Sticky topic request: Maps

[IblisTheMage]

Hi, I would like to play some other maps than the standard ones, but I can't find any.

Could we please have a sticky thread where links are collected for maps?

Or even better, perhaps maps to be downloaded directly from the site, or as part of the release package?

I realize it is trivial for many of you just finding maps and installing them, but for many like me, extra maps are fables only, I only play the standard maps.

Thanks in advance...

[ratarf]

I agree, I'm also tired of playing the same maps over and over again. And it's sometimes annoying how hard you have to search to find a good custom map.

What I propose:

Maps that are work in progress should be in topics in the mapping / modding section or showcase. Maps that are really finished and fully playable, should either be
1) Included in every new warzone update
2) Be in a one or more map pack archives
3) Available as seperate downloads on this site. However, I think this would require search/filter/sort functionalities (on players, size, tileset,...)

Tell me what you think.

[Per]

Maps that are good enough, and licensed properly, can be included in the standard distribution. I have already included the cockate maps in trunk.

[Buginator]

Maps that are good enough, and licensed properly, can be included in the standard distribution. I have already included the cockate maps in trunk.

I was meaning to discuss this, but other things always came up.
I don't think we should include any map via changes to the original addon.lev file, and leave that *only* for maps that Pumpkin did for a variety of reasons.

I suggest any map that qualifies, we simply stick the mapname.wz in the correct directory, and be done with it.
I also suggest that if they want to include said map into distribution, to include the .lnd file, for easier modifications.
Yes, I know we can convert from .gam to .lnd, but we don't have a application that does that for the end-user yet.

For the sticky, it should be in the 'showcase' section, and not here.

[IblisTheMage]

The above poster very well identifies the problem:

If you have to be a tech-savant to play the game, you leave out 98% of the global population.

I havo no opinion what so ever on the "how", but I really thing it would do very good for the game that more content was added to the menus when the end user opens the game.

[Idanwin]

Would it be possible to make a random map generator?

[Per]

A random map generator would be possible, but not simple, to make. Freeciv, for example, has a random map generator. The lesson from that is that it is difficult to make the map fair yet not boring.

[Buginator]

A random map generator would be possible, but not simple, to make. Freeciv, for example, has a random map generator. The lesson from that is that it is difficult to make the map fair yet not boring.

I forgot who it was that told me, (maybe Coyote?) Anyway, there was a time when people just made flat maps. O_O

It would be pretty simple to start randomly placing stuff all over a flat map, but that could get very boring as you said.

I guess we could also just use different height maps, to give some maps a new 'feel', but that opens up another can of worms.

In short, there is no real substitution to create good maps other than have someone do them.

[IblisTheMage]

Hi, bumping this to get it back on the agenda:

Can we have more maps in the standard distribution, please?

[fisk0]

About random map generators, anyone knows how C&C Tiberian Sun did them?
While randomly generated maps there was never as good as the maps that were already shipped with the game, they usually were balanced and rather varied.
You could set the amount of resources, water, hills, height variations and features (non-player buildings and such things) and click generate and it would create a map based on those settings (even though I never got any water on the maps though I set water to the maximum amount).
Based on the way the maps looked it seemed they were all based around some set stuff.
Perhaps it could be done by having some kind of 'basic map' as a heightmap (including a small flat area around every starting position so players can construct bases) and then it applies some random procedural textures (that's at least the name used for the kind of random fog or smoke textures used in Lightwave) over the map to create random height changes on the map, have some set textures for some heights or slopes (so that sides of cliffs get the cliff texture and such), and then use more procural texture maps to randomly place texture variations, map features and resources (plus 4 at every starting position).

I admit I am no coder or even a good map maper so I have no idea if this would take decades to code or if anything I said would even make anything remotely close to a playable map, and I guess this is also the first thing people think about when discussing random map generators, so you've probably already thought of it and are all annoyed by having the stuff proposed all over again.