Making in-game maps:

[Bikerdude]

Evening

 

I've never really made a good in-game map, so what techniques do people use or recommend..?

 

ta.

[Obsttorte]

Personally I draw the map ona plain piece of paper. Than I scan this, use the empty map image shipped with tdm, set white to transparent and add it above the blank map image. I use gimp for that purpose.

 

Than I add some blurryness or dirt using some simple, dark colors.

[Springheel]

That's pretty much my method too.

[grayman]

Me too.

 

Or I draw it freehand, just like the guy who sells you the map at the local inn would do.

[demagogue]

I took a screenshot of DR, put it as a semi-transparent layer in Paintshop, then drew over it on a TDM map page with thickish lines with a "parchment" texture. Toss the layer and the map remains. Looked really good IMO.

[Sotha]

I use same method as demagogue.

 

I take a screenie in DR, make it transparent, then draw on it in Inkscape (fantastic program!), then delete DR picture and import parchment. Scale the vector floorplan to fit the parchment, add notes and text. Export as .png. convert png to tga in gimp.

 

Really fast workflow. Ulysses map took only 1hr, which is fast consodering I really suck in image manipulation.

[Bikerdude]

Both ways of making a map sound good, althought I like the idea od the layers method and will try this in gimp.

[Obsttorte]

I may add the "implementation" of ingame maps here, as this seem to be not known widely.

 

Once you have your image ready, you have to create the respective gui. This should not be a big problem and is described on the wiki iirc.

 

After that you have to create the map entity by writing a definition in a def file placed in the def folder. The name of the def is unimportant. The definition looks like this:

entityDef atdm:custom_map  //you can name the entity different if you like, just make sure the name isn't already used
{
 "inherit"  "atdm:map_base"  //the base class, providing the neccessary behaviour
 "inv_name"  "map_name"  //the name of the map shown in your inventory
 "gui"  "guis/map.gui"  //points to the gui file used for your map
 "inv_icon"  "..."  //the icon to be shown in the inventory, can be the same as gui, but preferable a low res version
 "model"  "..."  //the model to be used in game (only neccessary, if the player does not start with the map in his inventory
 "inv_map_start"  "0/1"  //whether the player starts with this map in his inventory
 "editor_usage"  ""  //optional: this description will show up in the entity inspector
}

In DR you just have to create the map entity and place it where you want it to be. Once the player frobs it the map will appear in the players inventory.

[HMart]

Don't know if this was already discussed and if some conclusion was arrived against it, but i will ask none the less, many times i would take the map out just to stare at a drawing and not really know where i really was or how could i reach my destination reading it (it seems i'm really bad at that stuff), so my question is, is it possible at easy settings or with a choice for the map to tell us where we currently are, i don't care if it doesn't tell where we must go, but just gives us our current location on the map would help.

[Obsttorte]

This is a mapper decision.

[Sotha]

...and not really know where i really was or how could i reach my destination reading it (it seems i'm really bad at that stuff)...

 

Why not use this opportunity for self-improvement.

 

Take a challenge to determine your whereabouts using landmarks and maps and determine where to go. Learning to do this in a simulation like TDM might help you in real life too. Knowing how to read maps and navigate is always useful!

[HMart]

This is a mapper decision.

 

Ah ok thanks that makes sense.

 

Why not use this opportunity for self-improvement.

 

Take a challenge to determine your whereabouts using landmarks and maps and determine where to go. Learning to do this in a simulation like TDM might help you in real life too. Knowing how to read maps and navigate is always useful!

 

Is what happens when you live almost all your life in the same space i know my village and the roads to nearby towns and villages like the palm of my hand so never really needed to improve my navigation skills, ;D but i will at least try doing what you said.

[Obsttorte]

Another point here is that if your position would be shown on map, it would appear out of place imho. I mean, in a game taking place in a modern setting, where we have gps and stuff like that, it may fit, but in a steampunk setting ...?

 

In addition some mappers may intend it as part of the challenge that you are able to use a map to your advantage.

[Sotha]

;D but i will at least try doing what you said.

 

The best thing about having an absolute zero skill in something is that with very little practice you quickly learn the very basic skill in the topic. Fast progress is often very motivating.