Tutorial:Map Making

Map Making has been one of the greatest hobbies of Populous players new and experienced alike. Players began emerging in early 2003 with nothing but a simple Hex Editor and a great passion for making superb maps. Back in the day, Populous New Worlds (Made exclusivly by The Gabber with a few submissions from others) were the only major third pary maps avaliable for download. Most of the Multiplayer mappacks were created by The Gabber and then other successful mappacks such as Fate Worlds were submitted by people. Now that a public Map Editor has been released more people have been able to create new Multiplayer levels.

Single Player

The creation of single player maps emerged at about the same time the creation of multiplayer maps did, although since back then people could only use the scripts the game came with in their maps and couldn't create their own, a good single player map was rare. Over the years, script edits have been released that allow us to create our own AI scripts for our single player maps. Some of these programs include:

• ALACN's Script Compiler / Decompiler
• CD Player's Notetab librarys
• Wildman Productions Script Editor
• Nexus' Auto Scripter
• Khickman's Syntax Coloured Text Editor
• TedTycoon's Script Editor

Some talented people have been helping out with the community greatly and writing tutorials such as the ones you'll find in this article to help people who don't know how to create scripts get better at doing so.

Concepts

The concepts in making single player maps are alike in some ways and different in some ways from making multiplayer maps. Here is a list of things you should remember when making your single player map:

• The maps don't have to be fair!

Unlike multiplayer maps, it's actually a good thing if single player maps aren't fair. Normally the player should have a big disadvantage to pose as a challenge.

You should have the AI start out with a set base. It makes the level harder because there are many ways you could rush the AI if they had to build a base. You should never give the player a full base. It would make the level far too easy and nobody would get a challenge out of it. You should also consider giving the player smaller land then the computer. It makes the map more challenging.

• Provide Objectives

Just like in multiplayer, single player maps should have more objectives other than to destroy your enemy. You should include stone heads and Vaults of Knowledge for more creative maps.

• Use a good script!

If you want to test your map, you can use one of these scripts:

For Red, use script cpscr053.dat; For Yellow, use script cpscr054.dat; For Green, use script cpscr055.dat.

The AI in these scripts will build and attack a bit.

These scripts are not suitable for a challenging level. Read the article below for a brief discussion on how to create good AI scripts for your single player maps.

AI Scripts

If you want a good single player map, you need a good AI script to go along with it. This can be achieved by using an AI scripter or simply creating one using notepad and compiling it with ALACN's AI script compiler.

You probably don't know how to make scripts and explaining scripts here would be a bad idea, so go here. You will find all kinds of information about scripting put together by a player named Megafont. There are many tutorials around which give lots of information about scripting and if you are unsure about something feel free to ask about in the Populous: Reincarnated forums.

Script Standards

Your script must give a player a challenge. You should make it as human-like as possible, because if not, it will be easy to beat.

Try not to make your script too hard, though. If it's too hard then nobody will want to play the map because it will be impossible to beat. Populous 3: Age of Chaos is a good example of this. King Warg and his team made the levels far too hard and King Warg even admitted that the levels were pretty tough, and they are. Don't make an Age of Chaos.

So here is a list of things you should have in your script.

• If you have a level with boats and/or [[balloon]s in it, make them use them.

• Make the AI attack each other. Most people enjoy levels where the AI attack each other such as everyone fighting over the stonehead in Middle Ground or the Dakini tribe killing off the Chumara tribe in An Easy Target.

• Let the AI cheat. Give them spells the player doesn't have. Give them mana at the beginning of the game. Start them out with a nice base with a lot of people and buildings. It makes the AI cooperate better and makes the level harder, too.

• Make unique scripts. Don't make the AI just attack. Make them try and pray to a stonehead or sidedoor and/or backdoor. Something interesting like that will do just fine.

• Some things that have to do with the player go in the script. Player doesn't start out with a reincarnation site? Goes in the script. Player gets one shot of lightning at the beginning of the game? You bet your bum it goes in the script.

• Timed levels are always fun. Objectives such as preying to a certain stone head or killing a certain amount of people or escaping from a prison all in a given amount of time will increase the excitment in the level.

Using these tips and the tutorial on Megafont's website, you should be able to create excellent AI scripts.

Multiplayer

The following information is a simple guide on making decent Multiplayer Populous levels. IF you want to get your maps online, then this is the place to start.

Simple Concepts

The most important thing about maps is ensureing that they are both enjoyable, and practical. Not all maps need to neccessarily fit to a mold, but they should follow a few simple guidelines to ensure they are fun for all and provide a decent match for players. Here is what can be done to make fun and enjoyable maps:

• Make Fair Maps

One of the largest complaints about any map in Populous these days is about the maps being unfair. The typical complaint usually refers to Blue's land on the level Face Off being too small while everyone else can build a massive base. While there is a great deal of importance in making a map fair, not everything needs to be perfectly 100% symmetric. Usually the best practice is to design the land, use TedTycoon's Symmetry Tool to make a symmetric skeleton and then go back into the map and change things around a bit. Usually it's good to give one player an advantage over the other, while giving the other player some kind of a different advantage. For example: give blue more wood, and red more wildmen, but only in small increments. Practicing such ideas will make your maps fun, fair, and even more importantly, desired to be replayed as there will be four different strategies to practice as opposed to just one for everyone.

• Provide Objectives

Players need something to fight for in order to get the game going. If you have a map with just land for the players to use and that is all, then there are no real strategical points to fight for. Usually, the best practice is to add a stone Head or two into the map which provides a powerful spell that each player will want to fight for in order to gain control of the map. Providing oppertunities to sidedoor or backdoor an opponent can allow for the possibility of a rush or a less one-sided experience as the game goes on.

• Be Practical, but not Predictable

There is a great deal of importance in how a map is designed (obviously that is why this guide has been submitted). It is a common bad habit of new map-makers out there to make a map which they see to be ideal (significant amounts of land, tree's, wildmen, etc..) but it is also important to consider that you are not the only person playing your map if you intend to take it online. Thinking outside of the box is definately a good trait to have, but remember not to push the envelope too far. No one likes to have 100 clones of the level Face Off, so don't bother makign another one, but at the same time, no one wants to spend 6 hours defending a Stone Head from their enemies only to find out that it is one shot of the Blast spell. Make your maps interesting, but not pointless by providing weird twists which will be figured out after having played the map just once.

Online Map Standards

All online maps should abide by a simple set of standards to ensure they not only work properly, but also provide enjoyment to those who play them. Here are some simple tips to follow:

• Use braves inside of a Reincarnation Site instead of wildmen as they will line up properly and be converted to wildmen when the game is started. Make sure the braves are the same color as the shaman which will convert them.

• Do not exceed more than 300 objects, including braves, shamans, trees, wildmen, Stone Heads, triggers, discoveries, and effects. Any other object not specified may be used, but can be subtracted from the total number of objects as long as the final number is less than 300. For example: 300 objects with 5 huts for each side is acceptable because 5 huts for four tribes equals 20, but the huts are not included in the list of objects which are crucial to the map. 350 Object plus 4 huts would be bad. 290 objects plus 5 huts for each tribe would be acceptable.

• Use script 122 in the header files.

• Provide a level name in the header file for easy identification when in the Map Editor.

• Make sure all Stone Heads have triggers and discoveries properly linked up. *Do not set any alliances in the header files.

• Do not preset Fog of War in the header files.

• Set the number of players to the exact number of people intended for the level, don't just use four as it will be mis-identified in-game.

• Set all of the spells to not charging except for Blast and Convert.
• Use neutral prisons on Multiplayer levels and ensure lightning is turned off when in use.
• Do not use Vaults of Knowledges online.

Writers

The Single Player article was written by DakiniShaman.

The Multiplayer article was written by Khickman, for more cool tips about map design, see my site The Populous Vault.