Map Editor?

You have to create a launch to  DRIVE:\GalCiv2\Twilight\TALaunch.exe

The default from the startup menu is  DRIVE:\GalCiv2\Twilight\GC2TwilightOfTheArnor.exe

Either edit or create a link to the TALaunch.exe. Then choose the editors menu and then map editor.

It's a no brainer for use. Just go through the menu and play with everything. You don't have to save anything! Just be careful when you edit any of your maps with wholesale changes. Always save the map in increments. That way should one version not work you can go back to the previous one. It's a good idea to try loading the maps into the game every once in a while to see if the game will take them. Exit the game and go back to the map.

As I asked elsewhere, under "Edit" all I see are randomize.  Is there a way to specify the number of stars or planets or anything else.  I am look at GC2MapEditor under TA directory for Tools.

There are no settings for controling the amount of planets the game generates. You can start a game, generate a map and then save it. Now you can go into the editor and edit the map that the game generated. That is the only way that I know of to get a map generated other than the randomizer in the editor...

I haven't seen a way to save in game maps.  Can you explain further?

OK, I figured out I can save maps using ctrl+shift+g with cheats enabled.  Unfortunately, trying to load any of the maps in the map editor crashes it.  Same result with DA.  The cheat key doesn't work in DL.

If you use the "cheat generated map" you cannot do anything once the game starts. The map and starting locations are all the the map editor will allow. Any built ships or movement will corrupt the map file and the editor will not work. You must generate the map and once the game starts, name it and save it, and then QUIT the game. The map should load into the map editor. It works for me, so if you can't get it to work, you might want to try reinstalling the game. I'm using v2.0. Make sure you've updated as there were problems in the earlier versions.

For DA and DL maps you are probably going to have to manually edit the map file to remove some unused game additions. I use only the ToA game now so I'm not sure which items you would have to delete that the DA and DL games do not use.

I've tried with a saved game and several new games where I saved the map immediately, and I'm using TA 2.0.  Could you give exact settings you are using? You know, map size player race, opponents, options, etc.  All my saved maps crash the editor immediately.

Could you give exact settings you are using? Sure, have you tried, just making a map from scratch, with the editor?

You know, map size: Immense

player race: Custom

opponents: Nine with Eight Minors

options: Mixed between rare and abundant

etc.:  NO MODS USED. Disable the mod folder. Some mods will add corrupt data (won't work in the editor) to map file generations.

All my saved maps crash the editor immediately. The map editor uses only the basic ship set. Any funky designs will throw it for a loop as it uses ONLY the default ships. Try creating a map in ToA and save it. Then try editing it. There are problems going between ToA, DL and DA. I beleive with this editor you will have to "backward" edit any maps for DL and DA.

Xrati,

I think your mistaken, I've tried this myself numerous times with the same affect.  I know this was requested as a change to allow you to take a game map and edit in the editor but, I haven't been able to get it to work.  Are you doing anything to the save file.  I just have the map generically saved as ABCDE.sav.  This does not load correctly. 

Please Advise.

Seilore

Can you open the map file in notepad? What your doing should work. So there must be something that's not configured properly. The map file should also have the GC2Map extension like this   "hugemap.GC2Map"  SO MAKE SURE YOUR map file is save as a map file. Check your folder in " My Games\GC2TwilightArnor\CustomMaps\ " directory and see if your maps are being saved with the proper extension.

Try this, start a 3x3 (tiny)  map game with ONE oppponent and no NPR's. Save the map and then open the editor and create a 3x3 map as close as you can to the game created one. Open both in notepad and see if you can detect any differences in the files. I know it's not the best answer, but you will be able to notice any major differences in the files nd you may be able to edit the map to work in the editor. I don't know what else to tell you. What your doing should work. Make sure you have mods turned off and anything refering to them off.

When you create a map in game it doesn't save it as a "GC2map" file it saves the game as a "SAV" file which both can open in notepad but, the "GC2map" file is easily readable, where the "SAV" file is encrypted. 

When you create a map in the map editor you save and it saves it as a "GC2map" and you can load that in game and in the map editor and in notepad and have it be legable. 

So like I stated I think you are in error unless you know of a way that you can save a map generated "in game" as a "GC2map" file, if so, please let me know how to save an "in game" generated map as a "GC2map" file.

Thanks

It's been a while since I've done any map editing, as I'm now into Sins of an Solar Empire.

I started up my game IN CHEAT MODE and just did a quick setup and saved the map. It saved it to the "custom map" folder with the GC2map extension. You are trying to edit the game save files ( .sav ).

You must start the game in cheat mode, then use control-shift-G to bring up the map save box where you can give it a name. It will place the file into the

Your user name Documents\My Games\GC2TwilightArnor\custom map folder. You can load it right into the map editor from that directory.

If that doesn't work, you might have to reinstall your game.