Consecrated Ground: EA PBEM (Full)

[Thrawn]

I am having trouble with all of it. All I did with that map was use the random map generator. That's about the extent of my skill.

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

Do you have GIMP or Photoshop, Thrawn?

[Thrawn]

Photoshop

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

My directions are in a mishmash of GIMP/Photoshop-ese at the moment, since this isn't a formally written tutorial. Pardon any sloppiness. I can clarify a section if required, and make sure its in proper photoshop-ese.

First of all, with this map, it would be easiest to make it wrap around north-south. If you wanted to make the east side wrap around to the west, then you'd have to put in some significant time drawing.

Offsets: http://www.cadtutor.net/dd/photo/seamless/seamless.html

For the graphical component, I suggest setting an offset. This way you can see how the edges will match up. For the first round of work, just use the color picker to select the border color, and then select a slightly fuzzy brush and redraw the province borders to your preference.

Keep in mind that provinces are determined with a single pure white pixel, if you decide to join two provinces.

Since this is only a random map, we're going to take a few shortcuts and be a little sloppy. When the seam is obvious, but the terrain is similar, try using a smudge tool, and dragging it accross the seam. Alternatively, you could try a blur tool. When the terrain along the seam differs wildly, try using the clone tool.

This won't be perfect looking, but it will get the job done, graphically.

Technically? I'm a noob. I've been meaning to look into this so I can fix my own random maps to include some real mountains. I've got nothing yet, but am looking into it.

[Thrawn]

So, if you haven't already (and I see a lot of you have), you can upload your pretenders to the llamaserver whenever you're ready.

Send them to: pretenders@llamaserver.net

Just attach them to the email, and make sure your subject line contains "consecratedground".

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

Would you like me to hurry, or can you wait until Tuesday for me to send it in (my pretender)?

It's not necessary to delay, just by Tuesday I'll have my manual back. I can certainly start earlier.

Technically, the map editor has some wraparound functionality. There's some documentation on it in acrobat reader post document format, but here's what you need to know for wraparound functionality.

One caveat, however. I'm not sure how, and if you set wraparound to function only in one direction. By default, the map wraps around north-south, east-west. You don't need to link those, but it makes for some visual ugliness. Perhaps a faux border along the edges? Or actually reading the documentation.

Basics of using the map editor.
1). Run Dominions 3. Go to Game Tools, Map Editor, Load map. Enter in "Consecrated_Ground" w/o quotes, with underscore to load a file in your maps folder. Some operating systems are case sensitive (not windows).
2). There will be a toolbar on your left. At the very bottom is a box marked wraparound. Check that. Note that this DOES NOT connect those particular provinces. You'll have do that manually.
3). Scroll to provinces along the seams, or former edges of the map. Select a province with a right-click, and left-click to connect it to another province.
4). Save frequently with different filenames (cg1, cg2).

There may be some map editor tutorials available, but I don't have my manual available, nor the energy to find it in the forums, tonight.

EDIT: So you don't have to reload every time you make a mistake...
Control-left-click removes an accidental province connection.

Just found this out. Heh.

[Thrawn]

No rush, Lazy. We are waiting for llamabeast to get back later this week before we can start anyway.

Thanks for the map editor info! Will give that a shot today.