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This is a guide on what is an acceptable map and what is unacceptable. |
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Only acceptable maps will be put in the official Crossfire map distribution |
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|
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1) Check that all exits lead where they are supposed to. Unless there is |
| 5 |
a specific reason an exit leads only one direction (like a trap door or |
| 6 |
perhaps a teleporter), players should be able to exit back from where they |
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came from right when they enter the map. |
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|
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One way exits/entrances should only be used on objects in which it is |
| 10 |
obvious it is one way. A house is not an obvious one way entrance. Remember, |
| 11 |
players may not have the three hours of time it takes to find the exit |
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after being trapped in a map (a work around for this can be have the trap |
| 13 |
lead to a safe place with no exit which contains a savebed. Thus, the |
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player could save and come back at a later time to find the exit.) |
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|
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2.1) Try to make sure the maps are multi player accessible. In towns, this |
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means the road should be at least a couple squares wide, buildings should not |
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be trapped in corners in which case one character standing in front blocks |
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access, etc. |
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|
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2.2) Try to make corridors in dungeons or mazes a few squares wide - |
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especially if there is only a single path. If it is a maze with several |
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different paths, single width corridors are acceptable. The main problem |
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here are big labyrinths in which only one monster attacks at a time, and |
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which there is only 1 or two routes. If two players enter such a map, the |
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one that went in first will be in the lead the entire time. |
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|
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2.3) Avoid spiral or single path mazes that just have monsters lining the |
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corridor. These are not very good for multiple players, not particularly |
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interesting (map justs consists of killing all the monsters), and tend to be |
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an easy and safe way to gain experience. |
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|
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3) Don't put: |
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|
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3.1) extremely valuable treasure right next to the entrance, or |
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nearby. Players should need to work to get treasure. If the treasure is |
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fairly worthless (food, or non magical items), this would be acceptable. |
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But a character should not be able to pop in, pick up a potion, spellbook, |
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or a lot of diamonds, and then pop out again, without ever meeting |
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a monster. |
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|
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3.2) Don't put monsters of high experience point near to entrance where they |
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are trapped. Low level player could boost their experience high by using some |
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weapons or spells from distance without danger. For example find a trapped |
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troll and get wand of fireball. |
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|
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3.3) monsters on top of other monsters. A troll should not be sitting on |
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top of an oriental dragon. The only exception to this would be if a monster |
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could be on top of another monster (making sense) and hiding it at the same |
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time. A troll on top of an oriental dragon does not make sense (could not |
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fit), nor can the troll hide the oriental dragon. Using tricks like these |
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which are only applicable due to display limitations is something that |
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should not be done, nor should the player need to click on every monster he |
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encounters to see if something is below it. (as a side note, doing this |
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will tend to lock the monsters into position, making them unable to move.) |
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|
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3.4) Large groups of monsters that can be killed quickly with spells. A |
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fairly popular tactic to make high level maps is just to put 30 dragons (or |
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other tough monsters) in a big room. Do not do this. All the player needs |
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to do is cast a dozen icestorms, and quickly gets millions of experience. |
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Likewise, it is unlikely that any more than 2 or 3 large (multisquare) |
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monsters will be able to attack a player or party at once - the remaining 25 |
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will be blocked from doing anything. This then makes it so that having 30 |
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dragons is not any tougher than having 3. |
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|
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If you want to make a high level map, instead of tossing a lot of monsters |
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on it, take existing monsters and make them tougher. Increase their |
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hit points, level (which then means spells they use do more damage), add |
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immunities or protections, remove vulnerabilities, change attack types, etc. |
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Try not to totally change the characteristics of a known monster - a normal |
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dragon should still be dragon like. Also, remember to adjust experience |
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that the monster gives. |
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|
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4) Try to keep the treasure in line with the difficulty. 5 potions should |
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not be given out for defeating orcs or gnolls (even if there are a lot |
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of them), but if you need to defeat several dragons to get to the |
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potions, that is fine. Likewise, if it is likely a lot of spells will be |
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needed to defeat the monster, and those spells have a chance of destroying |
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the items, then perhaps a few extra items to take this into consideration |
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is not a bad idea. |
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|
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5) If use of a specific skill/class/spell is needed to complete the map, |
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that should be stated near the map entrance. How clearly this is stated |
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depends on the circumstance. If use of a certain skill is needed, there is |
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probably no good way other than to state that a skill is needed. If use of |
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a certain spell is needed, stating that a spell caster of XX level might be |
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sufficient, with the assumption that a spellcaster of that level would have |
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the spell. It is safe to assume that all characters can fight, but |
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spellcasting (especially certain spells) should not be assumed, and thus |
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should be stated. |
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|
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Also, don't put in hidden rooms requiring dimension door if they only real |
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way to know about them is pure luck or looking at the map. If you want to |
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do something like that, at least put some clues in. |
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|
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If a certain skill would make a map easier, but is not required, you don't |
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need to necessary state it. The idea of this is that it can be frustrating |
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to wander into some map, complete most of it, but find out you can't |
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finish the map because you lack some skill or spell. |
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|
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5.1) A map should be designed so that a character can never be |
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trapped in a room (except via other player interaction.) A character should |
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never be forced to dimension door or word of recall out of a map because |
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some gate closed behind him. For a character without these spells, |
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it would mean death. A simple method around this is put a lever on |
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both sides of the door. If the door is opened by special actions (saying |
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things, dropping things), just put the lever on the hard to get side of |
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the gate. |
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|
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6) If a map require multiple players to simultaneous be on it to solve |
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the map, put a sign or message so players know. Such maps would be those |
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that require manipulation of levers or buttons in certain sequences in |
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order to get through gates. |
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|
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Don't make ends of maps require multi users. This ruins that map for |
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single players (not able to complete it), and makes a map that requires |
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multiple players for only a small portion. |
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|
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7) Try not to make the maps too many levels deep. To get to the goal, |
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it should not require a 6 hour continous sitting, as the player works |
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through each map to get to the next. Multi level maps are fine - just |
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don't over do it. One way to do this is have several maps with a key |
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or other special item at the end. The final map could have the various |
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battles, and then a series of gates/altars which uses up these keys. |
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|
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8) Shops: |
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|
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8.1) Don't put super stores in any towns or villages you create. With the |
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growing number of maps, players can already make a trip to all the different |
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towns to try and find certain items. A one stop find all shop is not |
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interesting. A good maximum size is about the same size of the shops |
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in the starting village. |
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|
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Also, making six magic shops of that size and putting them in the same |
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town is not any better than one large magic shop. If you want to have |
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specialized shops, then make each shop smaller. If you just want one |
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shop that sells every type of item (magic, armor, weapons, food, etc), then |
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a large shop is permissable. |
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|
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8.2) Make sure the entire interior the shop is covered with tiles. Likewise, |
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don't put shops that lead to areas without tiles without going over one of |
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the 'magic doormats'. A player should never be able to get an unpaid |
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item out of a shop, whether via exit that does not go over the magic |
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doormat, or through spells. |
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|
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|
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9) Don't make maps which require high level characters that low level |
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characters can wonder into without warning. Put a warning sign nearby, |
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or gates or doors so the player can see they are in over their head, instead |
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of instantly getting toasted the second they enter the map. |
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|
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|
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10) The structure of the map should make sense. That is to say, |
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if you enter a house, the house should then not have a tower inside. Or |
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a door to a shop. In other words, if a map has an exit to another map, |
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that exit should make sense (ie, another level, tunnels, dungeons |
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all make sense. However, another building the size of the original |
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does not make sense. |
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|
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|
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11) Try to keep the difficulty throughout the map(s) about the same. |
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The first monster in the map should not be the most difficult monster, |
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nor should the last monster be orders of magnitude more difficult |
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than anything before it. |
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|
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It is very frustating to play a map, killing most every monster without |
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much difficulty, only to find that last monster unkillable. |
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|
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It is reasonable to have the monster increase in difficulty. Also, if the |
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map has no quest or end goal, then having a very difficult monster around is |
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not unreasonable, as long as it does prevent the player from progressing to |
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the next map. |
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|
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12) Do not put directors with bullet, lightning, fireball, etc. that |
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are a loop or continuous. Example: Do not have two directors, each |
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facing each other, with a bullet wall firing into them at the side. |
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|
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Having numerous directors is fine. But make sure that eventually, |
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there will be an exit/detonation point for the fired spell. Having |
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loops that go for over typically bring the game to a halt, as the |
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objects just multiply and the game consumes more and more cpu time. |
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|
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|
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13) Read the 'quests' file to learn how to manage quests. |
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|
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|
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
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The following are various suggestions for making good or interesting |
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maps. A map that does not need to follow all these hints to be accepted, |
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but following these hints will make for more interesting or playable maps. |
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|
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|
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1) Try to create only small maps. If you have a large map in mind, try to |
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see if you can possible split it up in several separate sections, and place |
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those sections in different maps. Many small maps use much less memory than |
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one large map, since crossfire doesn't yet support swapping of portions of |
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maps. Also, with small maps, the time to load it from and store it to disc |
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becomes so short that it's impossible to notice. In this context, small |
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means about 32x32, though it's actually the number of objects in the map |
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which count. |
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|
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What is potentially more critical than the size of the map is the number |
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of objects (memory usage), and live objects (cpu usage, as each would need |
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to be processed.) |
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|
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Also, remember that if you make very large maps, all generators will be |
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cranking out monsters whenever anyone is on it. This could mean that a lot |
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of monsters have been generated before a player even gets to the area where |
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they are being created. |
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|
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Related to this: If a map contains multiple levels, make multiple maps. |
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Many times, if the level is small, the mapmaker may think I will just put |
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all the levels on one larger map. This makes the map a little less readable |
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to others. Also, things like magic mapping and dimension door can lead to |
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unexpected results. |
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|
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2) Make a plot! A map withot a plot becomes just another mindless |
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"Kill'em all". For instance, create a story which explains why there |
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are npc's here and monsters there, fragment the story up and put |
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bits and hints of it in various writables (books) and npc-conversations. |
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|
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If you are going to make a mindless kill them all map, at least put some |
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reward in the map that can only be accessed after all the monsters have been |
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killed. The only thing worse than a kill them all map is a kill them all map |
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which you get nothing out of. |
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|
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Avoid maps where all the monsters are lined up, and only one can attack |
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you at a time. This just makes an easy (and relatively safe) way for |
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a character to gain experience and treasure, and is not especially |
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interesting or challenging. |
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|
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2.1) A good idea for the rewards at the end of quests are specific |
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items (luggage, spellbook of some otherwise not available spell, |
| 234 |
special weapon, spellcrystal, etc.) It is much more interesting to |
| 235 |
put a specific item instead of something like a random artifact. Feel |
| 236 |
free to mutate or otherwise change existing artifacts to create your own. |
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|
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This has two advantages: one, the player will get to know where certain |
| 239 |
items are. Having to search endlessly for a specific item gets tedious. |
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Two, it reduces the incentive to keep repeating the quest (repeating |
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quests is not inherently bad) If the reward is a random artifact, a player |
| 242 |
may very well keep repeating the quest until the item he looks for comes up. |
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By doing specific items, this will not happen. |
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|
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3) Make puzzles! Use all those different object types: buttons, handles, |
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doors, altars, pedestals, triggers, timed gates, etc... Hide special "keys" |
| 247 |
needed to get further in special places, and use text-puzzles to describe |
| 248 |
where they are hidden and how they must be used. The possibilities are |
| 249 |
endless! Remember, you can also hide buttons under floors, making it more |
| 250 |
difficult for the character to find the trigger points. |
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|
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|
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4) But don't make too much big labyrinths. Making of labyrinths is (too) |
| 254 |
easy with crossedit, just select auto-joining and make zig-zag with mouse. |
| 255 |
But the results of these are quite tiring. If you make ones, try make |
| 256 |
some idea into it. |
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|
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Related: Don't make maps where the only way to find something is examination |
| 259 |
of each and every wall. For example, don't have a big map with lots of walls, |
| 260 |
but the key to moving onward is to find the weak wall and pass through it. |
| 261 |
Nor should big mazes full of invisible walls be made where the way to get |
| 262 |
through it is just by going in some direction, finding out you can't move |
| 263 |
anymore in that direction, go some other one, etc. |
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|
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5) Give the npc's information! An npc's knowledge about hidden treasure surely |
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makes it interesting to have a conversation with it. |
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|
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|
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6) Feel free to add some traps, but be careful to not make them too |
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deadly without adequate warning. |
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|
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|
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7) Don't mix the monsters too badly. Let there be at least some logic |
| 274 |
behind why they are grouped in a single room. Undeads together with |
| 275 |
undeads, for instance, but not together with kobolds... |
| 276 |
Big dragons usually don't live together with mice... Fire immune creatures |
| 277 |
generally dislike ice immune creatures. |
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|
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Also, limit use of monsters that multiply rapidly (mice, slimes). A map |
| 280 |
that is easily overwhelmed with these creatures quickly becomes useless. |
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|
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8) Give your maps a meaningfull name (like John's tower, level 1). |
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This way, these can be used instead of the map paths in the highscore |
| 284 |
file. Also, in terms of the actual file name, try to use numeric |
| 285 |
level identifiers (ie, maze.1, maze.2, ... instead of maze.first, maze.second, |
| 286 |
etc.) The former maps the levels sorted a little bit nicer in the |
| 287 |
directory. |
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|
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9) Try to make the map so that it links in with the existing world. Most |
| 290 |
people want to make their own continent, which is then accessed by ship |
| 291 |
or other fast means. While convenient, this creates many island |
| 292 |
continents. The problems with this are that any feeling of relation is lost |
| 293 |
(where is that island continent), and it makes item searching in shops very |
| 294 |
easy - if you can access half a dozen shops quickly and safely by taking |
| 295 |
boats, you have a decent chance of finding the item you want. |
| 296 |
|
| 297 |
Also, it seems that when most people start making maps, the first thing they |
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do is create a new town or village. There are already a lot of towns and |
| 299 |
villages out there. If you are just going to create a few new buildings, |
| 300 |
instead of going to the effort and time of creating your own island with a |
| 301 |
town, just create the buildings, and plug them into one of the existing |
| 302 |
towns or the terrain someplace. Many of the towns right now have many |
| 303 |
unused buildings. |
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|
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
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|
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Technical map hints: |
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|
| 309 |
1) If you are creating a new archetype, it only needs to go into the general |
| 310 |
archetype distribution if it has an image associated with it, or it has |
| 311 |
general use (a new monster). Something that uses already existing images |
| 312 |
can be set up in the map file itself (through setting various variables). |
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|
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2) When modifying an existing archetype into a new one (either new face |
| 315 |
or new type), use the archetype that has the most variables in common. |
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Thus, if you want to create a monster called a 'bouldar', it is probably |
| 317 |
best to take a monster of some sort and change its face instead of taking |
| 318 |
the existing boulder archetype and changing its type, hit points, speed, |
| 319 |
etc. |
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|
| 321 |
3) Changing color is no longer possible in maps - instead, a new face |
| 322 |
and image must be created, and then put in the standard distribution. |
| 323 |
The archetype collection script will automatically pull out face information |
| 324 |
from archetype files. |
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|
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4) Try to keep maps readable by other people who might edit them. Thus, |
| 327 |
instead of modifying a woods space so it also acts as an exit, just put an |
| 328 |
invisible exit under the woods space. This has the same functionality, but |
| 329 |
it makes it much easier for other players to see what this space does. (Side |
| 330 |
note - if you want it so that players actually need to apply the space |
| 331 |
to enter, you will need to change the face of exit for this to work. If |
| 332 |
you do this, you should also accompany it with a magic mouth.) |
| 333 |
|
| 334 |
5) Make sure you set the difficulty field in the map attributes to |
| 335 |
somethign meaningful. Crossfire will calculate a default dificulty, |
| 336 |
but its formula is hardly ideal. The difficulty of a map determines how |
| 337 |
magical the treasure will be (and some treasure types won't show up |
| 338 |
unless the map has a certain difficulty level.) |
| 339 |
|
| 340 |
6) Don't be too intimidated about writing new code if there is something |
| 341 |
you would like to be able to do, but just isn't supported. If you are not |
| 342 |
the code writing time, make a suggestion. Worst case is it gets ignored. |
| 343 |
But many times, I have written code because I had some idea which just |
| 344 |
was not possible at the time (ie, the apartment in the starting town |
| 345 |
required an expansion/change of the unique item code.) |
| 346 |
|
