H4 The Reckoning campaigns

[iLiVeInAbOx05]

there's alot of useful tips and tricks on these sites:
https://www.celestialheavens.com/694
https://www.celestialheavens.com/517

and as mentioned before, don't hesitate asking for help, if you get stuck with some script/idea.. The editor allows you to do much more than the official campaigns showed, it's all about creative thinking.. and a bit of practice ;-)

Whoa, there is definitely some good information in there, thanks so much! Going to come in handy for sure when I get to the map making part

I posted over in the modders forum to see if someone can point me in the right direction to get me started. All I really want to do is get a few artifacts in there and then I should be set. Maybe a couple of heroes

So far, I've completed the basic story for 4 maps (the first of which is the prologue). I have a little big of dialogue written, but will definitely need to expand it a bit.

I'm going to try to get the story as complete as possible, and then figure out the best way to fit it to map events / triggers / etc. After that I'll probably sketch out a map, and then FINALLY get to the actual map creation I will definitely be asking questions, because I would really like to get these campaigns right

[Karmakeld]

regarding heroes, you can't add new heroes, but you can replace/change the portraits and biographies of excisting heroes. To change portraits, you'll need the Heroes 4 Facetool. http://equilibris.celestialheavens.com/ ... loads.html - note that it only works with the Equilibris mod, not on any of the 3 official ones - but you'd likely need it anyway if you want to add new artifacts.

(have a look at some of the portraits I made/changed for my campaign) viewtopic.php?t=12752&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

[iLiVeInAbOx05]

regarding heroes, you can't add new heroes, but you can replace/change the portraits and biographies of excisting heroes. To change portraits, you'll need the Heroes 4 Facetool. http://equilibris.celestialheavens.com/ ... loads.html - note that it only works with the Equilibris mod, not on any of the 3 official ones - but you'd likely need it anyway if you want to add new artifacts.

(have a look at some of the portraits I made/changed for my campaign) viewtopic.php?t=12752&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Yeah, I guess I wouldn't actually need to add new heroes, just get the portraits that I like and apply them

I would, however, prefer to do these campaigns without installing any current mods, but we'll see how feasible that is.

[Karmakeld]

I think you'll find it nessecary if you want to add the Things you mentioned, but please, prove me wrong.. also if you find out how to mod, please share..

[iLiVeInAbOx05]

I started playing around in the map editor a little bit last night, quite a bit there to look through!

Karmakeld, how do you go about actually making your maps? Like, what order do you prefer to do things in?

I haven't really sketched out anything yet (in my mind or on paper), so that would be my first step, but once you actually get to creating the map in the editor, how do you like to do things? I was thinking something along the lines of: 1) do the ground (grass, dirt, etc.). 2) add features like trees and mountains. 3) Get some roads in there. 4) Add towns and heroes. 5) Quests, dwellings, creatures, etc.

What do you think?

[Karmakeld]

Well first off I wrote the base for the story, figuring out how many maps I needed and what each map should be about - basic storyline and possible win conditions. This it seems you have done.
Then I list points of interests. The first maps I did, was based on existing maps, but both those and the ones I'm doing from the bottom, I try to make a sketch map, where I place my points of interest on the (mini)map. This helps me decide map size. I had to discard some ideas in one map due to lack of space, and I wasn't gonna start all over, just because the map wasn't big enough. I think you're line of order is quite logical, but in my most recent map, I first mapped out the entire map (ground). Then I took one part of the map at a time: Landscaping, placing adventure objects, creatures etc, scripting. But it varied a bit. In some maps I knew the line of story I wanted, and I tried to do it chronological when it came to writing scripts/texts). In other maps I did one region at a time. New ideas might come up, so I often also place alot of placed events and just type a memo. Basic idea for script (if I don't script it right away and text idea). I mark those '(unfinished). This way I can easily see which events in the map properties I need to finish and I can remember where I wanted it to be placed. (I also use signs for placing ideas on the map). You can search objects, so signs is an easy way to locate them, instead of having to remember it all or having tons of papers laying around. (I also have a txt document for each map with ideas, story text, script ideas etc.). Placing quest huts, but marking their title (unfinished) also allows to return to them later. You can export the text to a txt document and then search for words.
But I highly recommand reading Behind the Curtain, also The Art of Mapmaking has great articles about the map making process. https://www.celestialheavens.com/694
Once your map is getting closer to what you feel is the finish line, I suggest naming the map something like v.0.8. Next changes 0.81 etc. Then you can easy keep track of recent changes, also when testing.

[iLiVeInAbOx05]

Update, wrapping up the first map of the campaign (prologue map). The path and story for it are mostly complete, just need to fill in some battles (figure out how many baddies to put to make it interesting) and test a bit until I feel it's right

I'll mostly want feedback on the world look and feel (what could I do to make the map look more realistic? What works / doesn't). This will be my first map, so I'm sure I didn't use as much as I could have to make it look nice.

I expect very few bugs, if any, on this map, but the second one will likely be a different story!

[Taro]

You could show us some pictures, don't you think?

And tell me, do you use brushes? I made about 15 pretty good brushes and I can send them to you if you wish. They are good especially if you want place some mountains and you are lazy

[iLiVeInAbOx05]

You could show us some pictures, don't you think?

And tell me, do you use brushes? I made about 15 pretty good brushes and I can send them to you if you wish. They are good especially if you want place some mountains and you are lazy

I'll try to get a picture up here, I saw another thread where Kalah took a shot of an entire map to post it up so I'll look at grabbing that tool. That definitely would be easier

So I used brushes (always the smallest size) for some landscaping, but I actually placed all of the mountains and trees. I tried using the elevation tool, but it's behavior was a little odd and I haven't quite gotten the hang of everything it can do. For example, it seems that for a small mountain range, you can elevate the entire thing at once, but on longer one, it does nothing.

So it seems you're talking about some custom brushes, which I don't know how to make! So I'd definitely be interested to know how to do so, as well as taking a look at those you put together

[Karmakeld]

I actually believe you can find the help needed in the Heroes IV help file. There should be a point about brushes, that explains how they work and how to make them.
Well the elevation tool has limitations when it comes to certain objects (large objects). You will also note that if you elevate first and then place a mountain, the elevation might drop, as it needs a straigt flat surface in order for the mountain to be placed. E.g. I wanted a vulcano in one of my maps and elevated the surroundings, but as Mountains were placed, around the vulcano, the elevation dropped. If I raise it, I will also raise most of the remaining map. Also certain terrain types like deep/shallow water can't be on elevated ground.


but you can elevate it much more


@taro, you should/could share the brushes with all of CH. There's a brushpage, just send them to Kalah.

[Kalah]

Oh I used to love making those lava lakes ...

[Karmakeld]

kalah, when and why did you stop love making them ppl. still play H4

[iLiVeInAbOx05]

Thanks Karmakeld, I'll take a look at the help file for sure.

What I'm trying to do with the elevation tool is something similar to what Kalah posted in this thread. Have a look at that fortress in the middle. Simply amazing idea and I want to use some of that for my maps, I just need to get a little more adept at using the elevation tool because I would like a plateau similar to that one for my cities

[iLiVeInAbOx05]

So it looks like I figured out how to do what I was looking to do with the elevation tool, I just wasn't using my brain (I've been pretty exhausted lately).

So to make a plateau I did the following -> put a bunch of towns in the shape that I wanted to lift the elevation on, changed the brush size and area affected size on the elevation tool to the highest settings, and then just left click the center of the town structure and mouse up.

I feel kind of silly not experimenting with bigger brush sizes and area affected, but I guess it happens

[iLiVeInAbOx05]

Ah, I wasn't using the "share" link. Been a while since I've done any html stuff.

Here is a pic of part of the first map. Constructive critiques: go!

[Kalah]

viewtopic.php?t=9459 :-)

[iLiVeInAbOx05]

viewtopic.php?t=9459 :-)

Hmm, I've tried that already Is it not working because HTML is disabled for my posts? Or does that not matter?

[Kalah]

You should changing that.

[Pol]

So how exactly do I shoI don't know what I'm doing wrong:

You're putting html link to img tag, which will of course not work. Take a look right on the photobucket and copy the code from SHARE LINKS, IMG.

Then look for IMG tags and change the code to IMGW (twice time) - that will take care of too wide image.

[iLiVeInAbOx05]

You're putting html link to img tag, which will of course not work. Take a look right on the photobucket and copy the code from SHARE LINKS, IMG.

Then look for IMG tags and change the code to IMGW (twice time) - that will take care of too wide image.

Ah right, that was the link to the page, not the actual file location. Got it now, thanks!