Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: el cid again

There are three different things that create the map:

1) Art. This is more or less chrome. It is used ONLY by players - and yet it is nice if it is pretty and it is vital that it show useful information at the right places.

2) pwhex.dat file. This is more or less the "real" map - invisible to players - but what the program thinks is present in terms of terrain and hexsides. Players can reveal communications codes or hex side details with the right settings - but they can NOT show terrain types - so the art should do that for them in each hex.

3) location file = wpl000.pwf - this defines other aspects of certain hexes = dot hexes or locations like cities. Economics and bases are defined here. This is somewhat visible to players but they must click on the location to get it all - although symbols for cities do show up on the map as apparent art - which they are not. The symbols can be modified in some respects - however - in their own art files.

Modders usually change the location file. Artists usually create art files. Not many do pwhex files - and there is a vast amount to do in that file to create a new map. Measured in man years. Andrew Brown, I and anyone who did something like the war in the Med are pwhex modifiers. Most use a special program - usually custom - but you can use witpexcel or witp editor x to do it.