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XCOMUFO & Xenocide

Beaches Of Normandy Map


Violazr

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This theme has been used in a lot of games, and I think it would be cool to have in UFO2000 as well.

But even though I enjoy making maps and stuff for games, I simply won't have time to learn and do it for the next 2 months. <_<

 

However, if any skilled mappers want to give it a try :Deal: here's my concept:

 

 

 

http://img304.imageshack.us/img304/2855/normandy2ze.jpg

 

 

A - Landing craft, maybe UFO tiles. Shore from modified Arctic tiles. The craft/water should be placed in such a way that the player has to put most soldiers in them. Maybe with doors, so they don't get blown away by an early rocket.

 

B - Tank blockades. 2x2 and very tough, but some shots get through (like plants in jungle). I guess those would have to be custom made.

 

C - Bombing/Artillery craters for additional cover. Like on Cydonia, maybe deeper.

 

D - Fencing to slow the attackers, like in Area 51. Maybe some rocks and cliffs on the slope.

 

E - Concrete bunkers with back entrance. Those should be very tough, but with a broad slit instead of shooting holes. It should be enough to duck behind, but also big enough to throw a grenade in with some luck. No sight to the area right in front.

 

F - Sandbag pits. Just high enough to duck behind.

 

G - Some trees for cover, maybe some thick grass.

 

H - Trenches to hide in or attack through. Those should be 1 floor deep, with some "steps" inside to look and get out.

 

I - Small house where the commander is hiding. ;) A secret buker below?

 

 

 

As you see, this map will require several different tilesets. It is planned as something around 60x40, but can of course be broadened if that's not possible.

 

Obviously the "defending" player has an advantage here, but that's just what makes the map interesting.

It can be used by weaker players to test their mettle agains stronger attackers, or for a lot of customized game rules like escape, play with conventional weapons only, or limit the numbers/equipment of the teams to certain things to make it even.

 

 

So, what do you think about it?

 

And who wants to make it real? :)

Edited by Violazr
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I couln't stand waiting, so I neglected my studies, got myself the editor and gave it a try. ;)

 

Now I've got what I would call a playable late alpha version, with detailed terrain but some "wrong" tiles which will have to be repalced by custom ones (eg tank blockades made of UFO windows).

 

 

Now I've got two probelms:

 

1)

The direction the "west walls" are pointing turned out to be north!

Now my map is facing upwards, with players starting sideways! :(

Is there a way to rotate it, or to select top/bottom as spawn areas instead on left/right?

 

2)

For the maps, the horizontal order (beach, bunkers...) must be given, but vertically the different tiles should be random. I guess this is done with the road generator but that looks rather complicated. Could somebody give me a hint on the code?

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Nobody..?

 

 

Another thing:

The number of tiles in all the sets slightly exceeds 255.

MapView simply doesn't show the rest, and I don't need it either. And the maps work.

Could this still become a problem in any way?

 

 

Edit: Has anyone got the fabled MCD Editor? :Poke:

Edited by Violazr
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I don't understand...did you make custom tiles? did you make no tiles, but are using xcom's? or did you make new tiles, but can't get them working? what kind of assistance are you asking here?

 

Please clear these questions up, otherwise it will be very hard to help you.

 

MCDeditor is here.

Edited by Kratos
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I couln't stand waiting, so I neglected my studies, got myself the editor and gave it a try. ;)

 

Now I've got what I would call a playable late alpha version, with detailed terrain but some "wrong" tiles which will have to be repalced by custom ones (eg tank blockades made of UFO windows).

 

 

Now I've got two probelms:

 

1)

The direction the "west walls" are pointing turned out to be north!

Now my map is facing upwards, with players starting sideways! :(

Is there a way to rotate it, or to select top/bottom as spawn areas instead on left/right?

 

2)

For the maps, the horizontal order (beach, bunkers...) must be given, but vertically the different tiles should be random. I guess this is done with the road generator but that looks rather complicated. Could somebody give me a hint on the code?

 

1) You will need to redraw the map. There's no way to rotate it or change the starting positions.

 

2) Just replicate the 'x road' code (slightly changed, of course) the number of times that is the length of the map. If the map is only one size (60x60 for instance), then you will have to set the map automatically for that size on the .lua file (so that the players are only able to choose that size). For a 60x60 map you would need 6 'x roads' (define each as x, y, w, z, etc.) and for each 'road' there would be different maps (for x the beach, y the bunkers, etc.)

 

Maximum number of tiles for maps is 253 (plus the 2 tiles that come with Blanks tileset - it is required on all maps). The maps might work but there will be missing tiles and/or crashes.

 

You will only need MCD Editor to create new tiles.

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1) That's bad. I spent a lot of time doing all those hills. :(

I can just hope they will implement that feature in the next version.

 

2) I had a look at some .lua files and read some threads but I still don't get it. :hmmm:

Can somebody explain how this really works?

I don't need any junctions or anything, only shuffling in the "horizontal" columns.

 

 

@Kratos

 

Thanks. I hadn't made custom tiles yet - only combined too many xcom tilesets.

 

 

I tried to change some graphics today, but I have yet another problem with PCK View:

Whenever I replace a picture in a PCK and save it (which also alters the .tab), the map won't work any more. This even happen when I save any tile as BMP and re-import it right away without any changes. As soon as I save, it's broken. :(

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2)  I had a look at some .lua files and read some threads but I still don't get it. :hmmm:

Can somebody explain how this really works?

I don't need any junctions or anything, only shuffling in the "horizontal" columns.

 

Horizontal should be the "local x". I've looked at how you could do it but i have no ideas yet. It is better to ask Owl because he's a programmer and knows much more concerning lua language.

 

Thanks. I hadn't made custom tiles yet - only combined too many xcom tilesets.

 

 

I tried to change some graphics today, but I have yet another problem with PCK View:

Whenever I replace a picture in a PCK and save it (which also alters the .tab), the map won't work any more. This even happen when I save any tile as BMP and re-import it right away without any changes. As soon as I save, it's broken. :(

 

The available versions of PCK View at Daishiva's site all have that problem. I've attached version 1.20 of PCK View here since it is not available there and it allows to change pck files without crashing.

PckView120.zip

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Thanks! :)

I already did it, though, using the MCD editor.

 

Now I've got the first testable version ready! :)

It's using mainly forest and desert tilesets but I copied and renamed them to add some WW2 stuff and make the terrain stronger. Still has the 90° issue, though.

 

If you allow me to attach stuff to my posts, I could upload it. :Deal:

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I do have a ZIP ready, and I'm not having any trouble -

Im just not allowed to do it on this forum (and have no other webspace available).

 

I may only attach it to a bugtracker issue, but that would be kinda abusive. :D

 

-> Some admin has to grant me the rights plz.

 

 

 

 

EDIT: Here's some pictures!

 

http://img327.imageshack.us/img327/4026/deployment2xp.jpg

 

http://img311.imageshack.us/img311/9082/bunker5yi.jpg

 

http://img315.imageshack.us/img315/5771/trenches9gu.jpg

Edited by Violazr
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I am having the same problem. Crashed twice under hotseat.

 

EDIT: What the heck is the kult files for? Did you forget to put them in with the tiles?

 

EDIT2: Fixed the problem. Download is below.

 

You forgot to add the kult files.

 

EDIT3: Why do you have 8 maps if you only have one?

Edited by Kratos
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I am having the same problem. Crashed twice under hotseat.

 

EDIT: What the heck is the kult files for? Did you forget to put them in with the tiles?

 

EDIT2: Fixed the problem. Download is below.

 

You forgot to add the kult files.

 

EDIT3: Why do you have 8 maps if you only have one?

 

Adding the Kult files adds another problem: the number of mcd entries goes up to 262. Violazr must have removed them from the package but didn't replace all the Kult files, leaving blank spaces (and therefore the previous crash)

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About your comments so far:

 

- The Kult entry was indeed missing! Sorry about that.

In one last tweak, already in the ZIP, I edited the .lua to refer to the original "u_ext02" files instead of the map's own copy.. But I accidentially deleted the following line which referred to the "kult" files. :Brickwall:

 

- There are more than 255 tiles, but it didn't cause problems here.

I think the rest is simply "cut off", but isn't needed anyway.

Does anyone have problems because of this?

 

- There are several maps instead of one (1X, 2X, 3X, ...) because the idea was to randomize them as discussed above.

But I don't know how to do that yet, so I made a fixed matrix.

 

- There will be more maps. I'm currently deciding whether I should make more in this view or start over and do the map rotated by 90°.

 

- Did you find any more bugs?

And please don't hold back on comments or suggestions!

Every issue reported will make the final version better.

 

 

EDIT: Cleaned up.

Edited by Violazr
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are they officially abandonware? We don't know, just XcomUFO does not support piracy. Please edit that out of your post and then restrict your conversations about downloading it to PMs or preferably emails or out of site communications

Thanks

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I'm pretty sure they are. I wouldn't want to support piracy, either.

 

But "Underdogs" is a well-known and legal site that has been there for long.

Some of the games listed there are not for download because, it says, of copyright reasons. Those, however, are available.

 

 

Anyway...

I just played the map on the 'net for the first time and everything worked fine.

Choosing "Assassination", we could both place our soliers in the right positions. Without a turn limit, that game mode also offers an additional winning chance for the attacking player.

- Which is good, because with he got wiped running against the fortifications. ;)

Edited by Violazr
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Here is my suggestion : In my opinion the floor behind the bunkers is too green. Looks more like a park than a battlefield. What about using such tiles :

 

http://mypage.bluewin.ch/xcom/floor.jpg

 

They are from TFTD but a little "copy and paste" could work.

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There already is high grass and brown soil in some places. -

I just didn't want to put too many "objects" to keep the map simple, and high grass takes more TUs to walk through, and the sloped parts don't have any.

 

Looks good, though. I'll give it a try and maybe reduce TU cost.

 

 

Btw I decided to re-do the map turned bay 90°

- shouldn't be too much work with copy & paste.

 

Right now I'm trying around with specific tilesets and how to merge them.

Edited by Violazr
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I've discovered you can deploy your troops in the deep blue sea. They can shoot, but can't move. Maybe you should make it so they can walk on it with a high TU cost (like wading.)

No...its a bug that has been fixed in the beta.

Edited by Kratos
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Could it be that the game crashes if there aren't enough maps in a terrain to fill a 6x6 space using each once? Even though it could be done, using some multiple times?

 

I treid to run the few new maps I already made (after a lot of MCD tileset editing) on their own, but it didn't work.

 

The strange thing is that right now, my new maps only work in the game when the old ones are also loaded.

If I replace a map from the old set wit a new one (SAME name, SAME size and tiles used), the game aborts with an assert fail in line 223 of map.cpp

 

EDIT:

Aaaargh! There WAS NO ERROR! It's the cur_map.lua that caused all the crashes, because it tried to rebuild the last map with the new tiles! :Brickwall:

Note to all mappers: Always delete that before re-loading a modified terrain.

(It will save you a lot of time and frustration.)

Edited by Violazr
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It is done! Completely new, in right angle, and much better looking.

P|-|33R my custom tiles! ;)

 

 

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/4070/bon2shore3qe.jpg

 

http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/848/bon2bunker4wv.jpg

 

http://img78.imageshack.us/img78/5058/bon2supply5bx.jpg

 

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/3061/bon2tower0if.jpg

 

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/8370/bon2alarm9ri.jpg

 

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/1919/bon2sandbag5qw.jpg

 

 

The current maps even allow for two different terrain sizes (4 or 6)

Now I only got to figure out that road generator stuff...

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Yes, it's an elevator.

Unfortunately I didn't find a way to change the TU cost of 10 for "climbing" down.

It's a little much as long as falling is free and doesn't hurt.

 

 

The map is ready and working on the last stable, but I just realized thet the latest beta has problems with my generation code. I guess it doesn't like the matrix to be bigger than the play field - which the old other version has no problems with.

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New version released!

 

 

I spent the last few days squashing bugs and improving stuff, and now it's done. :D

 

Because my status is STILL 'validating', I had to send it to bagirov and I hope he will soon post the link below.

Kratos and Blood Angel have it as well.

 

Enjoy! :beer:

 

 

 

P.S.: Can somebody upload it to the maps site?

Edited by Violazr
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One more thing to others I test-played with:

Your map is NOT the latest version, please do NOT spread it.

BA and Kratos are the only ones who recieved this one.

 

 

 

http://img335.imageshack.us/img335/3235/kaboom5ej.jpg

Friggin' dark in here... where's my lighter?"

Edited by Violazr
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