Scenario Design

AOW2 Map Editor Interface (Part 4):
The Main Map Window

This is where you can let your creativity fly. You've got the tools and you've got the tiles, and now it's time to get all the stuff onto the map.

Use arrowkeys on your keyboard to scroll about on the main window. Alternatively, you can click on the mini map to jump directly to a location.

There is some information at the lower left hand corner (enlarged above) of the main window. These are the coordinates, base terrain, terrain object, and selected object. You'll need to know the coordinates of a hex when you want to set teleport destinations or when setting up script events.

To place an object on the map, you have to select a graphic or object from the tabs and click on the area in the main window to place them on the map. Notice that for things like 'trees','flowers' and 'rocks', with each click, you'll get a different appearance of that object. The trees are automatically and effectively randomised this way.

Another thing you will notice is that some of these terrain graphics can be placed in combination on the same hex. This is a new feature in AOW2 editor. Below, you can see a demostration of this: the flower patch in the middle is actually a combination of three different "flower" graphics.

If you need to get rid of one of the graphics which are in combo with others, you can use a "selective eraser". They are found on the terrain graphic tabs and are recognised by the yellow "x", and placed on the same row as the graphics that they erase. Shown below, the box on the extreme left is the 'selective eraser' which will only erase those other three tree graphics and no other kind of 'tree' graphics.

Right clicking on any object will bring up a menu. If the object's properties can be edited, you will see an edit on the pop-up menu. The editing window for that object (such as a unit or a place, like an Ancient Ruin) is different depending on what it is. (We will get to them in time to come.)

Another new feature is the AI block. As you can see below, the independent unit (or another unit controlled by the AI will not be able to get pass that block. (In AOW1 editor, we used to have to put a watchtower as means of a block!)