New maps in 4.0?

[Scrapper_511]

Just out of curiosity: Will there be any new maps or scenarios included with 4.0?

[Gibsonm]

Well I know of six that should follow pretty close behind its release.

[Scrapper_511]

Oh really..? Care to elaborate?

[Gibsonm]

No, not yet.

[Scrapper_511]

Roger. Standing by.

[Ssnake]

The official release will come with a few updated maps, but otherwise - no. We will convert everything that was officially included in version 3.0; beyond that, you're on your own.

[12Alfa]

1ST CAD will release a BATUS area map.

[Zaphod]

34 minutes ago, Ssnake said:

The official release will come with a few updated maps, but otherwise - no. We will convert everything that was officially included in version 3.0; beyond that, you're on your own.

Meaning lost like those who blindly follow their GPS? 

[Kingtiger]

56 minutes ago, Ssnake said:

The official release will come with a few updated maps, but otherwise - no. We will convert everything that was officially included in version 3.0; beyond that, you're on your own.

 

Will we get the tool to do the conversions our self? 

[Gibsonm]

4 hours ago, Kingtiger said:

 

Will we get the tool to do the conversions our self? 

 

You already have one - a PC, mouse and keyboard.

 

Ssnake outlined the conversion process a little while ago (building mavmeshes, etc.).

[Ssnake]

Yes, you'll have the necessary tools to do the conversion yourself!

 

The map editor will, upon loading a legacy ter (+ hgt) file for the first time, prompt you to convert it (or to convert it AND to level the roads). When done you should add the nav mesh (yes, you need to redo them; it's much faster this time, but still takes a considerable amount of time and RAM), then save, and you're done.

 

We may publish a batch conversion tool that would let you do this conversion automatically, e.g. over night after you're done with your first 4.0 session, but I'm not 100% positive about that yet.

 

If you attempt to load a legacy scenario with an unconverted map, SB will tell you so and ask you to do the conversion first.

[Kingtiger]

Ah excellent, sounds easy enough! 

/KT

[Fabfire]

Yes. Excellent indeed. That was my only doubt - if legacy maps would be converted. Thanks Ssnake, and all member of eSim staff. Well, this time you guys exceeded my expectations in a virtual stellar way.

I'm really impressed with what I've seen. A big WOOAH! 

[CharlieB]

BATUS Map - now that will be useful - although would not have taken too long to place the trees!!!!

 

[Hedgehog]

5 hours ago, CharlieB said:

BATUS Map - now that will be useful - although would not have taken too long to place the trees!!!!

 

 

Think Dark has made a Lulworth map....

[Gibsonm]

????

 

Lulworth is in Dorset - isn't it?

 

BATUS is in Canada.

[12Alfa]

21 hours ago, CharlieB said:

BATUS Map - now that will be useful - although would not have taken too long to place the trees!!!!

 

True, however the road/trail network makes up for the trees on this trg area. As you know the BATUS area is on two paper maps, but I've made one in SB Pro so it's a huge area to work with, but is looking quite well.

[Apocalypse 31]

How will pre-4.0 scenarios with custom maps integrate into 4.0?

 

Over the years, I've edited some of the original maps for scenarios; to fix oddities, fences/walls (before we had an infantry fix) and patches of terrain. Under the new system players cannot play multiplayer scenarios with custom maps, without first distributing the custom maps. 

 

I'd highly recommend, with the new scenario/map system, that eSim look at including original maps in the 4.0 download. 

[Ssnake]

What do you mean by "original" map?

We have a set of height maps. That will remain unchanged.

We have a set of terrain maps. Some of them will receive updates, others remain unchanged (as far as the terrain objects are concerned).

 

Then there are scenario files that have embedded terrain from YOUR own edits.

We have never assumed responsibility for them, other than that we promise to give our best not to break compatibility and soem form of an upgrade/conversion path.

We cannot distribute user-generated (or edited) edited maps for a variety of reasons - redundancy, unclear copyright, the fact that we don't actually HAVE them in the first place, disk space limitations. So you would be provided with tools to either extract the terrain map from such a scenario (you can already do that) and then convert that map, or to convert such a scenario at runtime (takes (much) longer), or to convert a scenario prior to an event (or whenever you try to edit it), in which case you'd need to ship both the scenario file and the corresponding map files.

[Apocalypse 31]

6 hours ago, Ssnake said:

What do you mean by "original" map?

 

For example, ''AS Desert'' has towns/villages with many walls. Several years ago, before we had an infantry fix, I removed those walls and saved over the original terrain map.

 

If I make a multiplayer sce in 4.0 using my edited AS Desert terrain map, will other players be able to play it without having my custom edited terrain map?

 

I was under the assumption that it was no longer possible to use custom terrain maps in MP, unless everyone had the map- or is that only in reference to custom height maps?

 

[Apocalypse 31]

I edited an original SB map.

 

I am assuming that this will cause problems with the new sce system in MP (no embedded maps with scenarios)

 

Will I need to find the original SB maps or will 4.0 come with them?

Edited June 8, 2016 by Apocalypse 31

[TSe419E]

"...you'll have the necessary tools to do the conversion yourself!

 

The map editor will, upon loading a legacy ter (+ hgt) file for the first time, prompt you to convert it (or to convert it AND to level the roads). When done you should add the nav mesh (yes, you need to redo them; it's much faster this time, but still takes a considerable amount of time and RAM), then save, and you're done.

 

We may publish a batch conversion tool that would let you do this conversion automatically, e.g. over night after you're done with your first 4.0 session, but I'm not 100% positive about that yet.

 

If you attempt to load a legacy scenario with an unconverted map, SB will tell you so and ask you to do the conversion first."

[Apocalypse 31]

I understand the process for converting old maps to 4.0.

 

Ssnake mentioned that all players in an MP session will need the same map files to play a scenario due to 4.0 separating maps and scenarios. 

 

What happens when two players have different version of the same map?

 

From SSNAKE: 

 

Quote

 

Quick and dirty map hacks however will now incur a bigger penalty as far as the sheer number of maps are concerned and the associated harddisk storage space.

The biggest practical problems occur when client and host have maps with identical file names but different content. There are of course solutions for this, but short of introducing a versioning system or switching over to a database where all content would be stored with even more bloating of file sizes, these solutions are of the category "I'm glad if they turn out to be not too confusing and disruptive".

 

 

 

 

...which returns me to my original question - Will 4.0 come with the default terrain maps?

 

[TSe419E]

15 hours ago, Ssnake said:

We have a set of height maps. That will remain unchanged.

We have a set of terrain maps. Some of them will receive updates, others remain unchanged (as far as the terrain objects are concerned).

 

[Apocalypse 31]

1 hour ago, TSe419E said:

others remain unchanged

 

And again...for the terrain maps that get unchanged - will this effect my ability to host MP sessions with custom scenarios?

 

I have edited most of the default SB terrain maps.