Mapping

[CorathSS 0]

Ahem..

 

I'm making a Hurtgen forest map, and I don't know how to place starting positions, and, I want to limit the starting units to a Barracks, riflemen, and a few AT troops.... and a power plant, and radar.

 

Any one able to help me.. say..modify the Barracks so they can build AT troops with out light factory, because honestly.. this map is solid infantry map..

[CorathSS 0]

Well, the map got completed, now I got bigger problems, the thing is solid black, save the flaming wrecks of some tanks I threw in for effect, and I dun think you even get a spawn point..

 

Soo, some one mind explaining? The Time of Day IS morning, so I know its not that...

 

This map would be an awesome infantry war map if it would work..

[DrShrinker 0]

Greetings, I have been searching for help making maps, and I have found a lot of info. I have made a couple successful maps for the original Generals and one for Blitz V26.

 

But I have some specific questions:

1.How big can a map be? Is 500 x 500 too big?

 

2.How many objects are too many? “Calm before the storm” has 666 (yeah 666) objects and seems to run fine, where as a map I have made with less than half of that seems to crash halfway thru any battle. So I binned it.

 

3.Does anyone have a 4 or 6 player template with no objects on it, just all the way-points and all that happy crappy added already, that seems to be the part that screws me every time. Then the AI doesn’t work if its not done right. I know the AI needs a lot of space to play correctly or it gets confused. So big areas to build is important.

 

I also read that using too many texture blends is bad. I think 3 max is recommended but I have been keeping that to 2. Long fences and walls have been said to create lag so I have been staying away from that.

 

Any other tips would be grand. I really enjoy map making but would rather produce a balanced map that can be played online or off. Sometimes there just isn’t anyone there who wants to play. I imagine that will change soon though.

 

I would also like to host maps on my web server, I offered to mirror R2 but reluctantly I had to agree with Smurfbizkit that a cable connection might be a little lacking for mass downloading of a 153meg file. But maps are small, and downloads would be quick.

So this weekend I’ll be making a simple page for that. J

 

This is my current “Ode to BlitzII” page http://jrliii.mine.nu/cnc/blitzII/index.htm

Not much there yet, just a few wallpapers I have made. But this where I plan on putting maps.

 

If ya want to contact me directly, my e-mail and M$-messenger is olohans@hotmail.com

Just make the subjects Maps so ya don’t do in the junk folder.

 

As for CorathSS, do you have all the way points set, starting locations? All that stuff? It’s a pain, but it’s important. As for it being black. That I have never encountered. Corrupted file? I dunno..

 

"Mov'in out"

[pinbag 0]

hi im also making a balanced nice looking and strategic map :)

and its not always fun when i have to downsize the objects on the map

annyway

idee for a fan mission :P castle wolfenstein B)

imagine high plateau surounded by water a beach snowy mountains ans passes :D

a harbor ans a piece off a city for an infantry war :)and highland for blitskrieg combat :)

 

and offcouse a big castle hmmmm still working this out it sounds good duh :D

 

:blink:

 

estimated time to finisch this :D a year of two hahaha argh crap

[Freedom 0]

Errr... how is this a call for support/ a bug?

[DrShrinker 0]

hhmmm. :) Help in creating maps for playing Blitzkrieg II on line or off, and questions regarding aspects of maps them selves. I would call that a request for support. Maps are part of the game and maybe not supported by the Blitzkrieg crew ( i am sure they have plenty to do) but i do think other members of this forum would be glad to help out. After all, a forum is place to exchange ideas and information.

Prehaps this could go in discussion, if the Admin sees fit, i am sure he will lock this one out and ask someone to put it there.

 

and Freedom.. sometimes i think you post just for the sake of posting :lol:

 

 

 

"i'm on it"

[Freedom 0]

hi im also making a balanced nice looking and strategic map :)

and its not always fun when i have to downsize the objects on the map

annyway

idee for a fan mission :D castle wolfenstein B)

imagine high plateau surounded by water a beach snowy mountains ans passes :D

a harbor ans a piece off a city for an infantry war :)and highland for blitskrieg combat :)

 

and offcouse a big castle hmmmm still working this out it sounds good duh :D

 

:lol:

 

estimated time to finisch this :D a year of two hahaha argh crap

No, I wasn't talking about you and Corrath. I was talking about what I quote here. Sorry about that, no harm intended. And I'd like to know what the parameters for the AI are also, as I have a finished map but don't know how to implement the AI. Use the Blitzbuilder to make Blitz maps, it should be in the ZH directory. Blitz doesn't like maps made with the regular Worldbuilder.

[CorathSS 0]

0.o Freedom, it obviously is calling for..bah, where the hell was I gonna post it?

 

DrShinker- I'm not sure how to put in start positions exactly..if you email me at

 

captain_sparrow_blackpearl@yahoo.com

 

I could email you the map..heh...its cool on 'paper' persay

Edited June 23, 2004 by CorathSS

[DrShrinker 0]

E-mail communication on its way.

 

 

 

"I got a present for ya"

[DrShrinker 0]

ok, if anyone wants the offical tutorial i put it up on my server.

 

http://jrliii.mine.nu/cnc/tut/tut.htm

 

you can right click the link when you get there and save target as, or just click it and it should open straight away. There is also a short blurb on this page i nipped from somewhere that i thought was rather nice regarding way points and such.

 

enjoy

 

 

"mov'in out"

[DaRkAlEx 0]

Ok, I'll try to answer as many questions as I can here...

 

CorathSS, to place player starting points, just place a waypoint on the ground then select a player number. eg name it, "Player_1_Start"

 

DrShrinker...

 

1. 500x500 should be the absolute MAX map size, this size should only be used for 8-player maps.

 

2. Try to keep the objects on a skrimish map around 500, I have seen maps with 1000 objects run ok, but you need a really powerful comp to run them. But, whenever possible try to cut back on your objects, ideally a map should have less than 500 objects.

 

3. A technique I use to make sure the AI has enough space is use the TempBuildingSize object under the Civilian Structures list. That is approximatley how big a base area should be in order for the AI to build correctly.

 

A few 3-way blends is ok on a map, but try your best to get rid of them. 3-way blends are a huge computer resource hog, and are not needed. You can still make nice maps without 3-way blends. You can check to see 3-way blends by clicking on "View", then "Show 3-Way Blends in White"

 

I will continue to answer as many questions as possible, so if you have any others just ask me and I'll be glad to help. Later on, I may just make a thread entirely devoted to mapmaking questions. And thank you for your interest in Blitzkrieg 2!

[DrShrinker 0]

Thank you very much.

 

Cool, i can live with the 500 as the magic number. I have a pretty powerful PC but i still would like other people to play my maps, and i know not everyone does.

 

i (kinda) finished my map last night, added all the wapoints, areas, all that stuff, works great. Russians wooped the axis then wooped me. :P . i can't post it right now cause my ISP is down, :lol: it needs to be polished anyway.

I opened some other BlitzII map i had that was made by someone else. I noticed the naming conventions are a lil different, not much, but a little, so i just followed it as an example. i can't remeber the differences off hand since i am at work, but i guess it doesnt really matter at the moment. It works and i am happy.

 

At least i know how to add all that stuff now and wont be flying so blind on object count and size next time.

 

again, a thousand thank you's

 

 

"I'm on it"

[DrShrinker 0]

Oh, one more question, .. Would the AI be more likely to garrison a building if it was inside of it's perimeters?

 

 

 

 

 

"Mov'in out"

[pinbag 0]

sorry mate

 

i was just a litle optimistique

:lol:

 

sorry i gues

[Korona 0]

Freedom, contribute or piss off

 

Anyway, 500X500 is too big in my opinion, Blitz 2 AI is more demanding than Genrals or ZH, so you need to save CPU power some other way. You would do well to halve it, and you will find it a lot more playable with low end pcs.

 

The AI won't garrison, the game wasn't designed to allow it to fight over civilian buildings. I think the max cilivian buildings you can have it put troops in is 3, but just ignore it, as a rule the AI won't garrison.

 

If you want to make a pure infantry map (or restrict the build list in any other way) there's a reletavly easy way to do it with scripts:

 

Load up your map in World Builder

 

Open the script editor and create a new script.

 

The trigger condition should be "True" (this is the default option and just means "the game is running")

 

In the script's "actions" tab click "new", then go to map/modify/adjust the tech tree for a specific unit

Once selected there should be ??? in blue - use the menu to select the unit that you want to deny build privaledges for, there should also be a "Buildable[Yes]" In blue, use the drop down menu to change this to say "Buildable[No]"

 

You need to make a line for each thing you want to deny build options for. While this doesn't remove the Light factory prerequisite on AT units, you can just deny the Light factory the ability to build light vehicles.

 

However why would you want AT units when there are no vehicles :lol:

[CorathSS 0]

Well, the map doesn't run because of the 6000 thingies on it ~coughs~ But if it did, you want those AT troops to help destroy buildings..I still put up three towers and 2 civvie buildings :( figured people wouldn't need THAT MUCH money if you start with 50k, use the resources piles, and the odd crate I threw around... heh... I'm going to have to figure out how to make Hurtgen ...with out alot of trees..

 

I should make a pacific island hop map....just for kicks..is there any terrain that looks like water, but infantry can pass through?

[DaRkAlEx 0]

You can actually make shallow areas of water passable. So yes, that is possible, you would have to edit the water .ini's to make it passable to a certain depth. I'm not too sure if ya'd have to edit the infantry locomotors though, I'll get back to ya on that one. And yea, I'd definatley get rid of most of those objects CorathSS, for a skirmish map I'd say the absolute MAX is 1000. For singleplayer that is much higher. But, as I said earlier, try to keep the object count on skrimish maps below 500.

[CorathSS 0]

Well, its Hurtgen forest...apparently no one heard of it but me or some thing e.e ... was trying to make it like it, close packed trees..no ability to get a thank through it...

[DrShrinker 0]

ok guys, here is my first map, lemme know what you think.

 

http://jrliii.mine.nu/cnc/blitzII/Maps/maps.htm

 

Its a little hefty, I played it with a Russian Ai and it lagged, I played it with Axis Ai, it seemed ok. i dont get it :) But I'm too tired to worry about it.

I think it would be most fun online.

 

I've started another one, gunna try to cut back some. :D

 

Stay tuned.

 

 

"Mov'in out"

[worky68 0]

Hey if one of you map makers wanna try to make a good stalingrad map here is a great link for ya.... http://www.stalingrad-info.com/ I wanna learn how to make map, perhaps one of you pros can give me a tutorial or something

[FECrtn2 0]

For inspiration, you can play Call of Duty. It may give you some nice ideas.

Or watch Enemy at the Gates.

[DrShrinker 0]

For inspiration, you can play Call of Duty. It may give you some nice ideas.

Or watch Enemy at the Gates.

 

I was actually thinking the same thing when regarding a Stalingrad map. Maybe a 4 player (2vs2), split by a river with a hill on one side. It would have to have bridges of course, i dont how else you would get troops across the river. Or maybe even inner city stalingrad, lots of burned out buildings, very tight combat, which i actually like. I think Battling for towns is alot of fun.

 

 

P.S. Thats a great level in Call Of Duty. I love how ya dont get a gun till someone next to you dies.

 

 

 

"I'm on it"

[pinbag 0]

hmmm you coud use those litle ships ( cant remembet the name used by cpu when you had to defend the beach in the axis campaign) one problem i have en countered with this ships in he blitzbuilder :s they can go on land :s so you have to make impassebel terain and just enough passebal terain to drop your troops in

2nd problem i encountered enneymy will do everything to kill your itransport ship s

make them industructibel :D pffff less fun i think :s

(so you see i experimentated much" :D

 

greets pinabag alias "nemo"

[worky68 0]

Or maybe even inner city stalingrad, lots of burned out buildings, very tight combat, which i actually like. I think Battling for towns is alot of fun.

That would be great... I myself also love fighting for towns :D best part about blitz

 

 

There was a topic with fan maps in it but i cant find it anywhere. And there was a stalingrad map but it sucked :D Trevor has a stalingrad map i think (i didnt play his though)

[pinbag 0]

maybe a maze lookin city with streets blockaded and ruble

streets with a dead end encetra..

would make the fight harder in the city