Custom Map Questions

xfgexo · Post by **xfgexo** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 3:03 am

Hello everyone,

Say i have a few questions what will probably be simple questions to most of you, in regards to some trouble i am having with making a custom map. I did a search but didnt find anything specific to the questions i have.

First let me say i have created 2 maps thus far and curently working on my third. They seem to work fine over our LAN between me an my son.

Q1. Is there a way to make a specific city demand something like Gold without all the other citys of its same size/type demanding it as well?

Q2. Is there a reson why SMR default maps all have a max of 8 or 9 in city industries that you can buy/build? Even though there is room for a max of 12 icons on the buy/build menu.

Q3. Is there a way to specify only Metal bridges be used including no brick or stone overlaping ones? I tried editing my "RRT_Bridges_mycity.xml" file but it doesnt seem to have any effect. Even if i use the games default "RRT_Bridges.xml" as a template.

Q4. When using the Scenario Manager 3.0 to setup the Era's for my map and then saving and copying the files over, the game only seems to recognize 2 of them. Is this an issue with how SM is writting the scenerio xml or something else i am missing? All the XML looks good to me and i made sure that in game i have the proper years set but still unable to see more than 2 of the 3 era's i have made.

Any help is much apreciated.
Thanks.

snoopy55 · Post by **snoopy55** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 3:41 am

A!. The only way is to put an Industry in the city that will accept that item. Either someone else could clarify this or you'd have to search for it, but if you used 12 Industries a 13th one can be added that cannot be placed by the player, but you can place it in a town. Use something like the Stck Exchange or a bank to accept Gold but not return anything.

A2. That is just the way they are set up. You could edit those to add a full 12 if you chose to.

A3. This is a reason for SAM-type maps. RRT_Bridges.xml will not let you do a map-specific version. With a SAM-type map, putting in a file called RRT_Bridges.xml overrides the original one and causes the game to use yours. The trouble is that with more than one map in the system it also forces this onto all other maps.

A4. That is a thing with the SM program. All you can do is copy your 2nd era, delete it and then used the SM to creat the 3rd one. Then you edit the 2nd one back in.

Now, about those two maps you made......we are going to send DWAX and Slappy the Clown into your house if you don't post them for us.......DWAX eats alot and Slappy will clear the house of any beer, wine and alcohol! You have been warned!!

And oh yah, Welcome to the forum.....

xfgexo · Post by **xfgexo** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 9:28 am

hey thanks for the reply, those questions been buggin me ever since i signed up here and dove into makiing my own maps.

Posting mine? mmm probably not as good as others on here but now that i understand the ERA issue, maybe i can fix that and put em up for download. Would be nice to see all my hardwork in photoshop making hieght maps pay off knowing someone other than my son an i are playin em.

Thanks again for the help.

CalmDragon · Post by **CalmDragon** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 6:11 pm

Yes, we want to play your maps!

Also, I have another custom map question.
What font is the game using?
When I try the € or the pound, or the Lira symbol, I get a few umlaut characters instead.

snoopy55 · Post by **snoopy55** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 7:41 pm

I just sent an Email to 2K about it asking how they do it. They use the £ symbol in the UK map, but copying it into another map will not work. Have you tried using other types of editors such as Wordpad or some professional type?

Just had a thought (ouch!). I tried copying the UK section andpasting it into Notepad++, then naming it as an XML file and it didn't seem to have a problem with the Pound symbol. Try that and give us a report. Try a few other programs to write it also.

I'll dig into it further.

CalmDragon · Post by **CalmDragon** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:20 pm

I'm using notepad++, ver 4.1.2, when I copy it from the uk scenario file, it looks fine, but when it saves it gives me an invalid character and a line number, then when I go back, there are extra characters in front of it. Makes for a lot of funny symbols before every price in the game window. I'll hunt and peck some more.

Lowell · Post by **Lowell** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:32 pm

CalmDragon, maybe you could ask Karsten as he was using the European money scheme on his Liverpool map.

Just checked it in my NotePadd++ and the symbol looks fine for me.
<Currency>£</Currency>

snoopy55 · Post by **snoopy55** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:40 pm

It looks fine in Notepad++, but it does not show up in the game if you are creating the map. The £ symbol is fine in the UK map, but if you copy and paste it into another Scenario XML, it doesn't show.

Lowell · Post by **Lowell** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 11:33 pm

Hmm...that's wierd. Florida Gold works with it, just changed it made a pic, then set it back to $...

works for me...

snoopy55 · Post by **snoopy55** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:49 am

OK, I can get the £ sign to come up, I had the money set for 500,000,000 and it overwrote it. Now try to get the € symbol to show up.

I have a feeling that somewhere in the game is a file that lists what money symbols can be shown. That may take a bit of digging.

Lowell · Post by **Lowell** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 10:41 pm

...yup...there is. If you use the other money I think it may want you to use the Euro stations and or other items like the euro AI and so forth. It is something that needs looked into. It is kind-of confusing...I still get the error in my xml file that it wasn't structured correctly. It works, but if you pull up Karsten's Liverpool scenario file it doesn't get the error.

So yes, there is something to it...just haven't spent much time on it yet to figure it out all the way. That's what led me to think maybe Karsten would know as his works properly and he has done the two money schemes. I would also guess Rodea2007 might know as he has done two money schemes as well.

CalmDragon · Post by **CalmDragon** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 11:29 pm

So for those of you that foriegn currency symbol is working for you, what font are you pulling it from?

Lowell · Post by **Lowell** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 11:34 pm

I copied mine from Karsten's Liverpool map...his scenario file. What about the games language files...maybe others are in those.

snoopy55 · Post by **snoopy55** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 5:52 am

Try this...open up the Original UK map and in the Secnario XML find and copy the currency line and paste it into yours.

I tried the € in the Original UK map and it did not show. Also, when you open that Scenario up in Notepad++ it states "line 136: not well=formed (invalid token)". That is one of two lines which contain the £.

The place where the game stores the allowed symbols has to be searched out. Notepad++ gives that error because it is not set up for that symbol.

snoopy55 · Post by **snoopy55** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:33 pm

I recieved a response from 2K.

My question:

A question has come up on our forum (Hooked on Railroads!) about putting
the €, Pound or Lira symbol in the games XMls. I know you have the Pound
symbol in the UK map, but if I try to use it in any other map it refuses
it. Most of us use Notepad++, and I don't know if that is part of the
problem. Can you tell me a way to get these and other monetary symbols
into the game? Is there an XML editing program which will allow it?

Thank-you

The response

:

Hello Larry,

We are unable to assist with mods at is not part our game sorry we couldn't help any further.

So, I guess it's up to us to search out where the info is stored and how to change it.