How to create new map (mission, scenario)

Mission vs Scenario vs Map

First let's explain these 3 different concepts.

Mission

• Mission is basic unit of Nebuchadnezzar.
• It connects map and objectives together.
• Several mission together can form campaign.
• Player always play missions.

Scenario

• Scenario is just a special subset of mission.
• It's a mission which is not part of any campaign.
• Player can play any scenario without any limitation, because all scenarios are unlocked.

Map

• Map is data file containg information about specific map.
• Stuff like surface layout, buildings etc.

Create mission atom

To create new mission you have to create an atom for it first.

• In your mode create def folder. It will contains all def files.
• In that folder create mission.lua file.
  • The name of the file is important because the type of atom is based on the def file name.
• And now let's add some content.

nature_buildings = {
    'base::build.palm.1',
    'base::build.palm.2',
    'base::build.palm.3',
    'base::build.palm.4',
    'base::build.bush.1',
    'base::build.bush.2',
    'base::build.bush.3',
    'base::build.bush.4',
    'base::build.palm.bush.1',
    'base::build.palm.bush.2',
    'base::build.palm.bush.3',
    'base::build.palm.bush.4',
    'base::build.fish.1',
}

• First of all, we will prepare some general variable, which we can use in multiple mission atoms.
• Beause it's always better to have shared data in some variable.
• The variable nature_buildings now contains all nature buildings from the base mod.
• Notice the base:: part when referencing atoms. You have to use it because you are referencing atoms from other mod.

irrig_buildings = {
    'base::build.irrig.canal',
    'base::build.irrig.pump',
    'base::build.irrig.bridge.dirty',
    'base::build.irrig.bridge.stone',
}

• In the same way we create variable containing all irrigation buildings from the base mod.

mission_base = {
    base_mods = {"base"},
    first_residents_event = 'base::event.first_residents',
    leaving_residents_event = 'base::event.leaving_residents',
    returning_residents_event = 'base::event.returning_residents',
    no_path_residents_event = 'base::event.no_path_residents',
}

• Here we prepare variable containing data which are usable in all mission.
• We use events from the base mod.
• As well as base_mods property which determines from which mods the game should take available terrain data.

atom ('mission.my_first_mission', mission_base,
{
    description = 'description.my_first_mission',
    intro_event = 'event.intro.my_first_mission',
    money_events = {},

    allowed_buildings = ac(
        nature_buildings, ac(
        irrig_buildings, {
        'build.road.dirty',
        'build.shop.bread',
        'build.farm.plant.1',
        'build.warehouse.1',
        'build.house.lower.1',
    }),

    allowed_monuments = {},
    allowed_templates = {},

    map = 'map.my_first_mission',
    prestige = 'prestige.my_first_mission',
    requests = {},
    demands = {},

    target_population = 300,
    target_prestige = 10,
    target_level_atoms = {'base::level.house.lower.1'},
    target_level_counts = {12},
})

• And finaly we can see our new mission atom.
• Notice usage of function ac when defining allowed buildings.
  • This is helper function avilable in all def files and it can be use for arrays concatenation.
• Because not all referenced atoms are from the base base, we will of course have to create them before starting to work with this mission.
  • Look at corresponding atoms in base for inspiration.

Create map file

When we have valid mission atom, we can start to create the map itself for the mission.

• To create new map use command new_map [atom name] [size x] [size y] empty
  • We will explain empty parameter later.
• After thar game will load the mission with empty map.