[Tutorial] Replacing Quest Maps

Hey guys, It's been a while since I've written a Tutorial, Well here it is, and I think you would like it, This Tutorial will teach you how to Replace Quest Maps, Enabling you to Play Quest at any map you Desire, This tutorial is for People who doesn't know how it's done, Props to the one who does, this isn't your average 1,2,3 and It's done, it Requires some thinking, Let's get started shall we?

Tools Needed:
- MRS Decompiler/Compiler (Released Here)
- GunZ Client (To test it on)
- Custom Map (to Replace The Original one with)
- Either a Dr.Pepper or a Beer (You're gonna get thirsty, so yeah.)


Step #1 (Choosing the Maps to Replace):

Inside your Client, Navigate your way to Quest->Maps, Then choose The map you want to Replace. (In this Tutorial i'll be Replacing the Following Maps: Mansion_hall1, Mansion_hall2, Mansion_hall3, Mansion_passage1, Mansion_passage2, Mansion_passage3, Mansion_room1, Mansion_room2, Mansion_room3)

Step #2: (Decompiling The Maps Above)

Using The MRS Decompiler/Compiler you've downloaded , Start Decompiling The maps, We will First Decompile the Map "Mansion_hall1", Once you did that, Decompile the Custom map you want it to Replace it with. (I'm Replacing it with "Professional-Duel" map made by pluke001, Because it's awesome.) (Download Here)

Step #3: (Replacing the Content Inside)

Once you have Decompiled Mansion_hall1 map and your Custom one, You need to Start replacing the Content inside, This is the Tricky part, First When you have both maps Decompiled inside a Folder, Open both maps's Folders and have them right in-front of you, Now what you want to do is Simply Re-naming the Files inside your Custom map Folder with the ones in the Mansion_hall1 Folder, This tutorial assumes you are Using Professional-Duel map, So Basically Here is what you need to Rename:

Rename: Professional-Duel.RS to Mansion_hall1.RS.
Rename: Professional-Duel.RS.BSP to Mansion_hall1.RS.bsp
Rename: Professional-Duel.RS.COL to Mansion_hall1.RS.col
Rename: Professional-Duel.RS.LM to Mansion_hall1.RS.lm
Rename: Professional-Duel.RS.XML to Mansion_hall1.RS.xml

Copy and Paste Files(From Mansion_hall1 folder to Professional-Duel folder): Mansion_hall1.RS.nav

Step #4: (Compiling your Edited Map and Repeating Step #3 with all the Other maps)

Once you've Done Re-naming the files, Compile your Maps, Make sure you do this to all the maps Stated in Step #1.

Get Creative, Don't use just one map, there are plenty of maps Released here at RaGEZone, It's up to you how your Quest is going look like.

Step #5: (Testing your Custom Maps In-Game!)

You're done Replacing all the maps? That's great! now Let's go Test them! But wait, First Replace them with the Current ones inside your Client, Make sure to Re-name "Professional-Duel" to "Mansion_hall1", Duh. (Quest->Maps)

You: Now can I please test them?!?!
Me: Sure , But first Remember the Dr.Pepper / Beer that I said you might need? Well You did a good job, So drink up , It wasn't Easy reading a Wall-Of-Text, You won the Internet by doing that, Sir.

http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/8816/26105020.png

http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/6321/81328947.png

http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/6822/62157276.png

Seriously? Professional-Duel? That map should be very bugy for quest since I didnt make ground quest-friendly xd
Yeah yeah I know its just an example :P

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pluke001

Seriousli? Professional-Duel? That map should be very bugy for quest since I didnt make ground quest-friendly xd
Yeah yeah I know its just an example :P

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Lol pluke, every time I mention your name or your Maps in one of my threads, you're the first to respond, such stealthy...

And about the map, It's perfect, the only let down is that every now and again the NPCs lose you and starts running all over the map, but i think that can be fixed by Tweaking with the Respawns xmls.

Just a question, but do you know what the .nav files are for? My guess (simply from the extension) is that it's linked to how the npcs navigate the map.

Am I on the right track, or completely off it :P?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aristrum

Just a question, but do you know what the .nav files are for? My guess (simply from the extension) is that it's linked to how the npcs navigate the map.

Am I on the right track, or completely off it :P?

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Maybe you're right and Maybe you're wrong lol :D
I haven't got a clue, I just figured out how to Replace maps a few days a go and I thought i'd share it, and by the way after our convo on msn i haven't heard from you, so pm me your msn i'd like to have a chat with you about stuff. :3

You see its rare to see some1 mentioning my name or my maps so its like must-reply xd

.nav files are needed to make npc's move. File is like navigator wich tells were is wall and were they are alowed to walk. Without nav file placed inside of map, npc just would stand still and wouldnt move.

No revoliution you cant fix tracking just by editing spawns :P
By not quest-friendly ground I mean that whole map lacement is in diffrent place than original maiet maps so npcs will just walk ramdomly till you move whole map to x0y0z0 or modify nav file somehow.

I guessed as much - so in order for NPCs to work correctly, you'd need a correct nav file generated for that map? Or does it work fine if the map is moved?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aristrum

I guessed as much - so in order for NPCs to work correctly, you'd need a correct nav file generated for that map? Or does it work fine if the map is moved?

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Well basicaly you can use maiet nav files. Navigation works perfectly only in map, that you took nav file from, range. So you just place your map in exact place were for example hall map is and take hall map nav file. when npc OR you character gets outside of nav file range, npc just starts ramdomly running into wall.

Since I myself dont know how to build nav file, I use mansion or dungeon quest biggest maps files and with dev runable find how much nav can reach in gtk. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pluke001

Well basicaly you can use maiet nav files. Navigation works perfectly only in map, that you took nav file from, range. So you just place your map in exact place were for example hall map is and take hall map nav file. when npc OR you character gets outside of nav file range, npc just starts ramdomly running into wall.

Since I myself dont know how to build nav file, I use mansion or dungeon quest biggest maps files and with dev runable find how much nav can reach in gtk. :)

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Oh, I see :P. I wonder what the .nav files really contain then, if copying works (at least to a certain extent) o_o.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aristrum

Oh, I see :P. I wonder what the .nav files really contain then, if copying works (at least to a certain extent) o_o.

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Well I guess that nav file just tells x-y-z coordinates of floor were npcs are alowed to go and to find you. Something like invisible map writed in file that tells were is emtry place and were are walls o_o. That what nav fille contains I guess.

I've used Mansion_hall1's , 2 and 3, .nav files as written in the Tutorial about, It works very nicely in Professional-Duel map.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RevolutioN

I've used Mansion_hall1's , 2 and 3, .nav files as written in the Tutorial about, It works very nicely in Professional-Duel map.

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From preview pictures I wouldnt say that it works very nicely :P

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pluke001

From preview pictures I wouldnt say that it works very nicely :P

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Try it. :laugh:

http://i51.tinypic.com/351vpsh.png

That's the Mansion_hall1.nav file, it's much larger than this in Blender but I scaled it down to be able to fit the whole thing on screen (zooming out clipped loads).

Other than the physical navigation mesh the file also specifies the 3 faces next to it (I'm guessing).

This isn't very useful, but if it were added into gzmap (ie: you get a nav file generated with your maps), it could be useful.

Awesome guide im going to try it on my server once i can get it up T_T!!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aristrum

http://i51.tinypic.com/351vpsh.png

That's the Mansion_hall1.nav file, it's much larger than this in Blender but I scaled it down to be able to fit the whole thing on screen (zooming out clipped loads).

Other than the physical navigation mesh the file also specifies the 3 faces next to it (I'm guessing).

This isn't very useful, but if it were added into gzmap (ie: you get a nav file generated with your maps), it could be useful.

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Well its normal for maps to be extremly huge in blender compared to weapons :)

You impoerted nav file to blender? that is something new to me :D
As I tought its an invisible floor wich enables movements hehe
There would be enough even if blnder exported working nav file.
I dont think that it would be posible to make gtk compiling this but exporting blender would be enough. Intresting finding you made there o.o

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pluke001

Well its normal for maps to be extremly huge in blender compared to weapons :)

You impoerted nav file to blender? that is something new to me :D
As I tought its an invisible floor wich enables movements hehe
There would be enough even if blnder exported working nav file.
I dont think that it would be posible to make gtk compiling this but exporting blender would be enough. Intresting finding you made there o.o

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Yeah, but it was so massive that the map was clipping on my screen :P.

Essentially, it pretty much is an invisible floor that enables navigation. Also, I coded a python script to import this into blender, and it should be possible by just updating gzmap (it's open source.)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aristrum

Yeah, but it was so massive that the map was clipping on my screen :P.

Essentially, it pretty much is an invisible floor that enables navigation. Also, I coded a python script to import this into blender, and it should be possible by just updating gzmap (it's open source.)

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Try making a elu.ani exporter now Mark! :P:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aristrum

Yeah, but it was so massive that the map was clipping on my screen :P.

Essentially, it pretty much is an invisible floor that enables navigation. Also, I coded a python script to import this into blender, and it should be possible by just updating gzmap (it's open source.)

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Well yeah gzmap is opensource and you can customize it as much as you want. But I am thinking that gtkradiant can make only brsuh walls and your navigation file in blender is made of faces wich gtk doesnt support for gunz. I might be wrong about posibilities tho :)

Well, I'm pretty sure you can select individual faces, and apply a shader to them in gtk. Then, I could modify gtk to build a .nav file of all faces with the shader.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aristrum

Well, I'm pretty sure you can select individual faces, and apply a shader to them in gtk. Then, I could modify gtk to build a .nav file of all faces with the shader.

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Well yes that is true but I guess other faces of brush should be textured too with something to not let them affect actual map.

Well I dont know if your idea would work so I am just guessing.
And if you are saying that you can do that, then if you will be bored, you could give it a chance and try if your idea works :)

I myself am green at coding and know only basics so I could only help with testing purposes :)

Yeah, I might try it out either this weekend or shortly after, just finishing up college :P