GlestMaps: Wadi Nefud - November 2009

[Trappin]

Wadi Nefud

• Map Size: 128x128 but the playfield is smallish.
• Preferred Tileset: Mediterranean
  
• Map Type: Generic 4 player
• Resource Allotment: average
• Download: http://www.mediafire.com/file/jtyt5cm3igl/Wadi_Nefud.rar
• File type: .rar
• Wikia: http://glestmaps.wikia.com/
• Date: November 2009

Additional Notes - May be difficult moving large unit types/groups

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Comments, complaints and suggestions for improving this map are encouraged.

Wadi Rum and Wadi Nefud in real life.

[-Archmage-]

Very nice map!
Please compress as a 7z, because I don't know about others but sometimes in Linux I have trouble opening a rar archive.........

[ElimiNator]

I can open .rar but .7z is smaller any way.

BTW cool map I just downloaded!

[titi]

Currently this is only useful in mediterran tileset ( you used the new texture ....)
But I would suggest to use the red earth instead for now, the texture is not that good , it hurts the eye ....

We played some games now and one was a real big fight!

1 human egypt   team1
2 human norseman  team1
3 cpu ultra norsemen  team2
4 cpu ultra norsemen  team2

We lost in the end, because we ran out of gold! The map was cleaned..... So I think we need some other gold/stone nests ( maybe in the center ) to survive big battles too!

The map and the terrain itself really looks fantastic and the gameplay is good!

[-Archmage-]

What we really need to do is have a bit more gold in each rock, it seems like they disappear in 2 secs.

[Trappin]

But I would suggest to use the red earth instead for now, the texture is not that good , it hurts the eye

Swap all custom5 to secondary? Okay, I can do that and will add more gold/iron resources.

titi - I tend to make maps for specific tilesets which in turn makes them look odd when loading the map into a non-preferred tileset . I spend a lot of time making these maps, maybe its just me, but the process of making maps is slow and takes a lot of practice to master.

Re: 7z files - If you guys zip the map and archive it then I'll be more than happy to add the 7z download link to the map download list on the original post. The file size difference between the .rar and 7z is 12,000 bytes and 10,600 bytes respectively. I'm a bit OCD and really dislike hosting multiple file versions of the same map - in fact I deleted my old MediaFire map file folder because people complained I was using 7z compression. Don't believe me? search my old post topics. 

*Nothing against Linux users - I just use what my computer comes with from the factory.

Alright, Wadi Nefud V2.0 coming soon.

[-Archmage-]

Quote
But I would suggest to use the red earth instead for now, the texture is not that good , it hurts the eye

Swap all custom5 to secondary? Okay, I can do that and will add more gold/iron resources.

Yea, that would be good.

I spend a lot of time making these maps

.....and you do a good job.

Re: 7z files - If you guys zip the map and archive it then I'll be more than happy to add the 7z download link to the map download list on the original post. The file size difference between the .rar and 7z is 12,000 bytes and 10,600 bytes respectively. I'm a bit OCD and really dislike hosting multiple file versions of the same map - in fact I deleted my old MediaFire map file folder because people complained I was using 7z compression. Don't believe me? search my old post topics.  Cheesy

Well go back to using 7zip, it's better, and much easier to open, I've installed 7zip on my linux computer both the linux version(p7zip), and the Windows version under WINE, and I have to use the WINE 7-zip File manager to open .rar files..........When I try to open a rar file with Ark it says, can't find unrar, I also used a rar linux thing and that didn't help either, so could you please just either upload plain .gbms, .zips, or .7z, but not .rar.............

*Nothing against Linux users - I just use what my computer comes with from the factory.

You mean you use IE, besides .rar compression doesn't come on computers from......"the factory".

[Trappin]

You went through my post like an old lady picking through a bowl of snap beans. Are we bickering about running a simple .rar application on Linux? I just wanna know which petty bullshit path we will be traveling down.

I will reiterate. You archive the 7z map files and I'll link them via the original post.

[John.d.h]

http://download814.mediafire.com/nmnq2mddyzzg/llndmffjkjn/Wadi+Nefud.7z

[titi]

Yes I know making these kind of good looking maps is really hard and as you said, they often only look perfect in one tileset, but custum 5 really looks strange in the other tilesets ....

BUT:
I made the missing extra textures(custom 5) for the tilesets:
autumn
winter
evergreen
desert2

you can try them, what do you think( this was also a lot of work too! ):
http://www.titusgames.de/tmp/surface5a.zip
the setup is meant like this in all cases:

Code: [Select]

<surface>

<texture path="textures/surface5a.bmp" prob="0.2"/>

<texture path="textures/surface5b.bmp" prob="0.2"/>

<texture path="textures/surface5c.bmp" prob="0.2"/>

       <texture path="textures/surface5d.bmp" prob="0.2"/>

                        <texture path="textures/surface5e.bmp" prob="0.1"/>

                        <texture path="textures/surface5f.bmp" prob="0.1"/>

</surface>

BUT ATTENTION!!!! If you patch your tilesets, you cannot play multiplayer with others with these tilesets any more!
So backup first!

By the way, maps are really small, even unpacked they are ok! rar, zip, 7zip it doesn't matter, as long as its a format everyone can use!

[Trappin]

Okay titi, thanks. Updated version done and ready for review.

Will also check the  texture pack(s).

The brown texture (custom5) on Mediterranean is nice - it has a very complex color palate. I'd like to see this surface texture used more often.

Thanks John - 7z download link is now broken - sorry.

[titi]

I didn't played it, but I had a little quick look at the new version ( its late here I have to go to bed now)
Well the first version looked better ( I backuped it, I hope you too ) , but for know this setup is the better choice!
When I will build the megapack5 all (megapack) tilesets will have a cutom5 attribute and we can include maps in it which are using them.

The new gold places are good but small ( 2 gold stones more at each location? )
When I remember my and my sons big fight on this map we had to battle with really huge armies and this needs gold .....

[Trappin]

Added +4 more gold resource nodes per faction.

[-Archmage-]

Put plots of gold in a few places besides the faction starting point on the map, that would probably help a bit.

Thanks John - 7z download link is now broken - sorry.

No it's not, make sure in the skipscreen options that mediafire isn't selected.

[Trappin]

Relentless at sniping, parsing and bickering. Kid, you got style.

Version is outdated.

[-Archmage-]

Relentless at sniping, parsing and bickering. Kid, you got style.

Thanks, I guess....

Version is outdated.

doesn't equal= "link is broken".

[Trappin]

Re: custom5 surface textures

Since titi created tilesets with textures for the Custom5 slot map designers may need an updated basic editor.



Check the GAE map editor thread.

[update by titi ( corrected the link )]

[titi]

Currently this map is my favorite map and I'm playing it very often!
I found one little problem now with the roman faction. There is one place where the "turtle_formation" get stuck in the forest, because the ways are too small for it. Its really huge and has a size of 3! I don't know if the map should be fixed for size3 units, but maybe its not too much effort.

Here is my backuped version of the original "Wadi Nefud" using the uncommon texture for future use ( This really looks much better! )
http://www.titusgames.de/Wadi%20Nefud2.gbm

[Trappin]

I appreciate the hard work of all the modders here on the forum. The game looks much better when using the complex composited textures people are creating on the latest generation of image editing software. Lots of fun maps, tilesets and factions make Glest look and feel like a new game.

RE: Roman faction size3 units.

I think this size breaks AI pathing functionality on a number of maps made by a whole host of different authors - but i haven't tested which maps are affected yet. Not sure what should be done, if anything. I test all my maps by running multiple ultra cpu games using different factions - the checks are:

1- enough room for start location building - ultra AI typically constructs at least 12 buildings around the starting area leading to unit movement congestion.
2- resource node location placement to ensure AI units do not become stuck while harvesting in large groups.
3- AI Pathfinding on long routes - ensure AI can find the hostile base or group of hostiles.
4- pathing at least 3 tiles wide at chokepoints - entry/exits to start locations tend to be narrow to accommodate defensive oriented gamers - turtles and porcupines.
5- game world visual appeal - does the map look good at various locations? Do objects enhance the organic feel of the map? Do hills, valley's, mountains and artificial trails and roads look natural?

Wadi Nefud is a very difficult map to play on if a player tries to move large groups at the same time. Tag on it should read: Difficult map for newbies. I think I'll leave all previous maps as they are but plan future maps around size3 models. I have 3 unreleased maps under construction and 2 of them may fail the size3 criteria.

PS: Map naming convention for maps using surface texture custom5 (STC5) will be tagged: Map_NameSTC5.gbm / Wadi NefudSTC5.gbm

[Loronal]

Cool I will try this with naval. (Its my faction soon to be released) SInce there are some cool islands that would be great defensive locations

[titi]

I found a units get stuck problem with this map. If you are player one and you say your units to attack home position of player 2 your units get stuck on the river in the middle. Maybe some kind of "bridge" would help here. This could be placed thwere where the big stones are located. And judging from the map screenshot there is also a probölem for the left down player to attack the right down player without getting stuck.

[Trappin]

This is the problem I keep running into when designing maps. Map landmass shapes are critical to proper AI pathing. If the map is square shaped the AI has no problem finding the opponents base - Misty Hills.gbm/Redoubt.gbm are square in shape and the AI has no problems. If the map is designed like Wadi Nefud the AI begins to have major problems.

The AI wants to travel in linear and direct path routes to the location where units are fighting - The AI does not account for impassable regions between point A and point B so the units stack along the shoreline on Wadi Nefud.  If I add a land bridge to solve this problem then the AI ignores the rest of the map and begins to swarm the opposing faction - this breaks the intended design of the map. The design intent is to force the AI into a finite region in the center of the map and thus have large scale battles between the AI and human players. Adding a bridge breaks design intent of the map.

And this is where my internal AI brain becomes stuck

If I add new land bridges the map begins to be less interesting - what I mean by this is - it becomes a traditional square shaped map and thus not very interesting. Boring.

I'd be more than happy to change the map but I don't know how to do it. open to suggestions on HOW to keep the shape of the map AND conform to AI pathing limitations.

[codaarrella]

This map will benefit from, no, REQUIRE new infected skins to look more like vampires.

One question: One house is kind of small for a survival map, were you going to use the outside as well or something like that?

[Trappin]

something

Sure can, thanks for the input.