How do I make custom maps?
 

In another thread about empire placement someone said the way to guarantee even empire placement throughout the quadrant was to make your own maps, place the empires manually and then give that map to someone else who thus wouldn't know exactly where those other empires were.

Sounds like a good idea.

Question: How the hell do I do that?

I don't see anything in the game when I load it up that indicates I can do this. And I've checked the FAQ and the modding tutorial as well.

Re: How do I make custom maps?
 

There's a map editor program in the folder where the SE4 game program is.

PvK

Re: How do I make custom maps?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Oh.

Eh ... heh heh.

Re: How do I make custom maps?
 

7 minute response time... Not bad, PvK http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: How do I make custom maps?
 

Where is this map maker program? What is it called? I looked in my program directory for the game and I don't see anything there.

I looked in "extras" on the CD and tried something called "sectormodder" but it's so poorly documented that I don't know what to do with it. Is that supposed to be the map maker program?

Re: How do I make custom maps?
 

SE4Map.exe

is the name.

Do a search... Or it may even be sitting in your root directory of seiv.

Hints on map making

open seiv and generate a map and then save it.

open the editor and adjust the map to your tastes...

Re: How do I make custom maps?
 

To expand on what Tesco said, the reason for generating a map in the game program rather than the Map Editor program is the Map Editor's map creator is NOT truly random. That is the map generated by the Map Editor's generator will ALWAYS produce the same map if identical settings are used.
The game program's map generation seems to be truly random...
Other things to watch out for:
1) Do NOT delete an entire system without deleteing all contents of that system! You will get the contents of the deleted system in SOME OTHER system elsewhere on your map.
2) Remember to be extra careful with warp points. A normal warp point is TWO WP items - one for each system.
3) Be careful not to load a map from one mod into the editor of another mod. Especially if one mod uses modified planet sizes or other such changes. Ex: Extra-Huge planets

Re: How do I make custom maps?
 

There is also a link to the map editor on the Mod Launcher

Re: How do I make custom maps?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That would be me. Let us know how it goes.

Re: How do I make custom maps?
 

A good idea is to generate a map in SE4 and then save it and edit with the map editor. Just add a few random player placement, save it, and start a new game loading that map! Do it fast and I guarantee you won't remember anything about the map or ask someone else to make one for you and send it.