Learning to 'map'

[Mr. T]

So, after downloading some maps made by site members, and seeing how cool this can be, I decided it was time for me to give it a try.

Well... not as easy as it first looks. But after time I was zipping right along and producing stuff that was fun - to me anyway.

Learning about how to set the 'competence' level of my enemies was a big find - ha.

I got humvees on the map, cruising the routes I gave them, but have still not figured out how to slow them down like they are in the actual BHD senarios. If I'm not standing in front of them as they bear down on me, then hit [SHIFT], I'm out of luck. But I'm living with that.

The BIG thing was finally figuring out how to start out in a Blackhawk (nevermind trying to have the helo sit and wait for me to get on, and then land somewhere so I can get off!). But once on, there was no getting off! So, the cheap fix I came up with was to design maps on islands. That way, I could route the helos along the coastline and have my hero simply jump out the door and plop in the water. Then he could swim ashore and proceed with the death and destruction. In the areas where the coastline was not a beach (and he couldn't climb the steep terrain up to the level area), I managed to place a ladder there for him to climb. Ha! Not realistic, but hey, it's MY game...

My other use for helo rides is to check out my latest additions to a map. Kinda like a 'tour' of the area. I change the route of a helo to fly over the area of interest, maybe doing a circle, so I can see if my gun emplacements are at the height they're supposed to be at - not ten feet in the air. Or buildings actually sitting on the ground and not floating like some sci-fi movie.

And just to kill time, I'll put a bunch of bad guys in somewhere and have a patrol of bad-assed Rangers head towards them, and I watch the AI fight from the safety of my over-flying helo.

So, that's the report from a 'po-mans' use of the Mission Editor.

Now, if I could only get the helos to act like they do in the 'real' game...