Scenario Editor Tutorial Version 1.0

Contents Triggers

o Things to know (FAQ)o Conditionso Effectso Advanced Triggers

Day/night cycle Changing a unit’s stats

Map Makingo Eye Candy

TRIGGERS

Things to know (FAQ)

1) Some conditions or effects will not function in multiplayer. One example is the unit create effect. However, another trigger with the same purpose will usually be able to replace it (such as army deploy effect instead of unit create)

2) When entering a name for a trigger or specifying something in the editor, you must hit enter on your keyboard after typing in the name.

3) When specifying a unit or object in the editor, you must first select the unit(s) and then click the select button (which has different names depending on the trigger – such as source unit).

4) Sometimes you may want to specify an area on the map, but the trigger requires you to select a unit, and you don’t want a unit there. For this place a cinematic block for the source unit, such as unit create. The cinematic block will not appear or affect the game in any way.

5) To place the starting view for each player, place a camera start object for each player.

6) To mark spots of reference or for trigger uses, you can use cinematic blocks and cameras.

7) To create a cinematic, first open the camera editor. Insert a new one, and enter a name. Then move your view to the spot you want and click add. Move to

another spot and click add. Continue doing this along your path (you may also zoom and rotate while doing this). Then under duration, type how many seconds the track will last. Then play it. The camera will move from point to point (at every spot you hit add).

Conditions

Conditions are what fires the trigger. When the specified condition is met, it will cause the effect to occur.

Abort cinematic: This will occur when the cinematic has ended.

All buildings dead: This occurs when all of the buildings have been destroyed.

All units and buildings dead: All units and buildings are destroyed.

All units dead: All units have been killed.

Always: This will automatically occur right away.

Army distance to point: The specified army is a certain distance to a point.

Army distance to unit: The army is a certain distance from the selected unit.

Army in LOS: The army is in your line of sight.

Army is alive: The army is alive.

Army is dead: The army has been killed.

Army owned: The army is owned by the particular player.

Army visible to player: The army is visible to a player.

Difficulty level: Occurs if the difficulty level is what is selected.

Diplomacy change: Occurs when the specified diplomacy change has occurred.

Distance to point: The selected unit is a certain distance to a point.

Distance to unit: The selected unit is a distance to another selected unit.

Gadget visible: Unknown.

Is alive: The selected unit is alive.

Percent complete: The selected unit (mainly building) is a certain % complete from being built.

Percent damaged: The selected object has been damaged to this percent.

Player active: The selected player is active.

Player at pop cap: The selected player is at the population cap.

Player defeated: The specified player has lost.

Player is building: The player is currently building the specified object.

Player population: The player’s population is at the entered number.

Player resource count: The player’s selected resource count is at this number.

Player unit count: The player’s unit count is this high.

Tech available: The selected technology is available to research.

Tech researching: The specified technology is being researched.

Timer: A timer until it runs out in seconds.

Timer ms: A timer in milliseconds.

Unit selected: The specified unit is selected.

Unit type selected: The specified unit type is selected.

Units garrisoned: The selected units are garrisoned.

Units in area: The selected units are in the area.

Units in LOS: The units are in the line of sight.

Units owned: The units are owned by a certain player.

Visible to player: The current object is visible to a player.

Effects

Effects are the result of condition. Once the condition has been reached, the effect will occur.

Advance campaign: Advanced to another campaign.

Advance campaign progress: Advances to the next scenario or transition cinematic.

Advance campaign scenario: Advances to the next scenario.

AI Func: Tells the ai what to do.

Army build building: Makes the specified army build a building.

Army change type: Changes the army into different units.

Army convert: Converts the army to another player.

Army deploy: Deploys the army to the designated area.

Army destroy: Destroys the selected army.

Army flash: Makes the selected army flash for the entered time.

Army garrison: Garrisons the army to the building.

Army heading: Makes the army face a certain direction.

Army highlight: Highlights the specified army.

Army kill: Kills the army.

Army move: Moves the army to the selected spot.

Army move to unit: Moves the army to the selected unit.

Army set animation: Makes the army perform a certain animation such as kneel or walk. Only some units have useable animations.

Army set stance: Sets a stance for the army, such as defend, stand ground, or aggressive.

Army teleport: Teleports the army from one area to another.

Army work: Makes the army work on the selected spot. For example, you can make an army of 10 villagers mine gold.

Blockallambientsounds: Blocks out all of the ambient sounds.

Blockallsounds: Blocks all of the sounds.

Branch scenario: Unknown

Camera cut: Changes the camera view

Camera track: Performs a camera track. Note, you need to create a camera track 1st.

Campaign dialog: Unknown

Change unit type: Changes the unit type. For example, you can change a Toxote to a Hoplite, a Chariot Archer to a tree, an Axemen to a Fortress, or an Ulfsark to a Medusa. Anything is possible.

Chat status: Turns the chat on or off.

Cinematic mode: Enters cinematic mode. Warning, you must have another trigger exiting cinematic mode (by clicking the on button to off) or you will be stuck in cinematic mode and unable to exit the game.

Convert: Converts the unit to another player. For example, you can make a player 1 Jarl turn to player 2.

Counter stop: Stops the counter.

Counter add timer: Add a countdown timer. For example, you can create a timer that says “Sunrise” and after the counter hits zero, make sunrise occur.

Counter add unit: Adds a unit at the end of the timer

Destroy: Destroys the selected object.

Diplomacy: Changes diplomacy between any two players.

Disable trigger: Disables another trigger. Note, you need to hit enter on your keyboard after typing in the name.

End game: Ends the current game.

Fade to color: Fades the camera to another color. Warning, you need to have it also fade out (by clicking the in button to out) or the camera will be stuck on the faded color.

Fadeoutallsounds: Fades out all of the sounds.

Fadeoutmusic: Fades out the music.

Fake counter clear: Deletes any fake counters you have running.

Fake counter set text: Creates a fake countdown with text. Imagine having a counter say “Time until destruction”, then the counter reaches zero and nothing happens

Fire event: Sets of another trigger.

Flare minimap: Flares a spot on the map and minimap.

Flash UI: Flashes the interface.

Flash UI category: Flashes the specified interface category.

Flash UI tech: Flashes a technology icon on the interface.

Flash UI train: Flashes a unit-training icon on the interface.

Flash units: Flashes units on the map.

Force non-cinematic models: Forces normal unit models in cinematics, rather than the special models used, such as Ajax or hoplites.

Go to main menu: Exits to the main menu.

Grant god power: Grants the player a god power. You must grant one before invoking it.

Grant resources: Grants a player a resource (favor, gold, wood, or food).

Hide score: Hides the score. To permanently remove it, make the trigger loop.

Highlight units: Highlights units on the map.

Invoke god power: Invokes a god power at the specific spot. Some GPs such as lighting require you to select a unit, not an area. Some, such as the Underworld Passage require two areas to be selected. Note, you must grant a god power before invoking one.

Kill: Kills the selected unit.

Message: Sends a text message box to all players.

Move by name: Moves units by their set name.

Move to point: Moves a unit to a point selected on the map.

Move to unit: Moves a unit to another object on the map.

Music filename: Plays a music file.

Music mood: Sets the type of music played, like fighting or quiet.

Music play: Plays music, stops any currently playing music.

Music stop: Stops music.

Objective: Adds a new objective to the objectives menu. You will need to insert them to the menu 1st, and then use this trigger. Only the 1st objective will appear at the start of the game, so to get more to appear, use this by entering the ID number (1, 2, 3, etc) of the objective you want to reveal.

Pause game: Pauses the game.

Pause in objective window: Pauses the game when the objectives are viewed.

Pause on age up: Pauses during age advancement.

Play dialog: Plays a dialog during a cinematic mode. Enter the speaker’s name before the message, like this: “Priest: Welcome to the temple”, this will put the speakers name (in this case, the priest) in yellow letters above the text so you can see who the dialog is coming from.

Play movie: Play a movie file in the AoM folder.

Player destroy all buildings: The selected player’s buildings all get demolished.

Player destroy all units: The player’s units all die.

Player kill all god powers: The player loses all of the god power he has at the current time.

Player LOS change: Allows a player to see another players line of sight. You can also not allow them to view it.

Player reset all black map: Resets the black map over the parts of the map which you have explored for the specific player.

Player set active: Sets the current player to be active (not defeated). Useful for making a defeated player appear to be still playing.

Player tech tree enabled god powers: Enable a god power to be received.

Play next music track: Plays the next music file.

Rate construction: Sets the rate of construction. So you can make building be built slower, or faster.

Rate research: Sets the tech research rates. So you can make them be researched slower or faster.

Rate training: Sets the unit training rate.

Rates normal: Sets all of the rates back to normal.

Relic force: Forces the selected relic to be a certain type rather than random. An example is that you can make a certain relic always be “Boots of kick everything” rather than random.

Render fog/black map: Can get rid of the fog of war or black map. Can also reset the black map or fog of war.

Render sky: Renders the type of sky shown during ground-view cinematics or camera angles. The types are SkyBlue, SkySunset, SkyStormy, and SkyWinter.

Render snow: Makes it snow on the map. The higher the number you enter (from 1-6), the more it will snow.

Reset all black map: Resets all of the black map on the explored areas of the map.

Reveal map: Reveals the whole map.

Send chat: Sends a chat message from a certain player.

Send spoofed chat: Sends a messed up chat message.

Set animation: Sets the animation for a unit. All units don’t have animations that can be used.

Set current music set: Sets the current music.

Set lighting: Sets the lighting for the map. It’s useful to make it dark when walking into a dungeon area, or for cycling day and night.

Set player defeated: Defeats the selected player.

Set player won: The selected player wins.

Set tech status: Researches a technology. This is the most useful trigger. This is what you use to start a player in a later age, or give better troops, etc.

Set idle processing: Sets the amount of idle units.

Set obscured units: Sets units that will not be visible.

Shake camera: Shakes the camera. Cool effect, especially when used with an earthquake.

Sound filename: Plays a sound file.

Sound play paused: Pauses the sound.

Sound timer: Shows the sound timer.

Teleport units: Teleports units from one spot to another.

Tribute: Tributes resources from one player to another.

Unblockallambientsounds: Unblocks all of the ambient sounds (if you blocked them).

Unbockallsounds: Unblocks all of the sounds (if you blocked them)

Unforbid and enable units: Unforbids and enables any units which were forbidden.

Ungarrison: Ungarrisons units in a certain building.

Unit build building: Makes the designated unit build a building.

Unit create: Creates a unit at the specific spot.

Unit create multi: This trigger does not currently work.

Unit garrison: Garrisons certain units into a building.

Unit heading: Makes designated units face a certain direction.

Unit immediate garrison: Immediately garrisons units to the selected building.

Unit work: Makes units work. (mine gold, pray at a temple, trade, etc)

User controls: Allows you to turn on or off user controls. When off, the player can’t do anything. When on, they can do anything as normal.

Win/loss message: Sets the winning and losing messages.

Write to log: Writes to the log file.

You lose: You will lose

You win: You will win

Advanced triggers

These are some advanced triggers that can be a bit tricky to do at first, but are very useful.

Day night cycle

There are few ways to do a day/night cycle. The simplest one is to simply make day turn to night, and night to day. But here, we’ll make day turn to dusk, dusk to night, night to dawn, and dawn to day. You will need 9 triggers for this, also name your triggers so it is easier to do. First create 9 triggers, and rename them to the following in parenthesis. Then, after you have renamed them, set the conditions and effects. Make sure each trigger, except starter is not set to active.

Trigger 1 (starter): Condition should be always. Then the only effect should be fire event. Make it fire either day, dusk, night, or dawn, depending what the starting lighting is.

Trigger 2 (day): Condition is set to always. Effects are Set Lighting: Default and Fire Event: day to dusk.

Trigger 3 (dusk): Condition is always. Effects are Set Lighting: Dusk and Fire Event: dusk to night.

Trigger 4 (night): Condition is always. Effects are Set Lighting: Night and Fire Event: night to dawn.

Trigger 5 (dawn): Condition is always. Effects are Set Lighting: Dawn and Fire Event: dawn to day.

For these next ones, the condition can be changed to different seconds. I have each set to 300. You may change it though.

Trigger 6 (day to dusk): Condition is Timer: 300. Effect is Fire Event: Dusk.

Trigger 7 (dusk to night): Condition is Timer: 300. Effect is Fire Event: Night.

Trigger 8 (night to dawn): Condition is Timer: 300. Effect is: Fire Event: Dawn.

Trigger 9 (dawn to day): Condition is Timer: 300. Effect is Fire Event: Day.

What this does is that the starter will launch the 1st trigger, day. Then day will start and launch day to dusk. This trigger will after ### seconds will launch dusk. Dusk will set the lighting to dusk and fire dusk to night. After ### seconds, this will launch night. Etc.

Changing a unit’s stats

As you may know, the editor doesn’t allow you to customize a unit’s attack, HP, speed, LOS, etc. There is a way around this, sort of. By stacking the set tech trigger, the stats of a unit can change. An example is if you want a Hippikon with high HP and attack. This can be done by creating a looping trigger with set tech: champion cavalry. Then create another trigger that after maybe 15 seconds that will disable it. The tech will loop, and keep stacking on attack, HP, and LOS. There are also special techs, such as Weapon of Titans, that will raise attack only for Greek unique units. Experiment around with techs, and many units will be fairly customizable. Here’s an example for a Hoplite that I want to have high attack, HP, and LOS.

Trigger 1: Looping. Condition is Timer: 1 second. Effect is Set tech: Player 1, champion infantry, active.

Trigger 2: Not looping. Condition is set to Timer: 20. The effect will be Disable Trigger: Trigger 1.

This will upgrade the hoplite’s stats every second until it is disabled.

MAP MAKING

Eye Candy

Eye candy is making parts of the map look really cool, by adding waterfalls, rainfall, special effect, combining buildings, etc. Please click below for a link to guides and screenshots of eye candy by some of AoM’s best designer.

Click here for eye candy

Map Making Tips

Here I will list tips for making maps, as well as some mistakes made by people.

Don’t clump trees. Instead make your forest gradually thin out rather than abruptly end.

Make town realistic and life like. Many people when making towns simply make a large patch of city terrain and then just place buildings on it. Place your building 1st, each facing different directions, then draw paths to them. Then place trees, shrubs, torches, and flowers, along with working villagers, patrolling armies, and possibly even trade carts. Also place different objects such as barrels and rugs outside of markets.

Mix the terrain. Don’t make one large patch of grass. Instead paint your main texture, and then mix others in, such as darker grass, dirt, etc. Also place stray trees, flowers, bushes, and rocks.

Make the land look realistic. How good would it look if suddenly the land rose up, or if a forest suddenly began? Make the map mix together. Make the land gently slope, forests gradually begin, the terrain lead up to cliffs with rocks and rockier terrain, etc. Instead of suddenly a town beginning, make signs of it appear, such as signs, or stray buildings or people in the land around it.

Always include eye candy. Eye candy is what makes your map look wonderful, and separates it from boring maps. Even 1 or 2 areas of eye candy can make your map much better.

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By DarkKnightjordan.pz@verizon.net Help by Lp