MW:LL Map Making Questions!

[Sean Lang "Phil"]

Another member posted about MW:LL maps, and I have seen the DEV team asking for more participation. This got me thinking, why can't I help out? So here goes a thread to which I will ask allot of questions, be trolled for being a nOOb, but in the end hopefully it will help me and others who may want to do something similar!

- First and foremost, where should I start?
- Is there a program I must download?
- Must I have any 3d modeling experience?
- Are there tutorials to help assist someone in my shoes?
- Do I need to import anything from MW:LL? Assets such as dropships/buildings/trees etc.

No doubt, this is a big request to ask so many questions and expect all the answers right away. I'll go ahead and start googling away to find out about map editing for crysis, but as stated I'm not sure if there is a specific program I must use. Any and all feedback, links, mild trolling, and general knowledge about the questions I have asked would be beneficial. I know there are a few others on the forums who are willing to do something like this as well, so this isn't just for my knowledge! Hopefully, if you have the time DEV's, you can answer my questions in due time. As I am about to be on summer vacation, it may be something I can spend a great deal of time doing! haha Thanks for future responses!

[sgnl05]

You should start by watching this. It's a tutorial teaching you the basics of mapping for MWLL and it's really helpful.

You'll also want sandbox 2 which you can get with the Crysis wars SDK here. I'm pretty sure this is the latest version.

Plus you'll need Geocontrol 2 to help you make terrain. It's what's used in the tutorial video and as far as I can tell it's pretty much the easiest way to get realistic looking terrain. It's a free trial.


There's also a few tutorial vids specifically for geocontrol 2 that you can find at the forums. Apparently they're very helpful but I haven't watched them yet.  Try the isolines training videos 1 and 2.

That's about all I know as I'm still learning myself. I can tell you that you should be able to get by just fine without 3d modelling experience though.

EDIT:

Some more stuff I forgot.

Sandbox 2 manual and tutorials

Official MWLL terrain control mapping guide.


If I were you I'd start by watching the mapping guide video I posted above and reading the TC mapping guide. That should give you a good idea of what you're in for. After that you could grab geocontrol 2 and sandbox 2 and start knocking up "maps" (I use the term loosely because they're not going to be anywhere near playable just yet) and getting them into the editor so you can get the hang of actually producing terrain. After you've gotten used to that and you feel like you can generate interesting and playable terrain you could start contemplating your first real map.

I'm sure the devs can give some better advice though.

[Cygma]

You need Sandbox 2 and no 3D modeling experience (although it could of course be helpful).
Although it assumes being already familiar with Sandbox 2, Wilson has written a guide for TC mapping: http://forum.mechlivinglegends.net/index.php/topic,11973.0.html

Most importantly, don't forget to create a shortcut to the sandbox and add "-mod MWLL" to it. You need that to be able to use stuff from MWLL, e.g. the mech hangar prefabs etc.

[KorJax]

Geocontrol isn't required - you can use any terrain editing program really. You can technically make all your terrain right in Sandbox 2 but that would take a very long time to get it to look near the quality that Geocontrol produces.

Another member posted about MW:LL maps, and I have seen the DEV team asking for more participation. This got me thinking, why can't I help out? So here goes a thread to which I will ask allot of questions, be trolled for being a nOOb, but in the end hopefully it will help me and others who may want to do something similar!

- First and foremost, where should I start?
- Is there a program I must download?
- Must I have any 3d modeling experience?
- Are there tutorials to help assist someone in my shoes?
- Do I need to import anything from MW:LL? Assets such as dropships/buildings/trees etc.

No doubt, this is a big request to ask so many questions and expect all the answers right away. I'll go ahead and start googling away to find out about map editing for crysis, but as stated I'm not sure if there is a specific program I must use. Any and all feedback, links, mild trolling, and general knowledge about the questions I have asked would be beneficial. I know there are a few others on the forums who are willing to do something like this as well, so this isn't just for my knowledge! Hopefully, if you have the time DEV's, you can answer my questions in due time. As I am about to be on summer vacation, it may be something I can spend a great deal of time doing! haha Thanks for future responses!

Do you have previous map making experience?

The above posts pretty much covered the essentials. I can give general advice if those posts didn't answer your questions.

[doorknob]

I've got a fairly specific question: Is there a way to make a turret hostile to both teams? ie, I have some Calliope's up on a ridge line, and I want them to pelt the valley below indiscriminently. How would I do this, if it's capable of being done?

[Aidan]

These tuts are for Crysis. Still they are good for a beginner.

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v6576568ReByyHfw

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v6582876D8xwYmKp

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v14014418nhdaecp9

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v68211028B2qePSE

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v68211246c67yy4f

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v14014418nhdaecp9

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v140145028ApdWfJz

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v6370506jKX9Djy6

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v6370814mxY9dNqh

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v63712813Hgf2mSS

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v6374119gbNBcpM7

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v6429492xyspcjsP

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v6429771yMQZEb3p

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v6430335Y9YRzzgg

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v6430730kPzmgeqG

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v6431118G8ZEzHAq

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v6431116qpwHeDqP

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v6431117q9SraWyr

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v6436239Mn88Tw7b

[~SJ~ Blhurr]

I have a question.  The editor crashes whenever I try to load a texture.  I've heard that's because the steam version is buggy.  Hearsay I know.  I also downloaded the SDK.  Which of the three files in the SDK contains the editor?

UPDATE: Changing the windows default text size from 125% to 100% resolved this issue for me. 
The file in the SDK that contains the Editor for wars is the CrysisWars_ModSDK_Tools_v1.1

[CGB [CoffiNail]]

I have a question.  The editor crashes whenever I try to load a texture.  I've heard that's because the steam version is buggy.  Hearsay I know.  I also downloaded the SDK.  Which of the three files in the SDK contains the editor?

I have the cds and i get texture errors on 90% of the textures I try to apply.

[~SJ~ Blhurr]

Even the default ones?  I'm definitely going to try and move a very simple map through the whole process and get it into game before I spend a ton of time designing one.  Would suck to spend days on it and get blocked by a software glitch.

[Cloudburst]

I have created (successful!) maps for Savage, Savage 2, Unreal Engine 1 & 2, and Dawn of War II. How much would I need to learn?

I have used:

Terrain deformation (Mostly additive and smoothing)
Subtraction to create rooms and buildings
Complex movers (UE1/2)
Asymmetry-I have never made a symmetrical map.
A whole bunch of light
"Zones" (if these are present in CryEngine in some form similiar to UE1, then you'll see some magic from me)
more, but that is what I remember using a whole lot of
-most of my valuable knowledge is from UE1&2.

[[MPB]OM_Sannyasi]

How much would I need to learn?

that all depends on what you want to do......

[Cloudburst]

How much would I need to learn?

that all depends on what you want to do......

You are correct...

[shadowkiller]

CE2 is far different then ue1/2. You dont use brushes to carve out buildings or anything anymore. All the buildings and objects and models made in 3ds max. You dont use solids to build anything really. Lighting is different too. You really only have alot of control over one light, thats the sun, it lights the whole map. You can add more lights be they get very expensive really easy, the radius and view distance must be kept small and you must be careful with the lights that cast shadows.

[~SJ~ Blhurr]

This would be a lot easier if crymod got their website back up!

[Cloudburst]

It seems as though mapping for Crysis, just like actually playing the game, is done appropriately only by people with a lot of money!
(Note the word appropriately)