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Game Power Vol. 1 (HEPP Computer) (1995).iso
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S032
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MAPEDIT.DOC
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1991-09-13
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Instructions on using the Conquest Map Editor
This guide is organized in 10 parts. The number of each part
is consistent with the numbering in the Mapedit menu.
0. Overview
1. Draw Map
2. Locate Text box, Player I.D. box, & Round Number
3. Connect Continents
4. Lable Territories
5. Locate Continent Set Values
6. Link Territories
7. Enter Continent Data
8. Verify Map File
9. Saving a file
Before you design a map, first remember the key Conquest V1.3
Map Limitations:
Number of territories: min - 6 max - 200
Number of continents: min - 2 max - 30
Number of territories any
given territory can attack: min - 1 max - 10
***** Function 0: Overview
The F1 key usually displays the help information for the function
you are in. The following is a list of important points to remember
when you are getting ready to make a map:
1. Always draw the map on paper first!
2. Start with a very simple map, and stay simple until
you become familiar with the editor.
3. SAVE OFTEN!
4. Make backup copies of a file under different names as you
develop it, so you have something to fall back upon.
5. Use many small segments in each line, so the territories
don't look like boxes.
6. Experiment with copies of the maps included with the editor.
Load one of these maps and select the 'Verify Map File'
function to see what is in a typical map file.
7. In most cases, F1 will bring a relevant help screen.
8. Name your completed maps with a distinctive sign (such as
beginning them with your initials) so that they will not be
be duplicated names of other files on a bulletin board.
9. Draw each territory large enough to contain the number of armies
to 3 digits (Conquest clips them after that). Place the
army value in the center, so it will not overwrite the border.
Also, ensure that some space is under the army value.
10. If one territory is linked incorrectly to several others, check
to see if it has a gap in it's border.
11. Complete the 9 steps (Mapedit main menu) in order. Only go
back to a step if you want to reaccomplish it.
***** Function 1: Draw Map
Objective: Draw the map. IMPORTANT! - save room for the Text
box, Round number, and Continent set value displays. Also, draw
the lines you use to connect continents LAST, so Conquest can
use a different color to draw them. If you change the map later,
you will have to re-draw the continent connector lines so they
will then be last. Each territory shape must be a closed figure,
so it will not 'leak' when it is filled with an owner's color.
Current line segment is WHITE, old line segments are CYAN.
To draw a shape, just point at the location on the screen
where you want to start, and click the LEFT button. Then move
the line, and click again. Continue moving and clicking, until
the shape is complete. At that time, press F2 to end the current
line, and show the cursor so you can draw another shape.
Function keys:
F1 - Help
F2 - Complete the current line, and show cursor
F3 - Delete the last line drawn
F4 - Toggle Grid on and off
F5 - Redraw map
F6 - Draw a hexagon, and move the cursor right
Arrow keys - move around screen, and keep the current hexagon spacing
CLICK - to start line/add segments to current line
Esc - Done
Backspace - Delete last line segment
Home - erase entire map file
***** Function 2: Locate Text box, Player I.D. box, & Round Number
Objective: Position these items on the map. They all must be
placed in the blue 'ocean' outside of any territories, lines, or
set values.
Function key:
Click to locate the next item
***** Function 3: Connect Continents
Objective: Input the number of lines that connect the
continents, so Conquest can use a different color to draw
them (it assumes they were the last lines drawn). Just add
or subtract until only connectors are white.
***** Function 4: Label Territories
Objective: Locate the number of armies value in each
territory, and enter the number of territories in
the map file. Note: the numbers in a continent must
be sequential, i.e. continent 1: territories 1-6,
continent 2: territories 7-10, etc. When you complete
this function, the program uses the number of the last
territory labeled (which is also the highest number on
the map) as the total number of territories on the map,
so you don't have to enter this again.
If you have already numbered some or all of the
territories on a map, a menu will come up and ask if
you want to:
1. Renumber the entire map
2. Insert a number ( If you add a territory to a
previously numbered map, this map be nessisary to
keep the numbering consecutive for that continent)
3. Delete a number
4. Move a number
5. Continue adding numbers to the current numbering
Select one of the above, and proceed as before.
Function keys:
Escape - done with this function
Arrow keys - move around screen, and keep the current hexagon spacing
If you are using hexagons, this makes it easier to
lable them.
Click to locate the next value (its number will be displayed)
Backspace after Click - reposition the value
Spacebar after Click - accept the position of the value
***** Function 5: Locate Continent Set values
Objective: Position the value gained from owning an entire
continent, and enter the number of continents into the map
file. Put the value next to the territories in it - i.e.
first value next to territories 1-5, 2cd value next to
territories 6-9, etc. (NOTE: if all values are the same, and
you are cramped for space, you can put the values on top of
each other). The program uses the number of set values that
you locate as the number of continents on the map, so you
don't have to enter this again.
Function keys:
Escape - done with this function
Click to locate the next value (its number will be displayed)
Backspace after Click - reposition the value
Spacebar after Click - accept the position of the value
***** Function 6: Link Territories
Objective: Enter into the map file information on which
territories a given territory can attack. The first two parts of
the process are automatic (it floods the screen with gray for each
territory and connector). In part one, the program checks for gaps
in the territory's border. Part two links the territories together
The max number of territories a given territory can attack is 8.
If a 'break' is detected, it means the program is having difficulty
determining the border for a territory (it may not be a gap however).
You need to check the territories the editor considers adjacent.
At end of the automatic linking, you can verify the map. Each
territory will be successively shown in red, and all of the
territories it can attack will be shown in gray. To add or
delete these 'adjacent' territories, press F2. To manually enter
the adjacent territories, enter them by their number. When you
have entered all of them, enter a 0 (zero).
Function keys:
Escape - abort verification
F1 - Help
F2 - manually enter the adjacent (attacking)
territory numbers for the current territory
F3/SPACEBAR - continue with verification
F4 - go back to the last territory checked
***** Function 7: Enter continent data
Objective: Assign territories to each continent, and enter
the continent's set value. The number of continents is
determined by the number of Continent Set values located
in step 3 ('Locate Continent Set Values'). The first territory
is shown in red. Just click on the highest numbered territory
to complete the range of territories for that continent. At
that time, all of the territories the program considers part of
continent will be highlighted. After confirming this, you will
then be prompted to enter the set value for those territories.
The territories in a continent have to be sequential (i.e.
territories 1-6 for continent 1, territories 7-9 for
continent 2, etc.). For the last continent, all remaining
territories will be automatically assigned.
Function key:
Click on the highest number territory in the continent
***** Function 8: Verify Map file
Objective: Check the map file before you finish it for
errors. Pay close attention to the territory linking
display that shows which territories may attack each other.
Also check to see if any of the borders between territories have
holes or spaces which allow colors to bled across (look for
missing territory numbers - indicating a neighboring territory's
color leaked over).
See also the help description for Link Territories.
***** Function 9: Saving a file
No changes are made to the disk until you save the file. Up to
that point the map file is changed only in RAM.
Any of the above functions can be reaccomplished, but before you
do, ensure that the map has been saved. Comments on this editor are
welcome! Its design evolved as a collection of tools that operate
independently of each other to allow the map builder the most freedom
in choosing how to build a map.
David Burns
8 SEP 91
CIS: 70244,3650