Well, here's the beta version... It's in HTML but I think it'll convert all right:
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Introduction.
So you want to be a hero... "No, I just want to design maps."
Well, despite how hard it is to believe, one must be nearly superhuman to create a special map.
However, to merely create a good map, one must only be a hero. The following guide. (Assembled from various places) Helps you to become a Map-Making Hero.
In the beginning I would like to specially thank the following people's excellent map guides, The Qurquish Dragon, DragonSister, Kristo and
Celestial Heavens (the site)
Step 1: The Concept
Why are you writing this map? Are you doing it to create an epic tale, a humorous jaunt, an intriquing puzzle, a tactical nightmare, or something inbetween?
If you have a purpose, your map WILL look good. If you don't have a purpose, then your map will be lacking somewhat. The main route to success is purpose. If you have no purpose, then you don't know what you are doing, and God help the players if they can figure out what to do.
Now, I am not telling you to write out a 50-page epic tale (although it helps...It certainly helped with the Noveno Cycle and The Angellic Alliance) However, before you can make a map, please just plan the basic introduction and first five pages in your head. Then plan the ending.
Then all you have to do is tell the reader how to get from the beginning to the end. You can do this via Quest Guards, Border Gates, Random Encounters, Puzzles, Conquests, etc. The possibilities are endless. Just take a look at 3DO's games, or perhaps some of your favorite downloaded maps to get an idea on what makes a good map story/puzzle/strategic challenge.
1.2 Your Audience
What is the audience for your map? Are you making a Multiplayer map, a singleplayer map, a challenging map, a story-map, an easy map, a mid-difficulty map?
What type of challenges will your heroes face? Will the hardest part of the game be EARLY, the MIDPOINT, or the END when you confront the 'baddest villain of them all', or perhaps the challenging point will come 'after' the villain. In many maps, there is a dropping off period where the hero defeats the villain but still has to search for such and such artifact and defeat, say, 50 Faery Dragons.
Step 2: The Design
2.1 The Map itself
First, design the map itself, the base squares and colors. Do this first as it becomes a bit harder later when you have put in artifacts, monsters, cities etc which all cover the land and make it harder to figure out where to put resources.
Remember, let your resources guide your placement. Don't let your placement guide your resources.
Another map design hint, don't just use the 'copy' tool, it is tempting, but please use better sense. Ask yourself this: Do YOU like to see endless plains, oceans or mountain ranges? If the answer is no, then please realize that other people consider them monotonous as well.
The best thing a map can do is have VARIETY. Throw in as much design as you like (as long as it's logical) and you and others will enjoy your map.
You always want to avoid squares within the homogenous terrain as well, you want to do this mainly because, once again, it does not look natural. Try to make the edges jagged, like the edges of continents, etc. "The more random it looks, the better, as it looks more natural."
0.1
If a map looks as if it could "really exist,"
0 then you have done part of your job. The map is plausible. And that plausablility makes it more likely that people will a: take the rest of your map seriously, and b: realize that lots of time and preparation went into the map. It doesn't take long to create a jumbled random map, or a disgusting square cornered map, but a real map, of a place that looks real, that is an art.
Note: Don't leave lots of open spaces, no one likes open spaces.
Note the second: Don't leave lots of semi-open spaces (example, a large grassland filled with pickupable resources.)
There are many reasons why you should not do this. For example: 1- doing so is very cluttered, the hero is bogged down and cannot move. Also the hero isn't accomplishing anything really, thus it is not fun. If you need to give the hero lots of resources, edit it into the game, create mines, or drop a few Mega-resource piles with 10 or more of the resource included in them.
Another reason is this; when the resources are gone, the space is still open. To remedy this, you may want to create mountain passes, impassable earth cracks, oceans, rivers or forests. All are excellent blockers.
A Suggestion: "The best thing to do is to look at each screen of territory and see if it looks empty or full. If it's empty see what's missing and fill it up." 1
2.1.1 Random Maps
A note on the Random Map Generator, if you must use it it generate some sort of landmass, I advise you to, after the map is generated, erase all the objects, artifacts, mines, etc. and then edit the lands so that they take on a 'personal feel'
Please don't waste anyone's time uploading Random Maps for download unless you create a story. Anyone can create a Random Map if they have
Shadow of Death or
Armageddon's Blade. The reason I advise you to erase, then edit, is so that you can craft the map to your story, and will not have to craft the story to the map.
The Random Map editor is good at one thing, it can make semi-passable world-looking random maps. Thus, in recap, if you are going to make use of this feature, please use it judiciously and remember (erase, edit, and revise)
2.2 Resources, etc.
2.2.2 Artifacts
This is a touchy subject, but please don't place too many artifacts on the map. On most maps, more than three powerful artifacts are overkill, whereas on others, even two could be. Please consider the size of your map, then consider how hard it is to reach an artifact, and from there you can deduce how many monsters should guard it and how many artifacts there should be.
The focus of the game is on the objective, not the artifacts. If the game can be won without artifacts, delete most of them. They take away from the expereince and sometimes make the game-endings far too easy.
Step 3: Towns
3.1 Initial Placement
When placing towns, "It's usually necessary that all players have an equal opportunity to get started," thus, "placing someone in a harsh terrain would be a great detrement to their survival.
Fit the towns to the land, not vice versa. Some town types look better when placed in a small pocket of trees or mountains, but this is purely aesthetics and isn't vital that you do it."0.6
Step 4: Map Design Part II
So, you made it through Part I, welcome to Part II.
4.1 Mines
Many mines look best when put next to scenery that they can 'fit' into. Examples: Lumber Mills look best when put into tree groves, Ore and Gold Mines look best when built into the side of a mountain, Gem Ponds look good on Magic Plains or near water. Gem Ponds never look good on cursed ground or evil fog, however, there are some things mapmakers must do as all players need gems. Nevertheless, I would advise you to avoid placing Gem Ponds in 'evil' territories. An alternative suggestion would be to place large amounts resource piles of gems.
As for Sulphur Mines, I think that the best place to place them is inside the Desert Hills. I have found that that is the best place for them so that they don't look out of place. However, any 'desert' or yellow-brownish terrain will work just as well.
When you plan your map, mine planning shouldn't be too far behind Town planning as both are necessary for most games. Every city needs all of the resources. Some need more than others, and sometimes Gold can be foregone, but generally the rule is that each city should have all 7 resource mines within easy reach, unless you are making a resource-poor mod, in which case, all that is needed is the 'upgrade' resource for that Cities Level 7 creatures (assuming you are enabling the town to acquire the creatures),
wood and ore (Because you need them to construct buildings. And, on Impossible Difficulty, they are necessary to the player's survival since the player has less resources on that level)
"Lumber Mills and Ore Pits need not be more than one turn's movement away from a home town. Rare resource producers can be anywhere though. Part of the challenge of the game is being short on certain resources and having to find and control those mines."
0.8
If you are making a resource-poor map "Towns that produce their" 7th level requirement "in a resource silo do not need their own mine"
Q
Thus, remember, while you WILL need crystal for Strongholds, sulfur for Fortresses, Mercury for Necropoli, and gems for Castles, you don't need the primary requirement for the others.
However, as the Quriquish Dragon recommends in his article, the other towns need their "second requirements"- examples: the Rampart needs gems for Unicorns, the Tower needs crystals for genies, the dungeon needs mercury for a lot of their upgrades as does the inferno sulphur.
4.2 Connection
After you have the basic map designed, "go through and connect all of the objects, trying to create different shapes with trees and mountains"
2 This lends an 'interesting' feel to the map.
Remember:
The more shapes you have, the more interesting your map looks.
4.3 Higher Level Decoration
Layering designs is encouraged, and in most cases recommended so that you can create a 'unique' feel for the map. Please feel free to use designs from several different tile sets (as long as they fit)
You could even create an ocean of lava if you layered the lava over the 'ocean' tileset. This is also possible with evil fog and clouds.
An example of a layer that would not fit would be flowers in lava. Now, that may look interesting, but it also looks VERY strange, and unless you are shooting for the award for "Strangest map design of 2002", it is not reccomended.
4.3.2 Deserts
Deserts aren't all vast empty expanses. Deserts aren't even all cacti-filled places.
Please realize this in your maps and act accordingly. Create your deserts with some dunes, if it is a windy desert (Like the Sahara), have cacti if it is supposed to be like the Sonoran desert, or have a vast winter-desert (accomplished through layering) if you want a Russian Desert!
Remember, places, even deserted places aren't empty. And they aren't all filled with stuff, (remember in a real desert do you see a corpse or abandoned wagon cart every 2 steps) Just use some Higher Level Decoration and you should be all right.
4.4 Purpose
If you are aiming on keeping inetest in your map, please give every part of it purpose, fill it with events, mines, resources, monsters, etc.
Remember, the only thing differentiating your map from random maps and everyone elses is its purpose, why should they play? Why should they stay interested, etc.
4.5 The Random Object Tool
In the
Shadow of Death expansion, the Random Object Tool is sometimes useful for filling in random spaces. The generally accepted guidelines for the tool are to put the random objects in, then go back and fill in the spaces later.
Step 5: Wandering Monsters and Enemies
5.1 Guarding Mines
The basic theory on Wandering Monsters guarding mines is that the ones you have to use the most are guarded the least. Thus, Wood and Ore will usually be unguarded for Castles and Ramparts because they are necessary parts of so many structures, and, to guard them will unnecessarily hamper the player's progress (unless that is the point of the map)
Then, the higher level mines, Sulphur, Gems, Mercury, should be guarded by a fair number level 2-4 monsters as they are necessary for Mage Guilds and several more esoteric buildings.
Finally, Gold mines should be guarded the highest of all with level 4-6 beasts as they, although not necessary on most maps, are a necessary added push to the speed of map conquest.
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