Timesplitters 2 (GCN)
MapMaker FAQ
Cayene of Doma
I. Introduction
II. Version History
III. Legal Jargon
IV. The Tiles
V. The Items
VI. Lighting
VII. Story Enemies
VIII. Game Logic
IX. The Options Menu
X. Frequently Asked Questions
XI. Tutorials
XII. Conclusion
===============================================================================
Section I. Introduction
===============================================================================
After looking over the message boards for a while, they were a growing number
of questions regarding the MapMaker. I happened to be somewhat proficient in
using the tool, so I've decided to spread my knowledge to others with this
guide.
===============================================================================
Section II. Version History
===============================================================================
Version 1.0
-All tiles listed.
-All items listed.
-Lighting section added.
-Story Enemies section added.
-Game Logic section added.
-Options Menu section added.
Version 1.1
-Modified Legal Jargon section.
-Modified Conclusion.
-Added descriptions for Keys.
Version 1.2
-Added tile memory consumption.
Version 1.3
-Added the Frequently Asked Questions section.
Version 1.4
-Added how-to's for doors and windows.
Version 2.0
-Brand new format!
-Added Tutorials section.
-Removed memory consumption for tiles.
Version 2.0 Part II
-Changed my email address. Go GMail!
-Removed defunct sites from the allowed list.
===============================================================================
Section III. Legal Jargon
===============================================================================
Copyright 2003- Joel Barnett a.k.a. Cayene of Doma
This guide is only available at the following sites:
-GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com)
-The Timesplitters 2 Network (www.timesplitters2.net)
-Timesplitters 2 Planet (www.ts2planet.vze.com)
-Cheats.de (www.cheats.de)
-NeoSeeker (www.neoseeker.com)
-GameNotOver (www.gamenotover.com)
-IGN (faqs.ign.com)
If you see this guide posted anywhere else. (Use the GameFAQs host for most
accurate listing), please tell me about it and where it's being hosted.
If you post this guide without my expressed written consent, I will do the
following: First, I will send you one notice. This will inform you of the
transgression, and you'll have 48 hours to remove the guide from your site. If
it's still up, things could get complicated.
If you'd like to host my guide, just email me and ask me. 99 times out of 100,
I'll say yes. I do require that you get permission from me of course. If I
allow it, I'll send you an updated version of the FAQ with your site as
allowed.
All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their
respective trademark and copyright holders.
===============================================================================
Section IV. The Tiles
===============================================================================
Tiles, the basic necessity of any map you make. Without them, you don't have a
map. There are thirty different tiles, and each has its own characteristics and
uses.
When connecting tiles, keep this in mind: Tiles will connect only when the
right connectors match up. The long blue edges must align with other blue
edges, and red ends must connect with red ends. Red ends cannot connect with
blue edges.
In the MapMaker's beginner mode, you'll only have access to the following tile
numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 13, 14, 16, and 17. As you'll notice, these are
tiles that only span a single floor.
Tile 1- Single Corridor
---------------------------
Floor span: 1
Dimensions: 1x1
Red Connectors: Two on sides opposite one another.
Blue Edges: None
Notable Features: None
Tile 2- Small Open
---------------------------
Floor Span: 1
Dimensions: 1x1
Red Connectors: One on each side.
Blue Edges: None
Notable Features: Connecting these to form small rooms creates pillars at the
corners.
Tile 3- Corner
---------------------------
Floor Span: 1
Dimensions: 1x1
Red Connectors: Two on adjacent sides.
Blue Edges: None
Notable Features: Corners with these tiles have a curved look to them.
Tile 4- Small T Junction
---------------------------
Floor Span: 1
Dimensions: 1x1
Red Connectors: One on each of three sides.
Blue Edges: None
Notable Features: A very versatile and often-used tile. Uses noticeably less
memory than other tiles it can e used in place of.
Tile 5- Double Corridor
---------------------------
Floor Span: 1
Dimensions: 2x1
Red Connectors: One on each of the short sides.
Blue Edges: None
Notable Features: It's basically two (1)'s stuck together.
Tile 6- T Junction
---------------------------
Floor Span: 1
Dimensions: 2x3
Red Connectors: One on each of the three extensions.
Blue Edges: None
Notable Features: This is essentially a larger version of (4).
Tile 7- Ramp
---------------------------
Floor Span: 2
Dimensions: 2x1
Red Connectors: Two. One on one end of the bottom level; the other at the
opposite end of the top level.
Blue Edges: None
Notable Features: It's basically a ramp that connects one floor to the one
immediately above or below it.
Tile 8- Small Room
---------------------------
Floor Span: 1
Dimensions: 2x2
Red Connectors: One on each side; rotating the tile will not change connectors'
positions.
Blue Edges: None
Notable Features: It's a small room with four exits. One with reverse
orientation can be made with 4 (4)'s.
Tile 9- Stair Room
---------------------------
Floor Span: 2
Dimensions: 2x2
Red Connectors: Two on each floor on adjacent sides. Upper level doors are
directly above the lower level doors.
Blue Edges: None
Notable Features: It's a room with a ramp to connect floors. Similar to the
Facility's ramp, but with reverse orientation.
Tile 10- Core
---------------------------
Floor Span: 4
Dimensions: 2x2
Red Connectors: One on each side on each floor, all in the same orientation.
Blue Edges: None
Notable Features: It's a really tall, open, chute of sorts. A unique piece, it
has several maps built around it.
Tile 11- Double Height Room
---------------------------
Floor Span: 2
Dimensions: 2x2
Red Connectors: Two on each floor above each other. They're located on adjacent
sides, far away from each other.
Blue Edges: None
Notable Features: The bottom portion consists of two recessed bunkers in
opposite corners. The top portion has a ramp across the tops of the bunkers.
Tile 12- Big Room
---------------------------
Floor Span: 2
Dimensions: 2x3
Red Connectors: There are four on each floor in the same manner as (8).
Blue Edges: None
Notable Features: It's essentially tow stretched out (8)'s on top of each other
with a small hole in the middle of the upper level.
Tile 13- Adapter
---------------------------
Floor Span: 1
Dimensions: 1x3
Red Connectors: One on the center of one of the longer sides.
Blue Edges: One on the long side opposite the red connector.
Notable Features: Its appearance can vary between tile sets. The Victorian
version has a small recess on one side.
Tile 14- Adapter 2
---------------------------
Floor Span: 1
Dimensions: 1x3
Red Connectors: One on each of the short sides.
Blue Edges: One on each of the long sides.
Notable Features: Can connect larger pieces and smaller pieces.
Tile 15- Adapter 3
---------------------------
Floor Span: 2
Dimensions: 1x3
Red Connectors: One on the top level on one of the longer sides.
Blue Edges: One across from the red connector on the top level, and another
directly below that one.
Notable Features: It has several uses. It can combine with pieces like (19), or
connect from a blue edge up to the red connector.
Tile 16- Adapter 4
---------------------------
Floor Span: 1
Dimensions: 1x3
Red Connectors: One on each of the shorter sides, and three on one of the
longer sides.
Blue Edges: One on the remaining long side.
Notable Features: A very versatile piece but uses a lot of memory.
Tile 17- Large Open Low
---------------------------
Floor Span: 1
Dimensions: 3x3
Red Connectors: None
Blue Edges: One on all four sides.
Notable Features: It's a large open room. It can be connected to others without
pesky pillars getting in the way.
Tile 18- Large Open
---------------------------
Floor Span: 2
Dimensions: 3x3
Red Connectors: None
Blue Edges: One on each of its four sides on both floors.
Notable Features: Like (17), but taller.
Tile 19- Large Bridge
---------------------------
Floor Span: 2
Dimensions: 3x3
Red Connectors: None
Blue Edges: One on each side on both floors.
Notable Features: Like an (18), but has a narrow bridge across the upper
portion.
Tile 20- Large Bridge 2
---------------------------
Floor Span: 2
Dimensions: 3x3
Red Connectors: Two on each level in the far corners on both levels.
Blue Edges: One on each end of the ramp on both levels.
Notable Features: Similar to (19), but with red connectors and an occasional
object under the ramp, like in the Victorian tile set.
Tile 21- Large Bridge Cross
---------------------------
Floor Span: 2
Dimensions: 3x3
Red Connectors: None
Blue Edges: One on each side on both levels.
Notable Features: Like a (19) with intersecting bridges.
Tile 22- Large Bunker 1
---------------------------
Floor Span: 2
Dimensions: 3x3
Red Connectors: None
Blue Edges: One on each side on both levels.
Notable Features: Has a small bunker on the inner corner and an extended
covering acting as a walkway.
Tile 23- Large Bunker 2
---------------------------
Floor Span: 2
Dimensions: 3x3
Red Connectors: None
Blue Edges: One on each side on both levels.
Notable Features: Similar to (22), but the bunker walls extend to the edges of
the upper covering.
Tile 24- Large Bunker Wall
---------------------------
Floor Span: 2
Dimensions: 3x3
Red Connectors: None
Blue Edges: One on each side on both levels.
Notable Features: Acts as a wall. When used with (23), it can make bases.
Tile 25- Large Trench Ramp
---------------------------
Floor Span: 2
Dimensions: 3x3
Red Connectors: None
Blue Edges: One on the lower level at the end of the ramp, one above that, and
one adjacent to the latter.
Notable Features: Usually used in conjunction with (26) to make trenches. Can
also be used as a recess for avoiding fire.
Tile 26- Large Trench
---------------------------
Floor Span: 2
Dimensions: 3x3
Red Connectors: None
Blue Edges: One on each end of the trench on the lower level, and one on all
four sides of the upper level.
Notable Features: Usually used with (25) for trenches, or with other adapters.
Tile 27- Large Ramp
---------------------------
Floor Span: 2
Dimensions: 3x3
Red Connectors: None
Blue Edges: One on all four sides on both levels.
Notable Features: Has a small ramp that goes from the center of the lower level
to one side of an upper level. Has a small area under the ramp to place
items.
Tile 28- Large Ramp Wide
---------------------------
Floor Span: 2
Dimensions: 3x3
Red Connectors: None
Blue Edges: One on all four sides of both levels.
Notable Features: Like (27), but it's much wider. The area under the ramp
requires an adapter or other piece to access.
Tile 29- Large Pit
---------------------------
Floor Span: 2
Dimensions: 3x3
Red Connectors: One on the top level.
Blue Edges: One on the lower level. One directly above, across from the red
connector.
Notable Features: Falling in the pit is lethal. Don't do it.
Tile 30- Extra Large
---------------------------
Floor Span: 3
Dimensions: 9x9
Red Connectors: Variable
Blue Edges: None
Notable Features: Has a totally different layout and look for each tile set.
Very large, but it does some neat things you can't do otherwise.
===============================================================================
Section V. The Items
===============================================================================
Almost as important as tiles in a map, you're going to need items, or you'll
have many a fistfight in your custom arena.
You can only place a single item per grid-square, and items must be placed on
the ground.
Windows and Doors
-------------------
Suppose you wanted to make certain areas connected visibly, but you didn't want
people to traverse between them. Perhaps you wanted to make doors to prevent
some skilled snipers from taking cheap shots. That's where doors and windows
come in.
Doors and windows can only be placed where two red connectors join together.
Simply switch to the item tab, and highlight that connection. Notice the button
help at the bottom has lit up. It has four buttons, labeled Door, Window, Door
Color, and Delete. Press the Door button to place a door, and press the Window
button to place a window. It's that easy! You can also press the Door Color
button to change the door to a locked door for your story maps.
Placing too many doors and/or windows can lead to maps failing to load or
freezing. Don't go crazy with either, and save often if you think you're
borderline.
Start Points
-------------------
These are the most important items for a multiplayer or single player map. If
you don't have these, your map tends not to work very well. Wherever you place
one, that space is a potential spawn point for a player.
Guns
-------------------
-Gun 1
-Gun 2
-Gun 3
-Gun 4
-Gun 5
What fun is a deathmatch without some firepower? You can set weapons 1-5 here.
The actual weapon used will depend on what you've set the weapon set to, which
is discussed in "Section IX. The Options Menu". Wherever you place a 'Weapon
1', whatever weapon is set to the 1 slot will spawn there. The same applies to
weapons 2-5 as well. A general rule of thumb is to assign the more powerful
weapons to higher slots and have them spawn in fewer spots, but it's up to you
in the end.
Ammo
-------------------
-Ammo 1
-Ammo 2
-Ammo 3
-Ammo 4
-Ammo 5
Well, guns don't last long without some extra ammunition to keep them going.
Placing them is just like placing your weapons. Ammo 1 will always correspond
to Gun 1, and likewise for Ammo 2-5.
Health 'n' Armor
-------------------
-Health Lo
-Health Hi
-Armor Lo
-Armor Hi
Ever just wiped out three of your buddies, and then you were chased around out
of revenge, looking for some way to fill up your near empty health or armor
bar? These power-ups will help you do that. The Lo items restore about 50% of
their respective meter, and Hi items restore about 90%.
Power-Ups
-------------------
-Cloak
-Speed
-Shrink
-Max Damage
Want to spice up your matches? Want to give that second place player a chance
to catch up? Want to totally blow away your opposition? These items may be for
you. Place them somewhere, and pick them up for the desired effect.
Cloak will make you basically invisible for a short time, but while moving,
you'll still cause distortions in the air. Speed will greatly increase your
running speed and make you nearly un-catchable for a short time. Unfortunately,
that speed applies to your turning as well, which can make aiming a little
tricky. Speed is more effective as an evasion item instead of an offensive
item. Shrink will make you very small for a short time, and thus very hard to
hit. Unfortunately, headshots are more difficult to hit, but again, it's better
as an evasion item. Max Damage greatly increases the damage you do for a short
while. It's such an increase, that it might as well be one-hit kills for a
while with most weapons. There isn't really a downside to this item like Speed
and Shrink.
Teleports
-------------------
-Teleport Red
-Teleport Green
-Teleport Blue
-Teleport Yellow
-Teleport Cyan
Want to get from one side of your map to the other very quickly without all of
that running? Try using a teleport. Simply place one in one spot, then another
in the spot you want to get to, and presto! Walk into one and come out the
other, and vice-versa. Note that only two of each color can be placed on any
one map.
Bags 'n' Bases
-------------------
-Bag Base RED
-Bag Base BLUE
-Bag (Bag Tag)
-Start Team RED
-Start Team BLUE
These items are for use in Bag Tag and Capture the Bag. The Bag Base items are
where each team's bag resides in Capture the Bag mode. The Start Team items are
where each team will spawn. These colored start points only apply to Capture
the Bag mode. The Bag (Bag Tag) item is where the bag in Bag Tag will start.
Objects
-------------------
-Crate
-Gun Turret
-Auto Gun (Story)
Want to add a something besides weaponry to that map you just made? Try tossing
these items around. Crates are small little objects that can be strewn about.
You can't hide behind them unless you're a Monkey, and they can't be destroyed.
Gun turrets are like the ones you find in the Ice Station map. You can activate
them to use them. They come with plenty of machine gun ammunition, plenty of
rockets, and a decent scope. Auto guns are those annoying objects you found in
the Atomsmasher level. They rotate around and are deadly accurate, but if you
snipe the small camera atop one, it's rendered useless.
Keys
-------------------
-Keycard Red (Story)
-Keycard Blue (Story)
-Keycard Yellow (Story)
-Keycard Green (Story)
So, you made a locked door in your story map, and now you can't get through it?
Well, it's locked, so you need a key! Simply collect a key from the ground, and
you can unlock doors of the corresponding color.
Zones
-------------------
-Zone
Well, you want to make your map playable in a Zones game? Just toss four of
these out and you're all set. Remember, you have to have exactly four placed.
===============================================================================
Section VI. Lighting
===============================================================================
Getting lost in your symmetrical map? Want to make your map look better? Or
look weirder? Try messing around with the lighting! The lighting menu has
several options.
Color
-------------------
This is the most basic option for lighting. What color do you want it to be?
The game gives you a pretty fair array of pre-made colors. Want one you don't
see? Highlight a color you don't care about and press the Edit button. Labeled
at the bottom of the screen. Select a color from the slider or wheel; now that
color replaces the old one. Should you want to fix the palate, just click on
Reset Palate.
Light Parameters
-------------------
-Fixed
-Flicker
-Switch
-Pulse
This is where you alter the behavior of your lighting. You don't always just
want a solid color, do you? Flicker is just that. It's usually the chosen
color, but it flickers on a set basis. Switch is a set pattern of: chosen color
- black - chosen color - black - and so on. It immediately goes from the chosen
color to black, and repeats over and over. Pulse is similar to Switch, but it's
more of a smooth transition- a slide if you will- than an abrupt change.
Flicker, Switch, and Pulse can all be set to Slow, Medium, or Fast speed.
Phase
-------------------
Phase is a little tricky to explain. It's basically the timing of lighting
changes. It's easiest with an example. Say I have two adjacent rooms. I want
the lighting to alternate so that when one room is white, the other is black,
and vice-versa. The first thing to do is set them both to slow Switch. Next,
change one's Phase setting to 75% full, and the others to 25% full. Notice when
you test that the lighting now alternates. Try making chasing light patterns
with it!
===============================================================================
Section VII. Story Enemies
===============================================================================
Well, you've got your schematics down for your story map. You've got the path
ready, a few Auto guns, but something's missing. Yes! Enemies! You need some
enemies to make this map a little challenging. Head over to the Story Enemies
tab and let's look around. Pick an enemy form the list of ten, which you can
modify in the options menu, explained in 'Section IX. The Options Menu'.
Name
-------------------
To make things easier on yourself, try naming your enemies something that'll
make them easier to identify for logic purposes.
Enemy
-------------------
This is the character model this enemy will use. You can pick from any of the
models you've chosen in your bot set.
Gun
-------------------
This is what weapon this enemy will be armed with. Some enemies, like Zombies
and Reaper Splitters, will be unarmed, or will use their own abilities in Story
maps. You can only choose from weapons in your weapon set, and you can't make a
bot unarmed.
Type
-------------------
-Unused
-Stationary
-Patrol
-Spawn & Attack
-Spawn & Wait
This is pretty important. It describes how your enemies will behave. Unused
enemies are just that. Need I say more? Stationary enemies will just stand
there, facing in the direction you've assigned. Patrol enemies will walk
between the waypoints you set for them.
Before we move to the other types, let's make sure you can place enemies.
Simply highlight the icon in the colored bar next to their name, click on the
icon, then place it, and use the rotate command to face them the right way.
Lookouts aren't very effective if they stare at a wall, are they? To place
waypoints for Patrol enemies, just do what you would do for placing their spawn
point, but place the waypoint instead. If you place more than one, you can
alter how the enemy moves between them.
Now, back to enemies. Spawn & Attack enemies can help make maps more
challenging. Set their spawn point, and when they're trigger conditions are
met, they start coming in. When they arrive, they come straight for you. Spawn
& Wait enemies are similar, but instead of attacking when they arrive, they act
like Stationary enemies. When you use a Spawn type enemy, you get a few other
options to set.
-Maximum
-Frequency
-View/Edit Trigger Conditions
The Maximum is the number of enemies that will spawn from this point. You can
set up to 20 to come from any given point. The Frequency is how long after an
enemy dies before a new one comes to replace it. Only one enemy can exist from
its corresponding spawn point at a time. The View/Edit Trigger Conditions is
basically what needs to happen before they start spawning. Logic will be
discussed in the next section.
===============================================================================
Section VIII. Game Logic
===============================================================================
So you want to make a story map, huh? Well, you're going to need some Game
Logic to make it work, or it's not going to do very much.
A Quick Explanation of How Logic Works
---------------------------------------
Game Logic may seem a little tough at first, but if you remember a few basic
guidelines, namely what things are, it'll become much easier.
Triggers: Triggers are what needs to occur before an action takes place. It's
like the pressing of a button before lowering the crane. You can set up
multiple triggers in a single Logic Operation, but that will be discussed
later.
Actions: When Triggers have been activated, Actions are what happens. As above,
once the trigger (pushing the button) has been activated, the action (lowering
the crane) takes place.
IMPORTANT: If you want your story map to do anything, you must make sure you
have at least one Logic Operation with an Action set as "Objective x
Completed". If you don't, the map will immediately end when you attempt to play
it.
A Step-by-step Guide to Making Logic
-------------------------------------
Ok, let's take an easy logic, and break it down into several simple steps. For
example, I want a Logic set up so that when I activate an arbitrary switch,
named Switch 1, it causes an objective, Objective A, to be completed. The steps
are as follows:
1) Go to your map screens by pressing the Accept button on blank grid space.
Tab over to the Game Logic screen.
2) Now, we have a few things we can toy with. Available choices include View
Triggers, View Actions, and Add New Logic. View Triggers and View Actions allow
you to view a list of all Triggers or Actions you've created for this map.
Since we haven't done anything yet, choose Add New Logic, which will let us add
a new Logic Operation to our map.
3) You should now be in the Trigger selection screen. Notice that the "Game
Start" Trigger has already been made. You'll probably ignore this one
frequently, but it does have its uses as well. Since our desired Trigger hasn't
been made yet, let's do so. Choose New Trigger, bringing you to a list of
options.
4) Scroll to Object, then choose New Switch. This will bring you to a naming
screen. It's recommended that you name a switch according to its story purpose,
primarily to help find it later for other Logic Operations. Let's just name
this one "Switch 1" and move on. Now, after you've named it, place it on the
map. You'll be able to rotate it later, but for now, you'll be returned to a
screen with a couple of choices.
5) You can either choose "Switch 1 Activated" or "Switch 1 Destroyed". For this
example, choose the former. Now, you'll be brought back to the Trigger listing.
6) From here, you can set up which Triggers this Logic Operation will use. The
Trigger you just made should have little white dots on either side. That
indicates that it will be used. Try highlighting it, and pressing Accept on it.
You can add or remove the dots. Make sure that the dots are there, then choose
Done.
7) You're now in the Action selection menu. It's much like the Trigger
selection menu, but it deals with actions. Since there are none, choose New
Action.
8) Move down to Objective and choose it. You'll now be able to manipulate the
next alphabetical objective, in this case, A. This screen will allow you to
enter the objective description that you'll see if you open your Temporal
Uplink during the mission. Enter its description, say "Activate the Switch",
and move on.
9) Now that you're back to the Actions screen, you can choose what Actions
you'll use. Dotted Actions are used, much like Triggers. Highlight "Objective A
Complete" and dot and un-dot it. Press left or right while highlighting it.
You'll notice that it toggles between "Objective A Complete" and "Objective A
Failed". Choose the former and then Done.
10) You now have a summary of your Logic Operation. You can see the Triggers
and Actions you've chosen. Once you're back on the Logic Operation listing, you
can click on the "Logic Operation 1", or any for that matter, and rename it for
easier reference, which can be very helpful during troubleshooting.
Using Multiple Triggers or Actions
-----------------------------------
Say you want to use multiple Triggers or Actions in a Logic Operation. Adding
them is as simple as adding the first. Just add all of them that you want, and
dot them all. Now, here's where things change. If you want all of the Triggers
to be activated before any Actions take place, toggle the All selector to "All
of These". If you want the Actions to occur if any of the Triggers are
activated, choose "Any of These". Actions are set to an "All of These" format
by default.
Negation
---------
Say you wanted to have a Trigger that read "Enemy 1 NOT Killed" instead of
"Enemy 1 Killed". Simply highlight the Trigger in the listing, and press the
Negate button, noted at the bottom of your screen.
================
|| Triggers ||
================
Game Started
-------------
This is a pretty obvious Trigger. It's set up by default, and is triggered when
the game starts. This is also the default setting for Spawn type enemies.
Object
-------------
-New Switch
>Switch x Activated
>Switch x Destroyed
-New Crate
>Crate x Destroyed
These are your Object Triggers. The first type is Switches. These are just
little stands with a level on one side, and can be rotated to face any
direction. After setting up a switch, you can select the Activation Trigger or
the Destroyed Trigger depending on your needs.
These crates are a little different from the ones mentioned earlier in the
Items section. These can be, and are meant to be, destroyed. Simply place one,
name it if you like, and you're set.
Pickup
-------------
-Crystal Shard
-Ankh
-Bag of Cash
-Secret Files
-Secret Plans
-Artifact
-Jewels
-Brain
-Remains
-Ransom
-Duty Free
Your pickups are just items you can place in a level. Their Trigger
descriptions consist of "[pickup] Collected", and obviously, the Trigger
activates when you collect the item. Only one of each item may be placed on a
map.
Timer
-------------
-New Timer (Show)
>Timer Reaches xx:xx
-New Timer (Hide)
>Timer Reaches xx:xx
Timers keep track of time. They can be used to delay events, or set up a time
limit for the mission, or part of it. Simply create a new timer specify what
time the timer needs to reach for the Trigger to activate. The (Show) Timer
will appear on screen, but the (Hide) Timer will be invisible, but still
running in the background. (Show) Timers will always be visible, even before
they've been set to begin.
It is helpful to have a precursor Action set to "Start Timer", or these won't
be helpful at all.
Enemy
-------------
-Enemy x
>Enemy x Killed
>Enemy x spots player
These are your Triggers for enemies. The first activates when you kill the
specified enemy. The second activates when the specified enemy sees you and is
aware of your location.
Location
-------------
-New Location
>Location Reached
This Trigger activates when you enter the grid square of the specified
location. Upon creating a location, you will have to place and name it if you
like.
Counter
-------------
-New Counter (Show)
>Counter Reaches x
-New Counter (Hide)
>Counter Reaches x
Counters keep a count of anything you want to set to it, which is used more
under Actions, but these are used when you want to have something happen after
the counter reaches some amount. Like timers, counters can be visible or
hidden.
Score
-------------
-Score Reaches x
A Score is similar to a Counter, but it can have uses. Say you want to give the
player points for killing enemies. With a counter, each enemy is worth the
same. Suppose you wanted to make stronger enemies worth more, you could use the
Score Actions to make them worth varying amounts, then let this Trigger
activate at some value.
===============
|| Actions ||
===============
Object
-------------
-New Switch
>Destroy Switch
-New Crate
>Destroy Crate
These actions destroy things. When the Trigger conditions are met, this Action
will destroy the specified switch or crate.
Timer
-------------
-New Timer (Show)
>Start
>Stop
>Reset
-New Timer (Hide)
>Start
>Stop
>Reset
These are your time controls. Using these Actions, you can do three things to
your timers. You can set them to begin counting up with Start. Stop will
obviously stop the timer, and Reset sets the timer back at 00:00.
Enemy
-------------
-Enemy x
>Kill
This Action will obviously kill the specified enemy. You don't have to shoot
him, or let him get blown up; the enemy just dies.
Counter
-------------
-New Counter (Show)
>Increase
>Decrease
>Reset
-New Counter (Hide)
>Increase
>Decrease
>Reset
These are your counter controls. Increase and decrease will raise or lower the
counter by some amount, respectively, and Reset puts it back at 0.
Objective
-------------
-Objective
These are your objective controls. When you choose this, you are prompted to
make a new objective. You name it, and then you go back to the Actions listing.
If you want to make it "Objective x Complete" or "Objective x Failed", set it
as such with left or right, and dot it. For using subsequent Logics dealing
with the same Objective, but perhaps Failed instead of Complete, simply toggle
and dot it. There's no need to make a new one just for the alternative.
Score
-------------
-Increase
-Decrease
-Reset
Similar to a counter, the score total can this can be raised by varying
amounts. Increase and decrease are self explanatory, and again, Reset sets it
back to 0. When you choose Increase or Decrease, you must specify the amount it
will change by.
Keys
-------------
-Keycard Red
-Keycard Blue
-Keycard Yellow
-Keycard Green
This will place a key in the specified location. Choose a color, then a
location. Only one of each may be placed in a map.
===============================================================================
Section IX. The Options Menu
===============================================================================
The Options Menu, accessed by pressing Start, will allow you to use various
map-related tweaks.
Map Settings
-------------
-Tile Set
-Weapon Set
-Bot Set
-Music
-Edit Map Description
-Briefing
These are the extra things that help your map out. The Tile Set is which of the
four themes your map uses. You can choose from Victorian, Industrial, Alien,
and Virtual. Each has its own unique look and Extra Large (30) tile.
The Weapon and Bot Sets are the Recommended sets of weapons and computer-
controlled characters. The Music is the default background music.
Edit Map Description allows you to alter what will be shown on the MapMaker
menu- the one with Edit/Create Map, Play Map, and Load Map. The Briefing is
used on Story maps, and is like the briefing for Story maps. It can be viewed
in your Temporal Uplink.
Editor Settings
----------------
This will allow you to switch between Beginner and Advanced modes. Beginner
only allows a few tiles, items, and lighting. I suggest sticking with Advanced
mode, even if you're new.
WARNING: If you're working on a map, don't switch modes unless you've saved.
Switching clears everything and sets up a blank grid.
Preview Map
------------
-MapMaker Preview
-Death Match
-Bag Tag
-Capture the Bag
-Flame Tag
-Zones
-Story
This will allow you to take your map for a test run. This can be very helpful
when your Logic starts getting complex, or if you're testing out some Triggers
and Actions for the first time. Choosing any mode will start a match in that
mode with Recommended settings. MapMapker Preview is essentially an empty
deathmatch. It's just you and everything you've set up.
Undo Last Change
-----------------
Screw something up? Make a big mistake and don't feel like redoing it? Just use
this command to go back a bit.
Center Map
-----------
This command will center the map grid on your screen.
Clear Map
----------
This will completely erase your work and set up a blank map space.
Load Map
---------
This will bring you to the Load menu, where you can load up a previously saved
map for editing.
Save Map
---------
This will allow you to save your creations for future use.
Help
-----
This brings up a list of commands a.k.a. what the buttons do.
Quit MapMaker
--------------
This will exit the MapMaker and bring you back to the MapMaker main menu.
===============================================================================
Section X. Frequently Asked Questions
===============================================================================
Q: Where is the Gothic Tile Set? How do I unlock it?
A: There isn't one. Actually, it was removed before the final version and thus
unavailable.
Q: Are there any MapMaker features that can be unlocked?
A: Nope. Everything you can use is available by default.
Q: Is there a way to increase available memory for maps?
A: Nope. You can use it more efficiently though, by using (4)'s instead of
(1)'s, (3)'s, (5)'s, and (6)'s when possible.
Q: Can I use more than ten Story Enemies?
A: Nope. The 'Spawn & Attack' and 'Spawn & Wait' enemy types will allow you to
spawn up to twenty of each Story Enemy, though, leading to a possible total
of 200 enemies.
Q: What can I not do with Logic / Triggers / Actions?
A: You can't change or affect doors, lighting, or music.
Q: Can I make a one-way door?
A: Nope.
Q: Can I make outdoor maps?
A: Nope.
Q: What's the deal with Start All / Red Start / Blue Start?
A: Start All's can spawn any player in any mode. Blue Start and Red Start spawn
only characters of the specified color, and only in Capture the Bag mode.
Q: How do I make a Story map?
A: Your map must make use of Logic, Objectives, and a single Start All.
Q: How do I make Logic?
A: Scroll up to the Game Logic section.
Q: These two pieces won't connect! What's wrong?
A: Red edges connect to red edges, and blue sides connect to blue sides. The
blue sides have to match up, and blue sides won't connect to red ends.
Q: Can I make enemies stronger, like a boss?
A: Nope. If you want a boss, I suggest Reaper Splitters. They're just mean.
Q: Can I play Co-Op on my MapMaker Story maps?
A: Nope. They're still single player only.
===============================================================================
Section XI. Tutorials
===============================================================================
In this section, I'll try to provide examples of how to use many of the
Triggers and Actions that are available.
---------------------------------------
EXAMPLE 1: Timers
First off, let's play around with the Timer functions. Here's our timer
example: We want to have the player search through the level for the Ankh.
After the player collects it, he/she has a time limit, say two minutes, to get
to a specified location, or the mission will be failed. We'll set "Find the
Ankh" as Objective A, and "Escape" as Objective B. Using just these plans, the
logic will looks something like this.
Logic Operation 1
Triggers
-Collect Ankh
Actions
-Objective A Complete ("Collect the Ankh")
-Start Timer ("Time Left")
Logic Operation 2
Triggers
-Location 1 Reached
Actions
-Objective B Complete ("Escape")
Logic Operation 3
Triggers
-Timer reaches 02:00
Actions
-Objective B Failed ("Escape")
Now, let's look at this logic. Understanding will help you make your own with
little assistance. The first logic is dealing with two things. First of all, it
won't start unless you have collected the Ankh. Now, once you do, it sets
Objective A as complete, and starts the escape timer. Now, the second will
trigger if you get to the location, but only if you get there before the time
limit is up. If you beat the clock, Objective B will be set as complete, and
the mission ends. However, if the timer is allowed to reach its limit, 2:00 in
this case, Objective B is set to Failed and the mission would end.
---------------------------------------
EXAMPLE 2: Counters
Now, let's play with counters. These, as stated earlier, keep count of things.
Let's set up a mission like this: You, the player, are stuck in a room with a
few 'Spawn & Attack' type enemies coming after you. There is a red locked door,
but you can't get the key until you've killed enough enemies, say six for this
example. The logic would look like this. (For this example, the enemies will
start spawning as the mission begins, so their Trigger conditions are
irrelevant.)
Logic Operation 1
Triggers (Any of These)
-Enemy 1 Killed
-Enemy 2 Killed
-Enemy 3 Killed
Actions
-Increase Counter by 1 ("Kills")
Logic Operation 2
Triggers
-Counter Reaches 6 ("Kills")
Actions
-Create New Keycard Red
The first logic operation simply states that every time you kill any of the
three enemies, your counter will go up by one. Notice that it's specified "Any
of These". This means that whenever any of the listed Triggers is activated,
the Action will occur. Make sure it isn't set as "All of These". If it is, each
enemy will have to be killed once for the counter to go up. The second logic
simply is a watch on the counter. When it hits 6, the keycard will appear in
the position you specify.
---------------------------------------
EXAMPLE 3: Score
Let's play with the score feature. Your scenario: You have waves of enemies
approaching. For some enemies, Sewer Zombies in this case, we want to award the
player just 20 points for a kill, but for other enemies, Undead Priests, we
want to award the player 40 points for a kill. When the player has achieved a
score of, say 200, the objective, "Score 200 points", will be complete. In this
example, we'll set enemies 1 and 2 to be Sewer Zombies, and enemy 3 to be an
Undead Priest. Our logic will look like:
Logic Operation 1
Triggers (Any of These)
-Enemy 1 Killed
-Enemy 2 Killed
Actions
-Increase Score by 20
Logic Operation 2
Triggers
-Enemy 3 Killed
Actions
-Increase Score by 40
Logic Operation 3
Triggers
-Score Reaches 200
Actions
-Objective A Complete ("Score 200 Points")
Let's take a look at this logic now. The first will raise the score by 20
points every time you kill a Sewer Zombie. Again, notice the use of the "Any of
These" All command. The second will raise the score by 40 every time you kill
an Undead Priest. The third triggers when the score reaches 200 or more and
sets Objective A as complete. Notice the differences between score and
counters. Score is a set variable, already created. You have to make a counter,
and you can make multiple, but there is only one score. A counter can be raised
by ones, but the score is based on tens.
===============================================================================
Section XII. Conclusion
===============================================================================
First of all, I'd like to thank all the sites hosting this that are currently
allowed to. If you're hosting it and not allowed to... I'll find out soon
enough.
Obvious credit also goes to the great people at Free Radical Design for making
this game and for replying to a few questions we had.
I'll also thank The Timesplitters 2 Map Site and The Timesplitters 2 Network
(listed above) for hosting this FAQ and some of my maps, as well as maps from
many others. If you're creativity runs into a dry spell, head over to one of
these sites and recreate some of the hosted maps.
If you'd like to contact me with comments, tutorial suggestions, fan mail, hate
mail, etc. Drop me a line at mallys[at]gmail[dot]com. Put what your email is
about (MapMaker FAQ or just FAQ will do), but don't use the following words in
your subject, though: details, movie, application, screensaver, approved,
thank, or mail. If you use any of those words, it'll get filtered out and sent
to the Trash, and I'll never see it. I've put up some anti-virus spam filters
recently, and those were the key words to use. These filters will be in place
indefinitely, but I have heard that the spam will cease on September 9th, so
I'll look back at it then.