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Delta Force Anything to do with the Delta Force series of games, DF1, DF2, LW, TFD, BHD, DFX, AF etc.

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Old 08-12-2018, 02:24 PM
Guest001 is offline Guest001
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Fix My Map Requests

This is in explanation as to why I may appear reluctant to help others in some of the recent Fix My Map requests.

I'd like assure them that this is not the case.


By request I'll have a look at someone's map but I do encourage others to fix their own maps.

Why?

So there's a better understanding of the why of the problem not just that it occurred and there's a fix, it's the old fashioned way - you get thrown in at the deep end.

Knowing how to set your mind to solving problems with minimal information and without aid in application is a challenge that reaps the most rewards in my old fashioned opinion.

Sure we all need examples of things but I believe that the more is said and done by others, the less is learned by the individual.

Knowing script doesn't really teach one how to make something like this or anything fun.

One way though is to play your own maps and it's a fair enough way to test them and it's not a conceited pastime in any way, it's crucial in fact and nothing should be taken for granted as working until you do this.

More so, playing it once isn't enough either, you'll have play it many times and do different things, you'll have to try and break it so you can prevent others breaking it in-game.

Finally, figuring something out for one thing can lead to answers and ideas for other things...

One more thing...

Figuring out something complex needs patience and confidence in yourself.

Last edited by Guest001; 08-12-2018 at 02:35 PM.
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Old 08-13-2018, 08:18 AM
Baldo_the_Don is offline Baldo_the_Don
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Wait...

Quote:
Originally Posted by stompem View Post
One way though is to play your own maps and it's a fair enough way to test them and it's not a conceited pastime in any way, it's crucial in fact and nothing should be taken for granted as working until you do this.
Are there mappers that feel self-conscious about playing their own maps?

Oh no, people. No. Play-testing your own maps is not listening to songs you wrote or reading your own poetry or hanging up your own drawing 'cause you think you're awesome. Play-testing your own maps is taking the go-cart you just built for your little brother for a hard spin to make sure it works and won't land anyone on a gurney.



Note: I go on for a while below. Feel free to skip it.



You play your map the way you want it to be played. Then you play it again and at every point you want the player to make a decision, you do something ninety degrees off. Where you want the player to go up, you go to the side. Where you want a player to attack first, you attack second. Where you want a vehicle to do something, but wow, that trick is at the end of a very long mission, you create a test map where that trick is the only thing going on and ensure it works. You deactivate all the events and put all the enemies on Team Green, then run around the map making sure all the items are in their correct positions, that all the waypoints have names, and all the fences and walls have end poles and end caps, and all the terrain tiles are assigned to the correct layers.

You can load a mission, spawn near something you want to look at, pause the mission, alt+tab to the MEd, move the player start marker to the other thing you wanted to survey on the other side of the map, save and export, alt+tab back to the game, press ESC and R, and now you spawn in the new location.

Find a gap in a wall? Alt+tab to MEd, move the spawn to the gap, close the gap, save and export, alt+tab to game, restart the misson, check the gap.

Sure, sometimes things like tile edits and changing AI Textfiles require leaving the mission, going back to the main menu, then reloading the map to see the changes, but you'll figure that all out.

These are things you learn with time, practice, and testing.

You test-start a mission. You decide to alt+tab out and insert a chain-link fence piece. You alt+tab back in, hit ESC and R: sysdump. That'll happen with some fence items. Something to do with how the game handles some items' .3di. There are quite a few other items like this. Don't panic about it. This only really happens if you insert one of these specific items for the first time and attempt an ESC+R restart. If you're inserting another of these items that are already in the map, or reloading the misson from the Instant Action menu, no problem.

Some newly inserted items are invisible on mission restart. Alt+tab out and right back in, then the game loads the skins properly, and there it is. Or you'll add a teammate, restart the mission, and his face is blank and dark grey. Game's not broken, the texture just didn't load. Alt+tabbing out and in should fix this.

There are no manuals that go this deep. You just keep testing maps and trying stuff. Eventually, you start remembering things.

But if you know the "Reset Has Visited Flags" action, also know this applies ONLY to waypoint lists 1 to 31. That advice would've saved me a frustrating week of testing a few years ago.
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Last edited by Baldo_the_Don; 08-13-2018 at 08:46 AM. Reason: Because of the FUN!
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