Fantasy Wars - Toolset Part 1

Map Editor - Global Note

This Map Editor is very easy to use. You can create maps with it for both single- and multiplayer, but you can't create a whole campaign (only in several single maps). This tutorial is only a small tutorial for creating an easy map with the editor. I haven't found any manuals for the editor, so I try to write this tutorial down as detailed as possible.

Editor-windows, Menubar, Symbolbar

When you first open the editor you'll see three windows. The "Welcome"-window will pop up automatically and you can choose between "Open the last map", "Open a previous map", "Create a new map" or "Exit program" (Picture 1.1).
If you have not made a map yet just click on "Create a new map". The next window appears and you can fill in the "Map size", the "Appearance" and the "Map's image". First choose the size of your map now (Picture 1.2): "Game zone size" means the units can walk and fight within this zone, "Border size" means this is the border for decoration and no unit can go here. Choose a size between 0 and 32 for the game zone and a size between 0 and 16 for the border.
NOTE: (Picture 1.3) You'll get a warning when you want a larger map, that does not mean that it isn't possible to create a bigger map, but it can crash the game and the editor. I haven't tried it out, so be careful if you do so.

For this tutorial I used a size of 32x32 and 8 for the border. Now click on "Appearance" (Picture 1.4) and choose the "Season", "Sky", "Sea water", "River water", "Grass", the "Opening music" and the "Playlist". [...]
You can ignore the "Map's image" for now, it is only available when a map is saved. We make that later, click on "Ok" now.

(Picture 2) In the Objects palette window on the left you can see an "Erase" button, which is very practical if you have placed a river or a street in the wrong place. For towns, units and some other things you can set the "Fraction" to which they shall belong. The following symbols cover the "Terrain", "Buildings", "Locations", "Ground units", "Flying units", the "Deploy area" and the "Trigger area". All this appears in the window when clicked on a symbol, for the units you'll get a short description at the bottom of the window.

Now let's have a look at the big Map Editor window (Picture 3). Here is your working area, your map has a light-colored part (the game zone) and a dark-colored one (the border). What the symbols in the symbolbar are for is listed in the picture, and the menubar is self-explanatory, but a few things are not and I'll describe them when it's necessary. Now go to the menubar, choose "Edit" and open the "Editor's options", fill in what you think you'll need and then let's go on with our first map.

Map - Terrain, Towns, Locations

Terrain:
As you can see in picture 2.1 you have 3 brush-sizes, 1, 7 or 19 hexes. Simply choose a size, click on one of the terrain fields in this window and draw your map (you can also use the folder in the Map window to pick the needed tiles). Don't forget to draw the border too. You can also have a look at the Tiles-picture to see how the different tiles will look in the game itself, they are sorted the same way as in the Objects palette window.

While you're drawing your map it can be useful to save sometimes. And if you're saving now, you can also add a "Map's image" yet. You can do this in two ways: Add one of the given pictures stored as .dds-files or make your own .dds-file and add it as map-image. After saving your map click on "Map" in the menubar and then on "Size and appearance", this opens the "Create a new map" window again and you can click on "Map's image" now.
Here you can add an image by clicking on the button with the points, you can see this in picture 1.5. In the opening explorer-window you can search for an image, but NOTE: You can only use images named "mission_image.dds"! If you make your own .dds-file you have to name it "mission_image.dds" with a size of 256x256 pixel, the editor will import and store your chosen image automatically in the folder where your mission-map is saved. Given mission_images can be found under "Fantasy Wars\Data\Levels\Multiplayer\" or "Fantasy Wars\Data\Levels\Quick_Mission" and their subfolders. When you've finished importing your image simply click on Ok and it is done. Don't forget to save again.

Now draw the terrain of your whole map. Put some roads and rivers onto your map with help of the "Extended landscape" buttons at the bottom of the Objects palette window (Picture 2.2). If you want you can also add some impassable terrain in the game zone, the border zone is still impassable enough for units. When you've finished the terrain part you can add the towns and locations.

Towns & Special Locations:
There is one very important thing you have to do first! You have to set the fractions of the map. From the menubar choose "Map" and "Fractions", this opens the "Fractions setup" window (Picture 4.1). Click on the line you want to change and choose a color/race for the fractions, give them some money and choose between human or computer to play this fraction. You can simply add another fraction by clicking on the "Add" button or "Delete" the marked fraction. With the "Up" and "Down" buttons you can change the order of turns.

For each fraction you have to set the properties now, select a fraction and click on "Edit", this opens the "Change fraction properties" window (Picture 4.2). Under "Basic parameters" you can see which fraction it is, how much money it'll get at the start of the game and if it is played by human or computer. In the next field you have to set the number of units this fraction can have during the game, this is the allowed number of units on the map at the same time.
Now let's set the "Units for deploy" (Picture 4.3). On the right side you can see all units that are available in the game. Simply choose a few and click the "Add" button, the choosen ones are now shown on the left side. These are the units that are available for a fraction and that can be deployed, they are part of the army at the start of the game.
Now click on the next field named "Units available for buying", it's nearly the same as the previous section, but these troops are not part of the army, they can be hired later if this fraction has enough money to buy them.
The next section, "Pool of artefacts" (Picture 4.4), is similar, if you want the player or another fraction to have some artefacts when the game starts, then simply add them here. For every artefact you can see a description at the bottom of the window.
That's all for now, the last tab "Divisions" is not needed yet, we'll make this later when we add units on the map. Let's go on with placing our towns now.

From the "Objects palette" window now choose some towns and locations (Picture 2.3) and place them on your map, you can also pick them from the folder in the main map window. In the map window you have to rightclick on every single town and location and open the "Building properties" window (Picture 5.1). Under "Object system name" you don't need to change something, under "Objects localized name" fill in the name of your town/location, you don't need to change something under "Object type". The "Direction" for the entrance to the town/location is set with the green arrows and for towns you can choose the "Fraction" to which it belongs. (Locations are always neutral.)

Now we need some hexes where the player can deploy his troops when the game starts. You have to set "Deploy areas" for every fraction. In the "Objects palette" window click on the icon for "Deploy areas" (Picture 5.2), choose the fraction above and click on the grey button then. Now place some hexes around the town which belongs to this fraction. That was it, you can go on with the units now.