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LegioX.DoubTi/Mourits

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Converting custom maps to COOP

Hi guys, map creaters and modders

A new bf-league season is about to start and this season with a mix of vanilla and custom maps. The custom maps are: Desna River, East Docks, El Wadi, Cherbourg, Operation Forager, Murmansk, Strasbourg and Tatouine_vii.

And in that regard, I have been thinking and wondering: Is it possible to convert these custom maps for this season to COOP - so they can be added to the Simple New Maps server? I think it could be cool to fool around, playing and learning the maps meanwhile shooting at some bots and other players. Forager is the only active custom map running at the server right now.

Mamba told me that it isn't that simple to convert custom maps to COOP, but maybe there was a guy around intested and able to do it? :-)

/Have a sunny wednesday

Anna Nym

FakeNickAdmin

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Re: Converting custom maps to COOP

Hi ,

it is already in progress to load new maps on newmaps server  - Millerke - is working on bot support for Maps.
as far as this is possible for those chosen by the BFL, I can't say but I have already linked Millerke and think he will get in touch here and write something qualified about it.

AnnA

LegioX.DoubTi/Mourits

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Re: Converting custom maps to COOP

Cool! Personally I'm not a big supporter of COOP, but could be nice if it had the memo maps for this season :-). Mamba also mentioned "Jim2102" as a skilled modder

ziba128

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Re: Converting custom maps to COOP

The custom maps are: Desna River, East Docks, El Wadi, Cherbourg, Operation Forager, Murmansk, Strasbourg and Tatouine_vii.

And in that regard, I have been thinking and wondering: Is it possible to convert these custom maps for this season to COOP - so they can be added to the Simple New Maps server? I think it could be cool to fool around, playing and learning the maps meanwhile shooting at some bots and other players. Forager is the only active custom map running at the server right now.

Adding proper AI support to these maps is too time consuming for playing a few times to learn them.
I have some knowledge and experience of creating co-op versions of different maps, so it makes no sense to me...
Also, the quality of those maps is poor, they look quite ugly - few objects, no lightmaps, terrain shadows, bad fog settings, no custom objects etc. There are a lot of beautiful custom maps already played on New Maps server a few years ago, some of them have AI support: https://team-simple.org/forum/viewtopic … 047#p23047
Better add them instead

Last edited by ziba128 (2021-03-20 15:11:29)

Jim2102

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Re: Converting custom maps to COOP

Going off what ziba said, adding coop support itself isn't too bad, but pathmapping the maps so the bots can navigate around buildings and such can take a very long time. It's just very time consuming.

Also, I think East Docks and Operation Forager already have bot support

Last edited by Jim2102 (2021-03-20 02:05:32)

ziba128

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Re: Converting custom maps to COOP

Going off what ziba said, adding coop support itself isn't too bad, but pathmapping the maps so the bots can navigate around buildings and such can take a very long time. It's just very time consuming.

Especially when it goes like this

LegioX.DoubTi/Mourits

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Re: Converting custom maps to COOP

Okay, thanks for clarifying. I know nothing about map modding or adding AI support, thats why I asked :-). It was also only if it was a rather easy task, then it could be pretty cool to have those maps running on the server. I saw that East Docks now have been added to the New Maps Server - nice.

@Ziba: What does all these terms mean: few objects, no lightmaps, terrain shadows, bad fog settings, no custom objects?
- Few objects: You want the maps to have more objects like trees, buildings and such?
- No lightmaps: I don't know what that means
- Terrain shadows: You want the static object to show/create shadows?
- bad fog settings: Yes, some of the maps seems to have a somewhat weird skyline/ fog. But I always thought that the creater of the map "Cherbourg" did that on purpose, to make it harder for pilots / trying to make planes less dominant to the ground vehicles.
- custom objects: Do you mean specific special objects only occuring on 1 map?

I'm personally not too concerned about the visuals and general look of a custom maps. I'm mostly more interested in if it's suited for 8v8+ clanwars: Is it fun and different to play, is it somewhat balanced, are there room for different cool tactical aspects and approaches, and stuff like that.

Thx for replying everyone

Black Mamba

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Re: Converting custom maps to COOP

Lightmaps are basically how the light settings (sunlight intensity, direction, etc) of a map reflect on objects in a sense. They are purely cosmetic, but add a nice touch of realism to your map and advanced map makers always include them.

To add to what ziba mentionned in his post, I will say that custom sounds in a map are really nice as well. In Rechsbahn for example, you can hear dogs barking (they might have taken that sound FX from Desert Combat though).

ziba128

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Re: Converting custom maps to COOP

I'm personally not too concerned about the visuals and general look of a custom maps. I'm mostly more interested in if it's suited for 8v8+ clanwars: Is it fun and different to play, is it somewhat balanced, are there room for different cool tactical aspects and approaches, and stuff like that.

But we're talking about running those maps on a public server – visuals and general quality are important in this case... People won't play bad looking and poorly designed maps.

@Ziba: What does all these terms mean: few objects, no lightmaps, terrain shadows, bad fog settings, no custom objects?
- Few objects: You want the maps to have more objects like trees, buildings and such?
- - - No lightmaps: I don't know what that means
- Terrain shadows: You want the static object to show/create shadows?
- - - bad fog settings: Yes, some of the maps seems to have a somewhat weird skyline/ fog. But I always thought that the creater of the map "Cherbourg" did that on purpose, to make it harder for pilots / trying to make planes less dominant to the ground vehicles.
- custom objects: Do you mean specific special objects only occuring on 1 map?

Those are some of the basic things making a map attractive for public players.
Since it's a server with custom maps which you need to download, it's reasonable to expect something unusual and cool. There should be a solid reason to prefer playing custom maps with bots and a few players over original ones or RtR/SW with many players and no bots.
By the way, besides having bot support East Docks itself is pretty good, it's in the maplist already

Arkos

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Re: Converting custom maps to COOP

...

I know a great Coop Map for RTR Server

"The Russian front", ... a great map.

or

"Der Bocage revisited two" for SR or RtR

...

LegioX.DoubTi/Mourits

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Re: Converting custom maps to COOP

Well, when I asked I didn't know it was such a big task to fix custom maps for AI support. It's no big deal for me since the server will be allmost empty 99% of the time. Not sure but I think and guess that most of the players playing on "new maps server" are there because it's more casual and relaxing than normal aX and Simple..

Can you explain what lightmaps is?

Black Mamba

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Re: Converting custom maps to COOP

Well, when I asked I didn't know it was such a big task to fix custom maps for AI support. It's no big deal for me since the server will be allmost empty 99% of the time. Not sure but I think and guess that most of the players playing on "new maps server" are there because it's more casual and relaxing than normal aX and Simple..

Can you explain what lightmaps is?

http://www.cajunwolf.com/Using_Samplesmaker.html