Map Mod Testing

[talias]

On the CKII Wiki, it says that portages (in the adjacencies.csv) are required to run. What does this mean?

I'm creating a map from scratch, and I want to get a functional map first before I add fancy stuff like adjacencies, but I don't know if I need to include a new, mostly blank adjacencies.csv or if I can just copy over the vanilla one.


Also, is the continents.txt file required. As it says it doesn't do anything, does it need to be there or can there just not be one?

You need to have a valid portage in your adjacencies.txt or the game will crash on loading. The adjacency can also be between provinces that aren't actually on province map, but are in definition.txt.
You can ignore continents if you wish, but continent is valid condition in scripting.

 

[talias]

One last question:
What files are absolutely required to load a map? Which must be specific to my map, and which just have to be there?

For example, colormap.txt just needs to be there, but provinces.bmp needs to be a map of the provinces.

Provinces.bmp, positions.txt (the file is required, but can be left blank), default.map, definition.csv, adjacencies.csv are the bare minimum for game to load.

 

[Prime624]

Provinces.bmp, positions.txt (the file is required, but can be left blank), default.map, definition.csv, adjacencies.csv are the bare minimum for game to load.

What about the terrain folder? Do I need that too? The only file I would edit in there is the colormap.dds, right?

Thanks so much for your help.

 

[talias]

What about the terrain folder? Do I need that too? The only file I would edit in there is the colormap.dds, right?

Thanks so much for your help.

The files I listed are just the files that are required for the game not to crash, so for that terrain folder isn't necessary. But to make map look good in terrain folder there are two files - colormap.dds and colormap_water.dds.

 

[Prime624]

I have a mod with only adjacencies.csv, default.map, definition.csv, positions.txt, and provinces.bmp. It crashes while loading rivers. When I add the rivers.bmp (I have this one but I am missing some of the other unnecessary ones), it gets past it and crashes a second before it would normally get to the main menu.

One thought was that my .mod file is incorrect. I just used the Middle Earth Project as a template and deleted everything I'm not using.

name = "Brexton's Random Map Mod"
path = "mod/CKIImap"
replace_path = "map"

I'm not so sure I did my portage right either, although I think it should work (It doesn't matter to me right now what it does in-game).

From;to;Type;Through;-1;-1;-1;-1;Comment
1;2;portage;91;-1;-1;-1;-1;NULL
-1;-1;;-1;-1;-1;-1;-1;-1

I also didn't change the default.map from the vanilla, except changing the total provinces, sea starts and deleting all the major rivers. Could it be that I need at least one major river? Is it that I include files that I don't have? I tried deleting the locations of files I don't have, but it crashed earlier when I did that. Does it matter the order of the files locations?

I'm gonna try to get the rest of the files done to see if having all of them makes it work. Until then though, any help is greatly appreciated.

EDIT: I now have all the files except the height map and the two color maps. It now crashes on calculating paths. My files are very simple (the topology.bmp, terrain.bmp, and rivers.bmp just composed of two colors), but it all should be correct. Could it be because there are no history files?

 

[Prime624]

I don't know what program are you using, but for gimp you can use "filter/map/bump map", photoshop most likely have some kind of similar option too, or just search google for some kind of standalone bump map tool.

I do use GIMP, and I can find the bump map filter, but what specs do I use? Can I just use the default?

 

[JonStryker]

I have a mod with only adjacencies.csv, default.map, definition.csv, positions.txt, and provinces.bmp. It crashes while loading rivers. When I add the rivers.bmp (I have this one but I am missing some of the other unnecessary ones), it gets past it and crashes a second before it would normally get to the main menu.

One thought was that my .mod file is incorrect. I just used the Middle Earth Project as a template and deleted everything I'm not using.

name = "Brexton's Random Map Mod"
path = "mod/CKIImap"
replace_path = "map"

EDIT: I now have all the files except the height map and the two color maps. It now crashes on calculating paths. My files are very simple (the topology.bmp, terrain.bmp, and rivers.bmp just composed of two colors), but it all should be correct. Could it be because there are no history files?

Normally you shouldn't replace map. If you replace it and don't provide a custom height map the engine won't find a needed file.

 

[Blood Royal]

I'm toying with the idea of a Birthright mod (a D&D setting) and I have this map:



I've read some tutorials and watched some videos, but before I get started on re-coloring the map, I have a few questions

1) Do I need any kind of special color palette for the provinces.bmp map in photoshop?
2) Am I correct in assuming that each province color I paint needs to be written into some kind of file to identify the province it is? Where is this file?
3) Is there anything else critical I need to know before I start filling in this map and writing down the color coders for each province?

(and how much time do you think this would take to make, not just the coloring, but getting the map to work in game with all the needed stuff? 30 hours? 100 hours?)

 

[JonStryker]

I'm toying with the idea of a Birthright mod (a D&D setting) and I have this map:



I've read some tutorials and watched some videos, but before I get started on re-coloring the map, I have a few questions

1) Do I need any kind of special color palette for the provinces.bmp map in photoshop?
2) Am I correct in assuming that each province color I paint needs to be written into some kind of file to identify the province it is? Where is this file?
3) Is there anything else critical I need to know before I start filling in this map and writing down the color coders for each province?

(and how much time do you think this would take to make, not just the coloring, but getting the map to work in game with all the needed stuff? 30 hours? 100 hours?)

1) nope
2) yes. the defintions.csv. But I prefer to not look into that file and use 3) instead.
3) Consider to use those two tools listed in my signature. Especially the one on the bottom right.

Coloring provinces takes some time especially if you want nice weird looking county borders. Starting from there a very basic mod can be created in 30 minutes tops.

 

[talias]

I do use GIMP, and I can find the bump map filter, but what specs do I use? Can I just use the default?

Open the vanilla height map and pick the blue color from it, in your toplogy map add new layer and fill with the blue color from vanilla. Now select the bump map filter, as bump map select your topology map layer, play around with azimuth (something between 50 - 150), elevation and depth, other options are unnecessary.

 

[enoofu]

What causes the Province 0 has invalid origin error

 

[Blood Royal]

1) nope
2) yes. the defintions.csv. But I prefer to not look into that file and use 3) instead.
3) Consider to use those two tools listed in my signature. Especially the one on the bottom right.

Coloring provinces takes some time especially if you want nice weird looking county borders. Starting from there a very basic mod can be created in 30 minutes tops.

Thanks! I'll most definitely use the map filler tool, going to save me a lot of time! But just for painting the map itself, to avoid using the same RBG colors, I'm actually just using the vanilla colors as they list it, ie, just changing the name of the province but keeping the vanilla colors.

1;42;3;128;City of Anuire;x
2;84;6;1;Anuire;x
3;126;9;129;Daulton;x
4;168;12;2;Coere;x
5;0;15;130;Bindier;x
6;168;45;177;Redoubt;x

It's slower, but at least that way I'm sure all the colors I use are unique.

 

[JonStryker]

Thanks! I'll most definitely use the map filler tool, going to save me a lot of time! But just for painting the map itself, to avoid using the same RBG colors, I'm actually just using the vanilla colors as they list it, ie, just changing the name of the province but keeping the vanilla colors.

1;42;3;128;City of Anuire;x
2;84;6;1;Anuire;x
3;126;9;129;Daulton;x
4;168;12;2;Coere;x
5;0;15;130;Bindier;x
6;168;45;177;Redoubt;x

It's slower, but at least that way I'm sure all the colors I use are unique.

This is most definitely slower than just picking random colors with the color picker. With 255x255x255 colors it is almost impossible to pick the same color twice

But if you do it this way you can then just open the definitions.csv in excel and copy over the columns into the map filler tool excel file.

 

[Blood Royal]

This is most definitely slower than just picking random colors with the color picker. With 255x255x255 colors it is almost impossible to pick the same color twice

But if you do it this way you can then just open the definitions.csv in excel and copy over the columns into the map filler tool excel file.

LOL, you have a good point.. that is quite a lot of combinations... alright, crazy-fast map painting mode it is then!

 

[Prime624]

What causes the Province 0 has invalid origin error

The provinces should start at one.

 

[Prime624]

Normally you shouldn't replace map. If you replace it and don't provide a custom height map the engine won't find a needed file.

So my .mod (with just the files I currently have) should be just this?

name = "Brexton's Random Map Mod"
path = "mod/CKIImap"

 

[mjohnson85]

Prime624, I would highly recommend you to the "Crusader Kings II - Creating a Brand New Map" youtube series by SonicTheBluHedgehog. 99.99% of all the questions you have asked are answered in a detailed, visual, commentated way in the series. And you would not have to wait for responses when there is no need.

 

[JonStryker]

So my .mod (with just the files I currently have) should be just this?

name = "Brexton's Random Map Mod"
path = "mod/CKIImap"

If I do a complete new map I just replace history/titles, history/provinces and common/landed_titles. You can also replace decisions and events if you want the game to run for more than a day without bugging out.

@mjohnson85
Yes, those videos are pretty great. I don't get the people that are all like "DON'T WATCH THIS! OUTDATED!! POINTLESS!!1!". Because they are neither outdated nor pointless.

 

[Prime624]

Prime624, I would highly recommend you to the "Crusader Kings II - Creating a Brand New Map" youtube series by SonicTheBluHedgehog. 99.99% of all the questions you have asked are answered in a detailed, visual, commentated way in the series. And you would not have to wait for responses when there is no need.

Thanks. I'll definitely do that. I didn't know there was a map tutorial.

If I do a complete new map I just replace history/titles, history/provinces and common/landed_titles. You can also replace decisions and events if you want the game to run for more than a day without bugging out.

Thanks.

 

[Yvanoff]

Hello,

I would like to create my own map, never did so but assuming I was able to add provinces in the vanilla map and I read a tutorial and also everything was understandable for me, I should be able to do so.

Homever I'm scaried by some maps. On 6, I think I can handle 4 of them, but the last ones.... Do Topology and world normal height maps need to be adapted to my map or can i use the vanillas one with my map, even if it is different ?