[DFLW] Ideas

[Scott]

What do you feel makes your maps boring now? What's the repetition? I assume you're making SP maps?

[johnno56]

Originally Posted by Scott

What do you feel makes your maps boring now? What's the repetition? I assume you're making SP maps?

You are correct. I only play SP and modified COOP maps. I have never played online... Let's just say, I'm the Star Trek 'Red Shirt', type of player. Getting 'killed off' early in the game is par for the course for me... lol

What makes my maps boring and or repetitious... In a nutshell, me. I start tinkering a map together using a simple objective(s) and before too long, voila!, a simple map... Almost exactly the same as a map I created some time ago...

I cannot count the number of SP maps I have downloaded to either play or "pick apart". As my OS is Linux, I am limited to DFLW and DFTFD, mainly because I cannot get the other DF games to run properly. DF2 *almost* runs ok. That is why I have been checking out ways to convert the maps. I had even considered trying my hand at 'Terrains'...

Do not get me wrong, I really enjoy playing DF and have for years, I only wish I could make my maps more interesting...

As a side note: My grandsons have see DFLW and were amazed. They had never seen it before. They enjoyed playing but were not sure about learning how to make their own games... Cool.

It's gone 1am and I had best get some sleep...

J

[Guest001]

Originally Posted by johnno56

As my OS is Linux, I am limited to DFLW and DFTFD, mainly because I cannot get the other DF games to run properly.

Go to the Linux / Ubuntu repositories and install the latest version of W.I.N.E.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by johnno56

As my OS is Linux, I am limited to DFLW and DFTFD, mainly because I cannot get the other DF games to run properly. DF2 *almost* runs ok.

Last time I checked, all the games should run with Linux as long as Wine is installed and up to date. We have a player that plays DF1 on linux as well as a few DF2 players.

[Guest001]

Originally Posted by johnno56

I only wish I could make my maps more interesting...

Million dollar companies wish the same thing... so don't be so disappointed with your own limitations, after 5 years it could be time to admit that not everyone can do it and you are one of them.

[johnno56]

Stompem,

Umm... I scrolled back to read your responses, and for some strange reason, they seem to have grown legs... lol

[Guest001]

Originally Posted by johnno56

Stompem,

Umm... I scrolled back to read your responses, and for some strange reason, they seem to have grown legs... lol

Sry I thought you weren't interested because I publish in BHD and DFX2.


I started with CD versions of LW and TFD before I had the Internet.


Perhaps you can still find some of my rambling useful.

This is how I do it.

What if?

I start by just putting some objects in a map - a player marker and 2 bots and just go from there adding objects as I go.

I get in the map and play it.

I go outside or somewhere away from the PC and sit down and think about it.

I go back and move things around until I get some sort of play going.... and the map starts building itself.

In other words creating random situations helps create and form ideas.

BTW I never use templates and seldom do the same thing twice, always starting from scratch with a blank terrain.






Point 2
Besides understanding why a building would be built here and not there, why certain vegetation may be present or not and how rocks form and other natural phenomenon occur I think the mapper should try to understand the principles of why things are different when everything is seeming composed of the same elements (as in nature).


Realizing that, I've developed a bit of a mapping philosophy which may help you.

A line (or road) from point A to point B is defined by the objects in it's path.

In the same way a random scenario is defined the conditions within it's scope.

As referred to above, both of these descriptions are composed of known objects and conditions but when simply randomized, they will always be different.






Point 3

Regarding Win and Lose conditions being limited in the editor, that's probably true but don't let that worry you because I think they're generally the same in the end when you look at the outcome, you win or lose.

Basically, all you have in the end is infil, mission exfil.

So I suppose it's what happens in between that makes the difference.

I think you can be fairly generic or unspecific when it comes to choosing the win and lose conditions and without using custom files like bin and wac.

This is because the player should know what to do according to how you lay the map out.

Most often people will know where to go and what to do without much guidance if it's a good map, remembering the premise of every scenario is basically already set.

IE

You are Delta Force etc...

[Guest001]

Originally Posted by johnno56

I have been running with Linux now since 2005. Wine is and has always been up-to-date.

Most legacy VMs are archived at the moment.

I use VMWare to make Windows, Linux and/or Ubuntu virtual machines.

I also have Ubuntu partitions on dedicated hard drives.

I assume your issue lies with an existing dedicated machine?

OK so off the top of my head you can run XP OS emulations on linux (as a virtual machine) but the next best thing is WINE as you know.

Hardware is critical and you'll need GForce or ATI type driver sets, you have to run directX so the graphics card must able to do this, given the right configuration.

Open GL cards may pass on earlier games but I'm not sure.

Regarding WINE settings - OS and other environment factors come into play so separate configurations are required for some of the games.

In other words they can't all be lumped into a single WINE emulation.