AlienForm
Reputation: 2
Joined: 16 Jul 2009
Posts: 34
Location: Montreal/Quebec
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 Posted: 17 Jul 2009 09:34 pm Post subject: How to make a map |
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Hello all!
I see alot of people asking ''How i make a map'' or ''what the heck is a switch???''. I am really tired of this and i decided to make a complete tutorial on map making so no more people ask those questions. By the way, I usually speak french and my english is not very good. So tell me if you dont understand something.
Things you will need:
-A starcraft editor *other than the normal staredit* (i strongly recommend ScmDraft 2).
-Alot of concentration.
-Alot of time.
PART 1:
First step (map idea and default terrain): Think of what you want to do, what kind of map? We will take for example a defense map. Lets open ScmDraft 2 (or other) and make a new map (clean one) take ''Space Platform'' and lets take ''Space'' as the default terrain. Set the default trigger to ''No triggers''.
second step (Terrain): By the way, ALWAYS DO THE TERRAIN FIRST! So you can place units and locations after. When you finished to make the terrain, be sure that the enemy line is not far so people dont have to get units like tanks because the line (where enemy units passes) is too far. Make sure that you made a place for upgrades buildings and for buying units (optionnal). Make a little square for lifes. Also create another little square for the main spawner (you will know why we add this later)
third step (units): Units are vital in map making (duh lol). before setting names to your units, you need to place them. Think of wich unit will do wich thing. Like, for example, Terran marine will be the lvl 1 in the defence map. So be sure to set upgrades buildings (Protoss Forge, Terran Engineering Bay, etc.) place some units to buy and civilians (choosers) at the place you choosen for it(with beacons under them *not the civilians but the units to buy*). And dont forget! Starting Locations are really importants if players want to play. If theres no start locations on the map, when starcraft will try to read it it will say that the map is corrupted.
Fourth step (Locations): This part is long, but to make you cry, its not the longuest  . first, set some locations at the spawning of the enemy units (one location per spawning place) place locations at each place that you can buy units (yea i know its alot) at set a location at the civilian return (after buying a unit, the civilian return to the place where he was) after, make locations for the enemy units moves. example, if the enemy line is in square form, make a location at all corners, so the units will go at each location without geting out of their line. make a location for the end of the line, so when the enemy unit get here, it will die and the player lose a life. Create Also a location for each player for the spawn... So when people buy a unit, its appear at his start location. Also create a location at the main spawn square. Remember, you will know the utilisation of the main spawner later! (Soon)
the longuest step (triggers): This part can take you 4 hours :S but when you see the result, its really satisfying  . First, click on ''Triggers'' when you clicked on it, click on ''Classic Map Triggers''. A window will appear a grey and a white box. now you will make your first trigger! Isn't it nice? lol! Click on the ''New'' button. Our first trigger touch all playing people. If player 8 is the computer, all other players are humans. so you will check Player 1, Player 2, Player 3, Player 4, Player 5, Player 6 and Player 7. After you click on condition, and you click on ''New''. When a new window appear, at the right of ''ACCUMULATE '', click on the little box to see the options that there is. Search for ''ALWAYS'' condition. When u found it, click on it and on ''OK'' and after you click on ''Actions''... (i know its long but hehe... Its alot of work  ) click on ''New'' do the same thing than with the condition but instead to search ''ALWAYS'' search for ''SET COUNTDOWN TIMER'' and ''Set to'' (not add) countdown timer to 90 seconds (1 minute and 30 seconds). After, click on ok on the 2 windows. Congrats! you made your first (or second or third or...) trigger!
PART 2:
Sixth step (Unit names and properties): Another long step (not more than the other) is to change units names, life, damage, and other property. Take for example the ''Terran Marine'' in our defense map. to change his properties, go in ''Scenario'' in the menu bar and click on ''Units Settings''. You will see a bigger window that will pop up on your screen you you will say... ''Omg another complicated thing!!!'' Hehe... trust me, its not complicated, but long  . click on ''Terran'' now you will see under terran all the units categories like, Ground units, Air units, Buildings, etc. go in ''Ground units'' and click on ''Terran Marine''. Search for ''Unit name'' box and uncheck ''Use Default'' now you can change his name like (in our defense map, Level 1). After, we will change his stats! On top of unit properties, uncheck ''Use Unit Default''. For our defense map, lets set its life to 200 HP, Armor to 1, Damage 0. (it will do damage but instead of 1 it will be 0.5 damage). After you need to click on the exit button on the top right corner of the window and save your map. Thats it! You just modified an unit stat!
Last step (Map Description): Finally, the more easier step , the map description. Go back to ''Scenario'' in the menu bar and click ''Map Description''. After you did this, you can change the map name to, ''the name you want '', give a description to your map (not too long please) and set player 8 to computer. To do this, go to player 8 box and change the ''Owner'' from Human, to Computer. close the window and save your map.
Now, you know the basics. Search for triggers combo at your leisure! i will add a list of all the triggers and what they do in Part 3. You are lucky that im here to explain you it ^^ because I needed to discover how to make maps by myself :/
PART 3:
Condition list:
ACCUMULATE: its a condition that make if someone get at least (or at most or exactly) a number of mineral (or gas or the 2) its operationate an action like ''create a unit''.
ALWAYS: its make that theres no condition to do (in game) to make the action working.
BRING: its a condition that make if someone bring an unit (or building) it will make the action work.
COMMAND: if someone command (at least, at most or exactly) units, it will make the action to work.
COMMAND THE LEAST: if the current player command the least ''units'' it will make the action to work.
COMMAND THE LEAST AT: same than ''command the least'' but in a location.
COMMAND THE MOST: if the current player command the most ''units'' it will make the action to work.
COMMAND THE MOST AT: same than ''command the most'' but in a location
COUNTDOWN TIMER: if the countdown timer hit (a number you choose), it will make the action to work.
DEATH: if the player as suffered (exactly, at least or at most) units, it will make the action to work.
ELAPSED TIME: if the elapsed time of the game is (a number you choose), it will make the action to work.
HIGHEST SCORE: if a player score the number of point (that you choose), it will make the action to work.
KILL: if a player kill the number of kill (that you choose), it will make the action to work.
LEAST KILL: if the current player have the least kill of ''any units'', it will make the action to work.
LEAST RESSOURCES: current player have the least ressource *that you choose*
LOWEST SCORE: if the current player have the lowest score in the game, it will activate the action.
MOST KILLS: if the current player have the most kill of *any units* it will activate the actions.
MOST RESSOURCES: if the current player have the most ressources, it will activate the actions.
NEVER: I dont know what it does :S
OPPONENTS: if there is the remaining opponents that is said in the condition, it will activate the actions.
SCORE: if a player hit the score *that you choose*, it will activate the actions.
SWITCH!!!!!!: THE MOST FRUSTRATING THING BECAUSE NOBODY KNOW WHAT IT DOES. but today i will solve this mystery! Switch is something you can activate (Action) and desactivate. It useful when you want to connect some triggers i explain. You can Activate, Desactivate and toggle switches. (by the way, there is alot of switches) And if you say ''Yes but how we know what switches does on the map?'' hehe... YOU... choose what switches does. Example if you activate a switches in a trigger (Action) you will set in the condition ''if switch 01 is (set)'' I mean, you do a condition and an action in a trigger and u add another trigger (set switch) that will activate another trigger (I know its complicated :/) thats what i mean by saying you can connect triggers. So.... thats it.
Sorry but i wont add trigger list  sorry but its really long.
*FOR ADVANCED MAP MAKERS*
-Hyper Triggers
Hyper Triggers Info
Hyper Triggers increase the speed at which triggers are checked from the usual once every two seconds in a Normal game, or ~1.5 seconds in a Fastest game, to 11.8 times per second or 12 times per second in a Fastest game or once every .084 seconds. Hyper Trigges work by using Waits. Each time StarCraft hits a Wait in the actions of a trigger, it checks all the triggers conditions preceding the trigger with the Wait. When it encounter another Wait that is when you get Wait Blocks. Hyper Triggers take advantage of this by constantly checking the conditons by having continual Waits.
Now, while Simple Hyper Triggers are used they will build up waits, and so even if you remove the conditions causing them to run, they will continue to speed up the triggers for a while before they stop depending on how long you have let them run. They will also cause Wait Blocks, slowing down other Waits for the same player that they are in although it is possible to stop them from giving wait blocks and to just turn off during other waits, just use SCM Draft and move them to the bottom of the list, this is the only case in which you can set the Hyper Triggers under All Players.
-Simple Hyper Triggers
Simple Hyper Triggers are the most commonly used, mainly because they are the easiest, they involve a few simple steps to make, first step is put the trigger under a player, do not use All Players or any forces, although you can, it is a bad idea, unless done a specific way, which I will explain later. Then copy the action 'Wait 0 milliseconds 63 times, or 62 times if you want to add a comment. The condition does not really matter, although for Simple Hyper Triggers, the condition Always is usually used. Next step is to add ''Preserve Trigger" and a comment if u want to . After, just copy the trigger 3 times. anymore is pointless.
And that's how you make Simple Hyper Triggers, now, if you want to have the Hyper Triggers under All Players, it can sometimes come in handy, if you simply make sure that they are at the bottom of the trigger list, if you do that, they will simply turn off for that player if a wait runs, but continue running for the others, so the only way they could permanently turn off is if a wait ran for every player at once, or under All Players. If you do not place them at the bottom of the list, any preceding Waits will not run.
-Complex Hyper Triggers
Complex Hyper Triggers are not very well known, although in my mind they are the best. They will not cause Wait Blocks, and they can easily be turned on and off. To make them you must use two different players. You have any condition you choose, although the conditions for both triggers must be the same except for the Switch or the Death condition. So you have one with the condition that a Switch is cleared, or a Death is at zero. Then for the actions, you Wait 0 Milliseconds, Set the Switch/Death to Set/1, Wait 0 Milliseconds, then add a Preserve Trigger. Now do the same for the second trigger, just set it for the other player and change the condition and action, so it now has so have the death/switch at 1/set, and the action sets them back down to 0/cleared.
That's how Complex Hyper Triggers work.
Have fun with all that!
_________________
go see my map making tutorial at:
http://www.d3jsp.org/viewtopic.php?t=22516
If you make a mistake, do it again. That's what we call Jazz.
Last edited by AlienForm on 18 Aug 2009 01:02 pm; edited 4 times in total
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