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Ohh, now I see! Okay, so the way the tiles work, having the special parameters pushed up against the edge allows for maximum flexibility. Because the border wall tiles end at the top, you can put any sort of platform atop them and they'll look fine, like how I have blue walls with Base Platform above in one area and brown wall with a Supply Depot, Launch Pad, and otherwise white platform atop, and Base Platform below. Like, on the right side of this screenshot: https://prnt.sc/m7ssk1 There are a LOT of wall tiles because even though the top is against the edge of the tile, which allows any sort of platform to be placed atop it, the bottom falls upon any sort of color of tile, and you need a different tile for every single possible combination. The border is also up against the tile edge, allowing for formations like the left side of that screenshot, where the black, white, and Base platforms all have borders up against the Supply Depot. There are also those blue-green walls on the black platform in the middle of the screenshot, but they're not arranged with platform atop, just impassable terrain. They're also fairly small, so they create obstacles but it's easy to path around them. I guess gold platform borders could actually be useful for bordering Mass Deposits. Remember, you can't place crates beside an MD pad, otherwise the Harvesters will always go on the MD pad instead of harvesting the crates. So, those tiles could use something other than crates to decorate them anyway. Again in that one screenshot, you can see there are borders all around the Mass Deposit except on the side of the gold platform. That would be the perfect place for border tiles. Anyway, so I can't do something in-between like this: For reasons you said. It would be limiting, it would force those two tiles together without freedom, and there's simply not enough space in the tileset for one set of platform walls without borders and one set of platform walls with borders. The platform base underneath the wall though, that can have borders, there's enough room for all of those and they can be pushed up to the side of the platform wall. I'll add more tiles with spikes and borders so we can maintain that better visual indicator of those walls being impassable. So, there's a technical analysis on the tileset structure. Hopefully by allowing so many different combinations, we can make maps that are both aesthetically different and visually appealing. The two, technicality and visuals, are deeply intertwined. The next update should allow for more options in infantry-only gaps in platform walls and more detailing around Supply Depots. I think I'll do the borders for gold platform like I did with Base Platform because, like Base Platform, you can sink craters into it, so it must have some sort of unique properties. Then, perhaps, the tileset will be done. I'm sure some folks are waiting for the final release so they don't have to deal with any updates while mapping with this, right? I mean, updating it isn't hard, there are specific tiles that are left blank on purpose so I can fit more stuff into it. Updating won't change the finalized tiles already placed, it'll simply fill in the blanks I left there for the purpose of updating. It's safe to start mapping, but still. Gotta finalize it.

Ah, okay, that's good to know. At least it could work on the earlier maps. Oh, I think I get it! That's part of a different tile entirely. I did that to hide the border between Base Platform and other sorts of platform, like, gold tiles don't have borders so they need other platform types' borders pushed up against them, but I guess that also works to make the platform wall look more impassable. I could add spike tiles with borders so they can be placed right up against the platform wall tile. I guess I could also add gold tiles with borders, but crates would have to be placed on the inner tiles. It would, like base platform borders, serve additionally to hide the gold platform craters which sometimes overlap with other tiles. This could be chalked up to debris getting knocked around and stuff like that, but still. It was more important for the Base Platform. Would certainly fill in those void tiles in the set...

I can't wait to see 'em. Wow, that's really interesting. I'm definitely going to use that going forward... or backwards, even. When I go back and adjust the OG smugglers campaign, S06V1 needs more attacks at midfield and less attacks on the player's base. I'm sorry, I don't quite understand what you're asking. The brown wall was in previous versions of the tileset, but it's only available on Base Platform. Otherwise, the blue / green wall can be placed on black or white platform. Could you rephrase the question?

Hey mate! Thanks for trying out the maps. Please do let me know how they go! That's weird, the BLOXHILN.r8 file was included in the download and I just confirmed myself that it's there. Well, here it is again, just in case: BLOXHILN.R8 This goes in your D2k directory under the "data" folder. The file contains the tileset image used to paint the map in-game; without it, there's no terrain, so the map doesn't load and wouldn't be playable anyway. Hope that helps!

Entirely fair, but I did add one of those changes to the tileset in that full map image - some destruction to the environment! A crashed Carryall or Freighter here, a shattered Harvester there. Some of it serves as additional infantry-only terrain, too, so we can get some variation in that. Although the anti-tank spikes are expected to be the main. Here are a couple more screenshots from under the stategy section of the spoiler in the campaign WIP thread. Here we can see more craters in the Supply Depot, more use of the hybrid infantry-only / LRA platform, and some raised platform: https://prnt.sc/m7ssk1 https://prnt.sc/m7syzr Those are outdated; there's more destruction in the environment in the uploaded draft of the map, as seen in the full map image. Also note that this map, being the maximum size, hopes to achieve a sense of size and scale as the player navigates the massive installation not only fighting enemy units of various sorts, but finding a lot of red herrings in mostly empty Freighters and installation structures that don't really do anything, too. Like those four Refineries outside the enemy's main base; those are all there just for the player to capture, destroy, or simply pass by. The only threat in those areas is a couple of Gun Turrets that aren't rebuilt after being destroyed. Even the map edges connect to other areas out of sight, hopefully furthering the impression that you're in only a small part of this ship. Even the bridge you start on at the beginning has a couple of concrete tiles where Gun Turrets were supposed to be, and if you look in the other three corners of the map, they have active Gun Turrets that weren't destroyed before the map began. It's one of those little details. Anyway, aside from adding more destruction to the map, I haven't been able to make the top border bolder without making it look funny. I used lightening tools and desaturation to make the white and black borders, and the blue / green border was a series of hue adjustments. So, lightening the border only makes it look really... out of place? I mean, I guess I could try to do it a little bit, but beyond that it'll make the map look funny. I also tried making something jut out in the top left / right corners, but that doesn't work either. I can't get the perspective right. Hopefully, it won't be too much of an issue if I leave it alone. Finally, I added more colors of Mass Deposit. There's one for every faction now, of the appropriate style no less. This can be useful for something, I'm sure, but the bright cyan colored Mass Deposits originally on the map were also very eye-catching and are probably the better idea for, say, multiplayer maps. If you do want to make a Heighliner battle with any of the existing factions, from Atreides to Ix, then they can have one of their own style in their main base. In the .bmp file in the download, all of the platform edges that were the same color of base and border were replaced with void tiles if I didn't use them for the new destruction tiles. I can overwrite all but one of them with extra stuff if we decide there's something else we want to do, like that special Base Platform border idea for the Caladan tileset we were talking about previously. Anyway, uhh, I am regarding SBON3 as a testing map for the Heighliner tileset at the moment and maybe it'd be worth a run to see if it feels less cramped than the other two testing maps. I zipped everything up for easy copy + paste, for both installation and uninstallation, so it shouldn't be too much of a hassle. If you want to just check out the map without the mod, all the Heavy Factories will be friendly to you at the start and you'll be playing as the Imperials, so you won't run into terrible resistance as you move around and look at stuff. With the mod, it's a legit map. So. Ah, no, I haven't done that. Removing all the priorities will make the AI attack the closest thing every time? I didn't know that. Speaking of blockages though, that LRA platform / infantry-only path hybrid idea has had some good results. Aside from covering more terrain, expanding range of movement and helping pathing somewhat, it also means Missile Tanks need Grenadier or Siege Tank support on the LRA platform or enemy infantry can rush over and blow 'em up. Despite that, it's a very favorable position for Missile Tanks because they can take pot-shots at other vehicles crossing the bridge well beyond their range. Like I said earlier, I left SBON3 on overnight with an AI set to repair my turrets and stuff, and I didn't wake up to any pathing-related game crashes. Or, any game crashes, for that matter!

I worked up another map, this time 128x128 using my mod. It's the third bonus level in the smugglers campaign, and I released S18 along with it. https://forum.dune2k.com/topic/27783-wip-smugglers-campaign-2/?do=findComment&comment=396199 I dropped the links there, but if you want to see some images, here: Full map image: https://i.imgur.com/RuNssbq.jpg Starting position: https://prnt.sc/m7sii3 Attack the enemy: https://prnt.sc/m7t5wu That's all, have fun if you have a play. If not, the .bmp file is in the zip at least. And, a technical analysis is in the above post for a more meta commentary on the map design.

I'm going to do something a little weird here. S18 and SBON3 are done, so I'm releasing them even though S16 and S17 aren't done. This is a WIP thread. If you care to avoid spoilers or whatever, just wait around until I get the other stuff done. I took a detour to build the Heighliner tileset and I'm still busy of late, so I dunno when that'll be, so... if you don't care to avoid spoilers, here ya go. Details: Download: SBON3 & S18V1.zip Both maps were tested extensively and beaten on hard mode. Certain screenshots may have an expanded view, but I tested them in the default resolution at 640x400 without a build queue patch or anything of the sort. Expect them to be difficult - they are end-campaign maps. As with previous uploads, installation and uninstallation should be a simple copy + paste. So go ahead, give it a try! If you're having trouble, a strategy section for each map can be found under the spoilers along with a technical analysis. Good luck and have fun, and please do provide feedback here if you get the opportunity. Criticism is always helpful! Thank you.

Oh, I just copy everything to Notepad or something if I'm worried about it. Aye, like an official release thread. I'd need someone to play multiplayer with if I was gonna include an example like that, but theoretically it should work. I could make a 1v1 map really quickly and easily. Like, a small, low-tech, fast paced 1v1 map... Yee. I'm actually working up another map with the tileset at the moment, but it's for the campaign this time, and more maps is always good for more examples. It's that bonus mission with the Heavy Factories I was talking about earlier. New tileset, old concept. Fairly safe ground to test the map on, I guess. Yeah, there's a random skeleton and other debris that could be used. I'll see what I can overwrite, thus how much room I have. I'm going to assume the platform base / walls with identical colors will not be used, so I'll overwrite those...

Ah, okay. And, yep, they make sand craters. They don't appear perfectly on the gold platform, but much better than nothing for sure. Oh, okay. Cool. Oh. That happens to me sometimes, I just refresh the page if I run into that bug. This forum is great at saving unfinished posts, but I'm not sure it works for edits. Aye, I heard about the night mission. Maybe that could be put to use somehow... if we have Base Platform, the spotlights could be used to illuminate the platform itself and the rock beyond, but Spice harvesting... damn, that won't work. Not unless the Spice is made unharvestable and we only get to harvest from the crates on the well-lit platform. I'm reminded always of Under Cover of Night whenever there's a night mission in things. You ever play Halo CE? That theme's fuckin' iconic, dude. Maybe there's a way to mod music themes into the game and force them to play with Play Sound events without, you know, adding them to the main soundtrack that's put on shuffle. I have a sound files editor, too. I was thinking of doing mentat voice lines and stuff since the Ordos' lines are used for everything past index 4... that might be nice to have something different for the other factions, but wouldn't that mean screwing up the Ordos' mentat voices? Ugh. So much shit messes with other shit. I dunno, maybe we'll come up with something... I actually hoped to make a multiplayer map with the tileset. The rules will be a little weird, Mass Deposits and Supply Depots will lead to more fights over resources, but I'm sure that only adds to the action and carnage of a multiplayer map. It would need to be well-designed though - too many Mass Deposits in safe territory means turtles galore, and no one likes turtles in multiplayer. So, one Mass Deposit in the base along with a Supply Depot or two will be enough to get a player started, and then the player needs to expand and stuff. It would definitely change the meta of the game since you can't just mindlessly place Refinery after Refinery and let Harvesters do their thing; the nodes need to be harvested first, then the Supply Depots need to be used to buff your income. Shaokhan told me some folks use C&C maps, which sounds weird, but hey, maybe they'd appreciate something a little different. Yeah, I feel ya. I looked over the ol' screenshot since it's been a while and I may finally have opportunities to get back into mapping, so I'm, you know, reminiscing about the stuff I'll get to see in-game again. Soon. Ah, you're right. I'll do that in the OP. Maybe I can do the same wherever the multiplayer peeps hang out. Maybe on C&Cnet forums? I pointed a few important tiles out in another post in this thread. Here's a link: https://forum.dune2k.com/topic/27842-wip-heighliner-tileset/?do=findComment&comment=396120 I point out some hard to see, but important tiles. This should help ya get started. I've got the corners, walls, resource gathering, etc. pointed out: https://prnt.sc/m1k6u4 https://prnt.sc/m1kaa1 https://prnt.sc/m1k8bc https://prnt.sc/m1kdwc Oh, that's a good idea. And the Carryall, there have gotta be a lot of those flying around Heighliners. With Supply Depots and Mass Deposits, I was thinking they'd need a lot of fuel, repair materials, etc. to get vehicles in top shape before flying them down to Dune. So, if you're on the Heighliner, you could use those supplies to get your own vehicles in combat-ready condition.

Yeah, it's gotta be more visible, that's the bottom line. Yes, the attributes are what cause the craters. If you can build structures on top of a tile, that means the tile will suffer rock craters when damaged. If the Spice can be placed on and harvested from another sort of tile, sand craters will appear. Thus, if you want base-building and harvestable resources without editing graphics files, the base foundation tiles NEED to be orange and the resource gathering tiles NEED to be gold, or the craters won't look right. The craters CAN be edited via the .r16 file, but that would change the whole game. Every map. Green craters on Caladan maps means green craters on Arrakis maps. By doing this sort of thing with Base Platform and Supply Depots, it's my way of adapting to the default in the game so the craters can appear without requiring any game editing overall. This way, you can have a campaign with maps on Arrakis... AND on a Heighliner. The craters can still appear on the Heighliner just like they do on Arrakis, but despite the terrain differences, they should look okay either way. And that's where the importance of the compatability comes in. The only "dunes" tiles are the edges of Base Platform, where the unique properties of Base Platform fade to normal platform and result in weird terrain to drive or walk on. And, on the edges of Launch Pads, slowing units that get off the Carryall. Do you have a tile attributes editor? I could pass you mine if it'll help you get a closer look at the tileset, or any tileset really. Those look good, but I'm not sure how they'd look with D2k unit perspectives. The C&C tileset Klofkac converted for D2k and I re-used for the first prototypes of Base Platform works, so maybe we should keep re-using C&C tilesets. That'll at least keep things thematic, and then I can just throw in Base Platform, Supply Depots, and Mass Deposits for each tileset. Whoopee! I think the beaches on the Caladan tileset might be a decent color for sand craters, maybe if brightened a little, so that could be expanded upon a tad if we want to use blue minerals and stuff. Maybe. That tileset is packed to fuck already with rivers, cliffs, trees, etc. so we'd need to nix some shit to get enough tiles for mineral bank terrain. Yeah, there's never enough feedback, right? But hey, maybe we can bug D2k Sardaukar about doing some special sprites. He did the original sprite for the Repair Pad I turned into the Launch Pad for this tileset. And when this thing's done, maybe we can bug Klofkac about configuring it for the editor. And I'm glad you're here! At least you're around to give good feedback right away. Did you see the tank count on that S14 screenshot? lol I wanna do more maps like that.

Oh, okay. Yeah, I think they're artificial fortifications, so I figured I'd re-use them for this tileset as the infantry-only terrain. Yeah, you're right. But, there's also the issue of all the buildings having shadows... and units... so... shit, maybe I need to keep the lighting the same anyway. XD Like I said, I'll do what I can to make the top border more visible. Oh, I like how that looks. I can see something like that happening. Or, at least, the second option. I dunno about making them more numerous, but those are thicker and don't look out of place. The corner column, I mentioned in my last post. I don't think I could make that look good, but if I boost the thickness of the columns in general, that should do... something. Maybe after that I can nix the corner column idea and keep it just thicker columns in general. Good point, but again, the buildings' and units' shadows. Maybe there's a big internal light or something aside from the spotlights on the ground, I dunno. God damn sun giving me all sorts of problems. lol And, again, the top border might be more visible if there were also the side borders. This map used experimental architecture, so if you believe a platform where the border goes all the way around is more visible, maybe we don't gotta change anything after all. Well, that's good, that's certainly motivating. I've worked on a lot of projects where "done" constantly moves further and further back, is never quite reached... but if you believe that's all that's needed, aside from the corner columns, I'm game to go back to GIMP 2 and wrap it up. I keep the raw file with all the layers and stuff so I can make adjustments to individual parts as needed, at least until this thing is 100% done. Yeah. It's nice someone does. lol The copy + paste thing, I love it, it doesn't QUITE do the job because then you have thick clumps of pixels, but a little color correction on the copy can fix that up. Which GIMP 2 can do. I mean, that's how I got the infantry spikes sorted, carefully dissecting it from the rock / sand tiles in BLOXBAT... and the platform edge, if you look closely you can see the columns pulled up into the platforms themselves. I thought that would be a neat aesthetic like the same sort of platform edge is used, but there's no need for the retractable columns to be extended. Here's a close-up: https://prnt.sc/m6fa7c That's also how I did the platform border sprites, like these: https://prnt.sc/m6fb26 Are just the borders of the bridge tiles arranged in that way. And the platform light doodads: https://prnt.sc/m6fbdb Are just column parts that were arranged into a tower with the little bulbs at the bottom of each column. And I believe the bulbs were... part of the Atreides Wind Trap sprite, at one point. It's all re-use. Ah, that'll be interesting. What other C&C tilesets do they have? I'd love to see if there's anything else I could work with. And, how about the Warcraft II tilesets? Anything really good and suitable we could work with there? Maybe with enough tilesets we could re-create the Emperor: Battle for Dune campaign. The entire thing. Heighliner maps, House homeworld maps. The special event maps will be weird to work with, but hey, we'll have all the locations we'd need to take the game to available. The only shitty part is that we need some sort of orange terrain and some sort of other terrain suitable for sand craters for resource gathering on every tileset if Mass Deposits aren't going to be the only resource gathering node, but on the plus side... we have crates for temporary gathering and infinite nodes for infinite gathering already available, and those could work anywhere. Maybe a minerals or oil thing for Caladan or Giedi Prime respectively could be done, but we have a working system in the meantime... and correcting any maps already built with the current tileset is as easy as swapping the image files. Maximum versatility! Maximum compatability! I usually put thick Spice up to the corners - only up, down, left, and right need to have thin Spice and it looks alright. Doing this new resources system for the Heighliner tileset however, I see that it does make some difference. I could do that if y'all want a map with temporary resources. What do I replace the Mass Deposit tiles with though? Do I leave them as like doodads for the middle of Supply Depots? More map decor, always nice. And with the option to use thick Spice, Supply Depots will last longer. So, here's my short-term to-do list, I suppose... - Top-left / top-right heightened platform corners need to be more visible and appear impassable. - Top border for all colors of heightened platform edge needs to be thicker, more visible, and appear impassable. - Make some EXTRA T H I C C crates tiles for temporary resources maps, release a separate tileset with that... And I've also gotta finish the maps leading up to S18. The reason I haven't continued to this point, aside from being busy with a bunch of other stuff, is because I wanted S16V2 to be a Heighliner map, and now maybe SBON3 can be a Heighliner map too. I originally wanted to re-use S07V1 for SBON3, where this time you're the one defending the summit, but the idea can work in the Heighliner tileset too. The Spacing Guild has re-located a bunch of Combat Tank production centers to a Heighliner to keep them safe from the battle on Dune, so you go up there and capture them. It's like S13V2, except instead of airstrikes, you're capturing Heavy Factories that automatically pump out Combat Tank after Combat Tank and send them at the enemy. Maybe you start with one in your starting area, but you gotta capture the other two or three. That'll be fun... XD I booted up S18 again and, yeah, I wasn't playing at peak at all, but this happened not too far in. https://prnt.sc/m6eyql Tfw. I'm confident it's a complete map, not overtuned, I did PLENTY of testing when I was actually trying, but it's nice to see the AI will give me a hard time if I play around too much. lol. And speaking of lots of Combat Tanks, you ever give S14V1 / V2 a try, Cm? I know you did S15. S14V1 turned out really nicely, I'm happy with it, but it is a legit 3v3. The AI uses looots of tanks. Like this: https://prnt.sc/ladjyy Don't you just love buffing the shit out of the AI? Now it's actually imposing, maybe even intimidating. The more human it is, the better, I think. And the S18 AI proved no less stupid than when I first tested the map - they still redirect their Missile Tanks at the target with low-health to one-shot it before they go down, they still fly units out for repairs in the middle of attacking my base, they still throw more special tanks at you the closer you get to the end, they still eat tanks at the first choke point very effectively... Anyway, uhh, Imma get to work on the top border thickness and stuff. If colors are a problem, maybe I should also consider removing the same-color elevated platform on same-color low platform, stuff like this: https://prnt.sc/m6fmfh What do you think? Maybe we can get some use out of this sort of format or better open it up for other things? If other things, then what? Just some random indestructible Heighliner doodads like Mass Deposits based on existing House buildings?

Excellent. They are in the original game! They're in the BLOXBAT tileset. I took them out of the rock / sand tiles and put them in the platform. Most of the tiles were desaturated, but the ones in the Base Platform kept their coloration. I think they're just bits of metal pushed into the ground meant to provide cover for infantry. You know, where infantry rock isn't present. I really wanted to do some trench or something like E:BFD had, but... I don't know how to draw new stuff, I only know how to edit existing stuff. So I'm not confident doing trenches. One of the big problems with doing a tileset is compatability. Like, for the cliff walls, Westwood had to line up the shadows for every tile because otherwise, certain combinations would have shadows jutting far out while others didn't go so far. In this case, the standard walls have these pillars on the ends and so the corners have those pillars on the ends too. Perhaps I could try and work up a diagonal beam that would jut further into the tile... might look a little awkward, but would be a better indicator. For the record, there are sand tiles in the default tilesets that are impassable for no reason, so it's not just my mistake! I use one of those sand tiles in S15 to keep the player's units from wandering into specific tiles on the way to the enemy base that a Storm Lasher could fire upon. They're against the cliff edge near the enemy base, very subtle, but impactful. Anyway, I'll see what I can work up, but for now the weird look can be rectified by slightly expanding the infantry-only passage, making the impassable "third" tile forgivable as there's plenty of space to navigate, or by using only up or down directions for infantry-only paths. Aye, this map used some experimental architecture. It's supposed to be heightened platform all the way around, but at points, the wall juts right into the platform edge, like this: https://prnt.sc/m6ar92 Geometrically, that shouldn't make any sense, but it looked okay while I was mapping so I decided to see if anyone would pick up on it. Seems you did, as it makes the top edge of the platform look really weird. If the top edge curled around at some point, it would make its height more visible, or if only the bottom edge existed; the top edge doesn't need to be there. Do you think it works for the bottom edge, at least? About the color, there are several different sorts of color combinations that could be used for that platform. I went with blue and white, but the top edge is kind of dark no matter what. Speaking of which... Do you know if Heighliners have any... windows? Freighters are coming and going all the time, so they have to have doors and stuff. I imagine if any opening is there towards the sun of Dune, it'd come up with this kind of look. Plus, the light would reflect differently based on perspective, and the player is looking at the battlefield from a top-down perspective where certain things are angled differently, like the bottom walls versus the top walls. Although the platform edges seem to have neutral lighting, the bronze platform borders are varied as well. Brightening everything might be a bit of work, but... I'll see what I can do, I suppose! I know it sounds kinda silly coming from me, but I don't like the spritework. I'd rather be mapping, you know? But I want to have some good new tilesets to map with, for everyone to map with, so I'm doing this. Forgive me if I get a little demotivated to continue with the spritework here or there. On the plus side, now that Mass Deposits and Supply Depots are done, the Base Platform system can be implemented in every new tileset while the terrain is being worked on. And who knows, maybe Geidi Prime will be simple to do if I just recolor the Caladan tileset to be all red and gray and stuff. And then there could be some more non-buildable platform where industrial buildings might be, like on the E:BFD tileset. Maybe there are points where the cliffs drop down into sunken terrain under where the platform should be, darkened dusty terrain... and I was considering doing a bright blue minerals system for Caladan, black oil for Giedi Prime... now that I have the directions the Spice is drawn in clearly outlined, I'll have an easier time doing new systems, if I do any. The crates work too, but, doesn't feel quite as good as new resources for new areas. My excitement over being able to take the game to new areas outweighs my hatred of the tedium of drawing / editing sprites. Ah, okay. Well, this map had a distinctive U shape, which I knew might cause the pathing error, but that's a new error and totally unexpected. I guess we'll find out more as we keep mapping with this thing. Speaking of which, you come up with anything yet using this tileset? 😮 Seeing this work go to use will be more motivating, I'm sure. And maybe it'll help when I stop being so busy again... Ohh. Yeah, the best part about those platforms covering the bridge is it offers units with high range impunity to strike other units with poor range. If the enemy units are attacking yours on the LRA platform, you could move them back a little and they'll have the range to attack the enemy... but the enemy won't have the range to strike back without LRA of their own! I like to put the LRA platform at a point where Missile Tanks or Siege Tanks can hit most or all of the tiles on the bridge, but are outside the range of short-range light tech units. That seems to be good structure. Aye, I put a Supply Depot up top there without any Mass Deposits around it just to show what happens - the Harvesters will go to enemy territory, so it's important that either you set it up so the next area is close, or there's a Mass Deposit within the Supply Depot (like in the Harkonnen base). And hey, I think I managed my economy versus production really well in that run. That "Silos needed!" at the end doesn't count, I'd pretty much beaten the map. lol

Excellent! Then the update is a total success on the resources front. Functional and aesthetic! How about the Launch Pad? Still looks alright? My edits are a little rough around the edges, but hopefully it maintains its looks while being more functional. Aye, I noticed that as I was mapping it. Unfortunately, it's a one-tile cliff wall; the 2x2 cliff works because there's still a tile preventing weird unit movement, but if I make that tile anything but impassable, units can go straight up the wall at the corner. Which is more than a minor error! It could inadvertently create extra paths for vehicles in arrangements where that corner is not at the very end of the elevated platform wall. Also, keeping the small corner tiles impassable preserves the illusion of height. Units need to funnel on to the terrain leading upwards or downwards. You know? If they cut the corner too sharp, it looks more flat as they move fluidly over the terrain. I mean, they need to path fluidly, so passable tiles need to be sufficient. It's just there needs to be that illusion of height for the map to look good in play. On the plus side, seeing that in-game tells us it does look awkward so we know to avoid it in the future. Which is the purpose of this map - exploring what works and what doesn't with this tileset! Or, perhaps we could all reach a consensus that having multiple infantry-only tiles in a line on terrain like that means infantry-only, and nothing else. If a player sees that in enough maps, he'll get used to it. Anyway, you'll be happy to know that from the top or bottom directions, it does look a lot better! Here's an example: https://prnt.sc/m430tf So, maybe we should stick with that sort of thing from now on. Orrrr... we could put it on a corner like this: https://prnt.sc/m48fu7 How about that? Holy shit, a NEW error? Well, I guess with new tilesets come new errors... I guess for those of y'all reading this thread, we should try and make multiple paths to the destination and keep things a little more wide. Five tiles instead of four, or maybe two four-tile bridges. I replayed the map just now and actually got that error. I dunno how I triggered it either. I wonder if it's related to the reinforcements on the Launch Pad at all... did you let them gather up? Oh, sorry about that. I wanted to showcase the potential of the AI when using Mass Deposits, so I optimized it but gave it a limited economy at two Harvesters. Or so I thought. Did you move your LRA to the platform covering the bridge? I used that to make defending easy, but in the process I found another funny glitch. Here's a screenshot of the formation that does the glitch: https://prnt.sc/m3n3r8 Enemy units will just stop on the right side. I think they're trying to get to the tiles the tanks aren't in, since they're closest, but they're blocked from being in range and it's inaccessible due to unit placement. Aside from the sheer power of that artillery platform demonstrating the need for multiple pathways, it also indicates a need for either less space for LRA or more space for units to move. The former would probably be more fair. Uhh... anyway, yeah, the point of the LRA platform was also to help a player dick around if he wants instead of attacking the enemy. If you arrange your LRA there on another run, you can pretty much ignore the Harkonnen entirely. In fact, here! I replayed the map yet again on normal difficulty at max speed, cleared it in 7:33, and you can see in the stats window at the end that the Supply Depots pushed me waaay ahead of the Harkonnen in economy. Like, 10k credits ahead. And because of the OP LRA platform, my KDR was over 2:1. Pretty crazy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILGKxw1fWyo I'll edit this link into the OP as well so folks looking in to this thread can see that the tileset is done and functional. And, maybe it'll help give folks a better idea of what to do and what not to do when mapping with this thing... uhh, I'm not sure I really looked at the crates being harvested during this run, it was more to showcase their functionality than their appearance, but I do look at the crates without watching them being harvested, at least. Oh, I'm glad you got to check out the crates harvesting anyway. Sorry again about the bother. XD Let me know if you check out that vid. It's less than ten minutes long and I commentate on the design throughout, so it should be a good reference! I also try to play without preknowledge, like I don't react to the Harkonnen armor delivery until they're filing out of the Freighter, and I see the Ordos Rocket Turret on my screen before blowing through the wall to get to the Wind Trap. And, I don't use the LRA platform glitch, although I do use the LRA platform. So... it should look more fair. I mean, I already give the player tons of reveal map events to show off the tileset, mostly, but still. One of the reveal map events shows the LRA platform after the Atreides Freighter is discovered, and the other reveal map at the Harkonnen ConYard is meant to hint at goodies in the rear of their base.

Weird. XD Oh, uhh, yeah, they also go up in density with similar logic. I tried to draw it professionally, but, ya know, I'm not a professional. I hope it still looks alright! Yee! I'll be here.

Ah no, I never tried less than eight characters. I figured I'd stick with the standard 8 so nothing breaks and that'll be that. And, I know it won't overwrite anything with this name. Ah, you're right. Aye, it's still the sandy visual. The bloom sprite is done up in the data.r16 file, like craters, so it'll be a Spice bloom on the golden platform. The golden platform will act like sand and the bloom will restore SD crates and MD pads as though they were Spice. Speaking of visuals, the golden platform isn't the perfect color for sandy craters, but hopefully it's close enough. I tried to stick with a color that looked good with the rest of the tileset, but something you could also sink a few craters into without it looking abyssmal. It's not nearly as good as the Base Platform and its orange rocky craters, and I don't have an excuse lorewise like "Base Platform has unique properties that simulate the rock on Arrakis, allowing for the use of standard base structures," but it's better than having a sandy pit of Spice on a Heighliner. If you'd like me to try brightening the platform color a bit, let me know if it's really that bad and I'll adjust it. Against AI opponents, I plan to make them stick strictly to Mass Deposits if possible and leave Supply Depots for the player to expand to and harvest, and different platforming will be used to lead up to Mass Deposits. So, you may not encounter these craters too often! Either you'll be attacking enemy AIs' Harvesters on non-destructible platform, or the enemy AI will need to attack your Harvesters as they're visiting a Supply Depot, which will only be for so long because they can be depleted. The new map is up in one of my previous posts on this page. I'll be around for a while, so, uhh, just let me know how it goes when you get the chance to give it a run! It's a pretty short map, so feel free to start it again in a few different ways, see what happens if you use that Supply Depot first over the Mass Deposit.