Posts from Supports maps with dimensions of 216 x 216.

Support for 216 x 216 maps, alpha

I patched the Complete Collection from Booki (Russian version 4.0) - the game and the map editor - to demonstrate that you can play on 216 x 216 maps in the original Heroes 3.

1. Map Editor
1.1 Copy the __216_h3maped.exe file (780288 bytes, packed with UPX) from the archive to the game folder (where the original map editor is located).
1.2 Place the 8MM6 rmg.txt template file (or any other template, but change the Maximum Size value to 72) in the DATA folder.
1.3 Run __216_h3maped.exe

Now, instead of regular 144 x 144 maps (XL), you will be able to create 216 x 216 maps (H), including random maps.

2. Game
2.1 Copy the __216_Heroes3.exe file (850432 bytes, packed with UPX) from the archive to the game folder (where the original executable is located).
2.2 Run it and select to view all maps (the ALL button). Find the map you created (instead of the XL icon, you will see the ALL icon) and start the game. You can try the test map from the archive - Map_216_216.h3m (8MM6 template).

3. Limitations and bugs
3.1 Do NOT open smaller maps in this version!
3.2 Do NOT touch the mini-map in world view mode (the "V" key, Earth Eye spell, etc.), but you can click on buttons!
3.3 The frame on the mini-map is currently the same size as for 144 x 144 maps.
3.4 The cheat code to reveal the map only works from the console (nwcwhatisthematrix).
3.5 You cannot create 216 x 216 maps in the game itself.
3.6 The game requires the original disc or image file.

Download the archive (__216_h3maped.exe, __216_Heroes3.exe, Map_216_216.h3m, rmg.txt, readme.txt)

OO. That's interesting...!

Support for 216 x 216 maps, alpha
Now, instead of the usual 144 x 144 maps (XL), 216 x 216 maps (H) will be created, including random ones.
...
3. Limitations and bugs
3.1 DO NOT open maps of smaller sizes in this version!
3.2 DO NOT touch the mini-map in world view mode (key "V", Earth Eye spell, etc.), you can click on the buttons!
3.3 The frame on the mini-map is still the same size as for 144 x 144 maps.
3.4 The cheat code to open the map only works from the console (nwcwhatisthematrix).
3.5 You cannot create 216 x 216 maps in the game itself.
3.6 The game requires the original disc or image.

I'm sorry, but due to these limitations, the result resembles more of a well-shod flea. :(

Sorry, but due to these very limitations, the result resembles more of a horseshoe-shaped flea. :(

In any case, this is not a flea – it's a breakthrough, and the fact that there are some problems is to be expected in an alpha version.
AlexSpl continues to delight us with all sorts of curiosities... don't forget to participate in the tournament for the first game :)

Has anyone tried it? Be sure to check it out. It's impressive the first time. I'll make it for other versions later. A comment on the second post: this isn't WoG or the Era. Try patching the original yourself ;)

Added 16 minutes later
Limitations will be removed as much as possible.

The most difficult thing was fitting a 216 x 216 pixel map into a 144 x 144 pixel window.

AlexSPL, respect once again! I haven't tested it myself yet, but if it works... Heroes.by will be ecstatic! :D

We greatly appreciate your work, Dear AlexSPL. However, "something is wrong in the Danish kingdom." All maps generated by the editor are unplayable due to the lack of reasonable guards; most objects are guarded by only 10% of their potential, and a large portion of them are guarded by peasants or fakes. This is likely caused by the RMG not understanding such scales, or something is wrong in the rmg.txt template file (I'll clarify that I copied the editor's EXE to the Heroes root directory and rmg.txt to the data directory). I couldn't even launch the game due to the installed SOD, and even the no-CD instructions from here http://forum.df2.ru/index.php?showtopic=13055&pid=385844&st=40&#entry385844 didn't help. Could you patch version 3.2 no-CD with your 216 patch? Here's the EXE: http://phomm.narod.ru/sod.exe. Or, alternatively, create a no-CD version of yours... I would like to clarify: does the editor produce results similar to patching with Born's patch, and have you heavily modified the game EXE?

My guard seems to be working fine. No peasants were spotted. Take a look at the map in the archive. Although, I don't rule out that we need to change something else in the rmg.txt file.

Regarding the rmg.txt file, you should ask Wic. The size changed - the zones increased...

yes, I definitely looked at the one in the archive. Here is one of my maps: http://phomm.narod.ru/peasants216.h3m

Nuclear explosion? It didn't generate a single map with such a barren layout for me. Perhaps you edited the .rmg file in the archive? rmg.txt (6792 bytes, 01/27/2010 19:14:58) Try different templates. If you're going to edit the .rmg.txt file, a regular text editor won't do – I recommend opening it in Excel. If that doesn't help, describe your actions and specify the game version.

Maybe 8XM12 could try it? It's a large template, and they say even XL+U is too small for it. But in general, I'm impressed by the research of our heroes – Dirty_Player takes on the Consul with 7 butterflies, and AlexSpl breaks down the Berserker strategy piece by piece. Keep it up! :smile20:

Yes, the template is fine. I would like to hear an expert's opinion on whether the strength of the guards protecting the objects is appropriate. It is likely that the random map generator (RMG) was edited, or that the generation of random maps depends on the game version (???).

I have a slight confusion... how will the generation depend on the version (even if I have one installed) if both the template file and the executable were taken from Alex's archive? After all, Heroes doesn't use any libraries (SMAC and Bink are not Heroes libraries; all the code for Heroes is only in the executable), but there are concerns that one of the text files provides such originality. I checked it on 2 sets of different versions, and it's still happening... And I also discovered a serious problem... There are so many dungeons on the maps that only half of the 9*2*8 = 144 are available for selection at the start, which means extra restarts for heroes above level 1. Considering the generation time of 1 map, which is close to 30 seconds, and the data transfer time, it's discouraging... For example, on one map, I don't even have a Guard Marker, not even 45000... I can assume that the price of objects * the number in the zone simply causes an integer overflow for the generator, and the guard becomes "negative," while the guarded objects are just clusters of 1-2 resources (sometimes an artifact, artifact1). Therefore, it might be that an overflow occurs in the second cycle... In general, I ran several generations and got the following: with weak monsters, only peasants are generated; with medium monsters, both peasants and fakes are generated; with strong monsters, there are almost no people at all, sometimes peasants. Perhaps a script for super-fast roads or even doubling movement speed will be needed because traveling for 5 days on the road is too much, and RMG generates them endlessly, although it's more naturalistic, of course: giant expanses, states, etc.

Just to be clear, I haven't touched the generator's code. The original map editor handles 216 x 216 maps just fine! I haven't observed the issue you're describing. Also, for Random Map Generation (RMG), special templates with a large number of zones are needed; otherwise, it won't work (e.g., 8XM8, 8MM6, 8XM12).

Here's another example of an 8MM6 map, 216 x 216: http://alexspl.narod.ru/216_Underground.h3m

I've figured out how to enable support for 216 x 216 maps without replacing the existing sizes, and also how to address most of the issues listed in point 3. I'm patching it manually, so I won't be able to work on other versions until the beta for Book 4.0 is ready.

XXL patch for SoD 3.2 EN, beta

Supports maps: 36 x 36, 72 x 72, 108 x 108, 144 x 144, 180 x 180, 216 x 216, 252 x 252.

Instructions
1. Unzip the archive
2. Place __XXL_heroes3.exe in the game folder
3. Copy the rmg.txt file (8MM6 template) to the DATA folder
The one in the archive may create more than one castle per player
4. Run __XXL_heroes3.exe
Download

Random maps
Now, instead of random S maps, XL maps will be generated in the game, instead of M - 180 x 180, instead of L - 216 x 216, instead of XL - 252 x 252.
By default, regular M maps are generated. I will fix it later to L, as M maps are not played anyway.
Download maps (the archive contains four random maps of all extra-large sizes)

Map editor
Instead of 36 x 36, it creates 144 x 144, instead of 72 x 72 - 180 x 180, etc.
Download editor

I fixed everything except the frame size (for extra-large maps, the dotted frame size is the same as for XL).