I want to make a map

[TheDog]

@board-3659 said in I want to make a map:

@thedog What is the difference between modding a map and making one from scratch?

Time.
A map from scratch will take you man weeks to complete, say 100-5000 hours.
A modded map, you could change just one thing and be done in say 10 hours.

As you have never ever tried to mod I would work backwards.

• Pick an existing map, say your favourite map
• change some values, play the game.
• change a units look, play the game
• add a new unit into the game, this requires the above and much more
• add an Event, play the game

You get the idea, your are learning the building blocks of modding, this is how I have learnt.

Creating a mod from scratch requires;

• tracing a map or drawing one with paint.net saving it a png this will be your baseTiles.
• Tempting as it is do not produce the reliefTiles, yet.
• Build the rest the units, the flags, the core xml code.
• Test it.
• You will almost certainly find a flaw(s) in the baseTiles, change it, test it.
• Then produce the reliefTiles
  and so it goes, your labour of love.

I still have not produced a map from scratch, but now that I have modded the baseTiles and reliefTiles I feel confident that I could.

[board 3659]

@thedog OK thanks a lot

[Therese Beasley]

If you want to build a map from the beginning, it will be quite time consuming, you should choose a game mod to help you reduce the construction time

[TheDog]

@therese-beasley
Welcome to the forums!

[Therese Beasley]

@thedog thank you very much

[board 3659]

@therese-beasley yeah modding isn't really hard tbh (at least the simple stuff like unit values being changed)

[board 3659]

@thedog How do you change how a unit looks or add a new image to it?

[TheDog]

@board-3659
I use a very simple pixel icon editor/maker, its an old version of IcoFx 1.6.4, this version is free to use.
http://www.oldversion.com/windows/icofx-1-6-4

Load IcoFX
Drag the image you want to convert into its work area
select custom button - (untick square, if not square)
set the width and height
click OK - (this will resize automatically)
File> Export Image
select png or jpg or bmp or gif
enter filename
Save Button
Repeat

[beelee]

@thedog cool I'll have to check that out. i was using pinta and then when i was finally figuring some stuff out, it got changed lol

@board-3659 to add a new image, go to the Units folder and remove the one you're replacing and add the new one. Make sure it has the same name.

Not sure if that's what you were asking

If altering existing Unit, do as Dog suggested. You can work directly out of the Unit folder, which updates it automatically then or save the changes to a different one and then add them.

[board 3659]

how do you create a new unit?

[beelee]

@board-3659 you have to add the image to the units folder and the new unit to the xml. So if you wanted to add a "Elite" Infantry unit for example, use the existing Infantry unit as a template.

Go through the xml and everywhere "Infantry" is, add "Elite".

[board 3659]

@beelee So like I am trying to make a special Maginot called "MaginotN" which is meant to be cheaper than a normal Maginot (8 instead of 11). For some reason I get a missing unit error despite renaming the original Maginot image to Maginot N

[beelee]

@board-3659 so you want to replace the original "Maginot" ? It will no longer be in the Game ?

If so, I'd just adjust the PU cost for the original one.

If you want the new name though, you have to change all "Maginot" in the xml. Probably could do a "Find and Replace" or whatever type of editor you're using.

Might be a trigger or condition that gets renamed. Shouldn't matter.

I usually just do a search for maginot and go through it individually and change it as i go through the entire xml if the above fails

Edit
You could also leave the old image in the units folder. Have both in there. But it's looking for the old one somewhere, so something probably needs changed anyway.

Might be easier to find if you get it to run though

[board 3659]

@beelee The original maginot still exist but I also want to make a special one called majinot N which is meant to be cheaper than a normal one
Edit: 96fb22f4-7d3a-4996-9586-20c16e9d9a95-Steampunk_Advanced_2nd_Edition.xml

[beelee]

@board-3659 yea so just add maignoit N wherever you see Maginot

I'd search maginot and go through the entire xml

[board 3659]

@beelee I am keeping maginot since the french one stays the same (cost 11 Pu), Maginot N is meant for the Martians and Nemo Pirates and cost less money (cost 8 Pu)

[beelee]

@board-3659 yea if you can't get it going post your xml with what you have and i'll take a look

[board 3659]

@beelee Here it is: Steampunk_Advanced_2nd_Edition.xml

: Maginot

: MaginotN

[beelee]

@board-3659 hmm ... I don't see anything wrong. The two images are the ones in the Units Folder ? Only the one version in downloadedMaps ?

Can you upload entire map to sendspace or dropbox

Edit
Theres not a colon in the name right ?

Edit 2
maginot is spelled with a small "m" in the xml Make sure Image in Unit Folder matches

[board 3659]

@beelee
"The two images are the ones in the Units Folder ?"
Yes
"maginot is spelled with a small "m" in the xml Make sure Image in Unit Folder matches:
No. The image file name is "maginot.png" and "maginotN.png" I just said Maginot for writing