MapList.mes and GameArea.mes Tutorial

I'll explain the usages a bit more on MapList.mes and GameArea.mes files used in your mods when making new maps and areas.

The Main Difference between the two:

GAMEAREA.MES is the file which stores locations (town and passage locations) for your World Map view within the game.
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{0}{0, 0, 0, 0 /A Place Unimportant/This is the unknown area.}
{1}{90226,84176, 0, 0 /Shrouded Hills/A small mining town.}
{2}{92960,82592, 0, -5 /Crash Site/The remains of the crashed blimp.}
{3}{70218,92096, 0, 0 /Black Root/A border town.}
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1st number {#} is the area #, that you use in your MAPLIST.MES file on new maps to basically tell the game where your new map is located ... say you make a dungeon in Shrouded Hills ... If you were to view your world map while in that dungeon, the game will look at the area number you set in your MAPLIST.MES file for your MAP to place a marker on the worldmap of where exactly you \ the dungeon is located in relation to the main arcanum world.

2nd set of #'s {###,###,...,.../.../...} is your start location on that area of the map. If you were to teleport from ANYWAY to one of the above locations, the ###,### is where you will appear. These #'s are the same as the X,Y coordinates you see in WorldED. So when you make a new location in WorldED on your Arcanum map, make sure to note this X,Y coordinate for in the GAMEAREA.MES so it will show up correctly in the WorldMap within the game.

3rd set of #'s {...,...###,###/.../...} is the X,Y offset of the NAME of this area ... + or - numbers are used. 0,0 is directly above the dot mark on your worldmap in game. -50,0 moves it to the left. +50,0 to the right, 0,-50 center and further above, 0,+50 center and below, etc...

4th area between the /'s is the area name (or town name, or passage name, etc) Simple name, like Drogs' Bane, or Secret Passage.

5th area after the area name is its DESCRIPTION ... Type a short and simple but well detailed description. too many letters or too long of a description will cause the text to not be visible in the description area in the game when you hove over the area on your world map. Anything like /Drogs' Bane/You see an odd swamp in the distance and hear echoes of screaming and growling.




MAPLIST.MES is the file which stores each map or level ... for example, the main world of arcanum you traverse a lot from town to town is a map of its own. Passages, Basements, Dungeons, etc... are their OWN maps, seperate from the World Map of Arcanum.

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// List of valid maps for game & Starting X/Y position
{5000}{Arcanum1-024-fixed, 92958,82592, Type: START_MAP, WorldMap: 0}
{5001}{BessieToonesMine-fixed, 96, 126, WorldMap: 0, Area: 1}
{5002}{PSchuylers Lev 1-fixed, 96, 126, WorldMap: 0, Area: 21}
{5003}{PSchuylers Lev 2-fixed, 96, 126, WorldMap: 0, Area: 21}
{5004}{PSchuylers Lev 3-fixed, 96, 126, WorldMap: 0, Area: 21}
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The 4 numbers {####} is the map number. Each map number MUST BE UNIQUE. The 1st map will ALWAYS be {5000}. (im assuming on this).

The map name is what you'd name exactly the same in your WorldED when you make a new map.

The 2 numbers after the name is where the start location for that map is, for if you go thru a passage, down a stairs, in a cave entrace. You cannot however teleport from the Main world of Arcanum to a different Map like BessieToonesMine. You can only teleport to the PASSAGE that leads into BessieToonesMine. Going through that passage from the main arcanum world will put you at the X,Y coordinates in the BessieToonesMine map.

WorldMap: 0, I still have no idea what this does, But I believe it tells Arcanum that you can view the World Map from this location (if this isnt in there, it wont let you view the world map , it will say ''World Map not available in this location'' if you try to use it ... my best assumption)

The Type: START_MAP tells Arcanum that this is the starting map. The initial 1st map of the game, the map your character should start on. This START_MAP does NOT need an Area: # definition as it is the WORLD, basically. If you make a NEW MAP and want it to start at that location 1st when you start the game, simply right click the tile in WORLDED and click on SET AS START LOCATION, or you can manually make your map the start location by removing the Type: START_MAP from the 1st map in the list, and adding it to your Map section after the MAP X,Y coordinates.
***NOTE***
This may set your new map as the WORLD Map ... which means you will need to make a NEW World Map art files to reflect how your map looks like, otherwise you'll not know where you are. Its like going to Australia with a Map of the USA ... Goodluck on that one.

Area: # is the AREA of the WORLDMAP that your new map is accessed from, as I stated above in the GAMEAREA.MES info. If your new map is a dungeon in Shrouded Hills, or a Basement of a Shop in Tulla, take note of the 1st number {#} you see on the line where it says Tulla, or Shrouded Hills in the GAMEAREA.MES file, and use that # as the Area # in your MAPLIST.MES. That way, when you view the world map from your dungeon or basement, it will display on the world map, the location of your dungeon or basement. So if its in Tarant, your dugneon and you look at the World Map while in the duneon, you will see a mark over Tarant on the World Map.

I believe that about does it on this explanation. I hoe it comes usefull if anyone has issues udnerstanding the AMTUT.

 

Thank you. :thumbup: