*Special thanks and dedication to zapdotep, who discovered this trick in the first place*
Screenshot: http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/6382/aoe0001no2.png
Forum thread: http://aoe.heavengames.com/cgi-bin/aoecgi/display.cgi?action=ct&f=4,5829,0,365
This larger-size bitmap also lets you edit the area down and right of the original mapdefault. It also includes a fixed version of the original-sized one, which apparently has been a pixel up and left of where it should have been for the past ten years without anyone noticing.
This larger bitmap requires 1024x768 screen resolution, the largest possible, or some will be cut off. Most AoE users probably use this anyway, but I recommend making sure they use it in a readme or the file description, or better yet both.
The black boxes in the larger bitmap are where the buttons (History, Instructions, Hints, OK) are. They need to be like that because the former three aren't always there and the last one glitches for some reason if you put it there. (Don't worry if you didn't understand that.)
UPDATE: It turns out that you save scenario filesize by turning the areas that you don't change to transparent (black), so do so if you wish, though it's not necessary.
Awesome!
The new size is 827*405 pixels. The original mapdefault is 628*278 pixels. This new bitmap will fill the screen from the bottom right corner to the location where the top left corner of the original mapdefault begins.
edit 8/2/08:
Oh now I know why you said it jumps - you were trying to reproduce the screen exactly. Just make the whole thing black and the game will treat it all as transparency.
The following stuff may not be accurate because I can't test them (not allowed to play aoe):
The colors in the instruction screen are richer than the ones available in the mapdefault. Therefore, it's better to use transparency (black) in the parts you are not changing.
8/3/08: the stuff was indeed inaccurate. However I still think using transparency is better, if only for smaller file size as the scn/x format is compressed.
[Edited on 08/03/08 @ 03:25 AM]
MrCheeze File Author
Posted on 08/02/08 @ 10:18 PM
Thanks for the clarification, I guess I wasn't too clear.
Response to 8/2/08: To those who don't know what he's talking about with the jumping, don't worry about it.
I will test the bitmap quality thing soon. EDIT: It's not true :)
Response to 8/3/08: You're right, it does make quite a bit of difference (turning the entire thing transparent saved half a megabyte).
[Edited on 08/03/08 @ 10:48 AM]
Ninetails (id: TailSpray)
Posted on 08/05/08 @ 06:35 PM
Rating
5.0
Rating: 5
Why 5.0? Because what it does, it does well. It allows you to add things beyond the edges of the mapdefault and into the scenery of the instruction screen. Also 5.0 because I didn't think of it first! :) I salute your creativity!
This file is just a lttle bonus for the really dedicated designers out there.
MrCheeze File Author
Posted on 08/07/08 @ 09:09 AM
And by "your creativity", you mean his creativity, of course.
[Edited on 08/07/08 @ 09:10 AM]
Ninetails (id: TailSpray)
Posted on 09/21/08 @ 12:59 PM
Yeah, sorry. I salute Zapdotep's Creativity! Still, thank you MrCheeze for helping out and uploading it.