bmp2ctp2 program and Alex scenario

[TheBirdMan]

Could it be used for a canal????

Or something between shallow water and a river????

[skorpion59]

Harlan,

That is very interesting and perfect timing. I was looking at the map code for the Samuri map tonight trying to figure out how they made the bridges. It was done with tile type 25 so they have indeed added 2 new terrain types since the beta (or they just failed to inform me of the new types when they gave me the map codes). You have always been able to manipulate the terrain characteristics but it required understanding bit switches and hex. (I found this out in my first map conversion tries when I created a map which let settlers walk on the water). When my boat couldn't enter the tile the bridge was on, I figured they had done this exact thing. Apparently, they have gone one step farther, and you can now manipulate these tile types via the terrain.txt file. In terrain.txt, I see where you can manipulate the movement types (much easier than hex) but I don't see how they get a different graphic on it yet. My guess is that it is done internally or via the ZFS file which will take it out of our reach, for now. At least it has given us a new area to play with and explore which I intend on doing.


BTW: I was playing with converting your map tonight also (first time since beta) and ran into the same things. That is actually why I decided to find out how they made the bridges in the Samuri scenario.

Off to do some more investigating..

[Savant]

That was fast! It sounds neat. I may ask for another that is more focused. But I would love to have a look-see and size up the scenario possibilities.

Harlan, please send it to me at: Newhouse@heliconnc.net

Thanks!


------------------
'Blood will run'

[skorpion59]

Actually, Canals have always been possible. It's just not something you can throw up here in a post and explain how to do.

Well, if I can figure out how to error-proof it, it might be. One of these days, when I have more time, I might try that.

If settlers can walk on water, then boats can walk on land.

[Savant]

Harlan -

Got the map and saved game file and loaded both up, no problema. Soon as I did, one of my boys (9 yo) was hanging around and glimpsed your map as I called it up in CTP and he says your map was "major terrific". He is into AOE, CTP1 and has been tooling around with CTP2 lately and wanted to sit and work on editting those polar patches along the Nile.

Anyway, the map is great! It opened just fine without any special settings. Same with the game. Thanks very much for the best Europe map I have seen in the Civ Genre!

Here are some other details you might want to know about, or questions I have (that you might not want to know about

1. The game opens with 8 civs though I have my setting for 18. May I change the 8 to some larger number somehow?

2. Same for the map.. do I change this someway or is that fixed?

3. I take it that cities can't be placed directly? That is, to make a city, one has to place a settler and then "settle"?

4. I'm sure more things will occur to me as I get into it more. I plan on editting this map some to spruce up rough edges and then make it available here as Harlan's Grande Map of Europe. I'll send a copy to you so you can look at it and make any additional changes you see fit before I do.

BTW, you became an immediate celebrity in my son's eyes when I told him you were the creator of the Alexander scenario. When a 9 yo kid abandons AOKings, Backyard Football, and NFL2000 for a TBS game, that is quite the trick!

------------------
'Blood will run'

[Savant]

Seems like the map version allows the 18 civs I specified. Working on that version now by getting the continental shelf pruned.

Need to put up our xmas tree before I make more progress.

------------------
'Blood will run'

[OmniGod]

18 civs from a scenario start or just from openning the editor?

Omni

[Savant]

Omni -

This was from opening the editor at the start of a new game. Then in the editor I "load map" and choose the Harlan map. All the CTP2 civs appear and you can choose whichever ones you want to place on the map, up to 18 (from what I gather).

Right now I am just editing the map. I will try some play tests after I get this map pruned.

------------------
'Blood will run'
[This message has been edited by Savant (edited December 10, 2000).]

[OmniGod]

quote: Originally posted by Savant on 12-10-2000 02:31 PM This was from opening the editor at the start of a new game. Then in the editor I "load map" and choose the Harlan map. All the CTP2 civs appear and you can choose whichever ones you want to place on the map, up to 18 (from what I gather)

Okay that's what I figured... just be careful from all the testing on maps that I've done with what Activision gave us you can't start as any civ if you place cities, or settlers. You'll be forced into player1... which sorta sucks.... sure you can select all the civs at the start of the scenario, but once it opens... your player 1....

Omni

[Savant]

Thanks for the tip Omni. Guess I will have to choose carefully.

And if someone should choose to be a civ other than the "Savants", what would they do?

------------------
'Blood will run'

[OmniGod]

They'd have to change the player they want to first player moving all the cities, units and advances... basically create a new scenario... which sorta sucks...again I'll say... ACTIVISION WE NEED A PATCH OR DOCUMENTATION...

Omni

[Harlan]

Speaking of documentation, no one seems to be using the BMP2CTP2 program, perhaps cos people haven't figured it out, or were too daunted to try. So soon I'll write up a proper readme that hopefully makes clear just how to use it.

Meanwhile, I'm bummed that great maps aren't a-pourin' out of the conversion program and the BMP map I made, so I decided to make a couple myself. Its really not that hard using said materials. I whipped out a gigantic sized map (140 by 140) of India in about three hours. The major pain that causes it to take as long as it does is having to convert the rivers over and tidy up the coasts (you have to add the continental shelf between deep and shallow oceans, and its a bit squirrelly).

I haven't put in starting positions and trade goods, though. I'd rather wait on the trade goods until someone comes up with a mod that improves the current list. But if anyone wants to do these extra steps to make the map playable, let me know and I'll send you the map. Tomorrow I'll work on maps of China and Spain that I also did today but need to clean up.

[OmniGod]

I love the conversion program Harlan... it's just that most maps that I want created included North America... I tried last night with the pacific map that I started and I got an error when I went to load it up into CTP2... I assume it was my fault not taking the time to do the initial bmp in colours that the convertor would recognize easily... I tried just making everything shallow water and grassland.... it didn't like it.... it was worth a try... for now I'll do it the old fashion way... little paint here... little dab there... a more personal touch...

Omni

[Savant]

Harlan, please send me an email so I can send you the "Grande Europe Map" to look over.

I had to restore an old backup of my C: drive and lost the last month's worth of email, including your addy.



------------------
'Blood will run'

[Salvius]

Harlan, have you (or anyone else) had the time to sit down and figure out the changes to the color palette? Some of us may not be pouring out great maps because we're waiting to see if a new color guide gets posted. :-)