Newbie Guide-

What separates the boys from men, eaters from feeders, players from designers. Designers provide the players with more of a gameplay. I can’t explain why it is so fun to make for others. All I can say is that it is kind of a game. Players and Designers are separate. It kind of seems like Designers design things for other Designers, and Players play with Players. There is competition for glory, and respect.

The Scenario Editor for Age of Empires Series is a very good tool. It is one of the things that made the AoE Series so great. Maybe it is it’s simplicity, yet power. Anyway it is a very usefull, deep, tool. It can reflect the editors skills easily. What you put into it, you get back. Some say time makes the best of maps. This section will describe things and techniques of the editor, and hints. Remember to play the CPN Guide. It is a CPN that can be played by AoK.

Eyecandy

Eyecandy, it can either make or break the looks of a map. If you use it, use it with care and you have to know when enough is enough. It is like makeup for Eyecandy is units, gaia, and terrain mixed together to make more attractive or realistic scenes. Too much eyecandy can totally ruin the whole effect, sometimes making it look worse than if it were not made with eyecandy.

No, eyecandy is not some kind of unit or different mode of terrain in the editor. It is more like a theory among Designers, an idea. I am telling you, eyecandy is delicate! So know how to use it if you really want to. Here are some examples of good and bad eyecandy, and why.

Hopefully these pictures I took will help you out some. If you look through the files, you will find a CPN. It is an interactive guide for AoK on Scenario Design. It has map tricks, tips, and a guide that can help you a lot, plus it is kind of fun.

Trigger Tricks

Other designers love this. No 5.0 map is perfect without it. Trigger tricks are triggers that do thngs you would’nt think posible in AoK. I will show you some tricks of mine I created. Some are basic, and some complex. You will eventually learn some for your self. Sharing them among others is very useful.

Readable Sign (simple)

*Trigger 1- Make Object Selected CONDITION on sign. Make Display Instructions EFFECT, and type the instructions. You can’t use the enter key to make a new line. It is some kind of two boxes looking thing. Copy it from an existing text. Set the display limit for the Dialogs to 1 second.

*having a mp3 file that is null could help. That way it doesn’t make that sound when a Dialog pops up. It is included in this pack.

Freeze Unit (simple)

Trigger 1- No CONDITION. Make Task EFFECT to make the unit go to a spot. Set the TRIGGER to TRIGGER LOOP. That way it will keep playing the trigger as the condition is meet. Though there is no condition, it keeps going. Stop by…

Trigger 2- (optional) Make a Deactivate EFFECT along with any CONDITION you want. Use the EFFECT to stop the unit freeze.

Destroyable Bridge (complex)

Trigger 1- Make Demolition Boat(s) use Task EFFECT to go near bridge

Trigger 2- CONDITION, when Demolition Boat(s) are near bridge, Kill EFFECT on them to explode. Make Remove EFFECT on bridge section to be blown up. Make Creat EFFECT on bride to place the broken bridge parts.

To make it more realistic, use the Explotion trick.

Explotion (simple)

Trigger 1-CONDITION (what ever you want. Optional). Make EFFECT1 Create a hawk, preferably with Gaia beng the owner. And EFFECT2 kill (not remove) the hawk.

It makes an explotion. I don’t even know how someone couldv’t figured that one out.

Trigger Tricks help a lot. It is kind of like creating your own effect, with other effects. I will only display a few of my tricks because I want you to find them. More will be shown in the Interactive CPN Guide.

Map Production

All skills aside, this is an impoertant part. "If a SCN takes you under a month to make, it isn’t good enough." I heard from a forumer. It makes sence. But some SCNs will surely take under a month, and it depeneds on how good/fast the Designer is. But it is a statement behind itself, meaning that you have to put time into what you do to make it good. The more time, the better.

Patience is a big part in making a good map. The best of SCNs don’t come in days. It took me about 2 months to make one of my SCNs. And I am fast. Patience is more if you have motivation. Having fans anxiously awaiting your work can be motivating. Being excited at how fun it will be can be motivating. But, don’t fell bad to work on more than one thing. If you get bored of one, work on the other, don’t give up. And don’t trash ideas if you think it will be bad, without asking around first. Especially if its a certain SCN in a CPN. Not all SCNs can be fun. Some have to just move the story along, nothing is wrong with that.

You absolutly can’t be lazy. If your getting bored, then stop and take a break. Don’t play around or do things you didn’t really intend on having in your map. Preparing what you want in your SCN ahead of time works a lot!

Life With Meaning

Sure, it would be nice to have a SCN all about action, and flashy looks. But, without a good storyline, it will crumble. This applies mostly to RPG Campaigns. Characters must have personalities; be funny, cool, evil, vigilant. Story must be capturing; have suprises, comedy, drama, excitement, sadness. Don’t go over board though. Players have to fell they are spending an hour to beat a SCN for a purpose. Is it to free the French Soldiers, so they can help France from invasion of the Viking barbarians, or is it simply to get to the next level?

And making the same old plots are boring. The same boring Themes annoy players; One vs. World, One vs. Authority, Save the Queen/Princess. Try to be creative. Always strive to be unique. Stand out. People have to have a good reason to want to play your work that you slave to work on. At least make it right all the way.

Recreating a historical event is hard to me. Because you have to research it, and have your facts straight. But aim for it if it is not taken. I beg you, please don’t make a Robin Hood CPN. I have even done it in my early days. Don’t repeat.

Test it, Test it, TEST IT!

What if someone made a new building, a Wonder. It was all beautiful, then when someone closed the doors it all fell to the ground? That would suck, right? Ofcourse! That is why you test things. Scientists test rockets, everything important is tested.

When testing your map, fix the problem as soon as you see it, that way you won’t forget. And after you have play tested your own SCN, send it to someone for them to play test it for you. If fact, send it to three people.

You might test your map, and check your triggers and everything, but you still have something wrong? Check the AI. You can tell if your map crashes at the beginning it has to be a AI problem.