Building a BFME2 Multiplayer Map

Worldbuilder is the robust and flexible map-making tool used for The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II. It is very deep and can be intimidating to newcomers. Follow this simple 8-step process to make a LOTR:BFME2 Multiplayer Map. lease remember to read through the BFME2 Map Design and Beautification Tips document for official map-making guidelines. *This docu ent is intended for !orld Builder "eginners# Docu entation for ad$anced !orld Builder users %ill "e pro$ided in the co ing %ee&s#

STEP 1 - Create Your Map

!reate a new map by selecting File"#ew. $he 'e% window pops up and allows you to choose all of its options. $he BFME2 Map Design and Beautification Tips document has some recommendations for this.

ress O(. %ou should save your map now by going to File"&ave 's. %ou can modify the map and texture it at this point if you like.

STEP 2 - Add Skirmish Players

A. &elect Edit and click on Edit )la*er List.

B. $his will bring up the layer (ist window. !lick on +dd ,&ir ish )la*ers button at the bottom left of the window. $his adds all factions and scripts needed to run a ) player *or less+ Multiplayer map.

C. &teps !, -, and . are optional if your map is for ) players or less. If you want more than ) players, you must add the additional players one at a time. 'dd a new player by clicking 'e% )la*er button in the bottom left of the window.

' little window will pop up giving you layer$emplate choices. (eave this as the default *Faction!ivilian+ and press O(.

D. #ow let/s correct the layer #ame and -isplay #ame. !lick on the -hange 'a e. button and re-type the new player/s name into the following format0 Player_# &ince the first ) players have already been added, this new player will be called layer12

#ow change the -isplay #ame box to read layer12 also. $he last thing to do for this player is to click the checkbox that asks Is -o puter-controlled/ $his player can be controlled by the 'I when necessary if there is a check in the box.

E. lease repeat sections ! and - for each new player that must be added to your map. layers 3, 4, and 8 must be named in the same manner. 5ere is what the layer (ist looks like for an 8 player map0

!lick O( when done.

STEP 3 - Make Player Start Positions for 1-8 Players

' waypoint is a location marker that you place on the map. It can serve many purposes, but in this case it will determine where each player/s initial Fortress will spawn.

&elect the !a*point tool by clicking its button in the toolbar or by pressing 6W7. lace a waypoint for each of the player start positions by clicking on the map where you want them to spawn. %ou cannot place more than 8 player start positions if you want the 'I to recogni8e them. &elect each waypoint one by one and name it in the Waypoint 9ptions window. :ive each of the waypoints a corresponding name using the following naming convention0 layer1;1&tart

If you want this map to be a 2 player map, then you must have 2 start positions. Note: $hese names can also be found in the dropdown list for waypoints.

STEP

- Pla!e A" E!onomy Stru!tures

If you want 'I to play on this map and you want them to generate resources, then you must place down Farm $emplates where they will try to build their economy structures. We say 6try7 because if the build site is unbuildable*uneven terrain, impassable terrain, or blocked by ob<ects+ then the 'I can not succeed.

A. &elect the )lace O"0ect tool by clicking its button in the toolbar or by pressing 6 7. !hoose the 'I Farm $emplates by going to 9b<ects"=y#ative$ype"#eutral"&tructure in the O"0ects ,election Opts window and selecting Far Te plate.

B. #ow click on the map where you want 'I to try to build .conomy &tructures. In Worldbuilder, a white circle of farmland is visible on this ob<ect. $his represents the region of land that the potential .conomy &tructure will try to utili8e when gathering resources in game. $he more these white circles overlap, the less efficient the 'I will be in gathering resources. #ote0 $he 'I must build roduction &tructures near its start point, so place the 'I Farm $emplates away from the player start points.

STEP # - Pla!e A" $all %u&s

lacing 'I Wall 5ubs on your map is an optional step. %ou can skip this step if you don/t want any 'I players on this map to build walls.

A. &elect the +I tool by clicking its button in the toolbar. Make sure the 1eneric +I O"0ect T*pe is set to !all 2u".

B. !lick on the map wherever the 'I should consider building Wall 5ubs. %ou only need to place 'I Wall 5ubs at the beginning of a wall span, the end of a wall span, and any point that the wall should change direction. Make sure there are no Farm$emplates or rocks in the way that would prevent the walls from being built.

C. &elect the ,elect and Mo$e tool by clicking its button in the toolbar. &elect one of the wall hubs you placed on the map by clicking on it. $he O"0ect )roperties window will show all options related to this wall hub. !hange the 1eneric +I O"0ect 'a e to anything that describes

this wall. For purposes of this illustration, we will give our wall the highly creative name !all,pan3. 'lso change the first !all2u" 'u "er to indicate how this wall hub will connect to other wall hubs along the wall. $his is the first wall hub, so it will use number >. .very wall hub along this wall must have the exact same :eneric +I O"0ect 'a e and a se?uential number *>, @, A, etc.+ or else they won/t connect correctly.

$o connect correctly, each wall hub in a span must also have a different !all2u" 'u "er. $he order of the number does not indicate which wall hub is built first. $he number indicates how wall hubs are connected to each other. Wall 5ub > connects to @, Wall 5ub @ connects to > and A, Wall 5ub A connects to @, etc. &o give each wall hub a number to indicate the flow of the walls through the hubs. 5ere is a wall called !all,pan3 and how the wall hubs were numbered.

9nly wall hubs with se?uenced numbers and with the same name will connect into a wall span. If you want more than one set of walls on a map, <ust give them different 1eneric +I O"0ect 'a es.

#ote0 $esting your map to see if you/ve set up walls correctly can be difficult, since the 'I doesn/t build walls every game. It is best to follow the above directions very carefully to ensure the walls will be available to the 'I when it wants to build. 'lso #ote0 the first and last wall hub in a wall span !'# sit on impassable terrain *mountain side or ocean shallows+. $he 'I will build the wall as far as they can to close the gap. $his first and

last hub in a span are the only cases where an impassable can block a wall and still have the wall work effectively.

STEP ' - Pla!e Creeps

lacing !reeps*or (airs+ on your map is an optional step. %ou can skip this step if you don/t want any !reeps.

A. &elect the )lace O"0ect tool by clicking its button in the toolbar or by pressing 6 7. !hoose a !reep by going to 9b<ects"=y#ative$ype"#eutral"&tructure in the O"0ects ,election Opts window and selecting any ob<ect with the word 6(air7 in it. For this example, we will choose Barro%!ightLair, which is the first one on the list.

B. !lick on the map to place this !reep. ' little window will pop up asking you about layer$emplates. Faction#eutral is your only layer$emplate choice here, so <ust click O(.

5owever, Faction#eutral is not what we want, so let/s change it.

C. &elect the ,elect and Mo$e tool by clicking its button in the toolbar. Make sure the creep is still selected on the map by clicking on it. $he O"0ect )roperties window will show all options related to this creep. !hange the $eam name to 6 lyr!reepsBteam lyr!reeps7. $his will make it an enemy of all players and let it attack all players.

Cepeat as necessary for each !reep that you want on the map.

STEP ( - Pla!e Te!h )uildin*s

lacing $ech =uildings on your map is an optional step. %ou can skip this step if you don/t want them on your map. #eutral $ech =uildings are structures that any one player can capture to gain a battlefield advantage. $here are ) different $ech =uildings to choose from.

A. &elect the )lace O"0ect tool by clicking its button in the toolbar or by pressing 6 7. !hoose a $ech =uilding by going to 9b<ects"=y#ative$ype"#eutral"&tructure in the O"0ects ,election Opts window and selecting the Inn, 9utpost, &hipWright, or &ignalFire. For this example, we will choose Inn.

B. !lick on the map where you/d like to place the Inn. $his will bring up a little window asking which layer$emplate to use. 'gain, the only option is Faction#eutral but this is what we want for $ech =uildings. !lick O(.

C. $o allow a player to capture a tech building, you must place down a !aptureFlag. $he !aptureFlag can be found in the O"0ects ,election Opts window at 9b<ects"=y#ative$ype"#eutral"MI&!1M'#1M'-.. :o there and select -aptureFlag.

!lick on the map next to the Inn. $he !aptureFlag will automatically work with the Inn if it is placed in near proximity to it.

'ote0 Cemember to place the flag a little to the side of the Inn so that units built at the Inn are not blocked by the flag as they run out the front door.

STEP 8 - Con!lusion
$his concludes the basic steps in making a Multiplayer map and a &ingleplayer &kirmish map. If you/ve followed these directions correctly, you will have a map that works. If you/d like to know some of the tips and tricks that the .' map-makers follow to make maps look and play well, please read through the BFME2 Map Design and Beautification Tips 4BFME2 Map Tips5 document. If you/d like to learn how to do &cripted &ingle layer scenarios similar to the :ood and .vil !ampaign missions in The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II , please read through the ,ingle )la*er Mission Tutorial document +hi!h +ill &e a,aila&le soon-

If you/d like to delve deeper into the advanced tools of Worldbuilder, there are many online tutorials developed by fans like you. 5ere are a couple of our favorites0 http0BBwww.theArdage.netB http0BBwww.worldbuilder.orgB

5ave funD $he =attle for Middle-earth @ -evelopment $eam