may be the worst question ever but...

[thor9986]

Where the heck do I start

been looking around the site mostly as well as the web for a good tutorial to kinda get my feet wet and learned a few things here and there today but seems I am a long way off from working toward something complicated.

came to the help zone and read the great faq by rui and saw the biggest words of wisdom ever don't work beyond your means

that is truth right there but here is the thing well then where the hell do I start I want to learn how to make a map and only original idea I have atm is vaugue to say the least and prob a bit bigger then I should start.

I did search the forum for similar threads as well as look over a few tutorials but not quite sure where the best place is or what the best first stupid little project would be to get my feet wet

this has quickly become a ramble and is prob in the wrong forum (as a person who has moderated in the past I hate doing this but I tried my best) but basically is a cry for help

thanks in advance
~Thor

p.s I know this is one of those posts that attracts flames better then gasoline but I legitimately need a clue here there is allot of info to go through and I am getting a tad overwhelmed flame if u wish but being productive is better

 

[krisserz]

Wha exactly you need? Tutorial or what?

P.S. Tutorials

 

[ap0calypse]

Is this about... triggers? Or do you just need original idea's for a map? Or terraining?
Or everything, maybe?

"I want to learn how to make a map" is very, very vague...
You can as well say "I need an icon" in the request-section, it just won't work

Well, erm...
Where do I start? ><

If you want to learn how to trigger, learn these things;

• Events, Conditions, Actions (you should know most of them)
• Variables (how to use/set up, with and without arrays)
• Fixing the Leaks
• Code as efficient as possible (using multiple events, instead of using the "conditions"-part, use an in/then/else, so you can add multiple things in the same trigger, ...).

If you want to learn how to terrain;

• when creating a map, start with shallow water, so you can create puddles, then raise the terrain.
• NEVER SPAM CINEMATIC DOODADS (spammed fire, lightning and things like that are plain ugly)
• Use terrain height wisely, don't overuse blizzard cliffs
• Importing trees is mostly better than using blizzard trees
• Be sure to use enough environmental doodads
• Don't stack trees

You can be as original as you like... everyone is original
If you like something you've seen in another map, add it to yours if it fits in.
Inventions come from experiences (most of the time), a little trigger that changes the speed when going up/down cliffs, for example, is a real-life experience and it makes your map different.

 

[thor9986]

that is part of the problem complete noob when it comes to the editor been reading as basic as I can find tutorials for like 3-4 days and kinda have some basic knowledge down but don't really feel as though I can start making a map so I don't know if I should try and master like 1 things to start such as triggers or unit editing and so on.

Basically after u read up on the basics where the hell do you start on the path of actually learning the editor. I know it was a vague question but I am a bit overwhelmed with info and don't feel like I can really do any one thing in the editor well just kinda have a basic idea.

As for map ideas I would really like to try and make an arena of some kind however that involves triggers galor custom units and terraining at a lvl I will never reach I have a feeling.

I think I was just looking for someone to go well when I start the easiest thing to learn was blah so I started there. I just kinda need to figure out if I should just start a project then try and figure things out or if I should learn how to do things unrelated to a project just to learn the editor a bit.


yay for another ramble but ty for the replies to my bad post
~Thor

 

[QirajiLord]

I think that opening up some of Blizzard's maps is always a good idea. I know that some (the racing one <.<) are really crazy, but ones like Monolith's and their Prison Break TD seem to be pretty easy and a good reference point.

I find a fun way to trigger is to just start somewhere and go wherever it seems to lead. Like, I'll start with creating a simple unit at the center of the map. Ok, but that doesn't really do anything, so I'll make it spawn when and where someone casts... Blizzard. Alright, but a (color) footman doesn't match Blizzard, better make turn the footman blue! And just keep expanding on it. Lol, it may seem kinda weird, but I enjoy it.

And everyone has to start, so you really shouldn't feel bad about making posts.

 

[En_Fuego]

I'd start by learning how to terrain. From there, you can basically let your mind take you.

 

[toofless]

I started by reading most of the tutorials (good idea) and maybe reproducing some of them in a map to test the theory.

Then I made a completly retarded map which was just editing attacks and stuff to get used to the Object Editor. I made a no cooldown blink that leaves a huge fireblast behing and a unit whose basic attacked was changes to being a no cooldown shockwave. Someone joked that it was how to make a flamethrower ^^. Also messed with time changing and regions, and spawning creeps which is a good starting point seeing as most maps need this.

From there I started to make the ideas into reality but still found what I was thinking was far too complex. I really suggest to keep things simple because some of the best maps around base themselves from a simple idea. So I made a map with some heavy triggering. This really helped. Set a goal and make a trigger to do it.

It's not so hard once you get used to it, and if you do it enough then you will for sure. I suggest reading through the GUI (Graphic User Interface) trigger editor and see all the options available. If there is something that makes you question then experiment with it.

Then make trigger systems for people on WEHZ (World Editor Help Zone). ^^

Ofcuorse then there is JASS. We won't go there...

 

[ap0calypse]

You know what?

I am going to create a map where you can learn mapping... it's easier to see it in a map, because then you can see the triggers yourself in an easy way, with comments.

It'll probably include:

• How to make units look customized (no custom models, though... file size should be as low as possible for a tutorial).
• Income triggers
• TD-triggers
• RPG-triggers
• Spawn-triggers
• Multiboard triggers
• Special Effects
• ...everything else I can think off

Erm, you might want to wait a while for that

 

[thor9986]

hehe thx apoc I will keep my eyes open in the mean time I will fiddle with triggers I think as most of the things I wish to learn involve them

 

[Eleandor]

Learn with simple things. What I did was:

- Make a meleemap, place some doodads & destructibles on the map, use some terrain tiles, place a few goldmines & starting locations and see how it takes off.
- Familiarise yourself with the trigger editor: make another meleemap and add some random encounters to it. They're very simple triggers such as "a unit enters a region, then create a few random creep units and turn off the trigger".
- Continue learning bits by bits and familiarise yourself further with doodads, units, the object editor and the trigger editor.

I didn't even have internet back then, so I didn't have the luxury of reading tutorials or using other people's work to learn from.

Be warned too: you don't master the world editor over 1 day. You'll probably find yourself stuck sometimes, and you can't expect to learn everything so fast. It took me years of self study, and I think I know the editor pretty well...

 

[ap0calypse]

Erm, here is the early alpha-stage of the tutorial-map.
It only contains an intro, basic, efficient triggering, fixing leaks and multiboards...

It's just a test to see you like it, or if I should add more information, or give more examples or anything.

I'm still planning on adding special effects, TD-triggers (e.g.: spawn-system), RPG-systems (e.g.: respawn-system, hero choose system) and some additional systems (e.g.: camera-system, movement speed-change system).
On top of that, I'll explain the object editor (units and abilities) and how to change them correctly.

And I may add some requests to it.
If you want something to be added to it, I'll create it, add information for it and update the map with that information.
That way my tutorial keeps expanding, on it's way to become a huge map of knowledge, with a lot of triggers, systems and info
(Unfortunately, I'm not qualified enough for JASS-tutorials...).

 

[thor9986]

Hehe ty ap0c I will look at it latter maybe it will help me with the trigering headache been having for a few days. I will let you know what I think and you shouldn't worry about jass from what I read jass requires its own universe of tutorials lol

 

[M4stah]

Instead of starting a great project simply fool around. Make some mini game maps, some basic spells, just to learn everything of the World Editor

 

[thor9986]

So I went through ur map it seemed to help a bit. However if I can make a sugestion not so much for me since I figured it out but for people who haven't read anything. Make all the trigers worakable in game and have a note explaining not only that they are disabled but how to enable them and to only enable blah and blah at the same time. A few I couldn't figure out exactly how to work (like the combined triger with all the leaks fixed).

Overall I found it useful hopefully I will be able to use the knowledge to fix the triggers I have been working on so they loop and don't crash the game

thanks for the help ap0c

 

[bboy-tiger-]

That's +rep ap0calypse for making this kind of example map, improve that map.

 

[toofless]

Why don't you run through the tutorials list and merge them al into one epic tutorial while you're at it?

 

[ap0calypse]

Why don't you run through the tutorials list and merge them al into one epic tutorial while you're at it?

Why don't I just give up my life?

(Though it isn't a bad idea, lol xD)