Trouble loading maps??? Read this.

choobacca · Post by **choobacca** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:48 pm

snoopy55 wrote:choobaca - I was doing a search for FPK s in the forum when I came across a remark from one of our Firaxis buddies. What he said explains the reason the maps have been having so much trouble. Example: If you loaded the Santa map and played it, it would play OK. If you then loaded the Super Bowl Express map, it would play OK. If you then went back and tried to play the Santa map, it would crash. What he stated is that when the game loads XMLs not specific to the map, it searches for the newst one. In the case of the 2nd Santa load, when it wanted the RRT_Goods.xml, it would load the RRT_Goods.xml from Super Bowl Express! The Global XML files remove this problem from the equation.

snoopy55,
Yeah, I confirmed this and posted this info in this thread on Fri 2/9/07. It picks the newest modified date. I remember having to resave my RRT_Trains.xml and RRT_TrainCars.xml to get the New Tenders working for this reason.
So you're right, having Global XML files prevents this.

choobacca · Post by **choobacca** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 11:34 pm

snoopy55 wrote:One More Time.......
choobaca - I spent the early part of the day working on this, and would like you to look it over and make any changes you think are needed before it gets put either at the beginning of this thread or as a new post. I also am going to start going thru the maps I have in my SCENARIOS and set them up for minimum size to work with the Global XMLs. I'm not sure where to post them tho, in the original thread, as part of this thread or as part of the thread that goes with the zip below if a new one is started.

what ya think?

snoopy55,
Good job. I think this looks good...except I don't think the section on installing RevampedSanta is needed because I updated my choobaccaPak.zip to include the Santa goods, train cars, and train to the global XML files. So if they have the Santa scenario installed, these global XML files should be newer than the ones in the Santa directory and should run both just fine.

So if they download and copy the choobaccaPak.zip, this will set up 4 global XML files that support all base maps, Santa, ChicagoToTheRockies, and SuperBowlExpress and any maps that use the base elements of the game.

I think you could create a new thread for new gamers that explains how to get started. Create a zip that includes your startup instructions for people who just want to play the game and install custom maps, and a separate directory with advanced instructions for new map makers.

snoopy55 · Post by **snoopy55** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 5:37 pm

choobaca - the problem with pulling the Santa part is that would take the whole reason for the instructions out of the picture. To do a zip like you have just means a future mapper pulls the Globals, writes his new stuff in, puts the new files in his zip, and uploads it. What I am giving with the RevampedSanta is a learning experiance of doing it, and if they can't get it to work for some reason, asking for help. I basicly have no way to give instructions because there is nothing to work with and for the reader to prove to himself that he can do it and do it right.
I can work on the instructions for a new map maker, but I have to figure out something to use as learning materal.

I hope all that is understandable, I have a nasty headache.

choobacca · Post by **choobacca** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 5:55 pm

snoopy55,
Ok, that's a good idea to give a noobie practice up front.
So to follow this model, I should restructure my choobaccaPak maps and remove the Santa elements, and create a readme based on the template. Then users can use this for practice as well.

choobacca · Post by **choobacca** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 6:14 pm

Absolutely. Snoopy55 is about to start a new topic for new users/map creators. We are just working out the details, so this topic is getting messy.

snoopy55 · Post by **snoopy55** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 6:30 pm

choobacca wrote:snoopy55,
Ok, that's a good idea to give a noobie practice up front.
So to follow this model, I should restructure my choobaccaPak maps and remove the Santa elements, and create a readme based on the template. Then users can use this for practice as well.

Since it's going to be a new thread, I'll just use the choobaccaPak.zip I downloaded B4 you changed it and have them use it for the start up. Is there any part of it you think needs changing? Anything else that needs to be defined?

gforce - if you would please, download the Master XML Files zip and read the 'Global Map Instructions.rtf and let me know what you think needs to be clarified. Please

.....

snoopy55 · Post by **snoopy55** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 12:51 am

gforce - let me see if I can give a picture of what those Global files are.

The game is a meal. A meal needs differet food combos to make it work. The Globals are a recipe card file in the food storage room. Now, if your going to make a cake, you don't take the whole food storage room into the kitchen. You take just the 7 ingredients you need, measured out. You put them all together and you have your cake.

The Globals are the food storage room. All the ingredients for every type of map is there. You take the measured amounts you need, just the names, and put them together to make your map. If you want to add candy chips to your cake, you put that in your food storage room and take what you need. Anyone wanting to make this cake at home just adds those chips to their storage room, and they can make that cake whenever they want. In the original way, you pack up all the boxes of ingredients needed, add your storage room contents, and ship it out to them.

Look over the SMR maps. They even refered to say, the industry file of map XXX to make map YYY work. This is what we are doing

All the users will have to do is place certain files in certain folders, open certain files, highlight certain things, copy them, paste them, and save the file. And all should work smoothly, with no conflicts, as we ahd with a few of the created maps and the Holiday Scenario,

This is what I'm trying to acheive, writing instructions so anyone can do what choobaca came up with and I and others built upon. Karsten spoke of moving maps into a holding folder and only pulling out the one you want when you want it. This can be done and it would work, but right now, less than 5(?) monthes since this game came out, including the originals, there are 40 to 50 maps. Alot to search thru. And there will be more, lots more. We need to simplfy it now for the maps to come.

I step off my soap box......

gforce · Post by **gforce** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 3:43 am

Forget the cake!
just 1 simple question:
- is there a limit on goods?
YES OR NO
(i believe it's a yes)
IN CASE OF A YES:
You've got to edit the global xml files by doing this: DELETE A GOOD and INSERT YOUR GOOD,
so to play a scenario with footballs, wich i deleted because i added another
CORRECT OR NOT? A LIMIT ON GOODS OR NOT?

snoopy55 · Post by **snoopy55** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 4:40 am

No, you don't mess with the Global XMLs to control the number of goods in a map. Your RRT_Goods in the maps folder controls that. The game only uses to Global files to retreve the information about the Goods. If you write a map using only Oil, only Oil will show up in the map.

A Goods limit, YES.
As to how many can be put into the Maps, download and look at Hill_Valley_Mess. That map attempted to use All the Goods and Industries.

Dr Frag · Post by **Dr Frag** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 10:35 pm

I think he is saying that the game seems to be having trouble when there is a lot of Goods listed in the Global XML file. What is that, RRT_Goods.xml??

gforce · Post by **gforce** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 10:40 pm

snoopy, the editor crashes when there are too many goods listed in the file, like dr frag said.
It's like the editor can't read the file anymore when their are too many goods listed. SO it's not a question if i can use the goods in a scenario. I will try it out, or you can, just by listing alot of goods...

Danecookie · Post by **Danecookie** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 11:21 pm

i've istalled the chichago to rookies map, the game runs fine for 15-20 minutes, but after that it crashes =s

what can be the problem? :s

gforce · Post by **gforce** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 3:51 am

maybe not the fault of the global xml files but it drove me nuts...
it's about adding new goods and yes it is related with my previous problems... I make a new post for this... PLEASE READ:

PROBLEM ADDING GOODS (in Mods Talk)

choobacca · Post by **choobacca** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 4:20 am

Danecookie wrote:well, what shuld i do?

Dr Frag is right. Need the info. Do you know what you are doing each time the game crashes? My game sometimes crashes when I am building long track segments at a time, especially with bridges. So I try to avoid building long segments in one click for example.
Does the game crash when trying to load a train car of Taconite for instance?
If you can't pinpoint the problem, are other maps crashing too?

snoopy55 · Post by **snoopy55** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 9:05 am

The thread has been posted in Railroads! Technical Issues and is called Global XML Instructions. Look it over and let me know what you think and if I've explained everything as needed.

I'm working on the one for Mappers, but I want to see how this goes before I go to far.