Knights and Merchants.net Forum

How do you come up with ideas for making a skirmish map? (one with 2-8 players where everyone is in equal starting conditions).
The kind of map that is simple/minimalistic in design, yet looking acceptable and plays good.

Just start.

MapEditor -> New map -> 160x160 -> Create .. What next? :-P

(Are we talking about KaM Remake maps or KP maps by the way?)
- Think of a basic map idea... What style? Snowy, grassy, desert, mountains, water... Something mixed? What is the theme of the map?
- Consider the number of players and think ahead where their locations should be and if they will have enough space to build on the map size you chose. You could do this by placing the storehouses on the map, then making full size cities around them.
- Place resources and natural barriers (mountains, water) to shape your map (obviously gameplay-wise this is the most important)
- Everything else.

KP

1. How to express basic map idea? Let's say I'm aiming at simplest style (cos I'm inexperienced mapmaker)
2. Ok
3. How to make shapes interesting and non-artificial?
4. What else?

1. I'm not sure what you mean.
3. In KP it might be different, but in KaM there are 2 very basic rules: NO rectangular shapes and NO flat terrain. If you get this right you're 90% finished.
4. Tiles, objects, animals. Stuff, you know. Just stuff.

1. I'm not sure what you meant :-P What is a "basic map idea" and "theme" ?

Well you need some inspiration. It can be anything; maps from other games that you like, maps from KaM (Remake), real life scenery or scenery from movies, et cetera. Personally I think it's important that a map has a certain atmosphere and isn't just "use every available brush and throw every object onto the map". Just think about what kind of map you want to make.

Hi,
-If you mean tactical map, then the easiest way to copy paste an area from a bigger map. For example copy paste the midle area of Boarder rivers and fill it with soilders.(Zoltan's style )
-If you would make good building map....Forget it! Impossible! because players will say its campy...You can try to do anything. Big opened fighting zone withouth objects, small cityies, large cities, opened cities without borders. imba locations.... etc...
The gamemechanism is ok in KMR, but the brains of the players are broken because can not beilve this game is playable via many different way...

Will KP have siege units and new type of units?

Thunder has a very realistic view on map making.

Thunder you have not giving up hope, have you ?:D

This is my attempt at making a skirmish map.
As you can see it went wildly off into a "player versus 2 AIs map" xD

Looks nice, but "Campy".
Such a good feeleing to say this word:D
Anyway, if I could suggest something, use GOlden Cliffs or Across the desert type of locations and fighting zone areas/rates. I don't know how is the state of the KP but as I know it is based on KMR so the game's engines are similar.
Across and Golden have locations with 2-3 entry points with 3-4 bigger attlefield. and the maps are optimal for 2v2 games also, and its little thing but save lots of time the size of the maps are quiete small. I will try out the new KP editor in the next release also.
(would be possible to convert maps into KP? It would be an amaizing thing )

@Thunder, as far as I know anything about programming: no.

Also, I don't think campyness is necessarily bad on a SP map.

As TDL says - I too guess it's okay for SP map (I gotta rename the topic now, right?)

Nope, maps can not be converted (one can try to write a converter tool, but I don't see a point in this. Also it would be morally wrong to just rip of KaM maps in auto-mode)