Map Makers ... plx :D

[krayon]

With the soon to be up and running Lands Of War, Korrode and I have been discussing some stuffs that we need that others might want to help out with:

ONE
We need a new map for mission starting.  Basically, until the quest engine is fully working, we will only have a really basic mission type function (somewhat similar to EL's instances I suspect).  For this, we will eventually need more maps but for now, we mainly need an entrance map if you will.  A map that will take you to these missions.  I envisage something like a cave that you enter, and there's a raised bit and an NPC and a portal of some kind and you are all like "This be my party, we want to kick it" and the NPC would then transport you there (or you walk through the portal, whatever).  Observe my excellent graphix skillz:


A. Entrance/Exit
B. NPC
C. Teleport thingy

Thoughts, insults, feelings, rotten vegetables?

TWO
We really need to go through the maps and see where they can (and should) join up.  I have done a basic job of this, mainly choosing map neighbours based on their exit edge (as in a map with an entrance/exit on the left (west), will go to a map with an exit/entrance on the right (east)).  To get onto a server, just try to connect to qelserv-dev, it'll probably be up as I'm doing stuff.  Let me know you're around and I can run a custom one for you if necessary.

THREE
Once TWO is done, we need to modify the maps so their banners match and ideally their terrain blends into each other slightly.  By this I mean a forest map should have patchy snow near it's entrance/exit if the next map is an all snow map (or the other way around).

Um, that's all I can think of right now.... stay tuned y'all, we're 47% to 0.0.2, with 12 tasks remaining!  We've got items dropping on death, 2 handed weapon support, proper flee item, proper extended attributes system (armor modifiers etc) now which is nice.

[krayon]

Korrode also reminded me of this post he made in January:

Here if a map maker could make something like this it'd be great... i put my uber MS Paint skillz to use and made a top down view of the kind of thing we want:


The green dots indicate trees, the gray strip indicates like a stone or rock path, the red dot in the north is a sign (like sign u click to change maps).

This is to be the new first map, where new players will start, they will start at the south end, so some kind of cool feature there for them to appear on/in front of would be good.

It's meant to be a long, narrow map... but not too narrow, still needs to have enough room for a few rabbits, brownies and newbies ;p ...prolly good to have trees dense at the outside (and no walkable tiles through the trees) but none at all dotted around, we dont want them getting in the way of the camera.

so yeah... if anyone wanted to make something like this it'd be great and appreciated

EDIT: Actually, looking at my little image again, the corridor looks too narrow and the trees not dense enough... it's just a vague example ;p use ur discretion

[kavvie]

haha, well I might as well give it a shot. too bad SenZ isn't around.. he'd do one in a few hours (or less).

[RipBigMan]

If someone could take the time and teach me the ways of map making i could do them...When i say teaching i need like step by step in idiot terms 

[krayon]

If someone could take the time and teach me the ways of map making i could do them...When i say teaching i need like step by step in idiot terms  

There's the official Map Editor Manual for EL here:
http://www.eternal-lands.com/mapmakers/mapeditor.html

Although the editor is not very user friendly (read NOT AT ALL) and has some bugs.  Also, mapping can take some serious skill ( as BigKav can probably now tell you too ) which is why I fail HARD whenever I try.

At the VERY LEAST, you should read that page above before trying - it'll help.  Also, I have a version of the map editor that allows you to make objects translucent which makes height mapping easier but I have only compiled it for Linux (Korrode was going to try building it for Windows at some point but I don't know if he did).

54% to 0.0.2

[krayon]

FYI: I've made a start map (the one that Korrode suggested above).