Posts from 10 Rules for Beginner Mapmakers

In the Maps for HoMM 3 section.
Your K.O.

Guys, great Heroes gurus :)
2) How to turn "pyramids" (buildings that don't do anything, just stand there for decoration) into a mine or something else... a teleport, etc. :smile45:

Download the patch for h3wmaped and that's it :)

Here, I came across some useful articles on mapmaking – they are about the 4th part of Heroes, but they are mostly relevant to the 3rd part as well: HoMM IV: The Cartographer's Handbook http://www.blackknights.narod.ru/mapmaker.htm IV Heroes, Mapmaking Guide http://www.blackknights.narod.ru/guide_mapmaker.htm I recommend that everyone who makes maps read them.

Today, I came across a useful guide for mapmakers. It, like the entire website, is in Polish, but Google Translate will help:
A guide for mapmakers, or how to create GOOD maps:
(in Polish)
http://www.heroes3.eu/aktualnosci/302-poradnik-map-maker-a-czyli-jak-tworzyc-dobre-mapy
Contents:
The map editor without secrets - how to use it effectively?
http://www.heroes3.eu/porady/poradnik-mapmakera/edytor-map-bez-tajemnic
Adventures map:
map filling
http://www.heroes3.eu/porady/poradnik-mapmakera/wypelnienie-mapy
land management
http://www.heroes3.eu/porady/poradnik-mapmakera/zagospodarowanie-terenu
campaign editor
http://www.heroes3.eu/porady/poradnik-mapmakera/edytor-kampanii

Begrezen, the winner of the first edition of the MapMaker competition, prepared for those who like to create their own scenarios. A guide for mapmakers, or a set of instructions on what to do and what not to do when preparing your own map. The guide also includes a description of the map editor and the campaign editor.
Michael took care of the layout of the guide.
I strongly encourage you to read the entire text.

Hey guys, I wanted to get your opinion. I recently decided to create my own campaign for Heroes 3. I can't post everything yet, so here's the first map. I've already made 10 parts, all with a good storyline and balance. The maps are mostly not very large, but some take time to complete. Take a look and give me your feedback; if you see any mistakes, let me know, and I'll fix them.

Hey guys, I wanted to get your opinion. I recently decided to create my own campaign for Heroes 3. I can't upload everything, so here's the first map. I've already made 10 parts, all with a good plot and balance. The maps are mostly not very large, but it takes time to complete some of them. Take a look and give me your feedback; if you see any mistakes, let me know, and I'll fix them.

The map lacks density – there are too many empty spaces. If you're not using the underground level, remove it. It's a human campaign, but it feels like a military campaign. I haven't looked at it in more detail.

I happened to browse the section dedicated to Heroes IV and came across this ironic but very useful post: Harmful Advice for Beginner Map Makers. It's also relevant for map creators of Heroes III (with the exception of point 3, since there are no wandering monsters here).

11. Always make battles challenging, but not excessively so. For example, 30 peasants and a hero with SP2 and a bow against a cavalry unit.

Now, I feel the need to digress and talk about the biggest mistake that some (often young) map creators make: in their understanding, “a cool map = an impassable map.” That is, they create maps that (as they believe) no one will be able to complete. Most often, this manifests in the fact that the last enemy that needs to be defeated in the finale has extremely high skills and a huge army. And, most likely, the creators of such maps are proud of themselves. My dear friends, you need to understand: this is fundamentally wrong! The correct approach is: “a cool map = a difficult, but passable map!” That is, the creators of “good” maps come up with not only difficulties for the player but also a way to overcome them! Such maps may seem impassable, but in reality, they can definitely be completed if you find the right approach. And the creators of these maps not only theoretically assumed such a possibility but also practically managed to do it themselves.
I will try to explain what the mistake is (although some people find it very difficult to understand). The goal of the player (and the author too!) is to reach the end and win. Then the player experiences maximum satisfaction, and the author along with him. However, if the author experiences satisfaction when the player fails to complete his map, then this author needs to seek help. This person is a deceiver and a thief because he steals from players the most valuable thing that he will never be able to return: time.
Sometimes, maps also become impassable unintentionally because their creators were too lazy to test them. This is how sometimes very attractive and actually good maps end up in collections and circulate, but due to the authors' mistakes, they become completely or conditionally impassable: that is, in some cases, they can still be completed if you make some clever maneuver, sometimes not foreseen by the author, or take advantage of some randomly available opportunity (for example, you start on an island without a shipyard and a boat and sit, waiting for the enemy to swim to you, and then you can sail away on his boat).
Therefore, I have 3 huge requests for everyone who creates their maps:
1) create passable maps!
2) test the maps! At least once, you must play through to the end until you achieve victory. Only after that can you offer the map to others, in the online collection, etc.
3) and, of course, all errors found by you or other players must be fixed! Don't keep them in your head: for a thousand reasons, you can forget them. Immediately write down what needs to be changed. And even better (if it is an error that can be fixed immediately, without requiring reasoning and calculations), open the map and fix it right away.

Here is another very insightful statement regarding a map with too many random factors that determine the actual difficulty of completing it, which can be very low in one scenario and very high in another:
erenior (Germany), 27-04-2018 15:45

Arrogance 1st hell: Map should be called "reload"
I like challenge and hard maps. The difficulty of this map is based too much on pure luck. Will you find a defeated hero with good artifacts in a tavern? Will Adele convince the hobbits to join you?
The map is a challenge, yes, but it's not the player's decision that influences your success; no, it's just pure luck.
And because luck should never be the primary logic of a game, I rate this only 2 stars (it should be 1, but I appreciate the effort of the mapmaker).

http://www.maps4heroes.com/forum/opinions.php?map_id=1139&game=3
Remember: authors should always strive to minimize the range of random events that affect difficulty and playability.

Excellent cheat sheet for beginners (and not just): how to create an interesting map that's enjoyable to play through but not boring.

Paragon 2.0 - Analysis of mechanics and triggers
An interesting and useful video that covers many questions: how it was made, why enemies appear on specific days, how it was implemented that the game is lost if Virill is not captured on a specific day, how enemies pass through the forest, how the appearance and properties of some objects were changed (using the advanced map editor), and more. All mapmakers creating RPG maps should check it out.