Spring RTS Engine

Hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How are you?

We need maps for Spring: 1944. Please?!?! With the new version fleshing out and stuff, we need it BADLY!

Here's what a Spring: 1944 map needs:

1 - No "metal patches". "Metal" is replaced with "Command Points", a sort of arbitrary calculation of a Commander's overall effectiveness based on how much area he has occupied. The more area, the better the Commander in the eyes of the higher-ups, the more "popular" he becomes, while units themselves require different "Command Points" based on their importance, fighting power, etc. Thusly, while there should be no visible metal patches, there should still be "metal" spread in strategic locations in the map, somewhere you'd expect an Army to plant their flag after occupying (since our "metal extractors" are flags).
2 - If anybody wants to make feature sets with early 20th century style structures and shit, please do! But it's not needed for ALL maps. But still, you know what kinds of terrain would be found on Earth (to be more specific, in Europe), and what would be found on the 7th planet of the Alpha Centauri solar system.
3 - For making S:1944 maps you will have access to the latest betas and stuff!

Either reply here or http://taspring.clan-sy.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=5728 if you're interested...

Thanks!

I'd like to see a Normandy invasion map, with one side starting on a resource-rich British Isle, and one side starting on an easily-defended France.

Hurry up with those aircraft and landing barges ;P

IMO it would be the best decision for 1944 if you abandoned that system and used something that could be adapted to any map. Other-wise you are automatically cutting yourself off from over 400 spring maps.

hrmph wrote:IMO it would be the best decision for 1944 if you abandoned that system and used something that could be adapted to any map. Other-wise you are automatically cutting yourself off from over 400 spring maps.

The point is not for it to be like everything else.

Me loves SciFi Maps and Skyboxes... sorry

Hey I does this mean Greenfields might get used for it original purpose?

Get the map, tell me where you want these command points and I'll do a new version. Also if we get some farm buildings and houses I'll put them on the spots I left for them.

Mars doesn't have any metal patches last time I checked.
Don't take me serious.

hrmph wrote:IMO it would be the best decision for 1944 if you abandoned that system and used something that could be adapted to any map. Other-wise you are automatically cutting yourself off from over 400 spring maps.

How many maps does the demo of BF1942 have? Just one, and even the demo is played by loads of ppl. 400+ maps just really isn't something to be proud of..

I suggest making a list of maps that are quite ready for S:1944! For starters, the snowmaps Lathan and Forbidin (or whatever that dude's called ) is awesome, as shown in ur screens!

Maybe its better to ask how you want the metal distribution? I remember when I made AATA-rumbling forest, nemo wanted four spots giving 10metal and two spots giving 25 metal. How much metal should each 'command point' give ?

The amount of metal patches should be relatively low (max of around 10 depending on the map size, but no less than 3, with each start pos getting one) and spread out fairly evenly over the map.. I don't know much about Spring mapping, but it is possible to control how much metal output each patch makes? If so, that should be about twice the average Spring map (smaller numbers of patches, but more metal per patch). This way it's relatively balanced with existing Spring maps so that gameplay isn't utterly fudged on non-1944 maps. Ultimately we will have to cater to non-1944 maps as they are the vast majority (but seeing 5 flags within a few meters of each other is soooo ugly!) but it'd be nice to have as many 1944-specific maps out there. To clarify, on a per map basis, with all combined metal patches, Spring and 1944 maps should have about the same overall output (map-wide). So lets say the average Spring map has enough metal patches to give 100 metal, then so too should 1944 maps have enough patches to give 100 metal or so, but spread out over a smaller number of patches.

Thanks for all the replies guys!

I think that while it would be great to have some 1944-specific maps, it is still absolutely essential to balance 1944 to suit Spring maps, rather then balance new maps to suit 1944. Playing on a map which increases the immersion through things such as small towns, etc (remember how good the street-to-street combat was in St.Lamburt?) is fantastic, but there is no reason to then go and make 1944 unplayable on the rest of the maps; and there are plenty out there which look perfectly normal in a WWII setting (greenhaven, severnaya industrial, etc).

Did you read my post? I just said all of that.

Oh, also, maps should be relatively "dense", since infantry desperately need the cover and protection obstacles provide. This means lots of forests, rockets, small hills, etc.

I wanted to reiterate the point, because I think it's absolutely essential.

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PEOPLE. 1944 WILL -- NO, MUST BE COMPATIBLE WITH ALL CURRENT SPRING MAPS!

I had an idea. With minimal work, a lot of pre-existing maps could be edited to fit well with 1944. My Communist side is whispering in my ear, telling me "You don't have to ask permission! This is all GPL, free! Even if it weren't, ownership of intellectual property is a capitalist tool of oppression!", but respect for the men and boys who mod urges me to say that permission should be asked.

First thing's first, I'm going to find the beautiful motherfucker who made Severnaya and ask his permission.

Good luck editing the texture...

However you might ask lathan nicely...

SpikedHelmet wrote:FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PEOPLE. 1944 WILL -- NO, MUST BE COMPATIBLE WITH ALL CURRENT SPRING MAPS!

Hearing this makes me happy. I must say, earlier my first post resembled Warlord Zsing's exactly before I edited it down.

I asked, obviously, but didn't realize I'd probably need all the .bmp's to redo it.. is there a way to unpack .smt and .smf files?