6.0 Putting it all together

All that remains is setting up the map for multiple players. This is a relatively simple step, but conversely offering some of the most headaches. Be methodical, trying not to do too much at once so you don't get confused with all the file swapping, copying and renaming to the other game folders as you go along. Its here that Textpad really comes into its own. If you have not taken the time to download this marvellous text editor, then all I can say is 'Good luck!' If you have it then this is a simple task.

6.1 Adding more players to the basic 2-player (1v1) map.

As has already been mentioned in this primer, Homeworld needed maps with a seperate folder for each player number, ie, there was a map (as in a folder containing every file needed, or a stand-alone map) for two players, a map for three players and so on. This meant that when you made a map for 2-4 players you would have to make three versions of the map: one for two players, one for three players and one for four players. Each Folder was a stand-alone map in its own right and could be used as such. But we dont have to worry about this any more.

Those days have gone with the advent of the Random Starting Positions. The player start point (the location you give the players starting fleet in the missphere file), wherever you place one, a player may start there in a multiplayer game ("may" because start points in Cataclysm are random). You can have up to 8 start points in a multiplayer map.

If you set up an eight player map, and then start playing on it with just 2 players, then the chance is there, that in all that volume, the players still begin in the two positions closest to one another. Perhaps you like this, BD certainly do, so much so they hardcoded it into the game and now whether we like it or not is a moot point. We are stuck with it.

This is why I suggest beginning your map by creating a 2 or 4 player map and working up, releasing 2 or three versions of each map that could support the higher player numbers. (ie; a 2-4 player version, a 4-6 player version and a 6-8 player version).

The changes between versions are relatively minor involving changes to the folder name, the level files, and the Mothership_#.missphere files. Other changes can be made as needed to any of the other files that make up the map.

According to TAKER, this means that you should always start your map by editing the version with the most number of players that you will make starting positions for. Now, if you have been following the Tutorial then you are probably thinking "WhatwhatWhaaaat!!?? I've been spending all this time making a two-player version! What the smeg is going on!?" Well, personally, I always draw out my maps on graph paper first and so have a pretty good idea of where I want all the players to start. And, I like to see the map with all (or most of) the resources in place before I begin adding any players. I have a habit of adding scouts to all the player missphere files, and placing those scouts on the map right next to what I want to see etc. Starting with two players means that I have a 50% chance of getting the mothership file/starting position that I want, and that there is only two Mothership files to deal with if i decide to stick in a bunch of scouts near a location that i am interested in. So, what this in fact all means, is that the addition (and location) of the player Mothership files is usually the very last thing I do.

Remember, none of this is really necessary, you could just release an 8 Player map and be damned with it! It will still work just as well with two people, if there are eight player misspheres present.

But lets cover the process of scaling up your map for more players once you have done a 2 player version. We will take each file as we already covered them in the primer, starting with the actual folder itself:

6.1.1 The Map Folder

The biggest difference between each version of your map is that each folder will contain a different number of Mothership_#.missphere files, one for each player that that folder stipulates. Map folders are written name* where the * is the number of players the map will support. So this number at the end of its name is the only difference between each version folder name that you need. (remember; case is important). Example;

'DSpiral2' - this is for two players only, and as such will contain two Mothership files.

'DSpiral3' - for three players and will contain three Mothership files.

'DSpiral4' - for four players and will contain four Mothership files.

etc

Two players is the minimum amount of players for a multiplayer map, you can't have a One-player version folder. The maximum number of players HW:C can support is Eight, meaning that there will be a maximum of Seven folders for any given map.

6.1.2 The Description.txt file

The Description.txt file needs only be copied from your original version of your map. Changes in this file are entirely optional, but as it holds what the players will read in the information screen when they select your map in the game, I suggest revising the player number bit anyway. Its just nice.

6.1.3 The level file

As we have already covered, the level file has to have the same name as the folder it resides in, so if you had a map folder called cRevelation2, then cRevelations2.level would reside therein. A three player version of the same map would be in the cRevelations3 folder and contain a level file called cRevelations3.level and so on.

The third line of text in the level file names the folder remember, and so needs to be changed, I am referring to the line; '; Multiplayer Level:   cRevelations2', The 'cRevelations2' attribute tells us that this is from a folder called 'cRevelations2' etc.

The level file also deals with the Mothership_#.missphere files and tells homeworld where to look for each players Mothership file; for a three player map there will be three of these lines pointing to the three Mothership files that will be in the 3 player folder. And so on. We will cover these in more detail below.

If you name an alternate background in this file (and there is a growing number to choose from) then these alternate Lighting and Background files (*.hsf & *.btg) must be included in all folders, as each will be a stand alone map..

6.1.4 The Mothership_#.missphere files

Each map folder name tells us at a glance just how many players that folder supports. It therefore tells us how many Mothership_#.missphere files are to be found in that folder. The level file in that folder will list (in the MissionSphere lines) what each players Mothership file is called, and HW:C will seek out that file for the starting fleets and their locations for each player.

So, taking as an example a four player version of any given map, its level file will list 5 'Missphere' lines pointing to 5 different missphere files; one ResourceSphere file and four Mothership files, i.e.;

ResourceSphere_1.missphere

Mothership_0.missphere

Mothership_1.missphere

Mothership_2.missphere

Mothership_3.missphere

As all these files are named in the 4 player map version they will be found in the 4-player map folder. Changes should be made to these files without fear of consequence; if the locations and composition of all the resources and the player starting fleets can be changed with each map, just be careful that if you rename a file you rename the contents part of the MissionSphere line to match.

6.1.5 The ResourceSphere_#.missphere file

The level file names the ResourceSphere file used in the map. You can easily copy the ResourceSphere file directly from the previous folders, just be careful that if you renamed the contents part of the MissionSphere line, you rename the *.dist file it points at.

There is nothing stopping you add more resources for your higher player number maps, indeed it is a commonly done thing, you need only look at 'Hyperspace arena' and 'Lughnassad' for examples of this.

Actually, to give you an example I will discuss 'Lughnassad' and my reasons for doing this.

In this map I originally had three of the Traders Mining Base's (from the singleplayer mission 'Bridge of Sighs') in a huge cluster of asteroids. I wanted each Mining Base to give the impression that it was actively mining so I added huge tails of dustclouds behind them. dustclouds have higher RU values than the asteroids, also these dustclouds I made denser and had them regenerate faster than the asteroids so they would be focal points for the players to fight over.

After I had done this I decided that for a two-player game having three of these Mining Bases would be a bit overwhelming, so I decided to cut them down a little. I renamed the ResourceSphere file containing the three Mining Bases and their mined dustcloud tails from 'ResourceSphere_1.missphere' to 'ResourceSphere_3.missphere'. I then deleted one of the Mining Bases and its attendant dustcloud and saved the file as 'ResourceSphere_2.missphere'. Lastly I deleted two of the mining bases/dustclouds leaving just the one and saved this file as 'ResourceSphere_1.missphere'.

So, I ended up with three Resource files, I used 'ResourceSphere_1.missphere' for the two and three-player version of the map, 'ResourceSphere_2.missphere' for the four, five and six-player version, and lastly, used 'ResourceSphere_3.missphere' for the seven and eight player version.

All I had to do then, was make sure that each in each level file, I had the contents part of the MissionSphere Resources line named correctly. And, that I had actually copied the correct files into the correct folders. I would only need to rename them for easy identification when working and tweaking to get the resources for each player version ready. There is nothing that says they cant all be called the same thing, they are for seperate maps after all.

6.1.6 The 64k-WON Limit

The ResourceSphere can be no bigger than 64k to allow downloading over WON. Any bigger and it won't be able to be passed over WON, all players will need to have downloaded and installed the game prior to starting. This is easily fixed. You need to split your resources over two ResourceSphere files and call them for example; 'ResourceSphere_1.missphere' and 'ResourceSphere_2.missphere'. Make sure that you add an extra 'MissionSphere' line in all your level files, pointing to this new ResourceSphere and just make sure that both are in all your folders.

Distribution files you may also want changed. The distribution files you have may be too light for a 8-player map when they are just right for the 2 player version. As I keep iterating, each folder that makes up a multiplayer map is a strand-alone map and so there is nothing stopping you tweaking the ratios of each asteroid type. Just be sure that if you change the name of the distribution file or add more in, then the ResourceSphere file has the correct distribution file(s) named, matching those you are using in that map version.

This also goes for the regeneration of clusters using the 'regrow' property, (2048) there is nothing stopping you make resources clusters regenerate in only the higher player games. Or regenerate at different rates depending on player numbers. Whatever.

6.2 Tweaks and Final Touches

Ok, you are finished your map. Are you happy? Now is the time to tweak. Perhaps it needs denser or lighter cluster of asteroid? Perhaps you would like derelicts floating around? Perhaps the players need jiggled about or swapped around? Do the ResourceSphere files need to be split so they don't exceed the 64k-WON limit? Is the sensor manager max/min zooms fine for your map? And so on. As far as I'm concerned; 'a good map is never finished its just abandoned...'

If you have been following the tutorial and are now in possession of a fine map entitled 'Revelations' then looking at it in the state it is in now, the version included with this primer, there are a whole number of things I feel could make it a better map and little tweaks you can make... Crates in the description.txt file vs crates in the Revelations#.level file for instance?. I'm not going to tell you as you know pretty much everything now, and you probably have your own ideas about what could improve the map 'waddaya mean by 'Select all and the hit delete!?'.

6.3 Once You Have Finished Your Map...

Test your map in all possible permutations or at least be aware of these permutations and that they will work fine. By this I'm talking about playing it for every amount of players it supports.

Try to get in as many full games against the computer on your map as you can be bothered with. Try at least one game using every possible number of players (preferably more than the one game).

Play it over WON. Let everybody know that's it's a beta and encourage feedback.

Stick all the folders that comprise your map in a new folder named after your map, add a Readme file and zip it up. (You need to have either WinRAR, or WinZip for this. If you don't have it then I don't believe you). Send it to as many people as you can and have them play it, encouraging feedback. If you can't play over WON, send it to some other people, and have them play it over WON.

When you are happy, and everybody who's opinion you value is happy, (I tend to ignore feedback from people who start every game with 9999 resource injections, I mean anyone can make pretty scenery...). Send it to Dylov at Project Red: The Map and Map Makers Archive, also to BPLlama at The Homeworld Map Archive and ask us nicely to post it on the sites just header the email with 'HWCMap Submission'.

Don't fret too much about updating your map. If you have prepared adequately enough before hand any changes would be more than likely the feedback from a much greater test group and more than likely be a game-play issue resulting from all this game play.

The Readme.txt file is not too important unless there are issues on your map than need to be conveyed and you need more space than is possible with the Description Box in HW:C, it is scrollable, but including the zip info is always a helpful thing to add to a zip file. Just copy any you already have, If you've downloaded any map for HW:C by me then you will already have one.

6.4 And so it ends...

Well, that's pretty much everything I can tell you about map making for HW:C. If you are stuck at any part or not clear on specific details then there are a number of things you can do;

• Experiment! It's a doddle to swap between windows and homeworld to see your changes, you only ever would need to reload HW:C when you add new folders into the multiplayer folder. And of course, when it crashes.

• Ask! If you have a specific problem with your map and the above resources do not seem to help at all, post it to the Project Red boards, the OMO boards or the Relic Editing boards and I am sure that one of us will do our best to help you. 

• Look! At other maps! This is my favourite, I am always looking to see how the others do things, and grubbing about in every file I can lay my hands on.

I can always be found at on the Project Red and OMO boards as well as keeping an eye on the relic boards (try them in that order) for bug reports, feedback and questions etc . Failing that you can email me at hwprimer@ntlworld.com should you so wish. (See the 'About the Primer' page).

Dylov (...Grunter-OMO on WON).

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