A handy Dune 2 scenario editor for Windows

[MrFlibble]

While searching for available Dune 2 utilities on the net, I've found a Dune 2 scenario editor I haven't seen before on this Hungarian site. The editor seems to be based off, or at least looks very similar to, Stefan's Dunedit, but it works under Windows and has mouse support, which is very handy. Among other features, it has an expandable seed map database (with all seeds for original missions included), and support for both PC and Amiga versions of Dune 2. I haven't tested the editor in action thoroughly yet, but for now it seems to work quite fine.

Here's a screenshot:

The editor's headline displays the address of the designers' homepage, which is apparently dedicated to people who dislike Bill Gates The editor is downloadable both from there and from the site I mentioned above.

[nemafakei]

The download appears to be "BGAFC_DE.7z"... a file I have no  idea how to use.

[MrFlibble]

The latest versions of WinRAR should support 7-zip archives. If not, 7-zip is completely freeware (not to mention it's very good :)). Download it here: 7-zip downloads page.

[stefanhendriks]

The first thing i thought was: "wow it is emulated". But of course that is nonsense.

Funny to see that its looks are copied, very nostalgic to see that.

[drnovice]

A very good editor, added to basical better hendriks's editor. ;)

[MrFlibble]

The editor offers only partial support for Fremen and Mercenaries, because it doesn't add these factions to the House list (where CPU/Human control, starting credits and spice quota are defined). Nevertheless, the editor correctly shows Fremen and Mercenary units, and opens maps where these factions are designated to the human player (some other editors would crash in such cases). Also, it allows to place all units and buildings and create teams and reinforcements for all six factions.

Note that if you use the original scenario missions, the editor may crash on the map scena001.ini, because of the redundant line "Quad=-1" in CHOAM section in this file.

Also, the editor contains old team syntax, meaning that is uses "Wheel" and "Track" instead of "Wheeled" and "Tracked" in the teamtypes.

[drnovice]

I agree, but for Fremen and Mercenary is enough modifying the scen*0**.ini files with notepad when you set Credits, quota, maxunit, etc. Then I prefer it.

Editor generally is useful to place units/buildings and define their coordinate in the maps.

Unfortunately Thopter entries ' isn't fixed. You must manually insert: 'Thopter.

However CHOAM is very supplied, also too much (stefan had forgotten 'Thopter and useless Infantry/Soldier in his editor).. ;D But don't put Sandworm or Frigate on Starport: the game crash.. :-

[stefanhendriks]

hehe. I know i stuffed the code quite a lot. I was quite proud when i released Dunedit, it was my very first project ever.

Perhaps there is a need for a better editor?

[drnovice]

I think that isn't really necessary, your editor is better simply because it allows to place buildings/units everywhere, also where you couldn't place there.

For CHOAM, it is enough editing by notepad .ini files.

[stefanhendriks]

Is'nt that the purpose of every editor? So you can create your own levels? ie , place units/structures/blooms/fields, etc.

I suppose the above shown editor can do that as well :)

[drnovice]

Yes but by this (BGAFC_DE) editor you can't place concrete out of rock (grey) for example, so it's correct but a few limiting. ;)

[MrFlibble]

I see that as a plus, so that you won't occasionally place things where they normally shouldn't be. However, they could have made it a warning, and not a strict prohibition, so that one could still have a choice.

Another handy feature is that you can turn off layers (structures, blooms etc.), which may be helpful if some units, structures etc. happen to overlap.

BTW, a bit off topic: Stefan, I believe that the latest version of Dunedit (1.24 if I'm not mistaken) has a bug that writes some weird numbers in the Bloom= line of the scenario (if it is present) every time it is saved. I think you know about it, but still... :)

[drnovice]

Yes it's true: it replies once (everytime you save scenario) seed and blooms numbers. ::)

[stefanhendriks]

Yes, v 1.24 is the latest. I did not know about the bug. Perhaps i knew about it, but it has been a long time. So i probably forgot it anyway.

[TCH]

Greetings.

I've readed the bug reports and soon i will release the 1.01 wich will fix them except the partial support of Freman and Mercenary stats and brain, because the Amiga scenario files are do not supports these with a lot of other things (e.g. the 16 bit "seed"), because the Amiga Dune 2 was a cheap conversion with fully 16 bit code, wich is ridiculous, because even the first Amiga computer the Amiga 1000 was a 32 bit computer.

[MrFlibble]

Hello TCH, and welcome to the FED2k! :)

Your editor is really very good, if not one of the best ;D

Speaking of bugs/TODOs, I have also found out that although the very first line in the original INI files, "Scenario ## control for House X", is commented out, it is actually important for mission functionality. For example, I edited a scenario for mission #2 in your editor and omitted the abovementioned line, and in the game, I simply couldn't win, even after I met all the conditions (harvested the quota and destroyed all enemies). Also, the map was not scaled down (although MapScale=1 was in the scenario), and it showed a different briefing picture (a harvester) instead of the one defined in the INI file.

[TCH]

Greetings again.

I've already fixed the former bugs, so i fix this too and tonight the 1.01 will be available.

Edit: I fixed this too. I am updating http://oscomp.hu and http://bgafc.t-hosting.hu now. BGAFC_DE will be available in less than 10 minutes.

[MrFlibble]

TCH, I almost forgot a very important thing. As far as I could make out, there is no way in you editor to change unit orders; all units are placed with the Guard order. However, it could be very useful to be able to change unit orders, so that, for example, an attack party in Hunt mode could be created. Besides, AI units are usually in Area Guard, rather than Guard, mode. Also, sometimes it is useful to change a unit's angle (currently all units are placed with angle value of 64).

[TCH]

That is not true. You can change the angle and the order too.

If you click on a unit then a box will appear with the lists of the units/buildings on that field. Select from the unit/building from the list and click OK.

You can edit the behaviour and bearing properties. The behaviour is the order, but the game calls it behaviour. And the bearing is the angle, but it can be only 8 values, so i just write the directions like N NW W SW S etc.

You can edit health and owner too. And you can do it with buildings too. Of course behaviour and bearing wont appear on the buildings.

[MrFlibble]

Oh, then sorry, I completely missed that :-

Your editor is even cooler than I thought 8) Thanks a lot for the tip! ;D

[TCH]

Now i know about 2 things wich it cannot do, but tomorrow it will be decreased to 1.

First the Mercenary/Fremen House properties. In time i thinked out how i can avoid the Amiga incompatibility. Tomorrow i'll release the 1.02 and it will support fully the Mercs and Fremens too.

Second the Win and Lose Flags at the scenario properties. It can change them, but i'm completely clueless about what they are doing. So the user will be equally clueless about them, cuz the editor only offers two editable numbers.

They must contains bitbool flags wiches are controlling things like 'all units/buildings destroyed' or 'harvested enough spice' or 'time out'; but i do not know wich is wich, so i cannot fix this now.

Edit: By the way on http://oscomp.hu the 1.01 is already available and it is fixes all bugs wiches are listed in this topic. (Except the two mentioned in this post.)

Edit 2: 1.02 is now available on http://oscomp.hu and http://bgafc.t-hosting.hu.

[MrFlibble]

Well, this is what I think the flags do (mission numbers in brackets indicate the original missions where the flags have been used):

Win flags:

3 = destroy all enemy buildings (missions 5-9)

6 = harvest the quota condition (mission 1) (must define quota in house parameters)

7 = harvest the quota or destroy all enemy buildings (mission 2)

19 = destroy all enemy buildings (again) (missions 3 and 4, not in all houses)

Lose flags:

1 = no buildings (missions 3-9)

4 = no buildings (mission 1)

5 = no buildings (mission 2)

Also, there should be flags that would correspond to the TimeOut condition, but I don't know what these are.

[TCH]

At the 8 and 16 bit computer era the "Flag" term meaned a bit wich can be true or false.

And if value "1" = "no buildings" then the value cannot mean the same because "1" = "0000000000000001" and "4" = "0000000000000100".

Maybe these are aren't real flags, just AI list pointers. But the program calls them flags.

By the way i've seen your SuperDuneII project and you said you use the WWPack. Wanna try my PAK handler?

[MrFlibble]

I've downloaded your PAK utility already and will try it out of course :)

[TCH]

I am curious about your opinion.