Editor information black hole.

[tdevine]

This game has sold about 14m copies or so and around for 10+ years.  I have been messing around with modding for about a year or so.  Why is it soooo hard to go to one site, one link, one thread that explains everything about the editor?  At least what all the options and types of things there are on the right side panel.  Most of the info I run across is old and obsolete.  Why is the information about the modding of this game so scattered and missing?  I use Discord, YT, and other sources, yet can't find 60% of the information I would like to have.

[zztong]

When you say "the Editor", do you mean the World Editor or the Prefab Editor?

 

For the Prefab Editor, little bits go out of date for each version and the POI-RWG interaction options change too. It kind of takes a community of folks with similar interests to pass along the knowledge. Talking to those folks in Discord keeps me up-to-date. If it relates to the Prefab Editor, feel free to DM me. Otherwise, the CompoPack's #prefabber-hangout has been quite active with POI developers.

[tdevine]

8 hours ago, zztong said:

When you say "the Editor", do you mean the World Editor or the Prefab Editor?

 

For the Prefab Editor, little bits go out of date for each version and the POI-RWG interaction options change too. It kind of takes a community of folks with similar interests to pass along the knowledge. Talking to those folks in Discord keeps me up-to-date. If it relates to the Prefab Editor, feel free to DM me. Otherwise, the CompoPack's #prefabber-hangout has been quite active with POI developers.

 It seems to me that the modding community has kept this game alive in a much bigger way than the developers themselves.  I would think that TFP would have an official thread that goes over as close to everything that the prefab editor and world editor has to offer, and keep it updated.  It would take a little time, but the community deserves it for the 1000's of mods that gave more life to the game.  And thank you for the offer to help, I just may use it, thanks again.

[stallionsden]

4 hours ago, tdevine said:

 It seems to me that the modding community has kept this game alive in a much bigger way than the developers themselves.  I would think that TFP would have an official thread that goes over as close to everything that the prefab editor and world editor has to offer, and keep it updated.  It would take a little time, but the community deserves it for the 1000's of mods that gave more life to the game.  And thank you for the offer to help, I just may use it, thanks again.

They haven't finished the game and both editors have alot of work needed on them which will come.  So them holding off on doing anything I can see being good cause it can all change after it is done. 

 

The way of preffabbing has done so as proof how we use to do it back in a11 to how we do it now. 

Edited February 18 by stallionsden (see edit history)

[zztong]

9 hours ago, tdevine said:

I would think that TFP would have an official thread that goes over as close to everything that the prefab editor and world editor has to offer, and keep it updated.  It would take a little time, but the community deserves it for the 1000's of mods that gave more life to the game.

 

While that would be handy and nice, I can't decide if it is a reasonable expectation to have documentation for something still in development. YES -- because even their own team needs it. NO -- fixing it would require constant rework delaying future releases. MAYBE -- assuming you ever plan to have such documentation, maintaining it is perhaps easier than writing it at the end?

 

I do recognize that it makes breaking into this space much harder. The reality today is, unless you just want to make a quick POI and then move on, find a mentor. You can be productive reasonably quickly by watching videos, but there are lots and lots of related lessons. I started with Genosis' videos -- they were great for starting ~A19 -- and then got lots of advice from Stallionsden and the CP crew related to optimization and errors, plus Prefab Editor tricks and tools beyond the basics.

[tdevine]

23 minutes ago, zztong said:

 

While that would be handy and nice, I can't decide if it is a reasonable expectation to have documentation for something still in development. YES -- because even their own team needs it. NO -- fixing it would require constant rework delaying future releases. MAYBE -- assuming you ever plan to have such documentation, maintaining it is perhaps easier than writing it at the end?

 

I do recognize that it makes breaking into this space much harder. The reality today is, unless you just want to make a quick POI and then move on, find a mentor. You can be productive reasonably quickly by watching videos, but there are lots and lots of related lessons. I started with Genosis' videos -- they were great for starting ~A19 -- and then got lots of advice from Stallionsden and the CP crew related to optimization and errors, plus Prefab Editor tricks and tools beyond the basics.

I have been learning by trial and error so far as finding specific information is exhausting.  I spent 2 days trying to figure out why I could not modify the terrain on my new map because I could not find the information to tell me that it could not be done.  The scattered information around all forums and platforms is unreal.  So much so that I just want to make my own thread or video that will cover as much as possible in one easy place.

[zztong]

8 minutes ago, tdevine said:

I spent 2 days trying to figure out why I could not modify the terrain on my new map because I could not find the information to tell me that it could not be done.

 

Oh, so you're in the World Editor, not the Prefab Editor. I don't know very much about the World Editor. I never really use that.

[tdevine]

Actually I use both.  I can make my own maps with placed canyons, rivers, mountains, coastal areas or islands, and reshape or resize them how I want.  I still use MapToolz for this by switching between Alphas as it is outdated.  After a year I have the world editing down pretty well.  As far as Prefabs, I am getting much better after all the practice, but would like some information on more advanced features so I can improve the quality of them.  I am in the process of making an entirely hand crafted map with 100% placed POIs, with some of my own designs, like the mountain bunker I am still working on below.  It drives me crazy how much potential the game has for creativity and content past the usual blood moon cycle of game play.  Designing an overhaul that would actually have an end game to accomplish while exploring the world and dealing with hordes.

Edited February 18 by tdevine (see edit history)

[Laz Man]

We plan to have more user documentation on the editors as we get closer to gold.

 

As several folks have mentioned, there is alot in flux with them functionality wise.

[BFT2020]

On 2/18/2024 at 1:43 PM, Laz Man said:

We plan to have more user documentation on the editors as we get closer to gold.

 

As several folks have mentioned, there is alot in flux with them functionality wise.

 

Heck, just keeping the localization file up-to-date with each Alpha must be a fun job for the "lucky" one maintaining it  😏

[ZPhFK8OuHX]

On 2/18/2024 at 4:18 PM, tdevine said:

Actually I use both.  I can make my own maps with placed canyons, rivers, mountains, coastal areas or islands, and reshape or resize them how I want.  I still use MapToolz for this by switching between Alphas as it is outdated.  After a year I have the world editing down pretty well.  As far as Prefabs, I am getting much better after all the practice, but would like some information on more advanced features so I can improve the quality of them.  I am in the process of making an entirely hand crafted map with 100% placed POIs, with some of my own designs, like the mountain bunker I am still working on below.  It drives me crazy how much potential the game has for creativity and content past the usual blood moon cycle of game play.  Designing an overhaul that would actually have an end game to accomplish while exploring the world and dealing with hordes.

 

is there any chance you can upload your copy of maptoolz somewhere?

 

I can't find it anywhere online anymore