User Guide

✯ Units that come to the edge of your map can, in some cases, exit the map. To prevent such exits, create
impassable terrain on the perimeter or paint impassable textures to prevent passage. For more
information,
➤ How to Paint Passable and Impassable Terrain on p. 46.
✯ Build large areas for your bases. A rule of thumb that some designers have used is to make a base area
the size of 5 x 5 Command Centers. Remember to consider that the USA and China may have to place
airfields, the largest structures in the game, so check them, as well.
3. Set waypoints. It’s a good idea to mark the locations of bases and resource depots early in the map
development process. Since users cannot erect buildings on uneven terrain, you should identify these
locations as soon as you can.
✯ Add waypoints for important features such as bridges, railroads, roads, and cities. Of critical gameplay
value are the locations of resource depots, oil derricks, and crates.
❍
To set a waypoint in your map, click the Waypoint tool in the toolbar. In the Waypoint Options window,
enter a name for your waypoint.
NOTE: If you are creating waypoints to identify where players are going to begin in a
multiplayer map, the names must follow a specific format. For example, “PLAYER_1_START”
is always the starting location for Player 1. For each player in a multiplayer map, you must
also create a player in the Player List. For more information,
➤ Player List on p. 55.
4. Build the basic terrain. The Height Brush tool lets you flatten areas to the same elevation. Using the
Mound and Dig tools, you can shape the terrain. As you move the mouse back and forth over an area,
you begin piling (or digging) more terrain on the map. At this point, you just want to create the basic
features in their approximate locations at relative heights to each other. For more information,
➤ Smooth
Height on p. 23.
❍
To view the underlying mesh of the terrain, select SHOW WIREFRAME 3D VIEW from the View menu.
❍
To view the entire map, select SHOW ALL OF 3D MAP from the View menu.
EA TIP: The entrances and exits of each base area are very important for gameplay. Each
base should have at least three entrances to it. Fewer entrances allow users to fortify their
bases too easily. Also, don’t create choke points that are tighter than five tanks across, or you
may experience pathfinding problems for your units.
✯ If you’re going to add bodies of water, make sure that you reserve space in your map for them.
5. Check the size. Now that you have created the basic terrain and the locations of your major gameplay
elements, is the map big enough to contain everything? Remember that you have to add extra workspace
to your map and should create impassable terrain at the edge. So, adjust your map size accordingly.
❍
To resize a map, select RESIZE under the File menu. For more information, ➤ Resize Map on p. 15.
6. Build the terrain in detail. You’re now ready to get the terrain just right. Use the Mound and Dig tools
to raise and lower terrain to the heights that you want. These tools can create rough-looking terrain, so
use the Smooth Height tool to blend the peaks and valleys into a more natural appearance.
❍
To refine the brush used with each terrain tool, change the properties in the Terrain Brush Options
window that appears when you select a tool. For more information,
➤ Terrain Tools on p. 22.
❍
To see if a piece of terrain can be passed over by a vehicle, select VIEW IMPASSABLE AREAS in the View
menu. Use the Smooth Height tool to make these areas passable, if desired.
7. Add a perimeter to your map. To create a more natural appearance, you should have a fringe of
unplayable terrain around your map that is at least 70 tiles on each side. You should also have terrain on
the edge of your map that units cannot cross. Terrain shapes that begin on the map can use this
perimeter area as overflow, so that you avoid abrupt edges to your maps.
❍
To create a map perimeter, click the Border Tool in the toolbar. Then, click and drag any corner of the
orange perimeter to resize the actual playable surface of your map.
✯ Make sure that the orange border and the blue border cover the same area.
✯ All maps are rectangular in shape, and the lower-left corner of your map perimeter is always fixed.
EA TIP: If you don’t want to create a set of natural elements at the edge of your maps to
create impassable terrain, you can paint textures along your perimeter as impassable. These
textures should be unique and appear impassable. Do it at the end of your development
process. For more information,
➤ Texture Tools on p. 24.
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