The NWN2 World Map System provides an exciting new interface for representing long distance travel in your campaign. However as it introduces several new concepts and requires some scripting knowledge the World Map System has proven to be rather difficult to master.
The World Map Guide is designed to help you integrate a fully function World Map into you campaign with the minimum of pain and suffering. When complete the World Map Guide will take you every step along the road from constructing your first World Map to overhauling the World Map GUI.
I hope you enjoy the journey!
Contents
Introduction
Building
Building Tutorial
Appendix 1: Troubleshooting
Appendix 2: The World Map Editor
Appendix 3: Starter Script Set
Getting Started
The ZIP file contains a PDF version of Sunjammer's World Map Guide and a resource pack containing the custom images and scripts used in the building tutorial. Simply download, unzip and start reading.
Further Information
If you have any questions, suggestions or constructive comments in the meantime please let me know either here, on the NWN2 Forums or via my website.
A very concise, yet informative guide. Much better than trying to wade through the OC examples, which have a lot of things that are specific to that campaign. The only thing I'd suggest is to really beat people over the head with the importance of getting the wp_* and mp_* strings correct. Getting these wrong will either: 1. Cause the module to reload and send you to the start point. 2. In the map UI, always select the first map point in the list. These seem to be the mistakes I always make, anyway. Beyond that minor suggestion, this is a great bit of info.
Posted by Cladius at on09/19/07
I have downloaded and tried this tutorial, and I can say it is a great piece of work. Its succint, comprehensive and most importantly allows one with some basic toolset knowlege to link a series of areas through a campaign map. Would love it if you went back and tweaked it based on feedback every now and then to strengthen it over time. My most humble thanks to you for this effort, greatly appreciated.
Posted by Don_Allmon at on08/10/07
Realized I've never voted. Excellent work. Vital for anyone confused by how campaign maps work. Thank you very much.
Posted by Mr_Darke at on08/03/07
Sunjammer - thanks very much for the guide. I can honestly report that I went from zero to a full working world map with transitions in about 3 hours. I have no previous NWN mod experience. Thank-you again for you clear language and illustrated example. To anyone wondering whether to try this guide, I can only give it a 'must have' recommendation - try it out.
Posted by Sunjammer at 2007-08-0111:16:51
Thanks for the feedback and the vote. I knew from the start getting the amount of assumed knowledge right was always going to be tricky so I tried to explain my approach on Page 1 in the "Assume Knowledge" section: "This guide assumes that you have a basic understanding appropriate for each section but does not assume any knowledge specific to the World Map System. For example, in the Building section it is assumed you know how to open the toolset and create a new module but it does not assume you know how to open the World Map Editor and create a new World Map." The example you gave, opening a module, falls well within the scope of what someone should know before attempting to create a World Map. However if you have other examples you feel fall outside the above clause please let me know, as it would help me to improve the guide. Similarly while I can see some benefit of including more information on TGA images I feel it is somewhat outwith the scope of a World Map Guide. That said I have tried to cover the basics and I even mentioned this issue in the "The World Map Image" section at the top of Page 4: "32-bit TGA images have an alpha layer which must be completely or predominantly white in order for the image to be visible in the World Map GUI. If alpha layer is completely black the image will appear in the World Map Editor but will not in game." I hope that clarifies things. _________________________ Sunjammer Code Monkey
Posted by Alleyslink at on08/01/07
I felt there was some areas in the guide that were a bit vague. Certainly there were other areas that could be expanded and explained in more depth. Here and there it seemed as though some simple steps were omitted from lessons. (Example: Open the module "World Map Demo 001.mod".) The reader is assumed to have a great deal of experience at some points. All minor criticisms. I got the world map working!!!! Great job Sunjammer! Thank you very much! 9 - Outstanding, a Must Have! I have a question. I use an old version of Adobe Photoshop 6.0. I can't save images in the DDS format. I can save in the TGA format. But the images appear in the World Map editor but not in game. Apparently I am unable to manipulate the Alpha Layer that is supposed to be predominately white in the files. (My files are all 647x647 pixels, 72 dpi, RGB, 8 Bits/Channel, 32 Bits/Pixel (Targa option)) So, my situation is, I can get the World Map to appear and work in game if I use the OC map and icon images or the world map image you provided, but I cannot produce custom images. Is there a program (open source or freeware?) you can suggest with which to make my images? If not, are there any pointers you can give? Regards, Alleyslink _________________________ Lands of Intrigue Castle Spulzeer || Dungeon Crawler DC1
Posted by SirNugz at 2007-07-2706:52:47
Thank you! _________________________ "Chance favors the prepared man" - Pasteur
Posted by Sunjammer at 2007-07-0513:58:33
For a while now I've wanted to update the World Map Guide to take account of the feedback I've had from the community and to incorporate the additional sections and more advanced topics. However since I am no longer a member of the DLA team I've been reluctant to do so as I felt it would be inappropriate publish new versions of the WMG using the DLA name and branding. Similarly I didn't want to create an entirely new submission as several tutorials and threads already link to this page and I didn't want them pointing to a WMG that would only ever become more out of date and more irrelevant as time passed. Consequently I've decided to simply replace the DLA branded World Map Guide with a slightly revised and rebranded version. This version fixes a number of typos, replaces a couple of images and adds a couple of points in the Troubleshooting appendix. If you already have the previous version it probably isn't worth downloading the new one until I start adding new sections. _________________________ Sunjammer Code Monkey
Posted by caschoeps at on05/12/07
Very good guide, a must-read if you use a world map. As for blocking the players from using the map apart from transitions: If you cannot prevent the map from opening prevent travel from it. You have to replace every map click script with a custom one and check if a local or global variable has been set. I'd add a reference to the area the player is in and delete that variable after some time so the player cannot open the map, close it again and travel whenever he wants afterwards.
10 - A Masterpiece, Genuinely Groundbreaking 9 - Outstanding, a Must Have 8 - Excellent, Recommended to Anyone 7 - Very Good, Deserves a Look 6 - Good, Qualified Recommendation 5 - Fair, Solid yet Unremarkable 4 - Some Merit, Requires Improvements 3 - Poor Execution, Potential Unrealized 2 - Very Little Appeal 1 - Not Recommended to Anyone
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