Mod: Dominions 3000 v0.81 - lots of new indies, new map (using the brand new map commands)

[Aezeal]

this is (a smaller version of course) the map.

anyone interested in doing the .map file?

[rdonj]

I'll give it a shot. You'd have to tell me what you want from it though, and I have the feeling that enough information to do it properly is one step away from writing the .dm yourself.

[rdonj]

The Commonwealth are MUCH better now since the patch. They're actually capable of killing black knights and their magic weapons actually give them a little bit of an edge over some units. They should now be a completely competetive nation, rather than easy prey.

[Aezeal]

it'll be a .map file, .dm files are the files for modding stuff not for maps

hmmm well basicly I'd start with loading the pic (I'll mail it to you if you want) in the program in dom 3000. (I already deleted all white dots before placing my own, and I do hope they ARE all there now, because entering new ones is quite annoying)
1. In that program I'd try to set all landtypes (space must be set to forest, and obviously you can't use a forest land type on planet provinces.) It's probably better NOT to use water provinces .
2. In that program you can let it try to set borders, but you WILL have to check it all manually (I think removing borders is with shift or cntrl or something) be VERY carefull with which mousebutton you use because before you know it there will be a new connection on the map.

If all that is done (if you are more precise than me you can hopefully do it correct the first time)
3. in the program set names: most province names are insufficient for our purpose. Planetprovince names can be acceptable but leaving them random is asking for problems luckily you can just keep setting a new name for the province (picking a random one till it's acceptable.) For the spaceprovinces (all forests now after step 1) you'll have to think of names that fit their spacy nature (you are welcome to use the ones from the .map file of the solar system map)

After this you'll have to save the file (probably better to do it in between too ) and you can't really use the program anymore

open the .map file with some program and then the real work will begin

The landtypes and names should be together I think and the province connections too.
Personally I just keep the province connections together but for each province name and type etc I put them on different lines. Then you can just type what you want with each province what you want.

I'd open the solar system map file than and you'll have to put (copy/paste) a poptype line for each province (else it'll be a regular random dom 3 poptype which will be unthematic. AND a starting army.
you'll have to check the landtype for forest so you can recognize forest provinces (better not to mix landtypes for forest = space provinces else you won't recognize them and there are no real good explanations for having a space/waste landtype anyway.)
pirates and kraken and space eels should go into space (spaceeels are not a poptype you can recruit though) if you want to know which is what you can look that up in the .dm file (nearly on the bottom just above the lines that put all old races in MA, from the single age mod) you can ofcourse copy certain setups for multiple province (as I did) but it's fun to have some variety (like I someties put a space eel or kraken with pirates etc etc.)

well that is basicly it. Good luck. Let me know where I can mail the big map picture.

PS the idea is that the black area's around the planet close-ups are just connection with all province on the planet they seem to touch and that the province on the planet (all divided into pie pieces) only touch their land neighbours (no connection over the central point) and the space province in the black box. The black box space province always touch eachother AND both of the province in which the box seems to lie/touch. For the rest I've made lots of connections in space where 4 provinces meet eachother and unlike on planets I think you should let them all connect.. it's space after all.. but if you think they shouldn't connect diagonally as well (which would be the other option) then that is fine as long als you do it consistently...

[rdonj]

That's actually less than I was expecting, I take it you're going to muck with the population sizes later on yourself? Or do you have some general guidelines you want me to follow for setting those? Anyway you can email me at: kurisu(dot)basu(dot)gasu(dot)bakuhatsu(at)gmail(do t)com. Yes I know, it's a bit long

[Aezeal]

you can set pop sizes if you want too there will be examples in the solarsystem file

You will also have to clear the provinces you want to be starting points of any army (else players will get those indies in addition to their starting army)

so you have to select 7 provinces (at least) as starting provinces (I'd say one on each of the major planets.

Well if you've done this we can see what needs to be done afterwards... if this is done we'll be much farther along at least

[Aezeal]

hey you've got mail.. and I do hope that is your name or else you are just psycho for having such a mail adres..

any special meaning to it?

[rdonj]

Well, it's my first name in japanese followed by a japanese tongue twister. No real special meaning, I was kind of annoyed when I created that email address and my revenge was creating that horrible address for people to have to type

[Aezeal]

hehe I used to have an adress paperclipdp on hotmail.. created it when I was in a loser clan darkpriest in starcraft (no I never was good) for half a week just when I needed a mail adress.. my 7 years in university I kept it but kept getting question about what it meant...explaining that when you are a year away of being a MD is somewhat annoying/awkward... when I had to sent letters for jobinterviews I decided that I''d probably lower my chances with that mailadress and created the one I send my mail to you from (which might seem strange too but is just my first and last name in a row )

PS got the pic?
or found anything during testing?

[rdonj]

Heh, I was recruited into a starcraft clan also a long time ago, but I never got involved in it. I was never that good either I think the new address was a good idea, your name is always better to use for professional purposes. For some reason I thought you were italian, guess not.

I got the picture. I had to download gimp and convert it into a .tga before I could use the map editor. Frustratingly, said map editor seems to have connected the space provinces to absolutely nothing so I'm going to have to be careful about space connections.