User Guide

Delta Force Task Force Dagger - Mission Editor Manual - 06/11/02
Page 6
Section 2: Creating a New Mission
This section outlines the basic steps required to start making a mission for Delta Force: Task
Force Dagger. The following pages detail the more advanced instructions, but for now we will go
through the basic steps to familiarize you with the process since some of the later steps are
dependent on the previous ones being set up correctly. Refer to Appendix C to see an example of
a simple mission.
Step 1: Start the DFTFDMED.exe program. If you already have the program running and have
opened a mission, please press Clear located under the File menu to start a new map from
scratch.
Step 2: Select General Information from the Edit menu at the top of the screen.
Step 3: Enter a mission name and your own name into the appropriate fields. The mission name
will appear in the mission select screen once the mission is exported.
Step 4: Select a Mission Terrain and Map Type from the list. If you are making a single player
game, you do not have to make a selection. Now click “OK” to close the window and load the
new terrain. It may take a while for the new terrain to load.
Step 5: Select Edit from the menu bar and then choose Briefing. When the window opens, enter
a brief description of the map. When the mission is exported, this briefing will appear in the
mission select screen. Mission briefings are limited to 256 characters, so be concise.
Step 6: You should now see a pulled back view of your map with a grid on it as well as a green
and red box. These boxes simply frame the “center” of the map (X=0, y=0). The Mission Editor
will not allow objects outside the red box. Anything outside this box will get pushed into the
border when the mission is exported.
Step 7: In the Grid section, make sure View is enabled and set to 128 meters. Now zoom into the
map until you see only four grid squares.
Step 8: Press the Insert key to enter Insert Mode, decide on a location for the player to start and
left click the mouse to bring up the Insert Item window.
Step 9: In the Insert Item window, select “Markers” in the left hand column, then “Start, Player”
in the right hand column, then click OK. This sets the point where the player will start the game.
If you don’t place this marker, you won’t be able to get into the mission!
Step 10: Press the Insert key again to change back to Select Mode and use the left mouse button
to select the icon that you just placed. Now click anywhere in the Selection Information Box on
the lower left of the screen. This will bring up the Item Attributes window for that object.
Step 11: Change the Team to “Good (Blue)” then click OK. This sets the “team” that the item
belongs to. Now set the group to Group 1 (The player must be group one, or “None” to work
properly).
Step 12: Go to the File menu and select Save to save your mission.
Step 13: Although you could export and play your mission at this point, it probably wouldn’t be
very interesting. You are now ready to begin placing enemies, setting mission events and
determining mission goals. As you place them, refer to the appropriate section of this manual for
more details.
Don’t forget to save your work often. Mission Designers will typically keep several back-ups
of the files just in case they make mistakes on their current file.