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9/7/99 - Version 1.01 for DKMAPPER 1.1 by Mark Kinkead
DK2Mapper is a program that compiles a plain ASCII text file into a playable
map for Dungeon Keeper 2.
You can download it
here.
Okay, so you've read the DK2MAPPER README and still have a few questions.
This Tutorial was designed to show how you can build a map for DK2Mapper with just a text editor, such as Notepad (although a more useful one will show the line and column location of the cursor). It may be of help for those who simply wish to understand the map files created by DK2Mapper, or who wish to create and/or tweak their DK2Mapper maps with a text editor.
We will use the TINY.TXT file, which is a sample map we will build. It features all of the possible variables which you can include in your map, as well as the most common terrain tiles.
Let's look at one set of parameters at a time to understand how Tinymap was built.
1. MAP NAME
| Tinymap |
This is the first line, and is the name of the map AS IT WILL APPEAR IN DK2. It is also the FIRST part of the filenames generated by DK2MAPPER which DK2 uses for the scenario. For example, TINY.TXT would generate the following files after processing: Tinymap.KWD, TinymapMap.KLD, TinymapPlayers.KLD, TinymapThings.KLD, TinymapTriggers.KLD, and TinymapVariables.KLD. To play your map, the files should be placed in your DK2 directory in the DATA\EDITOR\MAPS folder if they are not already there.
TIP: Do not use spaces for the Map Name! Even though the official DK2 maps have spaces in their names, maps compiled with DK2MAPPER do not generate map names with spaces.
OTHER NOTES: Each map also has its own graphic which shows up in DK2. You can make this mini-map by creating a 128 x 128 bitmap and saving it in the THUMBNAILS folder as <mapname>144.BMP. Also make a smaller version that is 96 x 96 and name it <mapname>96.BMP.
2. PLAYERS
| PLAYERS 2 |
This is the maximum number of Keepers on your map; each must have a Dungeon Heart. Your map may have 2 to 4 players to show up in Skirmish or Multiplayer. As of version 1.51, DK2 does not yet support single player maps in My Pet Dungeon.
TIP: If you have only 1 player, you can only play it by using the command "dkii.exe -level <mapname>" to run DK2 instead of starting DK2 from the START menu or the default icon.
OTHER NOTES: If you really want to use an icon to play your one-player map, copy the default DK2 icon and right click -> properties -> shortcut; in the Target box add: -level <mapname> to the end, after the quotes.
3. MAP SIZE
| MAP 24 x 16 |
The size of the map in columns by lines (width x height).
TIP: You could make a 300 x 300 (or bigger) map, but after a while it might run slowly, and could take a long time to play. Good playable maps are generally between 40 x 40 and 120 x 120.
4. THE MAP
| AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSA ASPPP.....W==L....ggg.SA ASPPP.....W==L.....gggSA ASPPP....XX-XX.....g..SA AS.......X---X...11111SA AS22222..X---X...11111SA AS22222..X-G-X...11111SA AS22222..X---X...11111SA AS22222..X---XX..11111SA AS22222..X----X.......SA AS..g....X-hh-X...PPP.SA ASgggg...X-hh-X...PPP.SA ASggg....X----X...PPP.SA ASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA |
Each letter corresponds to a tile on the map. DK2MAPPER allows you to define those tiles in the next section, MAP_CODES.
Tinymap is about the smallest size map that is playable. We have created a two-player map, with some gold and a portal close to each Keeper. Keeper 1 is along the "east" wall, and Keeper 2 to the "west".
Splitting the center of the map is a Hero-owned room with a Hero Gate and a single Gem tile. The room has a doorway on its "north" wall, opening to a small, unclaimed room surrounded by water, solid rock, and lava.
TIP: You can append line and column numbers to the right and bottom of your map to more easily determine the coordinates you will need for other sections of the map parameters, as follows:
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 0
ASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSA 1
ASPPP.....W==L....ggg.SA 2
ASPPP.....W==L.....gggSA 3
ASPPP....XX-XX.....g..SA 4
AS.......X---X...11111SA 5
AS22222..X---X...11111SA 6
AS22222..X-G-X...11111SA 7
AS22222..X---X...11111SA 8
AS22222..X---XX..11111SA 9
AS22222..X----X.......SA 10
AS..g....X-hh-X...PPP.SA 11
ASgggg...X-hh-X...PPP.SA 12
ASggg....X----X...PPP.SA 13
ASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSA 14
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 15
000000000011111111112222
012345678901234567890123
This works because DK2MAPPER ignores characters beyond the defined boundaries of the map.
5. MAP CODES
| MAP_CODES 16 |
We are using 16 symbols to represent the tiles we are using in Tinymap. Actually, only 14 of them are used; since it is a two-player map, Keeper Hearts 3 & 4 are not used.
TIP: It is best to be exact! Putting in extra symbols not used on the map
is okay, but be sure that if you have 16 symbols listed that you tell DK2MAPPER
that MAP_CODES is 16.
| A MAP_BORDER |
Maps must be surrounded by the MAP_BORDER symbol ("A" on our Tinymap example).
Note that even though this tile never appears in the game, it must be included
as part of the map size.
| S SOLID_ROCK |
This is impenetrable rock. Although it is not necessary, we have put an inner
border of solid rock around our map for aesthetic purposes. It prevents actually
reaching the edge of the map, which looks like your creatures could fall
off. It also looks beter on the mini-map, and makes it easier to click on
the edge and actually get there.
| . ROCK |
This is earth that may be excavated by imps. Using a small symbol like "."
makes it easier on the eyes to read, since most maps will have lots of this
tile.
| 1 KPR1_HEART 2 KPR2_HEART 3 KPR3_HEART 4 KPR4_HEART |
Symbols 1 through 4 are used for the Keeper's Dungeon Hearts, always 5 x
5 tiles.
| W WATER |
For pools and streams of water. We have placed only two tiles, a puddle
really.
| L LAVA |
Always a nice feature. We have again only two tiles, for effect. There's
not alot of room on such a small map to waste on effects.
| g GOLD |
Gold is good.
TIP: It helps to scatter gold about in 5 x 5 areas, which leads Keepers to
build dungeon rooms after the gold has been mined. In Tinymap, there is not
much room to grow, so we put in enough to get the Keepers started.
| G GEMS |
Gems are better.
TIP: Use Gems sparingly! One Gem tile can easily keep twelve imps busy keeping
their Keeper's treasuries full, and the computer-controlled AI often will
do this to its own detriment. Sometimes you may want to surround a Gem tile
partially by solid rock to lower its potential. Other times you may want
to place only one Gem tile on the map, making it a point of conflict between
Keepers. Still other times you may not want any Gems in your map, putting
pressure on Keepers to spend wisely and act quickly against their foes.
| P NEUTRAL_PORTAL |
You will almost always place a 3 x 3 Portal near each Keeper's Dungeon Heart, so he can start attracting creatures.
TIP: More Portals should be added to larger maps. It is often good practice
to place some Portals in difficult to reach places, or where more than one
Keeper can easily reach, forcing them to fight over it.
| = UNCLAIMED |
A smattering of pre-excavated paths and rooms can give maps character. We like to use non-alphabetic characters to represent open areas, to make them easy to identify when reading a map.
TIP: Unclaimed dirt is useful to lead Keepers in certain directions, especially
computer-controlled Keepers who sometimes overlook important areas.
| - HERO_CLAIMED_SQ |
Hero claimed tiles are essential if you are going to have non-Keeper traps & doors, "good" creatures and/or Hero Gates. Placing any of these things on unclaimed dirt or Keeper-claimes tiles does little good, as most will disappear from the map.
TIP: Hero claimed tiles can also be used for areas of the map that you want to have corridors or rooms, but take much longer to claim than Unclaimed tiles. Doors may be added to slow progress to special areas further.
OTHER NOTES: Neutral creatures can be placed on NEUTRAL_CLAIMED_SQ tiles,
so that the first Keeper to encounter them will gain ownership of the
creatures.
| X HERO_OWNED_ROCK |
These essentially act the same as normal excavateable rock, but take much
longer for imps to dig through. They are the same as walls reinforced by
imps.
| h HERO_GATE_3 |
Hero Gates act like Portals that "good" creatures come into the map through. However, it takes some careful planning to do this correctly. See PART TWO. Placing the tiles properly is only the first step. There are a few different types of Hero Gates. Tinymap uses the most common, HERO_GATE_3, which is the domed archway supported by four columns. Below is a list of Hero Gates.
* TIP: HERO_GATE_1 and HERO_GATE_4 have some anomolous surfaces in the south entrance area, so are not recommended for use. HERO_GATE_4 is used as the intro screen in DK2. You can see it by loading the map, FrontEnd3DLevel from the command prompt, or START, Run, and (assuming DK2 is in C:\Dungeon Keeper 2):
"C:\Dungeon Keeper 2\DKII.exe" -level FrontEnd3DLevel
You must use the reveal map cheat code (CTRL+ALT+C, then NOW THE RAIN HAS GONE).
6. THINGS
| THINGS 1 MI_RAISE_LEVEL 11 13 |
Magic Items should be placed in hard-to-find areas or well-protected areas of the map. We have placed one in Tinymap right next to the Hero Gate.
TIP: When manually placing things on a map, it is essential to get the coordinates correct. To clarify, coordinates are "X" and "Y" in that order. "X" is always across from the left (columns); "Y" is always down from the top (lines). The first column, X is 0 (Zero), as the first line, Y is 0 (Zero) and is always the MAP_BORDER symbol. See the FAQ at the end of the DK2MAPPER README for more tips.
7. CREATURES
| CREATURES 1 MONK 11 9 L3 PH |
We have placed a single Monk to guard the Hero Gate and Gem tile. Not much, but this is just for demonstration purposes. Note that the Monk is Level 3 (L3) and, of course, belongs to the Hero (PH).
8. DOORS
| DOORS 1 WOODEN_DOOR 11 4 PH L |
Doors include Barricades, and must always end with an "L" (for Locked) or "U" (Unlocked). Our door for Tinymap closes off the Hero-owned room on the north wall.
TIP: Since doors can be unpredictable if surrounded by rock, it is a good idea to always place an open tile (Unclaimed or Claimed) on the sides that you want them to open on. They must also be placed on a tile claimed by Hero, Neutral or Keeper.
9. TRAPS
| TRAPS 1 TR_SENTRY 11 5 PH |
We have palced a Sentry trap just inside the door of Hero's room.
TIP: Traps must be placed on a tile claimed by Hero, Neutral or Keeper. Also remember when testing your map in DK2 that traps that are supposed to be hidden are invisible even if you invoke the cheat to reveal the entire map.
10. HEARTS AND GOLD
| HEARTS_AND_GOLD KPR1_HEART_CENTER 19 7 KPR2_HEART_CENTER 4 8 GOLD1 8000 GOLD2 8000 |
A Keeper's Dungeon Heart coordinates are at the center of the 5 x 5 area designated in the MAP_CODES section. As Mark says, the center MUST be described accurately, or Kablooie!
TIP: A Dungeon Heart can hold a maximum of 16,000 gold before a Treasury is needed. If starting gold is greater than 16,000, then the overflow will appear in the Keeper's Treasury if he starts with one.
Return to the Dungeon Constructor
Designed and Maintained by
Wydraz
©1999 Anthony Affrunti
Some images derived from Bullfrog's Dungeon Keeper
2 ©1999 Bullfrog Entertainment and Electronic
Arts
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