Map Editing

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Revision as of 12:16, 7 December 2009 by Trappin (talk) (→‎General Map Design Information)
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To create a map in Glest you will need to download the Glest Tools. Sourceforge Download


File:Mapeditor.jpg
The editor with the map 'The Ruins' loaded


Introduction

Glest Map Editor is the default map editor for Glest - the free, open-source, 3D real-time strategy game.

Glest Map Editor allows users to define:

  • Map dimensions
  • Surface height
  • Surface type
  • Object location
  • Resource location
  • Number of players
  • Player and computer faction starting points
  • Other significant parameters

Note: the map editor cannot define unit or building placements, the reason for this is that a map can be played with various tech trees with different unit and building types.

Editor Window

Single window properties

  • Top: Menu Bar
  • Center-Left: Map Display
  • Right: Tool Bar
  • Bottom: Info Label

Map Display

Map display reflects the current state of the map

The map is divided into cells, each cell has a state: height, surface type, object type and resource type. The way the map reflects the state of the cells is as follows:

  • The big 'X' show the location of each player starting point.
  • Intensity of color reflects height, the darker the color is, the lower the height of the cell.
  • Color reflects the surface type:
    • light green is surface 1
    • dark green is surface 2
    • brown is surface 3
    • gray is surface 4
    • red is surface 5
  • An 'X' means that there is a resource on this cell, the color of the 'X' indicates the resource type.
  • An inverted 'L' means there is an object on this cell, the color of the inverted 'L', indicates the object type.

Note: Objects and resources cannot share the same cell.


Users may interact with the map as follows:

  • Left clicking over the map or to move the mouse while pressing left button modifies the map.
  • Moving the mouse while pressing the right mouse button scrolls the users viewing location on the map.
  • Moving the mouse while pressing the center button or shift+right mouse button zooms the map view.

Toolbar

The toolbar defines the way the map is modified when left clicking on the map display.

Depending on the selected radio button, users may edit height, surface type, object type, resource type or starting points.

  • Radius: The radius combo box is always available and indicates the number of cells modified when editing the map, a radius of one modifies only one cell, a higher radius modified more cells.
  • Height: When height radio button is selected, users can alter the map surface height. (radius and height combo boxes modify the surface in different ways)
  • Surface: When the surface radio button is selected, users can edit map surface type(s). Surface texture type(s) may change on different tilesets, but the default settings are:
    • surface 1 grass
    • surface 2 secondary grass
    • surface 3 road
    • surface 4 stone
    • surface 5 custom
  • Object: When the object radio button is selected, users can place objects on the map cells. Objects depend on the tileset, but the default settings are:
    • object 0 undefined
    • object 1 tree -- walkable(false)-- blocking object -- wood resource type
    • object 2 dead tree -- walkable(false)-- blocking object
    • object 3 stones -- walkable(false)-- blocking object
    • object 4 bush -- walkable(true)
    • object 5 water object -- walkable(true)
    • object 6 dead tree -- walkable(false) -- blocking object
    • object 7 Hanged/impaled/caged gallows --- (random model placement) -- walkable(false) blocking object
    • object 8 obelisk/statue/broken statue ---(random model placement) -- walkable(false) blocking object
    • object 9 large mossy rock/big stone --- walkable(false) blocking object
    • object 10 Invisible object --- walkable(false) blocking object
  • Resource: When the resource radio button is selected, users can place resources on a map cell. Resource types depend on the tech tree selected, but the default settings are:
    • custom 0 undefined
    • custom 1 gold
    • custom 2 stone
    • custom 3 undefined
    • custom 4 undefined
    • custom 5 undefined
  • Starting Points: Each player requires one starting point, this point is the map location where the initial buildings and units are placed. If there is not enough space near the starting point to place all the units/buildings, an error will occur and the game will not load.


Note: Tech trees can use objects as resources. The difference is that 3d models for objects are defined on the tileset while resource 3d models are defined on the tech tree.

Menu Bar

  • File
  • Load: loads the selected map file.
  • Save and Save as: saves a map file.
  • Exit: closes the editor.
  • Edit
  • Reset: resets the map, users can specify map dimensions, default altitude and surface types.
  • Reset Players: changes the number of players on the map and resets starting points.
  • Info: here is where users enter the author, title and description of the map.
  • Advanced: two parameters can be edited here, altitudeFactor and waterLevel.
    • Altitude factor is a number that divides altitudes when surface is drawn in the game. It defaults to 3, that means that a cell that has an altitude of x, will have a real altitude of x/3 when rendered.
    • Water level is the altitude of the water in the game, note that units can walk over every cell that has a an altitude greater or equal to waterLevel-1.
    • Note: waterLevel is also divided by altitudeFactor.
  • Misc
  • Reset zoom and pos: resets zoom and position to the default values.
  • About: displays the copyright notice.
  • Mouse buttons: brief explanation of mouse functionality when interacting with the map.
  • Info label: here are displayed some parameters of the map.

General Map Design Information

Below is a list of guidelines written for users who are new to the Glest map making process.

  • Player Placement
    • Generic four player maps space player and AI faction starting locations equidistantly
    • Multiplayer maps place allies closer together, and those allies may also share gold and stone resource sites.
  • Road and Trail Systems
    • Roads connect all player start locations
    • Roads should be at least five tiles (cells) wide
    • Trails and paths connect to roads and usually lead to resource locations. Paths also provide an easy route through dense forests or across large, non descript, plains and deserts.
    • Trails and paths should be three tiles (cells) wide. Trails through dense forests - with a width of only two tiles(cells) - may trap size3 AI faction units and cause unit stacking and grid-locking.
  • Rivers, lakes and oceans
  • Map Objects
    • Place objects where logical. Trees rarely grow in rivers and lakes although a few dead tree objects in a pond can be visually appealing.
    • Statue and gallows objects should be used infrequently. Both look good at trail intersection points and on isolated islands.
    • Bushes look great in forests and along riverbanks - use them often.
    • Small stones look good but use them sparingly and in appropriate locations. IE: player starting locations are an inappropriate stone object placement location
    • Mossy Rocks/Big Rocks need to be surrounded with the pink colored invisible blocking 10-C5 object to prevent units from walking inside the rock model(s)
  • Resources
    • At least 10 tiles (cells) of gold, stone and wood (trees) at the player starting point locations, and at least one smaller 5 tile(cells) resource area nearby
  • Surface texture types
    • surface 1 is normally light-colored green grass with random flower and weed texture patterns.
    • surface 2 is normally dark-colored green grass with no flower and weed texture patterns.
    • surface 3 is normally brown dirt or tan sand with random pebble and weed texture patterns.
    • surface 4 is normally composed of gray cobblestones, bricks, interlocking stone-tile and rock-gravel texture patterns
    • surface texture 5 is normally undefined and is rarely used on maps.
  • Surface texture uses
    • surface textures vary greatly between tilesets but in general:
      • surface textures 1 and 2 are used as the primary surface type for meadows, mountains, plains, hills and valleys
      • surface textures 3 and 4 are used for roads, trails, as ocean and lake shorelines and at player starting locations
      • surface texture 5 is normally undefined and is rarely used on maps.

General Map Design Tips

Map making is tedious and boring so don't expect to knock out a map in an hour. Work on a map a few times a week with the ultimate goal of having a completed map ready after 30 days.

  • Is there enough room for expansion at the the starting locations?
    • The ultra AI typically constructs at least 12 buildings around the starting point which may leads to unit movement congestion.
  • Resource node location placement?
    • Ensure AI units do not become stuck between buildings and nodes while harvesting in large groups.
    • Placing blocking objects next to resources nodes may lead to units getting stuck
  • AI Pathfinding on long routes?
    • Can the AI find the hostile base or group of hostiles? or does it get stuck on a path in a forest or around a lake or river?
  • Is the pathing at least 3 tiles (cells) wide at chokepoints?
    • Entry and exit trails and roads near the player starting points tend to be narrow to accommodate defensive oriented gamers.
  • Trails and roads?
    • Do roads and trails follow the natural geography of the map?
    • Do trails lead to resources or connect to other trails and roads? Please, no dead-end roads and trails.
  • Swamps and flooded regions
    • Proper height settings will trigger water splash animations and particles. This effect is quite pleasing, use it wisely.
  • Topography
    • Roads should be a couple units lower than the rest of the map, and only two units above the water, so that the river heights will look natural at road/water crossing points.
    • Maps with little change in elevation are uninteresting and require increased object placement to balance the flat, visually unappealing, terrain.
  • Game world visual appeal?
    • No one enjoys running around in a barren game world - place lots of objects on the map
    • Fifty statues or ninety stones in one location makes no sense and looks bad.
    • Does the map look good at various locations and from different viewing perspectives?
    • Do placed objects enhance the organic feel of the map?
    • Do the hills, valley's, mountains appear natural?
    • Do Lakes connect with rivers?
    • Are lakes and rivers bordered by dirt or sand? Remember to put shorelines around bodies of water
    • Stone roads look better if they are trimmed/bordered by dirt or sand shoulders.

Image Reference

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/glest/images/2/25/Th_samplemap.jpg

map editor basic elements

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/glest/images/f/f9/Th_samplemapGAE-1.jpg

game view of the map editor basic elements

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/glest/images/6/63/Th_wide_stone-road.jpg

wide travel corridor

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/glest/images/6/6b/Th_map_stuckA.jpg

Poor resource location and units become stuck or trapped

http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/glest/images/8/8a/Th_MapStuckB.jpg

Narrow trails and chokepoints lead to unit stacking and grid-locks

(Design tricks and Glest AI Pathing Limitations) Unfinished and Incomplete

visual enhancements while conforming to the AI pathing rules

  • Draw diagonal perimeter lines on a map using the pink colored invisible blocking 10-C5

2) build the usable playfield as desired.

  • Here is where we add visual object and surface elements to the map while conforming to AI pathing rules.
    • These locations areas are highlighted on the map with yellow circles.

3) Place objects outside the perimeter of the ground unit playfield - ground units cannot travel in this area so a mapper can break AI pathing rules. This method enhances the visual appearance of maps - things just look better.


http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/glest/images/1/12/Th_definedparameters.jpg


http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/glest/images/4/45/Map_guide_elements.jpg

Our Wikia

Glest tools

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