Making Slices for Valley 2

[tigersfan]

Whether you did maps for AVWW or not, please read through these instructions a bit, as making slices is a bit different than making maps was in the last game.

The slices can be found in *Game Directory*\RuntimeData\Logic\ChunkSlices then each slice type has it's own directory from there.

The biggest difference, and the single most important piece to any slice is the new "SliceConnectorHint". You'll see in the examples already in the game that they will go on the path that the player is expected to move through, at the edges of the slice. These let the game know how the slices are supposed to connect to each other, by connecting one of these blocks to another. Having other paths that don't have these as dead-end are ok.

Another big thing to bear in mind is that the game isn't going to be seeding enemies randomly anymore. This is now the job of the slice creators. One of the new points in the map editor is the placement of different size and types of enemies. Please bear in mind that having more enemies in a slice is preferable to not having enough. The game knows to not seed too many enemies, but, it can only seed ones where it has instructions to do so. Too many enemies isn't really an issue.

Please understand, the focus on the game is meant to be more about combat than platforming, so we aren't really looking for a lot of really hard platforming challenges.

I've made one of our design documents public now, so that you can all see. In it are descriptions of what the slices should be. By and large, the slice types on that list are the ones we're most interested in getting additions for. But, if you want to do other types, please feel free. If you want an official description for a slice type added, please let me know that too. The document can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uEMmE-3Or_OJA3BX7u65h5zR2fqglLAtnU5wx6VV3Sk/edit . This document also describes the uses of the different enemy classes in the game.

If you would like your slices added to the official game, please try to adhere to the descriptions in the above document as closely as possible, as they often server very specific purposes. I will be going over and approving any slices before they go into the game. If I don't approve your slice for the game, please don't take it personally. A few slices that aren't up to par can really ruin one's gaming experience.

That said, not every slice has to be art or has to be the most amazing slice ever. They just need to have some thought put into them.

Other notes of interest. The player normally is two blocks high and one block wide, and needs at least this much space to move. Players can also normally jump 5 blocks high.

The map editor is included with the game, and is the fastest way to edit slices. I'll also be posting specific instructions on using that in another post.

[tigersfan]

The Map editor is located in the main game directory, simply run Valley2MapEditor.exe to get started. (Sorry, it's currently only in the Windows version right now).

All slices in AVWW are drawn using a grid, which is what you see in black in the main part of the map editor.

Most of the controls for the editor are on the left hand side of the grid.

Starting from the top, they are:

“Map Size” - These let you set the size of map for the "Blank Specified Size" button.

"Blank Default Size” - This gives you the grid you see when you start the game and is used for starting a slice off fresh.

"Blank Specified Size" - Thi gives you a blank grid of the size you set above.

“Import Data/Export Data” - These are used for loading and saving slices. Slices are stored in ASCII text files. To save the slice, click Export, then go to into a blank text file, paste the export into the file, and save. Try to make the filename somewhat descriptive of the slice or something in the slice, but, the exact name of the slice isn’t crucial.

Loading a slice is just the opposite, go into the text file, select all, copy it to the clipboard, then click Import on the map editor.

--Colors--
White - Background Wall - This is the space in your slice. This is where the PC and the enemies move around in. Most of your slice is going to be in this color. This will be where the player and enemies move, in most cases, especially indoors and in caves

Black - Inaccessible - Players and enemies are not allowed in this section, please be sure to not have any of this direction bordering with any areas that players can access.

Red - Floor - While this is called floor, it’s actually serves as walls as well as floors. This should border your entire slice as well as be used for platforms and such throughout the slice.

Burgundy - Stairs - This one you can use to allow the player to go up one tile of incline without having to jump.

Red - Floor With Health

Blue - Water or Lava - There is no way to distinguish which one will appear in your slice. This is based on whatever region the slice is in.

Light Blue - Ladder - These should be used sparingly, especially outdoors and in caverns. These should NEVER be used in water. These do not block shots or movements of players or enemies.

Blue - Ladder in Water - Regular ladders will make the water do odd things. Use these if you need a ladder underwater.

Pink - Crates - These are the destructible crates.

Purple - Slice Connector Hint - These are how the game knows how the slices fit together. Please see the slice instructions for more on how these are used. Most slices need exactly two of these, though a few only need one.

Yellow - Enemy types - More information on these can be found in the design document that describes slice types (see above post). Enemies will only spawn in these locations, be sure to allow them enough room.

BlueGreen - Treasure Medium Rare - Use these in out-of-the-way nooks and crannies to place loot in your slice. Normally this loot is either a chest or a coin.

Teal - These are the different types of traps that you can put in each slice. Normally, unless the instructions for that slice type call for it, these should not be used in the main path of the slice. But feel free to use them to block access to things like treasures, even if the slice type does not call for these.

Green/Pink - All of these squares have very specific uses, and should not be used unless the instructions for your specific slice type call for them. If you need further info on these, you can read about the slice types in the same document that refers to the enemies, above.

-The numbers under the colors allow you to choose how grid spaces you will fill with a mouse click. 1 will suffice most of the time, but there are uses for the other numbers.

-The “Size Per Tile* setting allows you to adjust how big the grid squares in the editor are. This has no effect at all on the actual slice.

Some other controls:
*Right clicking in a square will Fill. This means that it will take the tile you are currently clicking on, and change all tiles that are touching it and are the same color to the new color you currently have selected.
*Shift-Clicking will allow you to draw straight lines while dragging.