Modding maps

[Private_ryan]

After not being able to run the BF2 editor (constantly crashes), I decided to do some tests and mods by hand. Here are a few things I have figured out:

Removing anything from a map is easy and takes about 5mins (ie. vehicals, flags etc..) and adding things to a map is easy as well, although takes a little longer to set the coordinates.

Adding bot's to any map is easy, so is changing the battle area, getting the maps to showup in either SP or MP isn't hard either.

The only problem with bots on new maps is setting the coordinates and priority for the capture points, the ai seems to work everything else out just fine.

I modded stalemate SP map tonight, took out all arty, uav, tanks, apc's and added 2 new transport heli's along with 32 bots and 500 tickets per side.
It makes for an awsome hard-out infantry battle using PRMM! and runs smooth as silk.

I guess what I'm trying to figure out is, why it seems to be such a big deal to make these changes? everywhere I read on the net it say's "you can't do this" or "you can't do that".

Also, concidering these mods only require a couple of txt files be changed, why is it when a map has been altered the download is like 40mb? am I missing something? is there more to it?

Is anyone interested in SP / multiplayer maps being altered in this way? I see some people like loads of tanks and heli's and others like none at all..

I am no coder or modder, but I did find the above a bit too easy, which makes me think perhaps I'm missing something vital.

Your thoughts?

[dawdler]

The entire download is for simplicity, so users dont have to add files themselves. So far I havent figured out inheritance in BF2... In BF1942 it was easy to add something to a map (you just made a mapfile_00X or something with the modified files, where X is a number higher than existing files).

Also, adding bots to NEW maps dont work since they need to have the AI paths generated. DICE is releasing that tool with the next editor update.

Otherwise, I dont think anyone has said something about not being able to do what you just did

[DEDMON5811]

It seems very easy to remove stuff but trust me its not. First of all did you change the name of the map? or is it the stock name? Did you try running your modded map on a server and have someone join it?

I take it you just moddified the .con file?

[Private_ryan]

It seems very easy to remove stuff but trust me its not. First of all did you change the name of the map? or is it the stock name? Did you try running your modded map on a server and have someone join it?

I take it you just moddified the .con file?

Insted of changing the name of the map, I simply made a new mod dir. and put all my altered maps etc. in that folder.

I've run all the modded maps on LAN with other people. (I have a home network).

But yes, basicly all I had to do was alter a .con file here and there and a coulple of others.

I also tried changing the maps name, seemed to have the exact same effect, only you have to alter a few more txt type files.

[Private_ryan]

The entire download is for simplicity, so users dont have to add files themselves. So far I havent figured out inheritance in BF2... In BF1942 it was easy to add something to a map (you just made a mapfile_00X or something with the modified files, where X is a number higher than existing files).

Also, adding bots to NEW maps dont work since they need to have the AI paths generated. DICE is releasing that tool with the next editor update.

Otherwise, I dont think anyone has said something about not being able to do what you just did

As an experiment, I overlaid a pre-exsisting bot map AI and a few other files and ended up with bot's on wakeisland, they seemed fine except the object positions etc. were all wrong. (they started swimming out to sea) lol

You are probably right though, so I think I'll finnish wake to see if they just all stand around.