My Advance Wars Game


Update time!

Today I tweaked my original map editor to make it compatible with the changes id made to the game.

Please note that the sprites used in the following screenshots are mainly just for placeholding, they will be redrawn in the final version.

Screenshot 1 - Blank canvas with side tile menu showing (menu is hidden until required)

mapedit1qw0.png


Screenshot 2 - Expanded menu for current tile group

mapedit2ky6.png


Screenshot 3 - Simple save menu

mapedit3ni5.png


Screenshot 4 - Load menu

mapedit4qi3.png


Maps are saved as text files, but given the extension .lev , so are easily to import/export. At the moment the editor only allows you to load from a list of 10 maps (the 10 firt alphabetically), you can save as many as you want though. The reason for this is allowing for a bigger list of maps to choose from would require me to duplicate a few lines of code over and over with only a few numbers changed, this isnt a great way to code and so at the moment ill leave it at a 10 map list, but will definatly come back to it and try to come up with a dynamic way to code it to allow a theoretically infinite number of maps.

Hope you like it.

Geuben
 
Very nice work Geuben and Pixitu, this looks like it will be a killer game :)

Have you thought of a name for it?
 
Minor Update
I've fixed the problem that limited the map editor to loading from a 10 file list. It was really simple actually, I must have just not noticed it when I mad the map editor the first time. I now need to change the UI to accomodate a scrolling list.

As for a name, I was orginally going to call it Gp2x Wars, but as I'll no doubt make a pandora version a different name is probably best. So far two suggestions have been:

Fenix Wars - as its written in fenix.

or

Basic Wars :p

However I'm still undecided, any suggestions?

Geuben
 
looks promising. :)

Geuben said:
Screenshot 2 - Expanded menu for current tile group

mapedit2ky6.png
Click to expand...
Looks like we have to place every sort of tile (like corners) per hand. Will there ba a "automatic" placement of matching tiles like in the original AW Editors? I.E. if you place a earth tile into water, it automaticly generates shores around or Road junctions automaticly have the right Junction tile etc? :)
 
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Having never used the map editor in AW, I wasn't aware of such a function. Im sure I could implement one though, I'll add it to the list of stuff to be done.
 
Geuben said:
Having never used the map editor in AW, I wasn't aware of such a function. Im sure I could implement one though, I'll add it to the list of stuff to be done.
Click to expand...
No problem. :) Just try It and you will see, what I mean. With this "matching tile technique" you just pic the tile of a river and use it as some kind of brush. If you draw a corner or so, these river "brush" automaticly makes a corner into the river complete with all needed tiles. :) Same for roads. There also is a nice "random map" feature that generates a Map layout. Could also save a huge ammount of Editing-Time.
 
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To be honest, I probably won't be focusing on the map editor much as there is a lot of more important stuff to finish in the actual game. The only reason I have a map editor now is that the current maps (shown in the screenshots) are hard coded into the game. Which obviously is not going to work in the final game, I needed a way of storing map layouts etc in external files and loading them into the game. Which in turned required me to make a mapeditor as trying to write the map files by hand in say a text editor would have been annoying and probablu impossible (if i open them at the moment in note pad they are made up of lots of blank spaces and some squares).

One aspect that im not sure on is how big to have the maps. At the moment the maps are only as big as the screen i.e 16x12 squares (320x240 split into 20x20 squares). It shouldnt be a problem to increase the maps to bigger than screen size and implement scrolling however. I just need to decide on the maximum size a map can be. What does everyone think?

Geuben
 
Yo, Map Size is an important factor. In the AW Series, some missions have huge Maps but in the AW Editors, you only can build medium sized Maps. (afaik 2 or 2.5 screens wide and high)
I think a single screen is not enough for the whole game. First missions or easy maps of course should have a small size, but for huge fights with many Units, especialy Narval Units, you need a bigger Map to have enough space for 2 (or more?) Armys. And you plan an advanced Base-defense system so Bases, Walls etc. need space. ;) So yes, big Maps + Scrolling should be included. Maybe we can choose the Size of a Map at first in the Editor?

Oh, and will there be "Fog of War" included? I don't like this Feature to much in AW, in Warroom Maps I usualy disable it but sometimes (some Missions are only with FOW) you have more tactical benefits over the enemy (with the right CO ) and Woods and reefs become very important. :) )
 
Im not sure I could implement fully dynamic sized maps as the arrays that store the map data need to be defined with a size and this size can't be a variable (must be a number or CONST). So there will have a to be a set maximum size for the maps. However I could problably make it so maps dont have to be full size, by having an impassable border around the intended map or something.

FOW, well Id kind of forgotten about that until Pixitu reminded me. I guess ill be putting it into the game, even though I'm not a fan of it tbh.
 
Yes, optional FOW (+releated Terrain effects) would be a good thing so everyone can play the game in the way he likes. :)

Becasue of the Mapsize, maybe it is the easiest way to only have 3 fix Sizes, small, medium and large? But I have no clue what would be the more easy way to code.

And another Question, is there some kind of CO (Commander) system planed sooner or later? It's not a must but some CO Powers and Unit-benefits of each Leader could bring more spice into Gameplay. ^_^
 
fusion_power said:
...And another Question, is there some kind of CO (Commander) system planed sooner or later? ...
Click to expand...
Later, at the moment there are much more important things to be done, once most things are implemented and ive had a crack at adding AI, I look at adding the extras, like additional units and CO powers. Also I dont want the CO powers to be the same as in AW, so will have to think of some new ones.
 
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AW had perfect CO Powers. :D I couldn't imagine other ones and when others come in my mind then these are already in AW2. :lol: Well, at the End it should be only one Power per CO, AW2 had 2 and this was nice but a little bit to much. Afaik, the brand new Advance Wars Game for DS ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance_Wars:_Days_of_Ruin) has non real CO Powers, at least not that powerful Techniques.
Yes, these Powers are not the main focus and I could live without it. Gameplay, Balance and AI are more important.
 
I love Advance Wars, in fact it was the first game I had for my GBA. :)

Well COs would definitely be a great addition. I think implementing the CO specialties (which alters unit stats) is more important than the CO Powers. Since all the units are just the same for every CO, the change in unit stats makes a whole lot of difference and even changes the gameplay a bit.

Will this game have the same set of units for all? How about different set of sprites or unique units?

Anyway, really looking forward to playing this. Keep it up.


@Pixitu: Awesome work on the soldiers. I wish I could do stuff like that. :D
 
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