What The Map Validation Doesn’t Tell You

After completing any map, it is a must to click on that map validation button (the red tick button next to the save button on the top bar of main editor window) to verify that the map will play correctly. It is a MUST, not should, not “perhaps you’d better.”

What results in a map validation failure:

– city not named

– teleport destination not set

– Hero statistics not assign or incompletely assigned.

– Hero not placed on map

– Spheres not assigned to heros

Text Bubble not set to activate

After adding a text bubble and typing in the message that you want others to read, remember to set message triggers for one or more specific races or the message will never “pop-up” during the game. The trigger settings shown here are for two player map and the message will pop up for the elves (player 1).

Cave entrance/exit errors

As you may well know, putting a cave entrance on a surface automatically adds its direct exit in the map layer under it. That is (to explain more clearly), addition of a cave entrance (with arrow pointing down) at 34,14,0 will automatically add cave exit (with arrow pointing up) at 34,14,1. Note that if the top surface is a ground terrain (or any terrain) and the bottom terrain is water, both entrance and corresponding caves will have their arrows pointing down. If this is the case, THE CAVE ENTRANCE CANNOT BE USED. So make sure that the arrow on the cave entrance is pointing down and the cave directly below it has an arrow pointing up.

Entrance
Correct exit
If the corresponding exit below it looks like this, it’s due to presence of “water” directly under it, it cannot be used!

Invalid teleport destination

If the teleport destination happens to be on a special terrain, such as mountain, water or lava, be aware that units that cannot move on these terrains will not be teleported. (unless that’s what you wanted 🙂 – a teleport to the mountains that can only be used by units with mountaineering skills.)

The Frozen Bridge in the Underground

Beware that if there’s ‘ice’ tile placed beneath a bridge tile, the bridge becomes unusable. Commonly known as the Slippery Bridge bug. (See the bug forum at the Valley of Wonders posted by Edi.) This is an odd bug and quite a curse to those who used bridges underground (apparently it only happens underground). So far there’s no fix. So beware of it.

The bridge on the top is ‘frozen’ as an ice tile is right under it. Odd as it seems the Titan will never cross it, (perhaps fearing that he might slip and end up as lunch for Mr Sea Serpent…)

Block Passageways

Another problem to watch out for when building the underground levels, are the blocked passageways. This being caused by the AI player which has a bad habit of not wanting to take on towers, so if you block a passage with them, they tend not to expand beyond them. Also if nodes/mines are placed the same way and the allying races of the AI player takes them, then they are stuck behind it forever.

In the right screenshot, the humans are blocked by the mine of their ally’s (the Azracs) mine. While the Dwarves in screenshot on the right find themselves somewhat stuck behind a tower.In the right screenshot, the humans are blocked by the mine of their ally’s (the Azracs) mine. While the Dwarves in screenshot on the right find themselves somewhat stuck behind a tower.

If you find any more editor oddities, sent me an e-mail (bluecollarheaven@hotmail.com).

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