Basic Mapping

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After you've configured Hammer to run with Empires, you're ready to start making maps.

Step 1: Build a large room

Build a huge room that will represent your level. If you're doing an outdoors map with vehicles, make sure to allow lots of room. If you want to have a sky insted of a solid roof, then use the ToolsSkyBox texture on those walls that will be the boundery to the sky

Step 2: Add Entities

You're going to need one of each of these:

Emp_info_params (Required)
Emp_info_map_overview (Required)
Emp_building_imp_barracks
Emp_building_nf_barracks
Emp_nf_commander Norhern Faction command vihicle (Optional)
Emp_imp_commander Imperial command vihicle (Optional)

Step 3: Create your map's resource file

The best way to do this is to go to your empires directory and look under the resources/maps directory. Copy one of the existing map's files there and rename the copy to match the name of your map (plus the .txt extension). Edit it and make adjustments as needed. This will let players select spawns when ingame

Step 4: Set up your map's materials directory

Go to your Empires\materials\maps directory and copy a pair of any two .vtf and .vmt files (must be the from the same map). Rename them to emp_<yourmapname>.<vtf/vmt>. These will serve as placeholders for your map's overhead view until later.

Step 5: Flesh it out

Deciding Gameplay

Empires suports a few quite intresting gameplays with more to be added later.

Classic

The standard (Classic) gameplay type involves capturing resource nodes and building bases is used on maps sutch as emp_duststorm and emp_crossroads. The objective is for the players to destroy the opposing faction's Command Vehicle.

For it to work you need a barracks (emp_building_imp_barracks, emp_building_nf_barracks) for each team, a Command Vehicle per faction (emp_imp_commander, emp_nf_commander) and also at least two resource nodes (emp_resource_point, preferebly marked by a emp_resource_point_prop so that one can actually see the point) to be able to play properly.

None of above entities are absolutely required, the game will work aslong as there are a way for people from both teams have ways to spawn.

Conquest

The second one is as seen in Battlefield and other games, involving capturing and holding flags. While it is possible to have a Commander and a Command Vehicle, it is not required. This gameplay is slightly featured on emp_escort, on which it has been converted into a push type of gameplay by not having the flags to be recaptureble by the Northern Faction.

To be able to spawn at a flag you need to place spawn points. These are called emp_info_player_Imp for the Imperials and emp_info_player_NF for the Northern Faction.

Adding Buildings

Buildings are in the form of entities. See the Entity Index for a complete list. Buildings are the entities with building in their names.

Step 6: Compile/Run

Hit F9 and run with the default options. Check your developer console by pressing tilde in-game and look for obvious problems.