Map Starting Positions

[KGB]

SnotlinG,

Excellent work on implementing the code to space players evenly on the map. This will really make a big difference in games.

I also like the fact you now allow for pure random starting positions and user created ones (like Bullrun).

And I can't wait for Beta4 when we can finally rebuild cities

I do have a couple of questions about the editor/maps after looking at your latest screen shot.

1) I know there are now 9 different city types (from another post). Will these 9 correspond to the 8 players + neutral cities? So that each player gets a unique city icon (Warlords 4 did this). Or can we simply randomize any city icon where ever we chose.

2) Do these new icons change as the city walls are upgraded from L0 to L3 walls? For example it would be nice if L0 walls showed the city icon with no walls at all. At L1 maybe wooden walls. At L2 stone walls and L3 stone walls plus towers spaced along those walls. That would be like DLR and lets players easily identify how strong a city it without clicking on it to check the wall strength.

This shouldn't be too hard for your artist to do because the basic city icon wouldn't change. Just the walls.

3) When using the editor to create a new map is it going to be possible to overlay a grid during map development? I'd find this exceptionally useful when spacing out cities/features etc if I want to for example count 10 squares between 2 cities. As it stands now with the new graphics it appears it's going to be really hard to space things out (for example I want to do the Bullrun map and would like to keep things spaced exactly as they are now and so to save me endless manual counting of spacing this would be really handy).

4) Lastly, I always keep forgetting to ask, but what are the map dimensions (length/width). I'm only curious because DLR maps are 128x160 and your maps appear to be a lot longer and narrower so when I want to convert maps its going to be handy to know the difference.

KGB

[piranha]

I'll give you a reply to this.

1. Each colour has its own castle style including neutral. You can't pick a different style for some castles.

2. The castle won't reflect the level of the wall. Perhaps an option that display small symbols that indicate the wall level could work. Castles that change appearance depending on the wall would be cool, hopefully we can add that later.

3. There is no grid now, but I think its a great idea. I'm currently trying to get a good grid in the editor.

4. 100x150 is our size. I'd like to give the map mapker a option to decide the size. Right now that isn't possible.

[KGB]

Piranha,

1. Each colour has its own castle style including neutral. You can't pick a different style for some castles.

That's what I figured. I like that concept which got added in Warlords IV.

So now I can see a fight for the colors which have the coolest castle designs

4. 100x150 is our size. I'd like to give the map mapker a option to decide the size. Right now that isn't possible.

Any chance it can go to 128x160 to equal the largest DLR map sizes to make translating easier? After all there aren't any maps designed yet (unless you've already done some).

KGB

[piranha]

I don't think we will change the mapsize for beta3. Our minimap is 300*450 so each square on the real map is 3x3 pixeld on the minimap.

If we are going to change size of the map the ratio wont be right anymore so the tiny images that build the minimap graphics wont have the right size. I think that we will need to change from gifs to dynamic sized images that build the minimap when we change the size on it.

The plan is to have different sized maps but I think the job won't be a quick change so it will probably have to wait until after Beta3.

[KGB]

I don't think we will change the mapsize for beta3. Our minimap is 300*450 so each square on the real map is 3x3 pixeld on the minimap.

So just change the size of the mini-map too by the same amount. I'm OK with that

I guess I'll have to wait till Beta4 and then re-do the map again. Makes me wonder if it's going to be worth while porting many of the larger DLR maps though since they'd have to be re-done again in the future.

KGB

[SnotlinG]

I see Piranha forgot to mention it, but we have added a grid to the mapeditor
And will probably add the grid as an option to the game itself too.