Age of Empires Forums

9 of the most commonly asked questions concerning custom designing maps, are answered here
By AOE3Champ

P.s ES could you make this Sticky please???

1. My computer players don't move.

You have to assign an AI (Artificial Intelligence) to them. Like so:
Place a Town Center or Covered Wagon at the desired location. If you place a Town Center use a normal (not the IGC) one.
Place an "AI Start Object" for each computer player next to the Town Center or Covered Wagon or nearby. Go to the Objects Menu, select Place object, then find the object "***AIStartObject" and put it on the map. You can also add the AI Start object later on in the game with triggers. Then the AI will start working at the time the AI Start object is created.
Go to the player’s menu ("Scenario" -> "Player Data") and select as "Control" for each human player "Human", for each computer player "Computer".
Click "AI" and select aiLoaderStandard.xs (there're other AI files as well, although their exact functions are not understood). Then click "Open". Don't double-click the *.xs files, otherwise the scenario will 'forget' your AI settings (which is one of AoE3's bugs). Click once on the file, then "Open".
To enable shipments select Home Cities for the players. "Reset HC" sets the default civilization-specific HC, "Set HC" displays the current one and enables individual selection.
To support a specific AI behavior set according flags in "World" -> "Map Types", depending on the kind of your map.

Do that for every computer player you want to act like in normal random maps. (Don't assign an AI though to the player that actually plays the scenario, otherwise the human and the computer will both command the same units and buildings.)

It might also be that they don't work in play test mode -- only by choosing a custom scenario and actually playing the game.

2. How do I make a Cinematic Movie?

Use the Cinematic mode effect, and choose either ON or OFF in order to start or end the cinematic.
Use the Cinematic Tools to create Camera Tracks, and integrate them in your cinematic with the Camera Track effect. Use Camera Cuts as well.
To display text use Play Dialog.
If you want the units not to automatically start fights, use SetIdleProcessing OFF. Don't forget to turn it ON again when the cinematic ends.
For in game cinematic, use the effect Deselect Units. This hides the ugly waypoint flag.
If you use a low camera angle use skies in order to make your cinematic look better.
Don't show the borders of the map in a cinematic. It just looks ugly.

3. How do I add sound to my scenario?

Use the effect Sound Filename. Note that the editor only accepts sounds in .wav and .mp3 format.

4. Where are all my scenarios?

Unlike previous games like Age of Kings, AoE3 scenario files are stored in the "My Games" folder. Go to "My Documents\My Games\Age of Empires 3\Scenario".

5. How do I place a Trading Post (in the editor)? If I place a Socket, I cannot place the Post on top.

There're different kinds of Sockets (you can access a whole list of them in the Place Object menu). In order to make them work you have to distinguish between the two basic types:
A Socket as a Native American village:
Firstly, go to the Native American Manager. Tick the boxes to determine which tribes can be used on your map. Then place a Socket of that tribe and you can put a Trading Post on top.
A Socket next to a trade route is even easier:
Position the specific Socket for trade routes next to a trade route (use the Trade Route Tool to create one) and you can place a Trading Post on top. If there's no trade route next to it won't work.

6. How do I take an in-game screenshot?

CTRL-F12 (Or PrtScr) creates a screenshot, which will be created in "My Documents\My Games\Age of Empires 3\Screenshots", while CTRL-ALT-F12 will create a full map screenshot, located in the same area.

7. File types: Where do all of AoE3's file types go?



If it is:
. Age3scn it's a scenario, place it in "My Documents\My Games\Age of Empires 3\Scenario".
. Age3sav it's a saved game, place it in the "My Documents\My Games\Age of Empires 3\Savegame" folder.
. Age3rec it's a recorded game, place it in the "My Documents\My Games\Age of Empires 3\Savegame" folder.
.ddt it's a texture, place it in the "\art" folder.
.wav it's a sound file, place it in the "\Sound" folder.
.mp3 it's a sound file, place it in the "\Sound" folder.

a Random Map (RM) goes to "My Documents\My Games\Age of Empires 3\RM".


8. Waves: How do I get those nice waves on my coastlines?

There's two ways you can do this. One is a lot easier then the other, but doesn't work for all river and sea types.
To try the automatic method, you can either select "edit water" and then select "beautify" which will add even waves, rocks, tree and MISC. to your coastline.
Manually, you can search under objects and find "Wave" and place them down manually wherever you wish. However this wave doesn't look as realistic as the normal waves and moves way too fast. In AoM this way was possible, but here it just looks ugly. So go for the first option.

9. When I play my scenario I control the wrong player's units.

The scenario will be played through the perspective of the last player you used in the editor, for example in the Place Object or Play test Scenario menu.

To play as the right player, select the right player and save the scenario, like so:
Changing the player in the Place Object or Play test Scenario menu changes the active player. So make sure to select the right player here before saving the final version of your scenario.
You can also switch between players in the editor with a hotkey combination: Press CTRL+F (number of player)
Example: CTRL+F1 for player 1.
Then save the scenario and you're done.


HOPE THIS CLEARS ALL THOSE PESKY QUESTIONS, REGARDS....AOE3CHAMP








[Edited on 4/19/2006]

Good job with the questions AoE3Champ, but I'd like to say that there are quite a few spelling errors, unecessary text, and guidance that doesn't have to be followed. You should read through and delete or edit some of the material to make it more understandible, and no so clunky. There's just too much to tell you what to correct, so please just review it again, and then maybe it could be stickied.

So sorry about that, I am going to do what you suggested. I typed it all on WORD, and then pasted and copied it onto the page. I did do the spelling check, but there are to many words not in the dictionary, like xml, xms, ailoderstandard.xs and so forth.
Thanks for the comments
Regards.....AOE3Champ

P.S I am only 14 years old, and I live in Australia.
P.P.s I have just put my first custom scenario on Heaven Games, It is called "New Engand Style custom scenario", could you please check it out and review it? Thanks [Edited on 4/19/2006]

I'm bumping this thread to the top..This is as good as a start as any..We can now post questions in here for the guys that like this format..If E.S. will sticky this thread..So be it..I'll let that up to all of you!!
Good job..Aoe3Champ..
kjn
[Edited on 7/22/2006]

Greetings,

I have designed a few custom scenarios before but I still don’t have much knowledge about most of the triggers.

I want to create a scenario where there are several neutral buildings (player number 3 in 1v1 scenario) around the map that can be captured by any of the players.

I would like to know what trigger do I need to use for capturing a building.
Is it the “Convert” trigger?

I also want to add a trigger that such building can be captured only if there is no other army or buildings around the building that is about to be captured.

How can I do that?

Are the triggers that I need to use, working?

Please feel free to elaborate if you have the time.

@MosheLevi

This so called Convert trigger is still a mystery to me..I've read in many posts in here that it allegedly works..I think you'll need to direct the action a little more than you're thinking to make this work.. I'm not sure.. BUT.. You could try this first. Use the trigger (Move to point)..You'll need to select a unit that you want to advance to the point where the building is you want to convert..Then advance the effect into the next trigger..(I would place the building as Gia)..Then you'll need to set the convert trigger..You're on your own here..If this works you'll probably need to set this for all the other civ's as well..The only other place I know that explains this trigger is heavengames/wiki..(If you have not done this already)..Xamo gave me some advise on this a while back in the stickied scenario design thread above..I never really tried it though..I realize all of this isn't much to go on but at least it's something to experiment with..Sorry I could not be more help here..
Hope I've helped a little!
Good Luck my friend!
kjn

Ps..Please Let us know how all this plays out!!

Thank you kjn for your help.

I will give it a try.

If I will be able to make it work, then I will post information about it so other players will learn about it.

Thanks again,

Can I ask another question, how can I choose what Age me and my opponants start on?

@British Baron

Use the "player:setage" trigger..Pretty sure it works..player:setage
Hope this helps.
Good luck!
kjn

HOW the heck do you make a coustom serieno and put it on the internet????!!!!

@general Matthew
When your scenario is ready..The best place you're able to do this right now is heavengames/downloads.
Good luck!
kjn

I have no problems with the "Convert" effect in triggers. It will convert an object upon triggering to the requested owner. Getting it to convert when you want it, is the harder concept. My most commonly used "Condition" though is the "Units in Area". You want to set up your triggers so that when whatever conditions you need to meet to allow the conversion become true, then execute the "Convert" effect and you will have your conversion complete.

Thank you KnightLady for your valuable input..It will be most helpfull..
Great job!
Thank you E.S. for making this thread Sticky!!
kjn

sorry dude but i can't find the "***AIStartObject" in the place object. i can only find "***terrainrevealer", "***blood", "***attack revealer" and "***bloodflow". what am i doing wrong?

@XyDaN

I'm not sure what you're doing either?..If you've got your editor opened..You should be seeing a brown bar across the top with white letters/words in it..There should be the word "objects"..If you click on it a drop down menu opens.. You should be seeing "place object".."Position object" ect.ect..Click on "place object",,All..You should see "AIstart object" in the box..Select it and then select the player in the select as player box to the left portion of the panel..Hint..The Aistart object should be the same color as the civ you're selecting as..Then place it at the proper towncenter..I place it at the door way..Seems to work the best..
Hope this helps.
Good Luck!
kjn

Ps..Here's somthing that may help you also!!
1= Open your scenario editor up and click on scenario at top in brown bar. A drop menu appears.
2= Click on player data and a window opens.
3= For each computer player select the Ai button at right portion of window and select ailoaderstandard.xs
4= For your civ you do nothing here!
5= You then set the hc for your civ only..Optional..Editor assigns you a homecity.
6= Close the window.
7= Click on objects at the top brown bar.A menu appears!
8= click on place object
9= Select all and look below. you'll see ai start select it.
10= highlight each of your computer players and then place one ai start at each of your computer player's town center(just touching it)
11= When this is done press esc at the top left portion of your key board.
12= Go up to the top brown bar and click on scenario. A menu appears
13= Click playtest scenario.
Good luck!
kjn
[Edited on 8/2/2006]