Difference between revisions of "Mapping"

Revision as of 22:25, 3 December 2019

this is the guide to mapping! stay tuned while its slowly, eventually filled out

Getting started

Look at the coding guide for how to download and set up a local Goonstation repository to start mapping on.

Before you open up your map editor, it might be useful to doodle a rough map layout so you can build in a more organized fashion.

How big do I make this thing

For Goonstation, station maps should be 300x300 with only 1 z level (station here meaning basically anything that'll be the main area where people will play).

For any setpieces (whether for debris field, oshan trench, or an entirely separate adventure zone), the dimensions don't matter too much since they'll be copypasted into an existing level.

SAVE. Also save

Whenever you make any change that took any amount of time, save and make sure there's a backup. Dream Maker can sometimes corrupt maps, or simply not save your work, and you'll either lose part of your map or break the whole thing.

If you don't have some sort of fancier version control (i.e. git) that automatically keeps revisions when you save the map, you can make a backup by doing "save as" and adding a version number to the filename, i.e. mapname_ver(number).

Okay but how do I actually make map

General order of map creation should be something like:

Basic skeleton of turfs (walls, floors)

Objects in rooms (airlocks, machinery, etc)

Area placement (important for APCs, teleportation, etc)

Wiring (including APCs) and disposals

Detail work; lighting+switches, access spawners, firelock stuff, door names, bot waypoints, teleporter beacons etc.

It's okay to look at existing maps for reference when configuring objects, but it's heavily recommended you create new instances of objects and change any necessary variables when making your map - this is less likely to introduce unintended consequences, and makes you more familiar with var-editing.

I have a map and it seems to work, now what

For a general checklist, reference the Goonstation Map Submission Guidelines - they're an excellent source of ways to validate your map's functionality. As a rule of thumb, if your map hasn't been tested, there's something wrong with it - don't be afraid to ask for help fixing or testing things.

( SECTION ABOUT DISPOSAL AND PIPE TESTER )

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 this is the guide to mapping! stay tuned while its slowly, eventually filled out
-heres some basic info so i dont get yelled at for making a (basically) blank page sorry its not formatted basically at all:
+== Getting started ==
-for goonstation, station maps should be 300x300 with only 1 z level (station here meaning basically anything thatll be the main area where people will play)
+Look at the [[coding]] guide for how to download and set up a local Goonstation repository to start mapping on.
-for any setpieces, for stuff like the debris field, mining z level, artemis, or even a full new adventure zone or dungeon or something, the dimensions dont matter since itll be copypasted into an existing level.
+Before you open up your map editor, it might be useful to doodle a rough map layout so you can build in a more organized fashion.
-dont be afraid to draw some map ideas on paper!
+== How big do I make this thing ==
-look at the [[coding]] guide for how to download and set up a local goonstation repostory to start mapping on
+For Goonstation, station maps should be 300x300 with only 1 z level (station here meaning basically anything that'll be the main area where people will play).
-save FREQUENTLY
+For any setpieces (whether for debris field, oshan trench, or an entirely separate adventure zone), the dimensions don't matter too much since they'll be copypasted into an existing level.
-after every "session" (whenever youre about to close DM) BEFORE you close DM, you should head into your goonstation folder through file explorer, copypaste your current map in the same folder, and rename one copy to yourmap-v2. do this every time, dont be afraid of having like 99 versions. dreammaker can sometimes corrupt maps, or forget to save your work, and you'll lose either what you edited, or literally everything
+== SAVE. Also save ==
-general workflow (check w/ kubius for accuracy):
+'''Whenever you make any change that took any amount of time, save and make sure there's a backup.''' Dream Maker can sometimes corrupt maps, or simply not save your work, and you'll either lose part of your map or break the whole thing.
-walls/floors
+If you don't have some sort of fancier version control (i.e. git) that automatically keeps revisions when you save the map, you can make a backup by doing "save as" and adding a version number to the filename, i.e. mapname_ver(number).
-room objects
-wiring
-piping
-areas
-[[Goonstation Map Submission Guidelines]] for required & recommended guidelines on submitting a map
+== Okay but how do I actually make map ==
+General order of map creation should be something like:
+* Basic skeleton of turfs (walls, floors)
+* Objects in rooms (airlocks, machinery, etc)
+* Area placement (important for APCs, teleportation, etc)
+* Wiring (including APCs) and disposals
+* Detail work; lighting+switches, access spawners, firelock stuff, door names, bot waypoints, teleporter beacons etc.
+It's okay to look at existing maps for reference when configuring objects, but it's heavily recommended you create new instances of objects and change any necessary variables when making your map - this is less likely to introduce unintended consequences, and makes you more familiar with var-editing.
+== I have a map and it seems to work, now what ==
+For a general checklist, reference the [[Goonstation Map Submission Guidelines]] - they're an excellent source of ways to validate your map's functionality. As a rule of thumb, if your map hasn't been tested, there's something wrong with it - don't be afraid to ask for help fixing or testing things.
+( SECTION ABOUT DISPOSAL AND PIPE TESTER )