Hexes units can enter

[Big Al]

After X years of having SC and SC2 I just discovered the map generator program, duh!

So now I can build my dream WW2 game which will have a similar scale to World in Flames.

*** nevermind I figured it out ***

[Nupremal]

It is determined by the type of (square) - sea or land. The type that is mostly filled with land is usually land. One of the islands is land, and the sea+land = narrow straits that ships can pass through only if you own the land.

I am working on essentially that in my game (world campaign like WiF) - in fact using a lot of what they are doing on their maps as a guide (terrain, rail, to an extent resources) but also adjusting by reviewing atlas and info myself.

[Bill101]

It's a great feature and makes campaign design a lot easier, but you will have to double check the map it creates and clean it up afterwards.

It's still much easier than creating everything from scratch!

[Moonslayer]

I should say! Without the map generator I would have never even considered doing some of the mods I have created!

It's a superb piece of software but, as Bill says, double check every tile as there are invariably a few that will need some work.

[Nupremal]

woops I misunderstood your question, sorry. Unfortunately I could not really use it to do what I wanted to do, so I am doing it the hard way.

[Big Al]

naw you got it right, I just figured it out myself.

BTW can you import a partial map? I made the pacific and I would looooove to simply import the map for the standard game on the right side of my map for europe instead of rebuilding everything.

[geozero]

How do you get the Map Gen program to work??? I double click but nothing happens. Is there a special setting I need to be in?

[Big Al]

Take any map save it as source.bmp (must be bitmap)

run the mapgen.exe

look at map.txt (1st 2 numbers are the X and Y size of the map)

load editor

new map (put in X and Y)

hit F5 and select the map.txt to load up.... wala new map.

But read the readme file for the mapgen in the extras directory. I made my World in Flames map with it and adjusted its size and shape in Photoshop so I could make the game. Its very very nice.

[geozero]

Big Al...thanks for sharing that. Been having great fun making some new maps. BTW - the program only allows you a max of 256 tiles across, however, when I did the map it created a map 400 tiles wide by 96 high.

[geozero]

Here's the screenie, showing the coordinates at the bottom...

[Big Al]

Im am 66% done with designing my World in Flames map. It covers the whole war in a larger scale than SC2. It will be from Division to Army level (divs for pacific mostly).

Trying to make a historical production system not based on reinforcements.

I started to learn JAVA to write my own program but then I discovered SC2's editor section and while SC2 is not exactly what I had in mind Im sure it would be a better game than anything I could make and take considerably shorter.

[Big Al]

Here is a scren shot for the scale. 256x54

[geozero]

I went with a full map board more along the lines of SPI's Global War. And I was able to get 400 tiles across (see post #10)!!! It's massive!

[Hubert Cater]

Wow, some interesting work being done in here for sure! Looking forward to seeing these maps in action, definitely keep the group updated

[geozero]

Hubert, thanks for the kudos, but it's you we should be thanking...

Here's a screenie of the massive map I'm working on... full world scale and 399x98 tiles!!! HUGE!!! SOmehow I was able to get the program to go beyond the 256 tiles wide.

This is the U.K. and Ireland area... so much to do... this is fun... my way of relaxing really.

[SeaMonkey]

Wow! Awesome GZ... I knew you'd be good for this community.

Let's see some of the Pacific.

[geozero]

Okay SeaMonkey... Here's a shot of Hawaiin Islands / Pearl Harbor...

Keep in mind that I'm still tweaking out the terrain, and I wish we had more terrain tiles... but alas, we will do what we can with what we have. I'm trying to find a balance in accuracy, aesthetics, and gameplay.

Let me know what you think:

[Nupremal]

wait how did you get it wider? Have you tried to get it to run? I would like to be able to do that. Then I would not have to squeeze my map. I am having fun too but may you have so many, many things to do - just rivers, terrain, rail, roads, weather... is a lot.

[Big Al]

No kidding how did you get it so big? I had to really work photoshop to get it done within the scales.

[SeaMonkey]

GZ, take a page from the new SC PTO screenshots. Although I understand that you are considering relative scale, you'll have to enhance the islands to allow for gameplay.

There will have to be room enough for landings and combat. I would suggest that an island group may need the imaginary connection (between islets) even though in reality it doesn't exist.

My suggestion is the minimum number of maneuver tiles for an island group would be 4. Enough room for deployment of an infantry, artillery, anti-air, and airgroup units or some similar configuration, mutually supporting. You'll also need a port facility, perhaps a hamlet, for minimum supply and naval harboring.

Don't forget engineer units for building fortifications, ie air strips, will need maneuver room also.

I'm sure you'll figure out an acceptable conglomeration.

[geozero]

No kidding how did you get it so big? I had to really work photoshop to get it done within the scales.

BigAl, I took your step-by-step directions and learned how to do the map... then...

I didn't go by the scales. I just made a big map file in photoshop (90MB!). Once the figures where imported into the notepad txt file, I could see that the first (top) number was greater than 256. When I opened editor, it was indeed wider. I kept widening and trying out different options until I got a really wide map. Not so successful getting the height. I will certainly do some testing this weekend. I think if the PC processor and RAM are powerful than it will be a playable map. Either way it was fun breaking the rules!!!!