Map Contest #1

[JFarceur]

Okay, we'll do that first one for fun.

The rules : well, the map must be usable in ufo2000 so...

Limitations : the height should not exceed 4 and the number of tiles must be less than 255. Any mix of tilesets are okay (both TFTD and XCOM).

 

Just post an image that shows clearly all the levels of the map... something else? I hope not. Let's be original.

[Deathskull]

h3r35 /\/\1|\|3

 

Edit: Combined images for easier viewing =)

Edited March 14, 2004 by DaiShiva

[DaiShiva]

There seems to be a lack of tftd maps, so hers mine =)

[Wiseman]

Well, here's one of mine (made for the city map).

It's a ratty little apartment building.

[Deathskull]

these are some good maps

[Cpl. Facehugger]

Hey DaiShiva, is that a crashed USO on your map?

[DaiShiva]

Yes, it is a crashed one. Not all the alien pilots are good =)

[Deathskull]

its one of the ufos you shot down and forgot about.

[SupSuper]

, deathskull always makes maze-like maps =)

i like your map daishiva... original

Edited March 15, 2004 by SupSuper

[Deathskull]

how do we use these in ufo2000?

[[stewart]]

I really like that "Ratty" Apartment building. Even got the sup's suite on the lower floor. The stairwell should be more crampt though. And you need at least a communal lavy and stairs to the roof.

 

The steel bars was a nice touch!

 

Hey! :o I just got an idea!!!!

 

For city maps instead of 4 level from the ground up. How 'bout 3 from the ground up and subterranean (have basements).

 

Okay let's see city or farmland maps with one basement level.

 

Now there's a challenge.

[Wiseman]

For city maps instead of 4 level from the ground up. How 'bout 3 from the ground up and subterranean (have basements).

 

Okay let's see city or farmland maps with one basement level.

 

Well, the problem with that isn't aesthetics, it's explosions. They'll blow holes in the ground that it's very dificult to get out of. I found that out when I tried to make a WW1 style trench warfare map. 'Cuz you need explosions in a WW1 trench warfare map.

[DaiShiva]

Thats where you make a mcd editor, make a copy of the mcd files you are using, and change the tile properties so it has maximum amount of health - which iirc, makes it invulnerable

[Wiseman]

Thats where you make a mcd editor

Well, to do that, I'd have to know what each part of it does... I might be able figure out some of it, but I'd need help with some (mostl) of the specifics. Looking at a couple I notice that they (each individual tile) seem to be 3E (er.. 62) bytes long but I don't know what most of them do. I also notice that the first 2 bytes of each (at least of the barn and brain tile sets) seem to be markers, or possibly pointers to which image they represent... I could be wrong here, though.

 

If any one knows how the .MCD's (and while we're at it, .TAB's and .PCK's also) work feel free to tell me. It could be a big step on the way to total customization of the land, to have an editor that changes/makes the actual tiles. Or it could be a waste of time if there's already one out there... I don't actually know what most of the editors out there do..

 

The stairwell should be more crampt though. And you need at least a communal lavy and stairs to the roof.

Well, there are a couple reasons I don't like having stairs to the roof.

1: On the roof it's much harder to throw things, because they hit the "sky roof".

2: It's not really easy to make it (the last staircase) look good. You can't have it enclosed, because you can't put a roof on the top floor. And it always (at least when I've tried) looks unnessesarily clunky. Maybe if the staircase itself was "outdoors" and closed off from the rest of the building...

BTW, that's the second version of that map (I lost the first). It was made after I realised that opening a door into a wall would erase the wall, but before I figured out that you could just put that wall in as an object to solve the problem. Ah well.

[mikker]

i would enter if i could get the editor to work.

[Bagirov]

@ Wiseman

 

For editing MCD Files I suggest : MCDEdit © by Koralt.

MCDEdit is an editor for UFO: Enemy Unkown and Terror From the Deep

which lets you modify terrain attributes and graphics. It runs under

Microsoft Windows.

 

Download MCDEdit

 

If you don't have VBRUN200.DLL

 

Bagirov aka Merlin

[DaiShiva]

i would enter if i could get the editor to work

 

Do you have the .net framework installed?

 

@wiseman: i started to make a mcd editor, but it was soooooo boring making inputs for 62 different things, and on top of that i dont know where the source code for it went with the last system-reinstall.

 

I have a document on my website detailing the different (interesting) file formats for xcom. Its under the 'programs' link. There is also a pck viewer/exporter/importer that works for everything except the weapon pck files, and a program that will export/import the background images the game uses.

[JFarceur]

For city maps instead of 4 level from the ground up.  How 'bout 3 from the ground up and subterranean (have basements).

 

Okay let's see city or farmland maps with one basement level.

 

Now there's a challenge.

Damn , that was my idea for th contest. I was about to make a "alien in my basement", for fun. I guess I'll think about something else....

[j'ordos]

Uhmm... here's a small business building, left half is still in use by... some company , other half is abandoned and piled with junk

[Deathskull]

i like that

[Wiseman]

Excelent. I now seem to have what I need to create nearly completely freely. I say nearly for 2 reasons:

1: I don't have a good graphics editor. I'm stuck using Paint.... Luckily I don't plan on doing any heavy renovations, just touch ups/flips (for stairs)

2: While that MCD editor is great for editing, it doesn't seem to be able to out right create one from scratch. Luckily I have a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems so I have ways of working around this.

 

Oh, and that PCK viewer is also excelent. Only 2 mostly irrelevent things you could do for it:

1: You could allow someone to Start making a PCK form scratch. No biggie since you can simply open one then delete parts you don't want. And because you'd have to edit the MCD to be able to change anything besides the graphics anyway.

2: When you (change/open a second) PCK, it doesn't unclick whatever pallet you had last. I doubt this has any negative sidefects, just thought I'd point it out.

Like I say, they're mostly irellevant.

 

Thanks y'all.

[DaiShiva]

1: You could allow someone to Start making a PCK form scratch. No biggie since you can simply open one then delete parts you don't want. And because you'd have to edit the MCD to be able to change anything besides the graphics anyway.

 

Yes, i should do that =)

 

2: When you (change/open a second) PCK, it doesn't unclick whatever pallet you had last. I doubt this has any negative sidefects, just thought I'd point it out.

 

The program doesnt know what images you are opening, palette information isnt stored in the pck files

 

Like I say, they're mostly irellevant.

 

It hasnt been updated in awhile because there arent a whole lot of interesting things you can do with it - aside from making a game of your own (which is in the far-reaching plans)

 

to make new ones, its easiest to copy the BLANKS pck/tab/mcd and start with those, since there are only two entries in there

Edited March 20, 2004 by DaiShiva

[mikker]

i would enter if i could get the editor to work

 

Do you have the .net framework installed?

what? what framework? I only downloaded the editor.

[j'ordos]

note how the top of the download page on Daishiva's page has In order to use these programs you will need the .net framework downloaded from microsoft in a pretty large font . You can download it from there too. Edited March 20, 2004 by j'ordos

[j'ordos]

Oh well, here's another one, I call it 'The Launch Tower'

 

edit: I know the top of the small UFO is missing, don't bother pointing that out

(otherwise it wouldn't fit anymore on just 4 levels )

Edited March 20, 2004 by j'ordos

[Deathskull]

Heres one

[Wiseman]

to make new ones, its easiest to copy the BLANKS pck/tab/mcd and start with those, since there are only two entries in there

Huh. I was using the BRAIN one which only had 8...

The program doesnt know what images you are opening, palette information isnt stored in the pck files

Yeah, I Know, I had meant that the check mark is left where you last had it. Here, an example:

I open the program. Under the Pallete Menu nothing has a check mark on it.

I open the Barn PCK. It selects the Top Pallete (TFTD Battle? I'm not sure).

I change it to UFO Battle. Now only the UFO Battle Has a checkmark on it.

I open the Cultivat PCK. It once again selects the Top Pallets, but leaves UFO Battle selected. There are now 2 check marks, on at the top (which is the pallete currently in use) and one on UFO Battle (the previous use).

I change the pallete to UFO Worldmap (or something like that) and there are still 2 checks. Now one on World Map (or whatever), and one on Battle.

I change the pallete to UFO Battle. Now there's only one, and it works like expected.

Like I say, I doubt the extra check mark is any thing but cosmetic, but I just thought I'd point out that it's there. My guess is you only check to remove it when a different one is selected, and when opening assume that none are selected (because when the first is opened, none are). But I could be wrong and it probably doesn't matter anyway.

 

Oh, and I like J'ordos's first one. Makes me wish I had TFTD.

[j'ordos]

Isn't there a small error in Deathskull's map? I can't see where the lowest staircase is leading to

 

That said, I like the design of it, more exotic than the standard island maps

[Deathskull]

glad you like it. Look a little harder to see where that stair case leads Edited March 20, 2004 by Deathskull

[j'ordos]

I mean, if you go down that staircase, where do you end up?

[Wiseman]

Yeah, looks to me like the door leads to dirt. I had been wondering what he was talking about. 'Till I noticed that, it had seemed to make sense..

 

Or am I just seein' things?

[Deathskull]

it is a dirt hill. It didnt have the right staircase so i used a dirt slope as the stairs. You can hardly see it.

[j'ordos]

 

That's still not what I meant

 

Let me put it this way: if you enter the building through the door at level 1, pass the storage and take the door on your left, where will the door lead you? You'd think it'll lead to the dirt-slope staircase, but take a good look...

[Robo Dojo 58]

A dirt closet, it seems.

[Deathskull]

it leads to the 2 level walkway

[DaiShiva]

I like that one, its original =)

[j'ordos]

it leads to the 2 level walkway

*sigh*

 

really?

[Deathskull]

I still dont understand Edited August 1, 2004 by Deathskull

[Robo Dojo 58]

How did I not notice that?!?!?!?!

 

Think of it as a feature. It's a special kind of door, which can only be opened with plasma.

 

Ohh... interesting map idea. A bunch of isolated cells, and you have to shoot your way to your opponent...

[j'ordos]

Yeah, but what if you're stuck with a dart pistol?

[Deathskull]

Could someone tell me what the problem is? Edited August 1, 2004 by Deathskull

[Deathskull]

Heres a small boat i made

[DaiShiva]

Thats a neat idea! like the terror site, only with smaller boats, you can have cranes as walkways from ship to ship

[Puasonen]

That small boat is the best so far! What a great idea

[Deathskull]

does that mean i win?

[JFarceur]

Unless I find some extra-good idea... hum... well, I'll think again about it.

 

Good map, good idea. I suggest we try make a 30x30 map, copy paste all the boat maps in one map, and we add your ship with bridges between them. We'd have a functionnal boats map that way.

 

I though about making something like that before the copy/paste function, but it appeared to be too long to manually copy/paste the boats. On the other hand, I never thought about making new boats, which is very impressing and interesting.

 

I wonder if an 8 level ship (inside+outside) is possible. I'll look for that.

[JFarceur]

Well, my idea doesnt work very much. First, we need 30x60 maps, but the lower levels of the ships arent even the same size of the upper levels, so we'd have to modify them if we'd want 8 levels ships. I'll think of something else, then... what about a maya temple labyrinth?

[[stewart]]

WHAT THE H3LL?!?!?!?!?!

 

How did I not notice that?!?!?!?!

J'ordos is extremely thorough about things which is why he is where he is on this board.

[Serge]

Don't forget to upload your new maps to ufo2000 additional maps wiki page:

http://ufo2000.lxnt.info/pmwiki/index.php/Main/NewMaps

 

So many people will be able to play games using these nice maps.

[j'ordos]

Here's one that goes further where Deathskull's stopped, damn tourist resorts are commercialising every ancient building there is