Come here for quality (free!) ITE maps! Help u thru the hard spots!

[Marcus Wulf]

Hi guys! It's me, Marcus, bringing you MAPS! If your stuck in a tricky spot, and want to get thru it, download a map here! You can reply or comment through this thread or by PM-ing me. Here is the first map pack, the Rat Caves. Hope it helps!

File: Rat Caves pictures
Size: about 50KBs each
Need: Any picture viewer
Includes: Two quality maps, each featuring paths, doors and special rooms + a copyright notice.

[WolfieInu]

Those are quite good, and accurate from what I remember.

To make the angles between corridors π/2 radians (or 90 degrees for those of us who still use degrees :rolleyes: ), you should consider doing the maps with lines vertically and horizontally, then rotating π/4 rad to the left afterwards. In some programs, you can snap lines to π/4 rad increments. However, if you're using Paint,... don't use Paint.  ^_^

Also, try outlining important areas instead of circling them. That will make the maps look more accurate and less sketchy. Save as a PNG if possible to minimize compression artifacts. It's all just a question of visual impact.

And now, the 3D Dog Castle maze... (thunder and lightning, enter 3 witches)

[Marcus Wulf]

Thanks for the advice, WolfieInu. I'll remake these maps right now. And as for the 3-D Dog Castle maze... Ughhhh, I'm gonna regret this... It's so confusing that maze :huh: I'll try my best at it... And I was using paint. Next time I'll use something more flexable. Thanks for the advice again, I always like feedback.

[WolfieInu]

If you're doing the Dog Castle maze, you may have to 'explode' the map into different layers, perhaps of different colours. I'll see if I can make some time next weekend to map a maze or so. I've got them all on paper, but in my own shorthand, so they probably wouldn't make sense to any moderately sane person. Also there are still a few discrepancies in my map of the Dog Castle that I'll have to iron out, mainly in the vicinity of that loop near the jail cell.

For interest's sake, what program are you planning to use instead of Paint?

[Marcus Wulf]

Not sure about my program yet. I'll probably use something like ProMotion or something simalar. If you have any ideas as to what I should use, I REALLY like to know (All my paint programs are junk). And what I'm thinking for the Dog Maze: I'll save at the entrance. I'll walk in, and keep going left (only forward if it's the only option other than right) till i reach a dead end. Then I'll have marked the path on some paper, then I'll load the save, go in, go left again, but maybe take forward paths (Or right if olnly option...) untill i reach antoher dead end. then reverse with taking the first right corner... ect...
If this proves TOO dificult, then I'll use a rescorse extactor tool (Sort of like Scumm Revisited) and extract the Dog Maze from the data files, then use another sort of program to actually view the whole maze complex. That method might be impossible (I havn't heard of a "Level Editor" for ITE. If it wern't for that stupid idea of having the maze rotate, this would be a ezy-pezy little job. I'll find a way... :huh

[WolfieInu]

The program: well, what I'd use would be Paint Shop Pro, but only because I've been working in it for years. The ideal would probably be a vector editor like Inkscape (which is free). The GIMP is also free, but it's for masochists only.

The method: what I'd do would be to follow your proposed method initially. But when you reach a dead end, don't go back to the beginning immediately. As you're making your rough map, indicate clearly if a passage continues on. Then when you reach a dead end, go to the nearest unmapped passage and explore it. Only when you've mapped a whole section or if you get lost, should you reload. Otherwise you'll be covering the same ground unnecessarily.

Resource extractor: if it were possible, then yeah, that would be great. But, at the very most I'd expect a 'table' with the interconnectivity of sections: it may be hard to understand... so it looks like the hard way is the easy way.

If it wern't for that stupid idea of having the maze rotate, this would be a ezy-pezy little job.

I thought the point was to make it hard to solve?  :rolleyes:

[Marcus Wulf]

Hmmmmmm.... I'll look at those paint progs. Paint Shop Pro, I hope it's also a trial thing (money isn't a thing I have growing on trees...). Inkscape would also be a pretty good one.

Resource extractor: if it were possible, then yeah, that would be great. But, at the very most I'd expect a 'table' with the interconnectivity of sections: it may be hard to understand... so it looks like the hard way is the easy way.

Hmm, that makes sense. Also now I've replayed the game and explored Dog Castle abit, It doesn't seem as confusing as before. My memory is an odd thing... I've saved there so I'm going to do the mapping out soon. Expect the map within a day or two. Also, I'd like to see what Cairn Destop, Lymril, Aussiewolf and Fallenwolf think of the maps, they always have 'interesting' replys.

The GIMP is also free, but it's for masochists only.

I wouldn't be caught dead using GIMP... But I know my friend's a masochist now- he uses GIMP, only GIMP (poor sole...)

[WolfieInu]

I don't know if PSP has a good current trial. I bought the anniversary edition of PSP7 a few years ago and it set me back a grand (or around $130), but maybe you can try eBay. I haven't used Inkscape much except to convert Corel drawings to something I can use, but I recommended it because I know it's completely free (and, it's not The GIMP ;)

I just thought of something, maybe it would be a good idea to create prebuilt map "sections", like a T-junction, straight section, and a bend. Put them on a "template" layer, and copy/paste/rotate them as required. That will keep the scale consistent throughout.

So from one "cartologist" to another, good luck with the mapmaking...