[Warhammer Dark Omen Forum]

Warhammer Dark Omen Forum | Modifications | Maps
New Maps. Did anyone create a few or could they?

[cuthalion]

I am a miserable map editor myself. I remember I used Olly's castle map as the last bonus mission in Chaos Dwarves. What I saw there is there are a lot of different map objects like castle walls, bridges, towers - that are created by Dark Omen developers but none of them actually was used in any default map. And I seem to have figured out why.
Stupid AI that moves troops for computer fails to go around any more or less complicated obstacle. If troops are inside castle wall, they will try to go through that wall like boneheads and never find a gate even though it be broad for large armies. Or if there is a sharp angle on the map before a bridge or a forest, a unit is also stuck there. A player might get around that by giving multiple step-by-step march orders, but computer utterly fails.

Yet, it would be really cool if somone created 2-3 maps w/o complicated objects or with such objects like bridges or walls but w/o any sharp angles...Just so that the maps would be some new experience in a new campaign or multiplayer game. Is it hard?

[olly]

Map making is the next part of my create a custom campaign and basically if you use my map mod template it would take u about 5mins to make a new plain open map (without obstacles). Totally agree about the AI finding it hard to navigate their way through narrow paths and tunnels/bridges but is more for multiplayer.

Will post the guide over the weekend but basically u open my flat mod map in Blender and then raise different areas into hills and export the 3d terrain and then generate a height map for troops to follow. What I started doing is cutting up parts of existing maps, so if u want a ready made hill or cliff you import them onto your own map.

We also have every scenery object (castles/houses) and textures from Mark of Chaos/Battle March and loads of free generic fantasy models from the internet.

Check out my old mod vids where I was testing Aqrit's height map tool ->

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm37_qUFq48

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hakAWBeRpxc

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8sdepsCtmpBUP4U9nVE3Qg

I've also improved the look of scenery by using separate textures for each face of a house, instead of 1 texture for all the whole house. Exciting times ahead ...



ps. there was only ever a wooden bridge made by the original devs and everything else like my Fortress I made myself and the stone bridge I made is the max usable width without looking too wide, hence why there are so many wide river crossings, to avoid using bridges. Examine the cliffs on Trading Post in the BTB Boundary editor and you will see different types of boundries that do actually steer AI slightly and Jeronimo found that the higher the initiative stat the better they navigate.

[cuthalion]

basically if you use my map mod template it would take u about 5mins to make a new plain open map (without obstacles).

Olly could you provide me with instructions? I mean, even though 3 years ago I knew what a mission/map structure was, now I have a vague memory about those btb, ctl and other necessary files. I know things are potentially editable but I do not remember how. Probably the best way for me to do it is
1) have the map template for B1_01
2) make a new clean map and try to pass first mission with it. do I understand it correct that all btb and ctl files will still work with a clear map even though obstacles that exist will not be seen?
3) understand how to display visual objects like forest, rocks and understand how to set obstacles to those objects?
   the simpliest stuff...no height differencies or high hills are needed so far.

[olly]

Will publish whole new Mod Map Guide soon but here's a quick guide to include Tutorial map in Single Player Campaign

1) Copy B101MRC.ARM and rename as SPARE9MR.ARM
2) Copy B101NME.ARM and rename as SPARE9NM.ARM
3) Copy B1_01.btb and rename as SPARE9.BTB but edit headings for .ARM files/Map Name. Then remove all cliff boundaries and alter deployment zones, waypoints, Battlefield/Sight Edges.
4) Copy b101.ctl and rename SPARE9.ctl

Then add custom map
5) Add New Mod Map BASE.m3d and BASE.m3x into SPARE9
6) Copy New Mod Map SPARE9 (with Hills in height map and no FURN except Trees.m3d) 
7) Copy New Mod Map Texture folders to replace in SPARE9 along with new Trees.m3d
8 ) Leave .SHD
9) Leave .LIT

10) Modify WHTMG script so that it plays SPARE9 first then B1_01 ->

From this Original ->

LABEL sub_Chapter1
    ChooseInit
    PlayMovie "[MOVIES]\Info_eng.tgq"
    AddUnit 1
    AddUnit 2
    AddUnit 3
    AddUnit 4
    AddMagic 12
    ForceUnit 1
    SetDeafultSaveName "Trading Post 1"
    Deploy
   Battle "B1_01" 21
    InitDebrief 0 1
    GOSUB sub_Debrief
    SetDeafultSaveName "Trading Post 2"
    REPEAT
        MeetingPoint "[PICTURES]\m_empc.bmp" MP_TradingPost2
        GOSUB sub_MeetingWait
        ReadVariable var_21
    UNTIL == 2
    SetMusic "eerie9.fsm"
    TravelMap "[MAPS]\m1_eng.bmp" "[MAPS]\Towns.spr" "[GAMEFLOW]\ch1_all.dot" 0 0 700 500 0 700 500
    SetDeafultSaveName "Altdorf 1"
    REPEAT
        MeetingPoint "[PICTURES]\m_impcrt.bmp" MP_Altdorf1
        GOSUB sub_MeetingWait
        ReadVariable var_21
    UNTIL == 2
    SetMusic "eerie9.fsm"
    TravelMap "[MAPS]\m1_eng.bmp" "[MAPS]\Towns.spr" "[GAMEFLOW]\ch1_all.dot" 1 0 700 500 0 700 500
    SetDeafultSaveName "Border Princes 1"



To This New version (Repeats calling Mission 1 Trading Post but loads Tutorial Map instead) ->

LABEL sub_Chapter1
    ChooseInit
    PlayMovie "[MOVIES]\Info_eng.tgq"
    AddUnit 1
    AddUnit 2
    AddUnit 3
    AddUnit 4
    AddMagic 12
    ForceUnit 1
    SetDeafultSaveName "Trading Post 1"
    Deploy
    Battle "SPARE9" 21
 InitDebrief 0 1
    GOSUB sub_Debrief
    SetDeafultSaveName "Trading Post 2"
    REPEAT
        MeetingPoint "[PICTURES]\m_empc.bmp" MP_TradingPost2
        GOSUB sub_MeetingWait
        ReadVariable var_21
    UNTIL == 2
    SetMusic "eerie9.fsm"
    TravelMap "[MAPS]\m1_eng.bmp" "[MAPS]\Towns.spr" "[GAMEFLOW]\ch1_all.dot" 0 0 700 500 0 700 500
    SetDeafultSaveName "Altdorf 1"
    REPEAT
        MeetingPoint "[PICTURES]\m_impcrt.bmp" MP_Altdorf1
        GOSUB sub_MeetingWait
        ReadVariable var_21
    UNTIL == 2
ChooseInit
    PlayMovie "[MOVIES]\Info_eng.tgq"
    AddUnit 1
    AddUnit 2
    AddUnit 3
    AddUnit 4
    AddMagic 12
    ForceUnit 1
    SetDeafultSaveName "Trading Post 1"
    Deploy
    Battle "B1_01" 21
    InitDebrief 0 1
    GOSUB sub_Debrief
    SetDeafultSaveName "Trading Post 2"
    REPEAT
        MeetingPoint "[PICTURES]\m_empc.bmp" MP_TradingPost2
        GOSUB sub_MeetingWait
        ReadVariable var_21
    UNTIL == 2
    SetMusic "eerie9.fsm"
    TravelMap "[MAPS]\m1_eng.bmp" "[MAPS]\Towns.spr" "[GAMEFLOW]\ch1_all.dot" 0 0 700 500 0 700 500
    SetDeafultSaveName "Altdorf 1"
    REPEAT
        MeetingPoint "[PICTURES]\m_impcrt.bmp" MP_Altdorf1
        GOSUB sub_MeetingWait
        ReadVariable var_21
    UNTIL == 2
    SetMusic "eerie9.fsm"
    TravelMap "[MAPS]\m1_eng.bmp" "[MAPS]\Towns.spr" "[GAMEFLOW]\ch1_all.dot" 1 0 700 500 0 700 500
    SetDeafultSaveName "Border Princes 1"

Download example and paste into Skaven mods folder

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vigke4hxv3ojonj/Skaven%20Add%20Tutorial%20Map.zip?dl=0