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| Author |
File Description |
| Matei |
Posted on 09/09/03 @ 09:15 PM
MAPGEN - A program by MATEI of Woad Creations (http://www.woadcreations.nl)
DESCRIPTION:
MapGen is a utility program that lets you create custom real-world random maps for Age of Mythology. You can create a map of your favorite part of the world quickly and then play it with anyone who has AoM on the Internet, or you can customize your map to add very unique terrain and object placements. You create maps by painting a square "grid" to denote zones of squares of the same "class". For example, a map might have an "ocean" class, a "plains" class and a "mountains" class. Within each class, resources, terrain patches, forests and decorative objects can be placed in a different way. Your map will always have the same general shape and the same classes in the same places, but the forests, hills, animals, etc within each class will be placed randomly each game, within the constraints you give. This is a lot like the real world maps that existed in Age of Kings. You can make maps either "Nomad-style" (players start with some units and have to claim and build a Settlement) or like standard AoM maps with a Town Center for each player. The nomad-style games are quite fun in multiplayer, but single-player users can probably get pretty good games using standard starting units. The map file generated is a regular random map script - it can be played in any of the standard game modes (Supremacy, Death Match, Lightning, etc) by simply setting up a Random Map game and selecting your map from the list there.
Here's a list of some of the features of MapGen:
- Easy installation - just unzip it and double-click it.
- Useful tutorial - will guide you through creating a first map quickly and show you all the useful features
- Help for all the features, through both tool-tips on the screen and browsable Help documents.
- Many built-in classes - there are classes for various types of Boreal, Temperate, Desert and Sea areas that will require almost no changes if all you want to do is make a map of your part of the world.
- Ability to import map layout from any image file, matching classes to spots on the map based on the color of the image.
- Ability to save and load zone classes from files when you've created them so you can re-use them in different maps or share them with others.
- Lists of all the terrains and object names usable in AoM random maps.
- Randomization features, terrain layers for blending, and constraints for placing objects/areas to make your map fun and fair.
The classes system of MapGen lets you control enough details of object and terrain generation that you could probably create a map like the standard Alfheim, Savannah, etc by using just painting a map with one class. Of course, you can make much more interesting maps by laying out terrain to form a real-world map.
INSTALLING AND RUNNING:
IMPORTANT NOTE: To run MapGen, you will require the Microsoft .NET Framework (Microsoft's new environment for Windows applications). If you cannot run the program when you double-click it, you can obtain .NET at http://www.windowsupdate.com. Check all the updates listed there for your computer.
To install MapGen, create a MapGen folder somewhere on your hard-drive and move all the files and folders in this zip archive to it. A good place might be C:Program FilesMapGen or Age of MythologyMapGen. To run MapGen, double-click the MapGen.exe in this folder. You could also create a shortcut to MapGen.exe on the desktop and then double-click that - in this case, make sure the starting directory for the program is the one that contains the files you unzipped (it should be that by default - check the Properties for your shortcut).
The files and folders included in this zip archive are:
- MapGen.exe - The MapGen program.
- ReadMe.txt - This information document.
- classes - A folder containing some common grid square classes for various climate areas (temperate, desert, boreal, and different types of seas).
- help - A folder containing MapGen's help files and the tutorial.
Note that any map files you generate should go in your Age of Mythologyrm folder, no matter where you installed MapGen.
GETTING STARTED USING MAPGEN:
Once you download the program, it's easy to get started and you can probably make your first map in about half an hour. Open up MapGen.exe, then press Help and then Tutorial in the window that appears. The tutorial will guide you step-by-step through creating your first map, and show you most of the tools you need for working with MapGen. MapGen also comes with useful pre-built area classes for common areas of the world, which you can use unchanged or rapidly customize to make a map.
I hope MapGen will make it easy for a lot of people to create fun, playable custom random maps. Enjoy! |
| Author | Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
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| M0nTy PyTh0n |
Posted on 01/02/04 @ 06:56 PM
This map program is well suited for making a fast template for a bit more complex scenarios. But, I can not recommend it for making a random map with it!
An original random map needs a bit more brain than just painting a few dots with a special terrain survice and just adding units and some constraints! |
| KatropheDenryu |
Posted on 02/10/04 @ 01:10 AM
Hey Matei... I love this MapGen thing. Sure enough, it's complicated, and it's not as simple in ways as the Scenario Editor that comes as default, but looking (and trying to learn) at RMS, this program is heaven-sent. Of course, you'll need to update it for the expansion so that instead of ulfsarks, atlantean gods get their villagers. I love it, though, and I've got several Works-In-Progress due to the programming prowess and skill that you handled this program with. This program deserves a solid 5.0, amybe a 4.999 but I round up. It's only moderately user-friendly, and an easier to understand program would be nice. Now that I've got the hang of it, though, I'm certain I've got it down. You need to make some Scenario Editor tools onto it- that would be awesome. You know, maybe something like modifying units and SPECIFIC places to put buildings/resources. One thing- I can't find out how to make the settlements spread perfectly evenly, I always end up with three on one side of the map and one on the other (which doesn't matter on the World Map I am working on, since it's a nomad, but on other maps it would be nice to have the buildings capable of being pre-set, as well as units, as so some beautiful eyecandy that only editors can place can come into use).
Every one of your works is a miraculous creation, and you are by far my favorite editor. I look forwards to your next version of Norse Wars, and some other awesome RMS's that you are working on at Woad Creations.
Additional Comments:
Keep up the good work, it's beautifully done and very clever. I like the conversion of image into text, as the MapGen does, but could you make it more detailed? Perhaps a bigger image as the size per player grows larger?
Other evil critism- I don't like how alot of the files get overloaded with information and take forever to load. Norse Wars and other user-made RMS's don't do that, why does MapGen make them like that? Any ideas?
PS- Awesome job, I'm loving it! |
Elpea
(id: lp_usa) |
Posted on 04/20/04 @ 11:07 PM |
| MystControl |
Posted on 06/13/04 @ 04:32 AM
(Insert Rating analysis here)
Additional Comments:
Hi tryed the Mapgen, and after doing the tutorial and a little try outs it works perfekt. all of you who like to use this tool - do the tutorial and after try out to change some things and look what is happen ind the AOM map, this is the way I lerned to use the mapgen. THX to MATEI - great work hope you go on an du a little addons with the TITANS stuff
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| Brisingre |
Posted on 12/16/05 @ 02:18 PM
This just THE BEST RMS program in existance!! (I also think this is the only RMS program that works in existance)
Additional Comments:
A must-download for anyone who has ever gotten bored of the Ensemble RM scripts and are way too lazy to learn RMS for themselves! Thank you Matei!!
P.S.Could you plz do another one that can do trigger scripting and is Titans-Compatible? |
nottud
Staff |
Posted on 01/24/06 @ 04:53 PM
ALL I CAN SAY SUPER DUPER!
Additional Comments:
I havn't know about this download for ages, I found it by accident when I was searching for something else.
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| Age_0f_Ra |
Posted on 04/13/08 @ 09:54 PM
I must say, this is truly a work of art. If there were any categories here to rate, they would all be five stars. This program is great for those whom are beginning at Random Map editing, thanks to the descriptive tutorial, and great for the experts. Easily 5*/5*
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| Lukasrod |
Posted on 10/18/10 @ 05:28 PM
This may appear a bit old but that software has a great problem since doens´t work for most people.
Additional Comments:
Even so nobody have made anything about this and that´s really, really sad...and angry
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HGDL v0.8.2 |
| Statistics |
| Downloads: | 9,175 |
| Favorites: [] | 4 |
| Size: | 182.13 KB |
| Added: | 09/09/03 |
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