is selected.

Oh and you have to remember to place the submaps on the level in the correct order...

*Two buildings would allow two possible variations.

Two versions of each section of the same building (if split into 3 sections) would allow eight (I think) different variations.

[Ol' Stinky]

Okay, I got Stinky_farm_randomfacility_8x8 going. There aren't any props in them at the moment, but I'll probably come back and put some in after doing the farmhouses. There should be 10 or so variants.

I've also updated the random farm maps to these in. I put my old, handcrafted farm maps in a folder inside farm; if you really want to play those, then just take the xml files out and put them in the parent dir.

Tomorrow, farmhouses.

Mapping info:

If you want to use Stinky_random_facility_8x8 in your maps, be aware that it can place doors right on the edge, so be careful with props. It's safe to put NPC spawns on the green squares. When I do put the props in, they won't be on the greens.

Place a ground tile underneath the buildings, most of them use the map's ground.

Edited May 21, 2013 by Ol' Stinky

[flashman]

Looking good stinky, I agree that after 2 years of alpha i am fed up of farms!! its the only tile set i have not made a map for.

No new glorious buildings finished tonight, though I am currently working on a stellar idea

Instead I fixed 136 soviet tiles and emailed the fixes to Chris... 2hrs lol... You can now use any door because I fixed the pivotpoints on all 3states.

I then started prototyping alternate tile layouts. See below

I think I will aim for about 8 versions of the smaller ones and 3/4 of the big ones.

[Gauddlike]

I like all of the designs so far.

I might not bother getting back into submap making after all, the competition is too good

[flashman]

haha! Pick a tile set and have a go, I think Industrial could use some love!

[GR00V3R]

Hi all. Today's noob question: Is anyone coordinating/compiling all these fantastic maps for easy download and integration with the game?

[Sathra]

I love you Stinky. The nostalgia!

Anyone who's played the OG farm maps should recognise those buildings!

[flashman]

Hi all. Today's noob question: Is anyone coordinating/compiling all these fantastic maps for easy download and integration with the game?

The few of us doing these currently have our own compiled downloads. Just copy into your assets director and voila. Its unlikely we will have called something the same name, I usually put flash in there somewhere.

Chris is going to find time to sit and check out the maps/files to put in game if worthy.

For those who thought I was being lazy tonight here is my latest effort politburo

Now that I have more buildings I will start putting together some more maps tomorrow.

[Sathra]

Now that reminds me of Apoc. Looks wonderful too!

And a picnic blanket prop? I've never seen that one before.

[flashman]

theres 2 in the town tiles folder but they are not officially in game yet. There is tonnes of stuff not in game yet like my bits

[Moxar]

Still, an (un)official maps and submaps compilation could be nice. We could agree on common name classification,for instance modder_tileset_submapName_WxH, and modder_tileset_mapName_ufoType. This would allow players to find and install the files, and it would also greatly help modders to create new maps/submaps. What do you think about it ?

[GR00V3R]

Still, an (un)official maps and submaps compilation could be nice. We could agree on common name classification,for instance modder_tileset_submapName_WxH, and modder_tileset_mapName_ufoType. This would allow players to find and install the files, and it would also greatly help modders to create new maps/submaps. What do you think about it ?

Yes, this is exactly what I had in mind. A Community Map Pack. The Company of Heroes community did this well back in the day.

[Gauddlike]

If you work decide on a naming convention for maps that people agree on then put it up as a new thread and let me know, I will sticky it for ease of reference.

[flashman]

The problem with renaming the submaps is that it will break all our maps. Otherwise I am all for it.

I think that all maps must be tested before they can be included using either the game or quick battle.

[Gauddlike]

It would mean redoing the current maps but that is a one time thing.

Any future maps should be fine.

That is the best reason for sorting a naming convention early, there will be less maps to break than if it gets adopted later

[flashman]

I would personally just cheat and use find and replace in the .xml files.

[flashman]

Ok custom map thread up and running. If you only want to include new maps for now then i suggest you Make a copy of your maps folder and put it into storage. Then rename all your custom maps and start again until you have time to fix the maps. A simple edit of the xml files with the custom submap names should fix it.

[flashman]

Actually I just realised that the map takes the tile from the directory. You can change the file name so long as the directory doesnt change.

[Ol' Stinky]

I'm happy with any of my maps/submaps being placed in a bundle, but I don't know how good my maps actually are, frankly. I'll rename 'em in accordance with any regulations tomorrow, if need be.

Anyway, let's talk submaps.

First point of order is that I've updated the random facility buildings to have a smattering of props. I also added another variation. There's one of these with a 2 tile haybale taunting me that I discovered after writing this, but I'll go and stomp that and reupload, so if you spot it, re-DL my pack. I've also made them 10x10 instead of 8x8, with a ring of empty squares around. I could have taken Gaud's suggestion from the other thread (I did see it, G!) but I quite like not knowing which way they're going to face, so this is how it's going down.

I'm interested in hearing whether people like or dislike the clear ground floors. I want these buildings to look rough since they're the type of constructions I remember being around farms, but maybe a grass floor is too far? Should I make them stone floor, wooden planks...?

Talking of Gaud's suggestions, I made an "empty" 10x10 farm building and created a submap that only generates a building 50% of the time. It seems to work fine, and makes the maps feel more, well, random: it's one thing to have a building change shape, it's quite another for there not to be one at all!

The maps I've put together to demonstrate it are kinda rushed since I wanted to get a demo online before I crash into bed. I'll make them look neater tomorrow, since they're far too uniform in appearance at the moment. I'd hoped to have more time, but today's been hectic. Edit: I guess I should mention that it's Stinky farm maps 60x60 4, 5 and 6, as well as 70x70 farm map 1, that use these submaps at the moment.

I'll wait for people to play the LScout and Scout/Corv maps before making many farm maps for the bigger ships, no point going all out if there are problems.

I created Stinky_farm_farmhouse_10x10 today. 4 variations. This building always spawns.

#1:

#2:

#3:

#4:

#5:

Mapping info:

Green points should be safe to spawn NPCs on. The outer ring is always clear, so feel free to set up walls, large props etc. adjacent to the farmhouses.

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As far as submaps go, I'm going to leave farm for now. Random walls will wait until later, and I want to muck around with an idea I'm going to trial in arctic before adapting it for town maps.

Edited May 22, 2013 by Ol' Stinky