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| Thread: New Modder! How to create unique map features? | |
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DmanRangerD
Tavern Dweller
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posted August 24, 2022 03:16 AM |
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New Modder! How to create unique map features?
So I'm still new recently! I've had HoMM III & V for many many years. I play it as long as I can keep my interests on it, til something else catches my attention! So I come and go many times sense I've had game!
I still have maps I worked on years ago, and I've started new maps I have now. I come across questions, and not sure how to duplicate some things I've seen in games, I've managed to find the download for ALL the maps available, already developed by the game developers!
ONE THING In particular I want to know... If you played Hate Breed Hate? Campaign map about the Dungeon faction, a Warlock fleeing from his brethren the Elves, Warlock tries to take shelter in the underground, and is fighting against Dwarves who aren't welcoming these dark elves either, and the Warlock Hero meets a Demon lord who wants the Dwarves dead, so makes an agreement with the Warlock, and when you fulfill the agreement, finding and returning the Tome of Destruction, the Demon agrees to convert all Dwarves' slaves (capturing Dwarves' dwellings, and buying those creatures), into Inferno troops for Warlocks cause?!
That scenario, if you've played it, already know...
THERE IS A HUGE ABYSS, never-ending cavern of nothing, using an Object called Wall Downs, plus the long suspended Bridge across the cavern, with floating islands within it. I've sense accessed the map from the Editor perspective (how I know those Wall Downs were objects, I discovered they were moveable, and it's just a DEEP pit using Dig Terrain tool), but HOW did you make those Wall Downs? They are No where accessible in the Editors Objects list. I looked over everything, DILLIGENTLY... Not once, not twice but at least 5 times repeatedly, hoping I'd find it, as if I missed something. THEY ARE NOT THERE!? As far as I can tell, they look like a cross between those "craig" walls from the tool list, all the way right, the few select Dungeon walls, or Fortress Walls, mixed with Those large hanging columns, flipped upside down, and or something else, but it's an object I selected and moved in the Hate Breed Hate map. But could not find to use on my own map. They start of as terrain looking wall objects near the top (hanging below the terrain for the SubT underground map), and than hang super low, visually turns super black, and seeing nothing at bottom. Also, their were Black flat bottom platforms, simple squares, covering the bottom of the pit, also solid black, so from in game, it looks like an endless falling ABYSS of a Pit?!
ALSO. The suspended bridge, I have seen in the Map editor. It's under the Objects Tool, in the Subterranean Objects list. Top of list, the first three objects are stacks of Bricks. After that, are 4-5 different Bridge laying tiles, an elbow to a corner, a T intersection, a 4 way intersection, and Side walls, and a gate, if I recall all the options. Many times, I've tried to play with these, using these in the map. They never sit aligned with my terrain I want to use, always sit WAY TOO HIGH! But in the Object Property tree, their Z value is still 0?! So they're intended to sit high? I could NEVER figure out how to use those. UNTIL i seen Hate Breed Hate! So even not understanding those Wall Down peices, nor the bottom of pit tiles, I made a Deep terrain pit, and tried to line up those Bridge Gate objects in the pit, and sure enough, in middle of pit, they seem almost level with the regular terrain!? But once I move it over to line up with terrain, they do this funny thing where they alter shape of object to match the shape of the terrain, as if keeping their distance specific from the terrain, no matter where they're placed!! NOPE! Not what I wanted!! I can't figure out how match those Bridge peices up with the terrain they're suppose to level with, but I assume it has something to do with properly building the PIT? The ABYSS?
Anything ELSE anyone wants to share with me about Advanced map editing? Maybe their is another download source for more objects? Maybe an instruction manual or tutorial online, or YT, or something, that shows users how to do fancy stuff?
Most importantly, I just want to know how to create that Abyss?? And Line up that suspended Bridge? If it is something simple enough to do from the Map Editor?? Do I need to download, use another program outside of Editor? Maybe learn scripting?
Thanks in kind!
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HoMM V ToE passionately!
Map Editor in training!
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Elvin
Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Endless Revival
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posted August 24, 2022 12:33 PM |
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DmanRangerD
Tavern Dweller
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posted August 25, 2022 03:12 AM |
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Elvin said:
Put this in mod folder, unlocks abyss stuff.
[url]https://forum.heroesworld.ru/attachment.php?attachmentid=38242&d=1423562400[/url]
I don't have a "Mods" folder, per se.
In the HoMM V ToE folder; I have "Editor, Editor Documentation, Maps, Data, etc" that could be close to "Mods"?
I peaked in "Editor" and I have various XML docs, a bmp file, and three folders; H5MMods (is that the Mods folder?), IconCache, ResizeDialogueStyles.
So I peaked in "H5MMods" and all I see, 20-30 or so File Folders, all with like names from Maps I've seen plenty of times, opening various maps in the Map Editor. These are all Folders.
I don't want to guess, make a mistake, break the game or the editor! Could you clarify?
Besides those mentioned, back to the HoMM V TOE Folder, their are many more folders related to game, plus few text .docs, a BMP file, and a VDF file! Most those, I don't mess with, again, I'm afraid I'd break the game!! lol!
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HoMM V ToE passionately!
Map Editor in training!
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Elvin
Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Endless Revival
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posted August 25, 2022 05:50 PM |
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It's UserMODs in the game directory.
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H5 is still alive and kicking, join us in the Duel Map discord server!
Map also hosted on Moddb
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DmanRangerD
Tavern Dweller
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posted August 26, 2022 02:31 AM |
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Elvin said:
It's UserMODs in the game directory.
Done! I think. I drop the zip folder or the .pak file in the UserMODS folder? Because I did the latter. Just drag and dropped the "FullEditor.pak" file in UserMODS folder.
I'm assuming I simply open up the map editor? And I should have new things accessible? Can I load a previous map I've already started on, which was started before .pak file was dropped in UserMODS?
That's what i did. Start Editor. Open previously started map project. Than excited, I immediately went searching to see what new objects were available? AND nothing! I searched through All object lists in the objects tool, and checked other tabs for anything new, or different, or accessible, and I didn't see anything?
Did i drop it correctly? Am I able to continue on previous projects? Does it have to be new Projects only? Did I skip another step? Do I need restart computer or something?
____________
HoMM V ToE passionately!
Map Editor in training!
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Elvin
Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Endless Revival
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posted August 26, 2022 02:56 PM |
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Edited by Elvin at 14:57, 26 Aug 2022.
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Pak? I'm an idiot, pak files go into Data folder. Sorry, I'm used to mods going into the Usermods folder.
PS, it is also safe for multiplayer. It won't cause joiner errors if you decide to play someone online.
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H5 is still alive and kicking, join us in the Duel Map discord server!
Map also hosted on Moddb
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DmanRangerD
Tavern Dweller
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posted August 27, 2022 06:35 AM |
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Elvin said:
Pak? I'm an idiot, pak files go into Data folder. Sorry, I'm used to mods going into the Usermods folder.
PS, it is also safe for multiplayer. It won't cause joiner errors if you decide to play someone online.
No one's perfect!! We're human, we all make mistakes! Not many own theirs, so thank you! Both for correcting yours, and for the information!
Yes. It worked. I put the .pak file in the Data folder, and opened up the Editor, and just started on an empty map of new, to see what there was. Few dungeon wall downs, corner pieces for inner corners and outer. At first, I thought those corner pieces were above ground walls only. Not til I discovered, holding mouse over, the last one of both corners says down in it, I realized the wall downs had corners too. So this comes with added wall pieces for above ground (the under ground above ground... err, above the abyss level ground) which look like those wall pieces from the Craig walls in the tool list, which means I can custom my own walls now without changing the underground terrain by 3x3 tiles at a time! I EVEN played with the bridge pieces, realizing their a new set of bridge pieces. Are those the exact same bridge pieces already in the SubT list before the addition? They all look the same, but actually work with the wall down tiles.
Questions however, if your able to answer these any time.
Is their any purpose to those hanging bridge tiles that sit up high? Talking about those few bridge pieces found in SubT Objects list in Tools, which was there before the .pak file was loaded in? I have yet to find out how to use those, but every time I place them, they sit about (guessing) 15x tiles high above the ground level of the underground realm, and have an Opague look, or transparent to a degree.
Can those wall down pits work with anything to create added illusions? Trying to learn the different wall down uses, I created a large pit probably 30+ x 30+ tiles, with a wall down pit in the middle, than more wall downs making an isl in the middle, so a floating giant rock inside the middle of the wall down pit, and added a thick column, and painted the terrain with Rocky and Bulk terrain to elevate it! Turned out really cool, cause the visual of the Wall down raised with the terrain as I rose the rock up, so it looked like it was floating above the regular ground level of the underground terrain. I noticed it come with it's own wall down rock options, and I tried to see if adding other rocks work, but the larger ones I used had terrain underneath them, which didn't look right above the wall down pit. Again, all that to ask... is there anything that can add SFx to the endless pit, or will other objects clash with the pit tiles?
Like, just thinking, can small rocks, crystals, etc be added on top of a wall down bottom, and than a negative number, for the Z of coordinates, will that placed above appear below ground level, but inside the wall down pit?
Is there any chance their are MORE .pak files? Anything to add to above ground? Or Lava? Or water?
Can these wall downs be used above ground? Sounds crazy, but I'm sure I can create a floating castle image, like the Wizard castle appears, or something along those lines.
Wish I could share with you images, Idk how the image uploader works on here! It would be awesome to show you what I accomplish with it.
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HoMM V ToE passionately!
Map Editor in training!
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Elvin
Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Endless Revival
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posted August 27, 2022 01:51 PM |
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Edited by Elvin at 13:52, 27 Aug 2022.
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Well, there is one mod that unlocks everything in the editor but.. If you install it, you can't join people online. Unless you keep note on which folders you copy pasted so you can remove them. Here's the original topic.
Unless you're Russian you probably can't understand but you can get the mod from here directly. It's NoBlockEditor in the list.
Beware, it will also make your map editor language Russian xD
If you have discord add me, easier to share pics there.
Elvin23#5674
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H5 is still alive and kicking, join us in the Duel Map discord server!
Map also hosted on Moddb
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DmanRangerD
Tavern Dweller
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posted August 29, 2022 04:48 AM |
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Elvin said:
Well, there is one mod that unlocks everything in the editor but.. If you install it, you can't join people online. Unless you keep note on which folders you copy pasted so you can remove them. Here's the original [url=https://forum.heroesworld.ru/showthread.php?t=10829]topic[/url].
Unless you're Russian you probably can't understand but you can get the mod from [url=https://disk.yandex.ru/d/lCdENUb73YDoND]here[/url] directly. It's NoBlockEditor in the list.
Beware, it will also make your map editor language Russian xD
If you have discord add me, easier to share pics there.
Elvin23#5674
I don't know about using that other editor mod. I like making maps I can share! That reminds me, the .pak file you sent me earlier, for the Subterranean Abyss objects, that file doesn't do anything conflicting with MP games, right? Once i'm done with a map using items from that, I can share online with a friend or community?
Also what goes into sharing maps? What are requirements for a mutual game including multiplayer? Do all human participants have to have map file in advance? Will they gain it or download it once game starts? How's that work, if you could? Thanks.
I sent a "Friend request" on Discord. I'm DmanRoboDad.
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HoMM V ToE passionately!
Map Editor in training!
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