Map editor: Add cities?

from Elemental Forums

Is it possible to add cities to a map in map editor (or via XML editing)?

Basically what I'm trying to achieve is some kind of scenario where city positions are predetemined. In this case, I would also like to designate which faction a particular city belongs to.

I've seen there is a "buildings" icon in the objects palette, but the building list on the right side is empty.... maybe this can be used for what I have in mind?

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Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

You can set starting positions with the map editor,  I didn't see any way to add cities with the map editor, without any documentation, it's hard to tell what you can and can't do. When things settle down a bit, hopefully Brad and company will have a Q&A session about modding questions and tools.

 

 

 

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

I'm also interested in designing a map where cities already exist, and can't seem to figure it out.  Has anyone made any progress in this area?

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Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

Hmm.  I didn't think this would be a roadblock.  I'd like to know how to do this, too.

A possible workaround:  Maybe you could lay out starting points and resources in such a way that AI will have to build cities in your chosen locations.  (Hope the AI is smart enough to do that.)  Problem there is you won't be able to name the cities.

Or, if the city location is only for decorative/narrative--and not strategic--purposes, you could just make custom tiles to stand in for cities.

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

Using custom designed tiles is of course an option to mark interesting spots on the map. Haven't figured out how to add text, though... the Elemental campaign world features a nice, detailed cloth map with place/location names, so it must be possible somehow :-)

What still baffles me a bit though is the empty "buildings" list view when I select the "buildings" object type. Is this supposed to be empty at this stage? Or am I missing out on something?

 

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

I'm going to be using pre-made cities in the DL Mod. I haven't tried placing cities on the map yet...I thought it would be somthing it would be able to do. Hmm, Hope we get some infor on this.

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

I suggest make your own custom city type (see "CoreImprovements\F_CityHubs.xml" and "CoreImprovements\K_CityHubs.xml") for your own custom minor faction (see last races in "CoreRaceConfigs.xml"), then set it to start at the location you want.  Custom minor factions would go in the Race folder in your elemental documents.  Your custom city type would go in the tiles folder (I think have not made one yet, I made my own custom building before and its xml file for the ingame data was there and it showed ingame)

You would set up the custom city type to effectively be the city you want.