Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

Does any one have a clue if there is a readme file or a manual to explain the map editor. I'm trying to figure out how the planet abilities, system abilites, and if one can connect one system to another in the editor. Also I read a post by the Taz-in-Space fellow, saying that you can place ring and shere worlds on the map. That would be cool. But when the computer places players, will any of them be likely to be placed on the world to start with.

I'm trying to make a gem of a system populated eons ago by an advanced species, but they're dead now. So I want it as a prize planet, maybe with some ruins, and other goodies. Thanks! And thanks for the great idea Taz.

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

O.K., I think that I have some items ironed out, but here are a few questions.
1. What is Warp Point-Periodic
2. What is Warp Point-Ability Required
3. What is Point Generation Research
4. How do you add the ancient ruins to a planet and actually make it work
5. Same with Ancient Ruins Unique
6. Can you put specific technology in those ruins

These are all under the abilities window for a specific item ie, Warp Point, Planet, Asteroid.

Also I noticed in one of my previous games the computer set up two homeworlds of different races in a "Star is forming system" Looked pretty cool, although I don't know how this would work in "real" life. So I guess my next question is how am I able to utilize one of these extra system types in the editor. It only allows for planet, black hole, and nebula system choices.

I am trying to set up a map for my self that has a star that went nova or is just dead. Leaving behind one or two ring worlds or a shpere world with ancient technology on them. Obviously the inhabitants are long dead, and the only way to get to this system is through the discovery of a warp point that requires the "ability required"(I'm assuming that that is what Warp Point-Ability Required means), either that or it is just connected to a periodic warp point. I'm also considering on making this prized system as a sort of hub to the extreme ends of the galaxy; but advanced stellar ability is going to be required to finish connecting the hub to the rest of the galaxy.

So if anyone has a bit of advice on how to make this work, that would be great. Thanks.

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

When I want a ringworld or sphereworld I usually generate a random universe then change one of the worlds to ring/sphere. to make it a starting point (or any others) there is a button at top left called"starting points). The drop down has a list of numbers. The numbers correspond to the number of the race as you make them in creating the game.

Hope this helps.


Not sure about the other items as I haven't made many maps...

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

As to your first two questions...I don't know.
I've never put abilities on warp points.

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr> 3. What is Point Generation Research <hr></blockquote>

I have seen this, and I think it refers to a bonus
to research on that planet.

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>4. How do you add the ancient ruins to a planet and actually make it work<hr></blockquote>

Add abilities by editing planets to get ruins. There is one for normal ruins. The number associated is the number of techs found.

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>5. Same with Ancient Ruins Unique <hr></blockquote>

The other ruin ability is the ruin unique one, the value associated is the unique tech found there.

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>6. Can you put specific technology in those ruins <hr></blockquote>

With the right value you can put the desired unique tech wanted. But as far as I know, you cannot determine what tech found in normal ruins.
only the number of techs...the choice of techs given seems purely random.

I started with a random generation of the stars and modded the map. That random generation gave a few special system types.

You can cloak a planet to hide it from normal sensors, but I don't think you can hide a warp
point that way. note even the red nebula ( which I think has max sight obscuration) will not hide a warp point. You can make a one way warp point, just don't create the link back.

Well I hope this helped... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

"1. What is Warp Point-Periodic"

Where did you see this ability??

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

I found these abilities listed under specific objects in the system editor. Warp point has I believe eight different abilities, planets have a whole smack of em, star, asteroids, ect. ect.

I'm guestimating that periodic warp points come and go, like a real worm hole. The warp point-ability required I think refers to having specific technology for one to utilize it. I think, makes sense, kind of like in "Contact".

Taz, you mentioned that by adding a number to the value in the ancient ruins corresponds to the amount of technology found. So would that mean if it has 15, that would be 15 new technologies gained, or perhaps 2 level 3, and a handful of level 1 and twos. I went hunting around in a computer generated map to find planets with ruins on them already and discovered that a great many of them had high value numbers like 13 or 15.

Also, have you figured out any correspondense to the unique ancient ruins and number system as far as which number gets you what tech. Thanks.

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by tnarg:
Also, have you figured out any correspondense to the unique ancient ruins and number system as far as which number gets you what tech. Thanks.<hr></blockquote>

If you look in the techarea.txt file, you will find the unique tech's and their unique number. This is the number referred to.

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

While I'm not 100% sure, my guess is that the number of tech on a ruin ability would be tech levels. That is just based on my observation
that I have never gotten more than about 6-8
techs on a single planet.

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

Taz, do you happen to know if there is anyway to edit in facilities on a planet. Kind of like stumbling across a planet with ancient ruins and maybe some of them are grand and majestic facilities like a replicant center, or temporal space yards. Long since been used as the previos Users are now resting under three layers of sediment turning into crude oil.

Also what about editing in abandoned space bases and ship yards, or derelict vessels floating in space waiting to be discovered?

One Last also, in the abilities section for planets there are quiet a few options, couple of them happen to be: planet intelligence bonus, resource bonuse, defense bonus, ect. ect. do you by any chance know how this works?

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

Anyone know what the palace is for planet abilities? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

Wow, I think I was just promoted to Corpral. Cool, how's that work? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

The ranks are a representation of how many Posts you have made. You attain corporal at 51, sergeant at 101, etc. I think higher ranks have more than 50 Posts between them. General is around 1000, IIRC. Then there are the ranks they need for some of the forum members (i.e., SJ and the like)--"Commander of the Alpha Quadrant" around 3000 Posts,...

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

Ah ha, I figured out how to hide warp points. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif Yep, just place them in a nebulae system and set the abilities to what ever level you feel would be appropriate to have the point discovered. You can do the same with planets, ie: hidden ring and sphere worlds.

Yes, now I can resume my alternate dimension latice of warp points and secret derelict ancient planets. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

So anyone know how far one of those tiny squares in the editor are as far as light years?

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

probably not light years...probably AU (astronomical units which is the distance of earth to the sun IIRC)...think ...these are solar sectors or systems...so the distance is a bit shorter that that between systems..

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr> Taz, do you happen to know if there is anyway to edit in facilities on a planet. Kind of like stumbling across a planet with ancient ruins and maybe some of them are grand and majestic facilities like a replicant center, or temporal space yards.
Also what about editing in abandoned space bases and ship yards, or derelict vessels floating in space waiting to be discovered?

<hr></blockquote>

To do this you will have to make this not a map but a Scenario. A Scenario is basically a saved game that is set-up with the human player in charge for all the races. You then 'play the game, adding ships facilities etc. until you have
placed all the things you want the you can use the abandon planet to 'kill off' the population.
By scrapping ships & bases and abandoning planets you can undo almost all progress. (any races you want to have undeveloped you just ignore , give no instructions to. )
You can't however undo research. Once a race 'knows' a tech it always knows it. So the race you use to create the artifacts with will unbalance the game if you leave any colonys or colony ships that can create colonys.
When you have set the galaxy up as you like it change those races you want to be computer controled and save game. See tutorial for some additional files you can include.
I know this is time consuming but until a scenario editor comes out it is the only way. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

Tnarg...I'm sure you can hide warp points in normal systems too using the same method...

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

Taz, bummer, anyone out there working on a scenerio editor?

I suppose this could be feasible, I was thinking of placing a neutral race isolated in one of this ancient systems on a shpere world and having them evolve into a highly technological species; greatfully being that they are neutrals, they wouldn't leave the system.

So just play a regular game as a player for all the races, and then remove them all. Ok, makes sense, then to start a game I could just plug it in and have all new races randomly placed throughout, like start a regular new game, but under scenerio? Thanks.

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

I had a neutral race in a sphereworld. Unfortunatly they were a 'damaged' race they only built level 1 missles and rock throwers. and were easy to take out.
Sphereworls and Ringworlds do not have much impact on a game. because they can only build 1 installation at a time. I don't know how to do it but if a big population could build more than one thing at a time.....

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

Ah ha, I figured out how to hide warp points. Yep, just place them in a nebulae system and set the abilities to what ever level you feel would be appropriate to have the point discovered. You can do the same with planets, ie: hidden ring and sphere worlds.

The best thing I found for hidden warp points is make a warp point mod. Change one of the warp point images so you can barely see it on screen. and use that one. For the hidden warp point.

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr> Anyone know what the palace is for planet abilities? <hr></blockquote> It doesn't do anything. It's a placeholder for something that hasn't been implemented yet (one of several). <blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr> So anyone know how far one of those tiny squares in the editor are as far as light years? <hr></blockquote>On the Quadrant Map, one square is one light-year. The only thing this matters for is warp point creation; each level of the tech increases the maximum distance you can connect two systems from.

The System and Tactical Combat maps don't have any fixed scale.

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

Taz, how exactly are you saving these games as scenerios? Next, question, say you are playing all of the races as a human player, some you're playing, others leaving alone, and after say 10 turns you save the map, can you go in and edit that then? I'm guessing no, as I have been trying this; but, I very well could be overlooking something.

Damn, where's that convienant scenerion/map editor when you need one. BLast I tell you.

Thanks, for your time and advice. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

I don't think the program will even look at the map file in LOADING a saved game (or scenario).
I think the map is saved within the save file.
*I never actually tried to edit a map after starting a game, so I'm not sure*
However as to how to save a game for a scenario,
a saved game file and a scenario file are the same, it's just that the scenario loadup will
display text files and some graphics.
I'm still in the process of playing around with this scenario thing myself, but there are some on this board that have produced finished scenarios.
Perhaps one of them can help us newbies?

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

Alright $50,000 to the generous chap who creates a user friendly scenerio/map editor. Well maybe not that much, but respect and admiration, now that is priceless. So there you go; whomever you may be that takes on this daunting task.

Taz, what kind of goodies are you putting in your maps? Have you figured out how to do anything besides the basics.

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

Tnarg, I mostly have just explored what the map maker has via it's menu. I have found out, like you that some features have not been inplemented in the program. (palaces, etc.) I have learned that some features work differently than I expected. For example, a planet that is Cloaked will not show up to the human player; however the computer can see it!
I did do an interesting change to a map Last week...I gave every star a combination of sight obscuration and damage. So now you can use any star to hide in , but you pay a price in some damage! (More realistic? AKA Startrek) http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif
Did you try doing any Scenarios? Or make any interesting maps?

Re: Map Editor Manual or Readme
 

Savegames appear to include quite a bit of information from the data files that were used when the game was created. I've noticed that some changes to files I've modded don't propagate back to games that started before the change.