Exilian

Game Design and Project Resources: The Workshops Quarter => The Hall of Lost Designs => Total War Mods - The Engineer's Shed => Mods, Maps & Game Add-Ons - The Bazaar => Extended Rome: Total War => Topic started by: ahowl11 on June 14, 2012, 05:44:54 AM

Title: Map
Post by: ahowl11 on June 14, 2012, 05:44:54 AM
Here is the list of cities that Lethe1 and I will look to put into our map. Our map was made by the Fortuna Orbis team, a sub-mod of RTR VII and also used by ExRM another RTR mod. We will be adding M2TW textures to the map as well as straddling certain cities on rivers without it being buggy. I hope to include navigable rivers as well. The following list is pretty long so be patient. Also you might notice no cities for the British Isles, that is because I wait for a response from Edorix the Briton expert :)


Feel free to throw out suggestions. East of the Caspian and Northern Europe were the least researched and taken mainly from Mundus Magnus
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Map
Post by: ahowl11 on June 16, 2012, 06:51:52 PM
Okay we might end up scratching the cities on rivers idea due to the fact that it can cause bugs and CTD's with sieges. Lethe1 will try it out, hopefully there are no issues.
Title: Re: Map
Post by: comrade_general on June 16, 2012, 06:56:28 PM
Why don't you just have the river stop right next to the city and continue on the other side of it? I was doing that with some cities on my America's map.
Title: Re: Map
Post by: ahowl11 on June 16, 2012, 07:12:13 PM
Great idea, I will let him know!
Title: Re: Map
Post by: debux on June 17, 2012, 05:23:27 AM
I have horrible memory for simple names :P Quite honestly, from all those I saw there, I can only think that Argos would be a good idea to take off. Mostly because I think there's too little space for a city like Argos (Sparta, Argos and Corinth are all in line and very close together). Instead, I'd give that region to Gaul, or any area that lacks regions.

Ih, and I'd strike off the navigable rivers idea... it seems to be a very common topic for many mods, but in the end it gets taken off due to the AI having trouble handling them (usually those rivers tend to get full with stack loads of pirates, than even get stuck when there are ports on the river)

Oh, and... your map looks quite bigger than the one of ExRM! It might be because the screenies Lethe has posted have a high resolution, something that my PC monitor lacks :P (and on topic, it might be a good idea to post some screenies of the map here)
Title: Re: Map
Post by: Lethe1 on June 18, 2012, 09:00:32 AM
there is a minor texture problem. Right now, I'm becoming a serious victim of Murphy's Law. No screenies yet, I'm sorry. I'm working my way through long series of error messages. For the same reason, Africa has been postponed since errors in mapping africa couldn't be detected right now.
Title: Re: Map
Post by: Jubal on June 18, 2012, 01:36:57 PM
I don't know if any of you folk know The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but these RTW mapping discussions always remind me of Magrathea.  ;D
Title: Re: Map
Post by: ahowl11 on June 18, 2012, 04:38:51 PM
Welcome to exilian Lethe1, hopefully the errors are minor and not major
Title: Re: Map
Post by: comrade_general on June 18, 2012, 11:39:37 PM
Welcome Lethe1! If you need any advice/help with the map let me know. I've tinkered around with them once or twice. ;)
Title: Re: Map
Post by: debux on June 19, 2012, 03:28:04 AM
Good luck man! Didn't intend to hurry the process though, I just thought it might be a good idea to post the screens you've posted in TWC so far here as well (but what the heck, I could do it myself :P )

MAPS SCREENIES!
North Italy
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Sardinia + Corsica + Central Italy
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Southern Iberia
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Sicily
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Southern Italy
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

IIRC, the starting armies aren't final, right?
Title: Re: Map
Post by: ahowl11 on June 19, 2012, 04:05:24 AM
Correct, the descr_strat will be edited after all cities are implemented
Title: Re: Map
Post by: ahowl11 on July 05, 2012, 01:17:19 AM
Okay I am going to try and start the map from scratch. Lethe1 has been very busy of late and I'm not sure if he will be able to continue working on it. I have all the necessary files, but the problem is I'm starting with a bare map. That means all the text files are going to be empty, and I will fill them as I go. comrade_general, I would really appreciate it if you could help me out with this. I will post my questions for you here in this thread.
Wish me luck, and let's hope Lethe1 comes back soon!
Title: Re: Map
Post by: comrade_general on July 05, 2012, 01:26:12 AM
How come you can't continue with his current map?
Title: Re: Map
Post by: ahowl11 on July 05, 2012, 01:41:59 AM
I don't have the files :/
Title: Re: Map
Post by: comrade_general on July 05, 2012, 01:44:25 AM
Oh, nvm then. I thought that's what you meant when you said you had all then necessary files.
Title: Re: Map
Post by: ahowl11 on July 05, 2012, 01:48:32 AM
Nope I have the bare tga files of the fortuna orbis map. Dumb question, but how do i make a new map_regions file? I need to add about 10 settlements spread out through the map so there is not any crashes
Title: Re: Map
Post by: ahowl11 on July 05, 2012, 01:56:57 AM
I currently have this set up:

A mod folder labeled XRTW with a data folder containing:
text folder: inside is 'main_campaign_regions_and_settlements_names.txt
world folder: inside is
maps: inside is
base: empty
campaign: inside is
main_campaign: inside is all the files from the vanilla imperial_campaign folder

From Fortuna Orbis to make the new map I have:
map_climates
map_FE
map_features
map_ground_types
map_heights base
map_heights
map_regions
map_roughness
map_trade_routes
radar_map_1
radar_map_2

What do I need to do next? Don't I need a 'map_rwm' file?

Also I'm following this guide:
http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?50437-Making-a-new-campaign-map

I'm just clueless on what to do next haha
Title: Re: Map
Post by: comrade_general on July 05, 2012, 12:08:52 PM
The map.rwm file is automatically generated every time you run the campaign, and subsequently needs deleted every time you make *any* change to the campaign.

Does the campaign run as it is now?
Title: Re: Map
Post by: ahowl11 on July 05, 2012, 06:12:58 PM
No, I deleted everything out of frustration. How do I run a basic RTW mod-folder on the bi.exe? I need to run the mod with the correct exe before I start doing anything.
Title: Re: Map
Post by: comrade_general on July 05, 2012, 11:18:49 PM
You have to make a copy of the entire BI folder. Then you can start modifying the files inside.
Title: Re: Map
Post by: ahowl11 on July 06, 2012, 12:39:57 AM
Okay, so how do I port over the original RTW files so I don't interfere with the new BI features such as hording etc?
Title: Re: Map
Post by: comrade_general on July 06, 2012, 01:00:31 AM
Depends on which things you need to port over. Most if it you'll have to edit the BI files because of the internal faction names, additional features, etc.
Title: Re: Map
Post by: ahowl11 on July 06, 2012, 01:12:05 AM
Pretty much i need the vanilla game to run on the bi.exe so I can start modding without worrying about changing exe.'s later. I kind of need a tutorial but there isn't one. Do you have time to tell me what needs to be moved/fixed?
Title: Re: Map
Post by: comrade_general on July 06, 2012, 12:08:23 PM
You can go ahead and try running your mod folder through BI by using a copy of the BI shortcut, but I don't know what kind of problems you'll run into.
Title: Re: Map
Post by: debux on July 06, 2012, 11:39:43 PM
Why use the BI.exe? Does it have any real features you want to use? IIRC, the AI is not better, at all (and most of the new formations are buggy or don't work well)

Oh, and I'd rather PM Lethe1 to ask him if he can please send you the map files... it would be rather useless to try to start a map from scratch, and then loose all the progress because the original map gets finished. Besides, you can use another map that's already done, as a place holder, while you wait for Lethe1's map to be ready (and that way, you have a pre-release ready)
Title: Re: Map
Post by: comrade_general on July 06, 2012, 11:40:59 PM
I agree with debux about the map.
Title: Re: Map
Post by: ahowl11 on July 06, 2012, 11:43:35 PM
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=549016

@comrade_general, ^^This is what I have so far with the BI exe.^^

BI has hording, loyalty, shieldwall, religion and a more aggressive rebel faction plus all the features from RTW.

About the map, I need to hear back from a few people and Lethe1 has not responded to me email for a few days now.

Also, I am releasing the first version using the Mundus Magnus using the RTW.exe
Title: Re: Map
Post by: ahowl11 on July 06, 2012, 11:46:39 PM
Actually I just checked my email right now and he responded!

Quote
finally some good news: I successfully solved a few map bugs (trade road issues mainly). I'm on a short trip this weekend, so more news will only be on tuesday. I expect to fully finish spain and africa by thursday.

So I guess I do not need to worry about mapping!
Title: Re: Map
Post by: comrade_general on July 06, 2012, 11:47:36 PM
Great!
Title: Re: Map
Post by: debux on July 08, 2012, 12:44:06 AM
Good stuffs man.

On using the BI.exe... are you sure you want to use all those features? For me, the rebels pretty much act the same, loyalty can only be used for two factions (if I'm not mistaken) and it would be a little unfair to give that feature to a few factions, and shieldwall is quite buggy (and it can also make units quite OP, taken from this testimony (http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=399135)). Now religion and hording can work well, but one has to be careful with them... (this is mostly my personal opinion  ;D this are two major gamebrakers for me in XGM, and some of the reasons why I've never gotten past turn 10 in any of the few times I've tried playing it again)
Title: Re: Map
Post by: ahowl11 on July 08, 2012, 06:00:58 PM
Well I want to see what I can do with each feature and if I start getting complaints and issues I will reconsider
Title: Re: Map
Post by: debux on July 09, 2012, 06:29:06 PM
Good idea, but I siggest you get a base game you're happy with, and then start adding features :P You don't want to end up with a bug-ridden game, because you added too many things at the same time and making it difficult to hunt bugs down (RTR VII's script inconsistencies come to mind, they haven't been able to solve various reforms not triggering after months of it being released). But it's all up to you, I'm just over-cautious
Title: Re: Map
Post by: ahowl11 on July 09, 2012, 07:44:36 PM
Well when I finish Epirus and Bactria and release the files to you and a few others, it will be released to be playable with the bi exe
Title: Re: Map
Post by: debux on July 11, 2012, 08:29:38 PM
Alrighto! Didn't think you were that close to release :P
Title: Re: Map
Post by: ahowl11 on July 11, 2012, 09:46:22 PM
Well only for testing :) it's far from the first release, still have a bunch of rosters to finish (8-9) and also the AOR and other misc stuff needs to be added
Title: Re: Map
Post by: ahowl11 on July 13, 2012, 12:12:04 AM
I have implemented M2TW textures for the campaign map as well as the sea texture from Ager Romanus, a map mod for Darthmod. I'm currently working on adding new tree models/textures to the campaign map
Title: Re: Map
Post by: debux on July 13, 2012, 04:21:04 AM
Nice stuff! But don't spend so much time on a map you'll use temporarilly... is there something else you could be doing on the meanwhile that would be used for the final version of the mod?
Title: Re: Map
Post by: ahowl11 on July 13, 2012, 04:25:28 AM
Not really, I'm waiting for the map to be completed and for units to be completed as well.