Warlords 2.01 map editor
Text file description:
WLEDIT Specific instructions: The first screen of WLEDIT is the 'select files' screen. There are seven options here. The first four are file names that are loaded from the file WLEDIT.DEF if it exists. Descriptions: 1: Warlords program path: This is the path that all the data files, and WARLORDS.EXE reside in. It is possible to put the editor program files in a different directory. For example, the editor could be in "c:gameswarlordsedit", and this option would then be "c:gameswarlords". A trailing "" is added automatically if necessary. 2: Terrain layout file: The original default for this is "ILLURIA.MAP". After editing the map, the WLEDIT program writes by default to the file "WL_CONTN.WL0". Afterwards the WL_CONTN.WL0 name is stored to WLEDIT.DEF, but it may be overridden if wanted. 3: Cities layout file: The original default for this file is "WARLORDS.EXE". This will fail if WARLORDS.EXE did not decompress properly. In this case, use "WL_CITYS.WL0" from VANILLA.ZIP. After editing the map, WLEDIT writes by default to "WL_CITYS.WL0", and usually writes this info to "WLEDIT.DEF", unless overridden 4: Ruins layout file: The original default for this file is "WARLORDS.EXE". This will fail if WARLORDS.EXE did not decompress properly. In this case, use "WL_RUINS.WL0" from VANILLA.ZIP. After editing the map, WLEDIT writes by default to "WL_RUINS.WL0", and usually writes this info to "WLEDIT.DEF", unless overridden 5: This proceeds to load the data and start the editor. Pressing Enter/Return also works here. 6: This assigns the names for 2,3,4 to default names. The default names are "ILLURIA.MAP","WARLORDS.EXE", "WARLORDS.EXE" 7: If this is "Yes" then if the files load properly, the information for options 1..4 are written to WLEDIT.DEF For the load screen this should be "No". Set this to "Yes" the first time, if you must use the files from VANILLA.ZIP After completing the 'select files screen', the main editor screen will display. The basic operation of the editor is in two frames or windows. The main window shows the entire map filling the left+ part of the display. The edit focus window is in the lower right hand corner of the screen and shows a detailed view of the section being edited. The cursor/pointer is in the edit focus window. Move the cursor around using the arrow keys. The edit focus window will scroll to accomodate cursor movement throughout the entire map. A black rectangle on the main map will show which section is being focused on. This program recognizes a mouse. Clicking a mouse button on the main map moves the focus, if necessary, to that clicked at portion. Clicking the mouse in the focus window will move the cursor to the square clicked upon. Sometimes the mouse pointer may get in the way; the mouse may be switched on or off using the F6 key. Basic terrain modification: Pressing the spacebar or double-clicking the mouse in the focus window will bring up a terrain types selection box. To place a kind of terrain at the current cursor postion, highlight the requested type of terrain using the arrow keys, or clicking with the mouse. To emplace the terrain, press space bar, or double- click the mouse on the requested type of terrain. The type of terrain selected is remembered, and if Shift-[arrow keys] is used, the cursor leaves behind the most recent terrain type. The "Z" key also will change the terrain at the cursor to the most recently selected. Pressing Enter will give detailed information on the type of terrain under the cursor. If a city or special location is under the cursor, additional descriptive information will be displayed. The first line will display the specific type of terrain. The second line will indicate if this terrain is 'balked plains', then two numbers referencing internal data, then the coordinates, separated by commas. The third line will indicate the terrain Class. The fourth and fifth lines will describe any ruins or cities specific data. Map/file commands: Pressing F5 will display a 'select file' screen like the one at the start of the program. This is basically a 'start over' option. Pressing Esc will back out of this option. Pressing F7 will display a 'select file' screen similar to the initial or F5 'select file' screen, except this is for saving your work. The first time using this, it is advised to press "6" to select save-to defaults (which are: terrain="WL_CONTN.WL0", cities="WL_CITYS.WL0", ruins="WL_RUINS.WL0") The save feature will NOT save information to WARLORDS.EXE. The other options act as they do in the previous 'select files'. Pressing F1 will bring up a sub menu for clearing the map. F3 and F5 clear the map to ocean; F4 and F6 clear the map to plains. Except that F5 and F6 do not clear the cities and ruins. Placing cities and ruins: Any city or ruin is defined twice. Once as terrains on the map, and again as a set of coordinates in the cities or ruins database. WLEDIT takes as much effort as reasonable to make sure that these values are maintained consistant. However, such things as clear map, block move, and simply erasing a city (say, with plains or forest) are not accounted for. All cities and ruins should be checked manually to make sure that they are where you really think they are. The F3/F4 place cities/ruins commands operate similarly. The next several paragraphs will describe how to move/install cities. The same applies to ruins. To reference a city by name, press F3. To reference a city by number, press Alt-F3 or Ctrl-F3. If "0" is entered for the city number, a list of cities and their numbers is displayed. You may want to use this list only sparingly, as map redraws are SLOW. Pressing F3/F4 for a city/ruin when the cursor is on a city or ruin will select THAT city/ruin without asking for any name or number. After using WLEDITC, all city names are reset to "cityXX", where XX is city number. Ruins are set to "reposiXX", "lbraryXX", "templeXX", or "oracleXX". When using F3/F4 to specify a city/ruin by name, WLEDIT locates the first city that has a name that contains the string you typed (ignores case). So a fraction of the city name may be used. Adding one or more SPACEs after the search name will make WLEDIT skip as many matches as there are spaces. Example: For the original data, searching for "Kor" gets you "Malikor", as it is first. To get the city of Kor, you must use "Kor " as the search name. After the city is identified, the city is displayed on the right of the screen (the focus window will be overwritten). At the top of the window will be the city number (#40), then the city's name, and then the city's coordinates. If the coordinates are followed by "(Cur)", then the coordinates of the city are at the cursor. Note that if the cursor is on a city anywhere than the upper left section, when pressing F3, the cursor will be Moved to the upper left block of the city. This applies to cities only, as ruins only occupy one square, while cities occupy four. This eliminates complications of coordinate selection, as a city's coordinates refer to the upper-left block in WARLORDS. Some functions basic to cities and ruins are "1"=set name, and "2"=set coordinates. Pressing "2" will move the city to the current coordinates (as the cursor was). This is only useful if the coordinates were not already at the cursor. "(Cur)" would be displayed if the city was at the cursor. WLEDIT will ask "are you sure", if what is currently at the cursor is not either plains, a tower, or a city block, when you are trying to locate a city/ruin there. Note that the program WLEDITC relocates all cities and ruins to coordinates 0,0. These are actually real coordinates, but not very popular ones. Thus, until assigned, all cities and ruins are virtually "off the screen", and will (should) not get in the way until located and assigned. The assignment of coordinates of ruins operates exactly as it does for cities. To exit a city or ruins edit screen, you can either press "Enter" or "Esc". Pressing Esc exits the City edit simply. Pressing Enter moves the cursor to the city's coordinates (if it was not already there), and draws the city at the coordinates on the map, overwriting anything that was previously there, which was usually the city anyway. Either way, any changes made are not discarded. The only characteristics of a ruin that may be changed is the location, and the name. Cities have more characteristics, and those may be changed. 3. owner: When defining cities, each party should have ONE city. Defining cities so that teams have less or more than one city will cause unpredictably (predictably bad) results. Cities should usually be neutral, unless it is a capitol city. After pressing "3", WLEDIT will display a list of teams 1..8, and 0, neutral. Note that the team names are the original names, and not any selected names that may have been defined using WLEDITA. 4. Defense: After typing "4", a prompt will appear for the defense value. The initial defense of a city should not be higher than 9 or less than 2. 5. Income of the city: After typing "5", a prompt will appear for the income value. I suppose any value from 1 to 255 ought to be OK. 6. Productions: bear with me here... The bottom 10 lines of the display show the 10 types of productions possible. The keys 0..9 select the type. After pressing a key to define a type of production, several lines of text will appear in the window defining the current settings of that particular production, including number of turns required, strengh, movement, and cost. To accept the values, press Enter, otherwise press "M". If you press "M", each value in turn will be prompted for (in purple). Note that the productions menu selection effectively wipes out the previously defined productions. To 'reassign' a previous production, type the number of that production. You can reference the productions originally listed in the city description to assign the same (or some of the same) productions. The old values will be the same, and may be accepted by pressing Enter. All cities must have at least one production. After at least one production is assigned, the productions selection may be ended by pressing Esc. It is necessary to be sure that all 40 special locations and all 80 cities have discrete locations, and that their coordinates are consistant with what is on the map. Otherwise unpredicable results will occur. Predictably bad, of course. Block movement: Blocks of the map may be copied to other sections. Define the source block be the upperleft and lowerright of the rectangle. Pressing F2 will enter block mode, and select the upperleft. Pressing F2 again will select the lower right. To select the place to copy the block, press F2 again. The area that will be copied TO will be outlined in red on the main map. Press F2 one more time to verify, and move (copy) the block. Note that this function disregards city and ruins coordinates. Terrain smoothing: This is easily the most hairy/hoary part to describe. With installing cities being a reasonably close second. The terrain smoother operates by modifying each terrain block as necessary if possible to 'smooth' the boundries between two different types of terrain. The terrain Class is never changed, that is, ocean may convert to coast, or forest to edge-of- forest, but type plain is never modified. Towers, cities, and ruins are also never modified. The smoother handles the following boundries: ocean to nonocean (everything but mountains, and even them, sort of) forest to plains hills to plains hills to mountains roads to roads (bends, intersections, and ends are fixed) For smoothing purposes, relative to forest, ocean, and hills, all towers, roads, cities, and ruins are treated as plains. Regretfully, the smoother does not install bridges, they must be done manually, although it does treat them properly after they are installed. Mountains should always be surrounded by hills. Mountains only boundry to hills properly. There should be no way (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) to move straight from a nonhill terrain to a mountain terrain. Otherwise the smoother will not function properly. To smooth hills, trees, and mountains, the minimum size is a block square 2 by 2. Anything smaller cannot be smoothed. Also, no single square burs can be present. Those cannot be smoothed. Corners of squares that are nearby or that touch (if they cannot be integrated) cannot be automatically smoothed, although it can be done manually. Example XXX XXXXXX XXX These two 3 by 2 squares will not automatically smooth, althouth appropriate results can be accomplished manually. The F8 key smooths the square under the cursor, referencing the surrounding squares. Ctrl-F8 or Alt-F8 will smooth the entire screen. All the above references to the smoother 'not functioning properly' merely refer to the smoother simply not attempting the square, or picking the wrong smooth. The smoother will never crash due to bad boundries. It will just probably ignore them. Picking terrain boundries that work to your liking is mainly a matter of experimentation. The maps included show some of the possibilities. Finally, for forcing terrain to revert to its base terrain class, Shift-F8 desmoothes the entire map. Usually Ctrl-F8 will restore it, with the exceptions above that will not be handled. Pressing Esc asks a 'Are you Sure?', before quitting. Be sure to save your work with F7 before quitting! Remember to set up the PCK file, and the control data with WLEDITA... WLEDITA Specific instructions: WLEDITA operates mainly as TTY, with not much screen control or graphics, except for specific editing screens. The first 'screen' of WLEDITA is the 'select files' section. There are ten options here. The first six and the last one are file names that are loaded from the file WLEDITA.DEF if it exists. Descriptions: 1: Warlords program path: This is the path that all the data files, and WARLORDS.EXE reside in. It is possible to put the editor program files in a different directory. For example, the editor could be in "c:gameswarlordsedit", and this option would then be "c:gameswarlords". A trailing "" is added automatically if necessary. 2: Terrain layout file: The original default for this is "WL_CONTN.WL0". WLEDITA never modifies this file, but only reads it to create the strategic map PCK file. 3: Objects database file: The original default for this file is "WARLORDS.EXE". This will fail if WARLORDS.EXE did not decompress properly. In this case, use "WL_OBJEC.WL0" from VANILLA.ZIP. After editing the files, WLEDITA writes by default to "WL_OBJEC.WL0", and usually writes this info to "WLEDITA.DEF", unless overridden. 4: Heroes' names file: The original default for this file is "WARLORDS.EXE". This will fail if WARLORDS.EXE did not decompress properly. In this case, use "WL_NAMES.WL0" from VANILLA.ZIP. After editing the files, WLEDITA writes by default to "WL_NAMES.WL0", and usually writes this info to "WLEDITA.DEF", unless overridden. 5: Teams' names file: The original default for this file is "WARLORDS.EXE". This will fail if WARLORDS.EXE did not decompress properly. In this case, use "WL_TEAMS.WL0" from VANILLA.ZIP. After editing the files, WLEDITA writes by default to "WL_TEAMS.WL0", and usually writes this info to "WLEDITA.DEF", unless overridden. 6: Controls database file: The original default for this file is "WARLORDS.EXE". This will fail if WARLORDS.EXE did not decompress properly. In this case, use "WL_CTRLS.WL0" from VANILLA.ZIP. After editing the files, WLEDITA writes by default to "WL_CTRLS.WL0", and usually writes this info to "WLEDITA.DEF", unless overridden. 7: This proceeds to load the data and start the editor. Pressing Enter/Return also works here. 8: This assigns the names for 2,3,4,5,6,C to default names. The default names are: terrain="WL_CONTN.WL0", objects="WARLORDS.EXE", names="WARLORDS.EXE", teams="WARLORDS.EXE", controls="WARLORDS.EXE", cities="WL_CITYS.WL0" 9: If this is "Yes" then if the files load properly, the information for options 1..6,C are written to WLEDITA.DEF For the load screen this should be "No". Set this to "Yes" the first time, if you must use the files from VANILLA.ZIP C: Cities layout file: The original default for this file is "WL_CITYS.WL0". WLEDITA never modifies this file, but only reads it to gather information and coordinates of capitol cities. After completing the 'select files information', the main menu will display. The options are: "1"= Create PCK file A subset of the 'select files to save' menu will display, The different one being "2"=strategic map. The default assigned to this will be "WL_STRAT.PCK". After changing any selections to suit, press "7" to signal complete correct information. The program will then ask EGA or VGA. Select "E" (EGA) to create a PCK file with an EGA palette, or "V" (VGA) to create a PCK file with a VGA palette. The EGA palette only has 64 colors, so the available colors do not match the same way as they do on VGA. The program will write the PCK file and return to the main menu. "2"= Edit names This will pop a window that has 63 names (hero defaults) that can be changed. Each one has its own length maximum. Move between names using the Up and Down keys. Be sure to press Enter on a name that has been changed. Press F2 when done editing names. "3"= Edit teams This will pop a window that has 8 team names that can be changed. Each one has its own length maximum. Move between names using the Up and Down keys. Be sure to press Enter on a name that has been changed. Press F2 when done editing names. "4"= Edit objects/artifacts This will pop a window that displays the 14 artifacts. To change an artifact, type the appropriate number and press Enter. Type a new name, or keep the old by pressing enter. Press B for battle+ or C for command+. Then enter the power of the object. Values higher than 4 are not recommended! Press Esc to return to the main menu. "5"= Validate/Edit control data This will pop a window that displays the 8 teams. To change several characteristics of a team, type the appropriate number and press Enter. The only changeable characteristic is the starting gold. Enter a new value or press Enter to keep the old value. ** Note that the names identifying each team is the original name, not the name assigned as in menu item 4. ** Note that this procedure must be run if any capitol cities are moved, or if a new map is created. Press Esc to return to the main menu. To validate capitol city locations only, from the main menu, press "5", then Esc. "6"= Save information This brings up a menu similar to the initial select files menu. Options 2 and C are not present, and 8 assigns save names rather than load names: assigns the names for 3,4,5,6 to default names. The default names are: objects="WL_OBJEC.WL0", names="WL_NAMES.WL0", teams="WL_TEAMS.WL0", controls="WL_CTRLS.WL0" Information will be written to the selected files, and the profile written to WLEDITA.DEF unless bypassed. This will NOT modify WARLORDS.EXE. "7"= quit program! Introduction For those of you who have purchased the Warlords fantasy strategic wargame from SSG, and are getting sort of tired of playing the same old Illuria time after time: This collection of programs lets you modify the playing field map for Warlords 2.10 by Strategic Studies Group (SSG). You can change the entire map, move and change cities, relocate and rename ruins and other 'special' locations. There are even parts that allow you to change most instances of names used as defaults for heros, team names, and names and controls of artifacts. Unfortunately, the process of designing new maps is rather involved, and not recommended to users without not insignificant computer experience. The user interface of these programs is somewhat complicated, but has the necessary power to design a map of any description. Disclaimer (this is for my own protection, don't take it personally) I make to guarantees whatsoever about the usefulness of this program. I highly recommend you be sure that your copy of Warlords, and any saved games, are backed up safely before you use any of these programs. This product is provided 'as is', with I, the author holding no responsibility as to the behaviour of this program on your equipment. Use this program at your own risk; caveat emptor. I have made all good-faith efforts possible to make this program fit, safe, and useful, but as I am not God, testing under all circumstances is impossible. Additional disclaimer: Although Warlords uses the 640x200 graphics modes to work under EGA or VGA, the editor program WLEDIT.EXE uses only VGA 640x480x16. The results from WLEDIT can be used on EGA or VGA, but WLEDIT requires VGA to function. What this is and how it works: This product is a collection of programs that creates new maps, cities layouts, et cetera, as the playing environment of Warlords. It also contains programs to decompress the WARLORDS.EXE file, create a strategic map *.PCK file, and load the WARLORDS program with the new data active. There are * fields of data that need to be modified to change the playing environment. They are: * continent map usually contained in ILLURIA.MAP, this defines the terrain as a 109x156 grid of terrain blocks * stategic map image A condenced picture derived from the continent map, usually; as displayed in Warlords this is 224x160 pixels usually located in STRAT.PCK or ESTRAT.PCK * cities data structure This is a data structure usually located in WARLORDS.EXE; Each city is a data element defining name, coordinates, productions, defense, income, et cetera. * ruins data structure This is a data structure usually located in WARLORDS.EXE; Each special location is a data element defining type of location, name, and coordinates. Modifying the type of 'special location' is not allowed, as WARLORDS makes special use of certain locations (their coordinates may still be changed!) * artifacts data structure This is another data structure usually located in WARLORDS.EXE. Each object has a name, a bonus type, and how much bonus it provides. * teams names list This is a list of ASCIIZ names (usually) in WARLORDS.EXE The length of each team name may not be longer than the original, because of the way the names are stored * default names list This is a list of ASCIIZ names (usually) in WARLORDS.EXE used as default names for heroes. The same length restrictions per name apply as above. * teams control data structure This is a data structure usually located in WARLORDS.EXE that defines various control information about each team, including coordinates of capitol city, and starting wealth. What programs and files are included in this package: WL.EXE This is the WARLORDS.EXE loader program, which should be used in place of 'WARLORDS' to start Warlords and load the alternate maps and data. WLEDIT.EXE The terrain editor program, that creates a new map and assigns cities and ruins WLEDITA.EXE The additional support program for WLEDIT.EXE that creates the strategic PCK file, modifies artifacts, teams, names, controls, and synchronizes capitol city coordinates WLEDITC.EXE This is an auxiliary utility that clears the names of all cities and ruins; useful for starting a new map allowing the user to distinguish assigned cities from unassigned WLEDIT_0.BIN Binary image data used by WLEDIT.EXE WLCRACK.EXE Encompassed UNLZEXE decoder to decompress WARLORDS.EXE; UNLZEXE will also work fine VANILLA.ZIP Original WARLORDS.EXE data, in case WLCRACK cannot decompress WARLORDS.EXE TESTMAP1.ZIP Supplied alternate map # 1 TESTMAP2.ZIP Supplied alternate map # 2 WL.DOC documentation files WLEDIT.DOC WLEDITA.DOC WHOWHAT.DOC Operation: An alternate Warlords map/environment is a set of eight files that are blended into WARLORDS.EXE when it is started using the WL.EXE program. At no time is the WARLORDS.EXE program ever modified, except for any decompression done by UNLZEXE or WLCRACK. The WL.EXE program loads WARLORDS.EXE into memory, and data from the alternate-set files is then loaded over key locations in the memory image. WL_NAMES.WL0 alternate hero names WL_CONTN.WL0 alternate continent map (ILLURIA.MAP sub) WL_CITYS.WL0 alternate cities data WL_RUINS.WL0 alternate ruins data WL_OBJEC.WL0 alternate artifacts data WL_TEAMS.WL0 alternate team names WL_CTRLS.WL0 alternate team control data WL_STRAT.PCK alternate strategic map (STRAT.PCK sub) Any or all of these files may be present or absent for WL to work. Any files that are not present are simply not loaded and the original data in WARLORDS.EXE is used. The arguments to WARLORDS.EXE that control sound/mouse/video/etCetera may also be used with WL.EXE; they will be passed on to WARLORDS.EXE. Instructions, general: All right, enough theory. Now here's how it all works out... The instructions below describe the general steps to go through to modify the map or create a new map. First, make a copy of your Warlords directory tree, including the PICTS directory. Do not use this on the original. Even though none of the editor software modifies any original files, sometimes strange things go wrong. Decompress the WARLORDS.EXE with WLCRACK. Run WLCRACK in the same directory as WARLORDS.EXE. If any errors occur, and the decompression fails, it may still be possible for the editor programs to function. Run the program WLEDIT, which is the main terrain editor program. The initial screen will ask for a list of files to operate on. The terrain, cities, and ruins files. The original defaults for terrain is ILLURIA.MAP. The original defaults for the cities and ruins is WARLORDS.EXE. If the decompression in the previous step failed you will need to use data from the VANILLA.ZIP file. In this case specify the alternate/save names for the files: terrain="WL_CONTN.WL0", cities="WL_CITYS.WL0", ruins="WL_RUINS.WL0". If you wish to create a new map entirely, use WLEDIT functions to clear the map (either ocean or plains). Then save the files (to the *.WL0 names). Exit WLEDIT, then run WLEDITC. After clearing the city and ruins names, restart WLEDIT, and proceed to design a new map. After creating a map and placing all 80 cities, and all 40 special locations, and deciding which 8 cities are capitol cities;;; you need to then edit the 'other' information. The WLEDITA program will change the artifacts, team names, hero names, and team controls. The WLEDITA program also creates the PCK image file. After loading the information, be sure to use option "1", create PCK file, and option "5", validate control data. Save the information with option 6 before quitting. After these steps are complete, the files WL_*.WL0 and file WL_STRAT.PCK contain your alternate playing environment/map. To run Warlords with the new alternate environment run the WL program. To run Warlords with the original environment, just run "WARLORDS" as before you got this program. It is important to read WLEDIT.DOC and WLEDITA.DOC before proceeding! Introduction For those of you who have purchased the Warlords fantasy strategic wargame from SSG, and are getting sort of tired of playing the same old Illuria time after time . . . Well that described me... So I wrote these programs to modify the map, as I could not find any program that could. This program series was authored by William Winton Internet: wwinto@unf6.cis.unf.edu FidoNet: William Winton @ The Dark Side 1:112/32.0 If you have any useful suggestions that won't take hours for me to implement, feel free to share them with me. Fare you well This trainer has been verified and it 'works'. If you find any difficulties please refer to the documentation that comes with the trainer (if there is any) or it must be due to the version differences of the game that was used for creating this trainer and the version you are using. --------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------
File information
Trainers are memory resident programs that alter the behaviour of a game.
Your anti-virus software and web browser may detect them as malware (viruses, worms, trojans, bots etc.).
This is almost always a false alarm.
File name: wledit.zip
File size: 155.54 KB
Mime type: application/x-dosexec; charset=binary compressed-encoding=application/zip; charset=binary
January 21, 2010 - 11:44am