The Homeworld Map Makers Primer v2.1 FINAL

 
HW Tutorial 7.0 Resources

 

Part Seven: Overview

In this
section you will begin setting up the resources starting with a template for each players local resources.

7.1

Copy the relevant map distribution files to the map folder.

7.2

Edit the ResourceSphere_1.missphere’ file.

7.3

Edit the Asteroid.dist file.


Quick Links Relevant to this Chapter

 

7.0 Resources

The ResourceSphere_1.missphere file contains every single resource element that we want to use in the map including asteroids, dust clouds and particles. When ships are placed in the ResourceSphere they go under AI control, even when playing with no computer players. There will only ever be more than one of these if it becomes bigger than 64k.

We know exactly what is going on in the Resources and Distribution Files, we know that not only the resource clusters are here, but also if we want AI controlled ships and other derelicts or scenery then they all go in here too. 

 

7.1 - Copy the relevant map distribution files to the map folder.

In your Revelations2 folder delete all the *.dist files. Now, go into the Tutorial Map Folder, you will find three more distribution files called ‘Asteroid.dist’, ‘DustCloud.dist’ and, ‘Tiny.dist’ copy these into your Revelations2 folder. Don’t worry about the distribution files at the moment, they are simple text files that have the data pertaining to the range of sizes of each resource type, and should we need it; the regeneration rates of these resource types. We will deal with these later, but we add them now so we can jump in and out of the game and see our changes as we make them.

 

7.2 - Edit the ResourceSphere_1.missphere’ file.

Open up the ResourceSphere_1.misspherefile now, we will ignore the 3 line header beginning with the semicolon and deal with the rest.

7.2.1 - We only need the first line beginning with Resources<tab>, so I want you to delete every other line beginning with Resources<tab>, so we are left with just the one. The only reason we are keeping this line is because it makes a handy template to build our resources from.

7.2.2 - Okay our first line should look like this;

Resources    Asteroid,11498.0,-75590.6,37846.9,Sphere,AsteroidCentre.dist,20,10038.4,20076.8,0.0,0.0,2048,?

which reads:
Resources   
resourcetype, posx, posy, posz, layout, distribution, numResources, radius, length, roty, rotz, properties, propertiesparam..

7.2.2.1 - First we will to change the location of this spherical cluster. We want this sphere to be one of the spheres that surround the player Mothership. The easiest way to do that is to open up the Mothership_0.missphere file (Player One) in your Revelations2 folder and copy the x,y,z co-ord. (posx,posy,posz) and replace the posx,posy and posz values in your resource line with these. So that’s the cluster centred about the players MS,

7.2.2.2 - We are happy that it’s a sphere so leave that.

7.2.2.3 - Next we want to point this resource line at the ‘Asteroid.dist’ file, so delete ‘AsteroidCentre.dist’ and replace it with ‘Asteroid.dist’.

7.2.2.4 - Leave the resourceNum at 20 it’s a nice big amount to start us off and allow for initial building in the relative safety of the immediate vicinity of the Mothership.

7.2.2.5 - Lets leave the next two values alone, the radius and diameter is fine here, we know this because this is the resource cluster that we start in when we play ‘Hyperspace Arena’ and if it ain’t broke…

7.2.2.6 - Angle and rotation are fine, for a sphere it does not matter in the slightest, ignore them.

7.2.2.7 - The property value for this sphere is already set at Regeneration (2048), this is cool as we want the to regenerate to encourage the players to stay put and not all charge into the centre as is too often the case. The propertiesParam has been left at the default of ‘?’, this seems to manifest as roughly the propertiesParam value of 7. Lets speed it up a little, lets hike it all the way up! Change the propertiesParam to ‘1’.

And that’s it. Your lines should look like this;

Resources    Asteroid,0.0,50000.0,0.0,Sphere,Asteroid.dist,20,10038.4,20076.8,0.0,0.0,2048,1
Resources    Asteroid,0.0,-50000.0,0.0,Sphere,Asteroid.dist,20,10038.4,20076.8,0.0,0.0,2048,1

Start up Homeworld and take a look at everything so far then Alt-Tab back to desktop. Lets go on to discuss the distribution files in a bit more depth.

 

7.3 - Edit the Asteroid.dist file.

This file contains the information on the size and amounts of each size of the resource you have in a cluster. They are very simple files giving the relative sizes of asteroids/dustclouds of the resources named in the Resourcesphere file. There can be any amount of distribution files in the folder.

We now know that the range of sizes of each resource type, and the range of regeneration are found in the distribution file that each resource line names. Lets give a slightly higher emphasis to the ratio of asteroids found in the Asteroid.dist file. Change the Asteroid.dist file lines to match this;

Asteroid0    0    1
Asteroid1    2    3

Asteroid2    3    3

Asteroid3    3    2

Asteroid4    1    0

The point of this is to give the clusters our players start in more RU’s. This will make these clusters highly desirable areas worth fighting for, bring the fight to each other as opposed to a central area drawing each player in, as many small maps tend to do.

 

 

Quick Links:

HW Primer:
Chapter Five - The Resource Spheres Files

Quick Jump to Relevant Areas in the Primer:
5.2 The Resource Line
5.8 Distribution of Resources; the *.dist files
5.10 On the Placement of Resources

Quick Jump to Relevant Appendices:
Appendix A: Relic Resource List

Appendix A: The Resource File Parameters

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