• Added a new tool for viewing/editing Monsters from the Map Editor. Added a placeholder for a tool to add new
monsters to existing maps;
• Added balloon help for menus and some dialogs. Balloon help can be toggled on and off using the "help" key on
extended keyboards, or using "control e" on those less endowed keyboards.
• Compiled with Metrowerks Codewarrior 8; compiled as Fat Binary;
• Finalized scenario format. WARNING: previously existing scenario files will not work with Ultima III Editor;
• Selected Tile Type resets itself when the Map Editor is closed.
• More neat changes to color cursors;
• Removed graphics from manuals;
• New splash screen graphic
Version 1.0d3 January 1995: Development release:
• Improved file reverting;
• Dramatically sped up the flood-fill tool;
• Added version number to Splash Screen and some basic error reporting;
• Changed the App's name from Ult. 3 Scenario Editor to Ultima III Editor;
• Minor bug-fixes.
Version 1.0d2 December 1995: First Public Release.
Ult. 3 Character Editor 1.0 August 1995: First public denial that I would ever write this program.
Ladies, Gentlemen, and Others
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Ultima III Editor is a scenario editor for Ultima III '95, by Leon McNeill. Version 1.0 includes (NOTE: if this is a development release (i.e., 1.0d3), be sure to convert all verbs of be to the future tense):
• Editing all Castle/Towne/Outdoor maps; variable size maps (up to 255x255) are supported.
• Reading from and saving to Ultima III directly.
• Extracting important scenario data into a special file format. These scenario files can be installed into and extracted from Ultima III. They will replace modifying the Ultima III executable directly. The scenario files will also make sharing scenarios with others a little easier.
• Editing monsters, townefolke, and their dialogue (monologue?);
• Changing the positions of Townes, Castles, Dungeons, and MoonGates;
• Changing the names of Weapons, Armor, Character Classes and Races (and sexes?);
• Printing maps to printers. Unlike the old Apple II version which dumped hexadecimal to a line printer, the scenario editor will generate nice Color Quickdraw images;
• A nifty Test Map mode, where you can move through Outdoor/Towne maps as if you were playing the game. Line-of-sight effects will be honored, but movement restrictions will not (walk on water, mountains, etc). Using this feature you can test shading and other aspects of a map w/o having to load up Ultima III, and crawl around obstacles;
• And more…
What's with this future-tense stuff?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is version 1.0 development release 4. In short, this program is far from completed. Though it's not done, I wanted to release the program early so that people could test my program on a variety of machines, suggest new features, and maybe, if I'm really lucky, pay the shareware fee ;-)
Right now, the Ultima III Editor is only a map editor. Here's the straight dope on version 1.0d4:
• You really can edit all Castle/Towne/Outdoor maps. A good number of tools have been enabled, including a pencil, a paint-can, an eye-dropper, etc.
• You can edit monsters directly from the map window.
• Map information can be read from Ultima III directly, or it can be read from special scenario files. Scenario files can be installed into and extracted from the Ultima III application.
• A slick interface light-years ahead of the Ult. 3 Character Editor (see below). This program features custom menus, custom controls, a slick map window, intelligently animated color cursors, excellent keyboard control, and more!
We, the Users
~~~~~~~~~~~
I'd love to hear any feedback you have regarding this program. What features rock? What features bite? What features do you want to see next?
And remember, registering the software (only $10) is a great way to voice your support for this software! It's cripple-free for your convenience.
...from the Makers of Solofl-exodus
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And if you think this was fun, check out the Ult. 3 Character Editor - available at Info-mac, U-Mich, Inside Mac Games magazine, and many other groovy Mac places. Use the Ult. 3 Character Editor to give your characters a boost, or to turn them into PURE GODS! Freeware.
Caveat Emptor
~~~~~~~~~~~
Ultima III Editor was conceived, and (mostly) written in the wee-hours of the morning; whatever I had left after plugging away at my day job. It was a lot of fun, and I got to play around with neat code resources (custom menus, custom controls, custom lists, etc).
Fun or not, this program isn't finished - this is version 1.0 development release 2. A lot of features have been finished, but a lot of features haven't been coded yet. Programs like Mia and Pfhorte show that people are always willing to download tomorrow's map editor update. So ... why not release the map editor now?
Another bonus to a development release is users can suggest what they'd really like to see next, or suggest better implementations of things. I'm willing and able to listen to any number of suggestions that come my way. Let me have 'em!
The down-side is, Ultima III Editor might not be very stable. I'll try to fix any problems that arise in the editor; however, I just can't guarantee Ultima III Editor will be bug free right now. If you're using the program and it crashes, please be patient, send me some e-mail telling me what you were doing when it crashed, and get on with your life. Caveat Emptor, Baby; I'm not responsible for any loss of anything (data, equipment, hair, whatever) incurred through the use of this program.
Licensing Agreement
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ultima III Editor is $10 shareware. If you find this program useful and you use it to create your own maps for Ultima III (by Leon McNeill), please pay the $10 fee. I can be contacted at:
snail-mail:
Michael D. Trent
Azathoth Software
3302 Leopold Way #110
Madison, WI 53713
e-mail:
mtrent@msn.fullfeed.com
DISCLAIMER: msn does not mean "Microsoft Network"; It actually means (in this case) "Madison", the town in which I live.
The shareware fee is a one time registration fee; paid users are guaranteed registered through the life of this product, even if the price rises, or a crippling mechanism is enabled. Registered users are also entitled to better customer support, and more attention will be paid to their enhancement suggestions. Registered users will also get an ego-boost from economically supporting a hobbyist Macintosh programmer.
Note that unregistered users are also entitled to customer support, and their suggestions will be heard. Note that any unregistered user asking me for support is also asking me to pester them about registering ... ;-)
Special Agreement for International Users
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I register a healthy amount of shareware: Zterm, Compact Pro, BetaPede, MacErrors, Maelstrom (back w/ version 1.0.2), Snapz, Mahjongg (for the Newton) and more. I even sent in the post-card for JPEGView and GateKeeper! One thing I have not done thus-far is register any shareware outside of North America; I find sending money over-seas to be a tremendous hassle.
Bearing that in mind, I'm willing to make some special arrangements for International Users. For example, I have some Italian shareware that I have not registered yet; perhaps an Italian user would be willing to register a program or two in my name in lieu of sending money to me directly. And I might be talked into letting someone translate this program into other languages in lieu of paying the fee. Who knows? Interested users should e-mail me first.
Legal Stuff
~~~~~~~~~
Although copyrighted, Ultima III Editor may be freely distributed by electronic means, provided that it is not modified in any way and that it is accompanied by all of the original documentation unaltered. However, ownership of and interest in this software, together with all associated codes, techniques, software tools, formats, designs, concepts, methods, ideas, and documentation shall remain with the author. Use and distribution of this software is governed by the following terms in an effort to reasonably ensure that this software will remain freely available and that no one other than the author will derive a commercial benefit from distributing this software.
You may:
1. Use this software on as many computers as you want.
2. Make as many backup copies of this software as you want.
3. Freely distribute this software via wire or electronic communications (BBS's and on-line information systems) for the sole purpose of use by their customers.
4 Terminate this agreement at any time by destroying all copies of this software and derivatives of this software and cease distributing the same.
You may not:
1. Create any derivative works from this software for distribution.
2. Charge money for this software other than reasonable charges for downloading time or shipping expenses.
Disclaimer of warranty:
In using this software, you understand and agree that this software is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. The entire risk as to the results and performance of using this software lies entirely with you, the user. The author does not make any warranties, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, with respect to this software.
In no event shall the author be liable for any consequential, incidental, or special damages whatsoever (including without limitation damages for loss of critical data, loss of profits, interruption of business, and the like) arising out of the use or inability to use this software. Because some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, the above limitations may not apply to you.
Although the author would appreciate any feedback and bug reports, the author shall not be responsible for correcting any problems which you discover or otherwise help you maintain and use this software. Furthermore, the author may at any time replace, modify, alter, improve, enhance or change this software.
Complete agreement:
This agreement constitutes the entire agreement and supersedes any prior agreements between you and the author concerning this software. This agreement cannot be amended, modified, or waived except in writing.
General:
If any provision of this agreement shall be found to be unenforceable, it shall be deemed severed from the remainder of this agreement.
