Want to create your own maps?

[Little Powell]

This is just a reminder that anyone is welcome to join the Map Mod Team and create your own maps. If you are artistically inclined, computer savvy, have some graphic design experience (but it's not required), and the time and patience to dedicate to creating a map (which can take several weeks to months, depending on the detail) then contact us now. All you need is a graphics editing program like Photoshop and we provide the rest. You will work directly with a team of experienced map makers (including SOW developers) that will get you up to speed.

If you are interested, contact me by PM or email:



UPDATE 9/2/15 - We plan to release the map editing tools to the public at some point. So if you are interested in making maps, please be patient as we work to get the tools ready.

[Saddletank]

Matt,

Would NSD be seeking people to create ACW maps specifically, or could a person join the team to produce maps useful to the Napoleonic mod (and by extension the other 18th century European mods)?

What would NSDs stance be to a member on the team producing maps that were semi-fictional but that suited, for example, my Peninsular Campaign (Spain 1808-1814) but which were somewhat generic and could be used by anyone for SP or MP?

I presume no buildings exist except those made for the ACW maps? I did see a sceenshot that John B. put up here a long time ago that showed a Napoleonic map he was working on. It had some great looking Spanish buildings. Was that work private to him and is no longer available or did NSD take it over?

Thanks.

[Little Powell]

The map modders are free to create any map they like, as long as it's not planned for an upcoming release. Semi-fictional Napoleonic maps would be great.

I didn't realize John B. was working on a Napoleonic map.. If he did, he never uploaded it to our server.

[Jack ONeill]

All,

I'm dying to get hold of the Waterloo maps. I was reading a snippet of WSS info the other day and realized the Battle of Oudenaarde (1708) was fought near Braine l'Alleud, a small city in Belgium very near to the Mont St. Jean - Waterloo area. Hot damn! Real 18th century maps coming our way. WOOT!

Jack "So thrilled with the Blenheim Mod I can't stop playing it" O'Neill B)

[Jim]

Jack,
The town of Braine l'Alleud itself is just on the left edge of the main Waterloo map. Depending on where the fighting was it may or may not be on the WL map.

-Jim

[Saddletank]

This area of Europe has been fought over for 100s if not 1000s of years. They call it the "Cockpit of Europe", and that is the old meaning of cock-pit where cock-fighting was staged, not the place an aircraft pilot sits!

Just a few miles east of the Waterloo area are the Ardennes where the Germans came through in 1940 and where in 1944 the American army fought it's most famous defence in the ETO.

The battlefield of Fontenoy is not far away.

I suspect if you put a pin in the map at every battlefield you would hardly have any clear map left.

[garyknowz]

I’m very glad that NSD is open to members making maps. I had not seen the comment previously, so thanks for clarification.

There are a few versions of Photoshop. Which would you suggest? I’ll buy a copy (assuming it isn’t out of my budget) to see if I can get a handle on it. If so, I'll PM you with more inquiries (I'll probably do so anyhow given my nascence). I’ve never tried anything like this, but I enjoy puzzles and figuring things out. Hopefully the learning curve isn’t too long for me.

Also, are there any restrictions on ACW maps?

[Little Powell]

If you've never used Photoshop, there will be a pretty steep learning curve. There are entire college courses dedicated to it. I have been using it for close to 10 years now, and discover new features/methods all the time. I haven't looked into the cost of it in a while but it's over $100. I've been using CS5 for years.

A free alternative is Gimp which is an open source Photoshop wannabe. Also Paint.net (RebBugler uses this). John B. used Paint.net for the Chancellorsville maps.

However if you are set on Photoshop, they have a free trial that I would try out before you buy.

Like I mentioned, you don't really need graphic design experience, but do need to be artistically inclined and able to pick things apart and figure them out. Back when I was first learning maps, LouiRaider (GB and Antietam map creator) gave me basic information over email, and then I developed my own methods from that. It's sort of like playing a musical instrument. You need instruction to learn the instrument, but after that it's up to you to create the music.

[Saddletank]

I have Paint Shop Pro and know it inside out - been using it for years. Would that do the job?

[Garnier]

@gary
I would start out using Paint.NET or maybe GIMP and only think about getting photoshop if you need a particular feature that is only in photoshop. I don't have photoshop, when I was making maps by hand for TC2M I used Paint.NET and GIMP. Paint.NET was easy to use for most things, and GIMP had some really nice features for creating and stroking paths that I used to make error-free roads. (And would be useful for making stone walls in SOW.)

It really doesn't matter what image editor you use, just use whatever you want and try different things.