Map activation problem

[Reactor]

Greetings!

I'm using Shai-Hulud 2000 version 1.2.1 to create my own maps. I have the following problem:

I activate my maps manually (by the menu), and by the F5 key. Shai-Hulud 2000 says it's activated,and working properly. When I start the game, and select "Practice", I can't found my maps.

I also can't save my map's properties. I fill every field, and then,save my map. When I close the map,and re-open it, all fields are empty.

I have the 1.06 patch installed. I wonder if there any solutions for this problem?  ???

[Ken_Oh]

I'll just take this opportunity to post a problem that I have too.

Every, and I mean EVERY, map editor I've tried to install has failed. I'll just talk about the most recent, Shai-Hulud 2000. I get this error after I install, when I try to start it up for the first time "Failed to load control 'SSTab' from TABCTL32.OCX."

Any clues? I'm running WinXP and all I want to do is activate some of the player-made maps.

EDIT: Nevermind. I found an updated version of TABCTL32.OCX on the web and now it works. But, now when I activate a map, it makes the game have no lettering on the menus and I can't get to the multiplayer screen (I hit practice and a nameless button comes up which takes me back one step). Reinstalling the 1.6 patch clears that but I can't get to the maps.

What I find funny is that no 3rd party software I've tried for Dune 2000 have worked. Not the 3 map editors or even TibEd.

EDIT #2: OK, I tried it on another machine and I think I know what the problem is. All of these mods and editors don't want to work when you install Dune 2k on a drive other than what your OS is on. Oh well.

[Gobalopper]

The process of activating maps was never an exact science. To do it the program you are using actually edits a file and each of the editors does it slightly different. So if you try multiple editors you can actually corrupt that file and the only fix is to re-install Dune 2000. Basically map activation in Dune 2000 is hard to get working.

[Ken_Oh]

Heh, tell me about it. I reinstalled again, this time in the default directory, and still no dice. Looks like if I want to play new maps it's going to have to be on the older, laggier machine.

I guess it's just a shame that Dune 2k's time has come and gone, thus there'll be no more support for it, from either the players or the makers.

Anyway, thanks for the info!

[Reactor]

Well, no matter, I found out a way how to play the maps without activating. It works quite well, if you use BLOXBGBS, BLOXWAST, or BLOXXMAS. The game thinks he is a smartypants  :P :P :P

As for other block tilesets, y'can still play your levels,but it'll be screwed up a bit  :(

[Ken_Oh]

OK, could you explain exactly what you have to do to play without activating? I don't quite understand what you're saying.

[Reactor]

Okay, this is the Reactor's solution to handle the map activation problem.

Before I start, keep those in mind:

- ALWAYS make a backup copy of the original skirmish map files y'want to modify, just in case you mess somethin' up (don't blame me if you ruin the game, it works perfectly to me).

- This solution works corretly only for levels, which was built in BLOXBGBS, BLOXWAST and BLOXXMAS tilesets. As for other tileset-built levels, it works too, but the levels will be screwed up.

- This solution will work with ANY version of Dune 2000, no matter if you have the US, the UK, the Russian, or a special edition from Eskimo land...this shall work.

- Don't experiment with activating corrupt levels. It shall ruin the game.

- Tell this solution to anyone, who has problems with map activating.

So, here'z my step-by-step guide how to do it.

1: Open Shai-Hulud 2000 (or any other type of map editor)

2: Screw around among the original skirmish level list. They should be somewhere in MAPS folders with such names: 2PLAY2.MAP

3: Hope y'have a good memory. Select a level which you want to modify, and try to remember its name, and its look. You can't rename these levels, and if you try, the game will be scrubbed. So I hope you know, which is the name of the level (not filename, the real name, such as "Gara Kulon") in the game.

4: When you've selected the map file, don't try to edit it, unless you want to reinstall Dune 2000. Remember the filename, and quit the map editor.

5: Open MAPS folder, find the map, and simply delete it.

6: Rename your map to the earlier deleted filename.

7: Run Dune 2000.

8: Select "Multiplayer" then "Practice", and see if you can find your map.

9: Run the map.

If you made evry'thin' as I said, the game will load your level without any problems. If the game bombs you out to Windows, try to remove (not delete) your map from the MAPS folder, replace the original map file with the same name, and run the game again. Trust me, it WILL work..but only with EXACTLY those tilesets which the former level had. So don't try to "activate" a BLOXICE tileset level by deleting a BLOXBGBS tileset level, it will be unimaginibly ugly.