What can be (is allowed) customized for a MA terrain?

[BlauK]

Probably not much, but could someone at HTC give yes/no answers to the items listed below?

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1) editing terrain textures
2) rearranging the object layout of the default terrain clutter tiles
3) replacing terrain objects (like trees or forrests) with custom objects on the clutter tiles

4) editing default object textures
5) rearranging the object layout of the bases or strats
6) replacing base or strat objects with custom objects

7) adding new objects (like bridges)

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I assume at least 1) is "yes", maybe 4) also?
But I am really hoping that 2) and 3) would be "yes" as well

I can foresee some strong playability reasons for "no" in 5) and 6).
Are there any chances for ANY exceptions for 7) ???.. there have been Squids etc on previous MA maps


Sorry if these have been answered already in some other thread. It is difficult to search with proper wordswhen "MA" and "map" are too short.

[MachNix]

From past experience, I know you can do 1, edit terrain textures, and you cannot do 5, rearrange object layout of bases.  This is for MA maps.

[Skuzzy]

1) editing terrain textures
Yes

2) rearranging the object layout of the default terrain clutter tiles
Yes

3) replacing terrain objects (like trees or forrests) with custom objects on the clutter tiles
No

4) editing default object textures
Depends.  One of the goals of a MA terrain is to keep the size reasonably small.  Changing a lot of textures have the greatest imapct on terrain file size.

5) rearranging the object layout of the bases or strats
No

6) replacing base or strat objects with custom objects
No

7) adding new objects (like bridges)
No

[croduh]

Sticky

[Mustaine]

Originally posted by Skuzzy
2) rearranging the object layout of the default terrain clutter tiles
Yes

searching the forum on this topic i have no clue what a default terrain clutter tile is.

could someone explain this little guy to me in a non technical language?

[croduh]

Clutter-trees,barns,hedges...

[BlauK]

Thanks Skuzzy!

Just to make sure... 7) is allowed when it concerns 3), right?

Because in order to replace a clutter object with a custom one, the custom object has to be added.

[Skuzzy]

Clutter is non-destructible, non-collidable items on the terrain.

The only thing you can add is "clutter".

Custom shapes (*.shp) will not be accepted for an MA terrain, regardless of the type of object.

[BlauK]

Skuzzy, still some confusion....

If I want to add a new kind of hill or bush or tree (clutter), I still have to make a new shp and add it in the terr####.shp in OE.
Both the terr####.shp and the new clutter shp also need to be added to the texsrc folder.

So technically I would be making a new shp which is defined as type "clutter".
But this is allowed, right?

[Mustaine]

so basically if i am making a real MA terrain, i don't need to bother with even knowing what the default clutter terrain tile is.

thanks.

[Skuzzy]

I changed #3 to "No".  Problem solved.

[BlauK]

That is not really what I was wishing for... but if that is how it must be... so be it.

[croduh]

OWNED!!

[Dux]

That's why we have the SEA, BlauK... nya nya all you MA freaks!

[Skuzzy]

Blauk, just to be clear.  It was not anything you said, but you brought up a point I did not think about.

The reason the MA terrains must be very conservative goes to size and reliability.  We cannot have a terrain causing the server to reboot.  And we need the terrain to be small.

The more stuff you put in a terrain, the more potential for problems.  We simply cannot afford the MA to be unstable, of even take the chance of it being unstable.