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What Map Tutorials Would You Find Useful?

I'm wondering what kind of map tutorials are needed for people who want to make maps.

I have never done a map all of my modding have been related to characters, and their armor and weapons. So I am not even sure what questions to ask. Maybe the basic steps on how it is done?

Possibly the most useful would be a tutorial along the lines of the original DS1 tutorial that walked you through creating a farmhouse with some land which tied together the concepts of creating a new map, a new region, placing nodes, fades, triggers and monster placement.

I didn't use that tutorial in the compilation as it had too many specific DS1 aspects like DS1 nodes and monsters.

Sharkull made a fantastic test world with many of the features of DS2 but to my knowledge there was never a tutorial to walk you through the different features. So if you didn't know some of the basics before looking at it, then it would be over your head.

Enthusiastic mappers could start with the DS1 mapping tutorial and then switch to DS2, which is more or less what I did, but would they be that eager?

Another tutorial that mightn't exist anymore is Theresnothinglft's tutorial that was on Siegenetwork about creating prefabs of existing regions to use as a basis for new maps and regions. New mappers may learn more through modifying existing regions to look fresh and new than to initially attempt to create a masterpiece and fail abysmally (like I did). Look at Yadehtegeis in the DS2BW Adepts mod which grew out of such a concept.

Then there's the absolute confusion that exists in trying to find the right pieces of terrain to fit in your map. It's easy creating a boring flat expanse of land but to try to make it look realistic is very difficult and time consuming (at least for me it was). There's thousands of pieces that come with the Dungeon Siege Lego Box! Trying to find that one piece of the puzzle that you need to fit into the tiny piece of landscape left to finish your masterpiece can be very frustrating.

Also the key layout and shortcuts can be a mystery to initially discover. Perhaps a small chm file that would load whenever one clicks on the help button in Siege Editor (which currently does nothing since there's nothing there) would be very useful for new mappers.

The list probably could go on and on. For instance there's all the new flick and map support that KillerGremal has developed that extends what maps and map designers can do above and beyond what GPG did with their map regions! Look at his version of Return to Arhok and even some of the things that worked their way into the Legendary Mod.

Another one could be the process of converting DS1 maps to be playable in DS2 and Broken World. Useful for anyone who may have ever made such a map and is still around the scene. Or even converting other DS1 assets like weapons, armor and actors to DS2.