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IMPORTANT: Several players have asked if they can create maps:
The bad news:
1) its not automated,
2) it takes a LOT of work,
3) we won’t be able to handle many requests.
The good news: if you are able to create a map, we will test it out.
So, if you are interested in creating a map:
1) read this article carefully,
2) send me an email to let me know if you are going to create a map
(so that I have an idea of how many are coming) -> rikk@cloudplay.com
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INTRODUCTION
This first post explains how to create FLAT MAPS! I will explain later how to add elevation later! [Trust me, its very difficult to add elevation and have it work properly in the game.]
You don’t need to be an artist! But, you do need to follow these directions! It’s fine if the pixel artwork is sketchy… we can help with that AFTER we have a map that plays well. But, the terrain image and parameters need to be quite precise (or the map will not work).
REQUIREMENTS = Pixel Editor
You must have a “pixel editor” application that creates/edits PNG files:
GIMP: (windows/mac/unix) FREE! Open-source, powerful! http://www.gimp.org/about/introduction.html
Paint Net: (windows) FREE! Looks good on paper. http://www.getpaint.net
Paint Shop Pro: (windows) http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/us/en/Product/1184951547051#versionTabview=tab1&tabview=tab0
Adobe Photoshop Elements: (windows/mac) A cheaper, simpler Photoshop. More than adequate for the job. http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshopel/
Adobe Photoshop: Expensive! (windows/mac) Clearly the world’s best, but VERY expensive. (30-day free trial!) http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html
Adobe Fireworks: Expensive! (windows/mac) My personal favorite, but still quite expensive. (30-day free trial!) http://www.adobe.com/products/fireworks.html
BASICS
Thresh Wars maps are composed of three pieces (2 image files + some data):
- Terrain image file: a PNG image that defines the rules of unit movement and the elevation of the map,
- Map Parameters: details/rules of the map,
- Pixel image file: this image is just for show; it has no effect on the game mechanics!
Warning: Creating a good map is hard work! It will take many hours and iteration to create one good map.
STEP 1: Develop A Battle Concept!
This is the most important thing to get right!
[I know, you're probably thinking "but the pixels and story are the fun part!" and you really want to focus on that cuz you have this great story idea, etc.... I know, I know. 
But like most things in life, success comes from doing the hard work up front and postponing the gratification of the fun part for later... trust me on this!!]
Answer these questions BEFORE you start designing your map:
- What kind of battle scenario am I trying to create?
e.g. an epic battle with lots of units and several players battling it out in the middle,
e.g. a small, 1×1 battle that can be played in 30 minutes with limited units (e.g. infantry) and very strategic moves,
e.g. a 1×4 defense battle, where one player must defend against a surrounding army of four enemy players,
e.g. a battle for high ground (very hard to do),
e.g. a battle that requires cooperation.
- How many players are ideal for the battle? Focus your design on a very specific # players per team and do not worry about the cases with fewer players. e.g. 1×1, 2×2, 3×3, 1×3, etc.
- How long should a typical battle on this map take to complete? 20 minutes, 1 hour, 6 hours, 1 week?
- Is this battle for beginners, moderate, or advanced players? Consider the abilities of the players and the size of their armies.
- Do I want to restrict the units types for the battle? e.g. infantry only, no artillery, etc.
- Will the battle use Repair Stations and/or Deploy Stations? If so, how will they be used?
- Deploy Stations can make the battles longer and favor advanced players with lots of units. So be careful here.
- Keep in mind that both DSs and RSs can be destroyed, as well as protected with obstructions.
If you have answered these questions, you are ready to start…
STEP 2: Paper Sketch
Grab a pencil and graph paper, and try to sketch out the key elements of the map (rectangles only!). Each grid square on the graph paper corresponds to a grid on the terrain map.
This has NOTHING to do with artwork. Do not worry about art (i.e. the Pixel Image) until everything else is done!
Here are the key elements of a map:
- Initial Deploy Zones for each player & team (these must be squares, any size, e.g. 35×35).
- Obstructions (i.e. areas where NO UNITS can move and all shots are blocked). These are rectangles on the grid.
- Restricted Unit Movement areas: these are rectangles on the grid that restrict unit size (e.g. units of size 3 or less).
- Location of Structures: these are all squares
- Large Deploy Stations: large (no unit restrictions) size = 18×18, (deploy distance = 23)
- Infantry Deploy Stations: size = 7×7, (deploy distance = 7)
- Large Repair Stations: size = 17×17, (deploy distance = 34)
- Small Repair Stations: size = 7×7, (deploy distance = 34)
- Command Centers: size = 18×18
The following diagram shows an example of a Infantry Deploy Station. First, notice the location (x,y): this is the grid coordinates of the upper-left corner of the structure. Now, notice the size of the unit: in this case it’s 7×7. Now, notice the deploy distance, which is measured from the center of the unit. It’s critical to ensure that Structures do not overlap other units OR their deploy distances!
You also want to think about how the battle will flow over time. Think carefully about three the phases of very battle:
- Early phase: This refers to the initial deploy (round 0) and the first few rounds. Most players set their strategy here.
- Middle phase: This is where the battle get going and where most of the action is. It’s good to consider alternate strategies and provide different ways to win the battle, e.g. straight ahead shoot out, flanking, resource wins, sneak attacks, etc.
- End game: At some point, key actions in the battle will determine the end game. This phase is where the battle is won or lost, and the final rounds to close it out.
This is the truly hard part of map design and requires the most thought, but more imporantly, it requires testing!
Here’s a quick example of a paper sketch:
STEP 3: Terrain Image File
Warning: Creating a good map is hard work! It will take many hours and iteration to create one good map.
Note that image files are really just a rectangular collection of pixels, where a pixel is defined by a red, green, and blue value, in the range of 0 to 255. For example, a bright red pixel would be: r=255, g=0, b=0, and a medium yellow pixel would be: r=128, g=128, b=0.
The terrain image tells the game which units can move on which areas of the map AND the elevation of the land at each point on the map. For example, a forest area can be created that only allows infantry. Or a wall can be created that does not allow any units to move through it and will block shots.
Here’s how it works:
- The red colors in the image defines the movement (and cover) rules (i.e. which units can move where on the map).
- The green colors in the image defines the map elevation.
- The blue colors in the image are ignored.
Very important: The terrain image is 108x SMALLER than the pixel image (i.e. artwork). This is because each terrain pixel represents a 12×9 block of pixels on the pixel image. Thus, one terrain pixel defines the terrain values for 108 pixels of the artwork pixels (i.e. a 12×9 rectangle of pixels)!
Here’s a very simple example:
IMPORTANT: Do not use any colors in the Terrain Image besides the following:
1. Obstructions = (0,255,0) = “100% green”: Block ALL units from moving and block shots from passing through.
2. Restricted unit movement areas:
(0,0,0) = No movement allowed. Shots are not blocked across these areas!
(32,0,0) = Restricted to units of size 2 or less. (e.g. small infantry only)
(48,0,0) = Restricted to units of size 3 or less. (e.g. most infantry only)
(64,0,0) = Restricted to units of size 4 or less. (e.g. all infantry only)
(80,0,0) = Restricted to units of size 5 or less.
(96,0,0) = Restricted to units of size 6 or less.
(112,0,0) = Restricted to units of size 7 or less.
(128,0,0) = Restricted to units of size 8 or less.
(144,0,0) = Restricted to units of size 9 or less.
(160,0,0) = Restricted to units of size 10 or less.
(176,0,0) = Restricted to units of size 11 or less.
(192,0,0) = Restricted to units of size 12 or less.
(208,0,0) = Restricted to units of size 13 or less.
(224,0,0) = Restricted to units of size 14 or less.
(240,0,0) = Restricted to units of size 15 or less.
(255,0,0) = No restrictions = open map.
IMPORTANT: Do not use any anti-aliasing or blurring in the Terrain Image file since this will result in colors OTHER THAN the ones lists above. It will break your map! Therefore, the Terrain Image file must be very crisp, blocky, and follow the colors listed above exactly!
A Note on Cover: As described earlier, the red colors define in the Terrain Image define the Movement Rules for units (i.e. which units can move on which parts of the map). Note that when playing the game, these units that are allowed into these regions ALSO GET ADDITIONAL ARMOR. The lower the red value, the more the additional armor the unit gets. For example, if the value is (32,0,0) that means that only units of size 2 or less are allowed in these area, AND it means that these units get the maximum additional armor. The idea is that the smaller the unit, the more trees/cover protecting them.
STEP 4: Map Parameters
coming soon…
STEP 5: Pixel Image File
When creating a map, start with VERY, VERY simple pixels. Black and white sketches are fine. If you spend a lot of time on the pixels BEFORE the map has been tested by real players, you are guaranteed to waste your time.
STRONG RECOMMENDATION: Create the first pixels with little or no color!
What size does the Pixel Image file need to be?
width = 12 x width of Terrain Image file
height = 9 x height of Terrain Image file
What is a good way to start?
1. Copy the Terrain Image file to a new file (e.g. fred_map_terrain.pmng -> fred_map_pixels.png).
2. Open the new file in your pixel application and change the image size to 12x width and 9x height.
3. Colorize and add some stuff. Make sure to maintain registration with details from the Terrain Image file.
WHAT DO I DO NOW?
If you have followed the steps above and think you have a working map:
Send one email to me with the two images as attachments AND include the Parameters in the email body. Send -> rikk@cloudplay.com.
We will review your map. If its reasonable & works, we’ll test the map in the game!
We’ll also give you free Khora Cash. The better the map, the more KC you get.
We have an early beta of Thresh Wars running on Facebook. We would LOVE for you to give it a whirl and let us know what you think.
