format for adding #nostart to .map file

[Reverend Zombie]

I've read the mapedit PDF, but missed any mention of how to add #nostart info to a .map file.

Do I just simply list them at the end of the file, or is there special character(s) or something needed to indicate that the beginning of the #nostart list.

Thanks!

[Johan K]

Easiest way is to mark provinces as nostart using the ingame map editor.

[Edi]

Add 512 to terrain type. That's the terrain value for nostart in map files.

You should find this rather helpful for calculating terrain values if you need to do it by hand.

Edi

[Reverend Zombie]

Johan K said:
Easiest way is to mark provinces as nostart using the ingame map editor.

If I have a list of province numbers that should be #nostart (mentioned by Edi in another thread) is there a way to go directly to those provinces in the editor (or on that map in a game) or do I need to click around till I find them?

[Reverend Zombie]

Edi said:
Add 512 to terrain type. That's the terrain value for nostart in map files.

You should find this rather helpful for calculating terrain values if you need to do it by hand.

Edi

Do I add 512 to the current terrain value, or do I list "512" after the number currently there?

[Edi]

If you fire up the map file in the editor, you need to click on the provinces in question. If you open the map file in a text editor, you need to find the command #terrain <province nbr> <terrain mask> and add 512 to the mask.

But just wait 5 minutes and I'll post a fixed Cradle map here. I just went through it and the damn thing had crapton of provinces that should have been #nostart but weren't and I also changed some mountains to border mountains so that some parts of the map are now only difficult to traverse instead of being impenetrable.

Edi

[Gandalf Parker]

You would add it to the value.

To me the easiest way is to just append to the end of the .map file. Make a list like
#nostart 149
#nostart 190
#nostart 250
#nostart 320
and put that in the .map file anyplace.

But there might be problems with it later. The map editor doesnt seem to display it as nostart if you use that later, and might not even save the #nostart you did back to the file when you are done editing, like it deletes the default zoom

[Reverend Zombie]

Edi said:
But just wait 5 minutes and I'll post a fixed Cradle map here. I just went through it and the damn thing had crapton of provinces that should have been #nostart but weren't and I also changed some mountains to border mountains so that some parts of the map are now only difficult to traverse instead of being impenetrable.

Edi

Sweet! Just in time for my game to start, and saving me from having to figure this out myself.

It was one of your posts (as well as my playtests on Cradle) that clued me into the nostart problem and the sea provinces that were not sea.

Thanks!

[Edi]

Gandalf Parker said:
You would add it to the value.

To me the easiest way is to just append to the end of the .map file. Make a list like
#nostart 149
#nostart 190
#nostart 250
#nostart 320
and put that in the .map file anyplace.

But there might be problems with it later. The map editor doesnt seem to display it as nostart if you use that later, and might not even save the #nostart you did back to the file when you are done editing, like it deletes the default zoom

The editor deletes all map commands except description and the #terrain, #name and #neighbor commands. Everything else gets wiped out, so will the #nostarts.

The editor isn't likely to read #nostart <nbr> as a province terrain, so best bet is use the editor like Johan said, then copy-paste any special provinces from a text file and include the #nostart command in with the other special province modifications. That way you have all of your bases covered.

Edi

[Gandalf Parker]

Which reminds me of a bug.

If you generate a map, the program puts in a #defaultmapzoom but no #maptextcol command.
If you then edit the map using the map editor it puts in the #maptextcol but removes the #defaultmapzoom

Somehow when we got maptextcol added it knocked out the default zoom recognition of the map editor