Welcome to the Moon, Commander!

You've finished your campaign throughout the Solar System and fought many opponents in multiplayer. And now, you want to make something of your own: maps. That's why you're here, right?

Mapmaking is the art of creating singleplayer missions and multiplayer maps for Battlezone. They are the most common type of mod for the game. With a little bit of time and effort, you can create something for you and your comrades to enjoy! However, like all of us, you first need to learn how.

This guide will cover the basics of mapmaking in detail. While you can use this guide for creating your first map, it is suggested you also check out Beldeth's beginner map editor tutorial for a more straightforward and direct guide on creating your first map.


Every map needs at least least three essential files: .hg2, .trn, and .mat. These are considered the terrain files, and are automatically generated when you begin the mapmaking process. Two other essential files are the .bzn and .lgt files. Here's a quick rundown of each file.

.hg2
This is the heightmap of your terrain. This is where the hills and valleys of your map are stored. (History lesson: the .hg2 is an updated version of .hgt, which was used for the original Battlezone 98.)

.trn
This file stores all of the terrain data, including what world your map is on, the sky, and the size of your map.

.mat
These files store material information, which is data about your map's ground textures. A ground texture is a square image on the ground. Examples include Io's lava texture and the Moon's grey crater texture.

.bzn
Here is where your units, buildings, people, powerups, scrap pieces, spawnpoints, and everything considered an object goes. The .bzn also stores paths and current object commands.

.lgt
The lighting on your map. This is a pretty unique file because it needs to be regenerated after you've made changes to your map terrain.

There are a couple other files that can be included with your map, but those will be covered in later parts of this guide. More details on these files can also be found later. For now, know that these four files make up every map in Battlezone.


In this guide you may notice theres a separation between the term "mission" and "map". When the terms are compared or when one is used specifically, a mission is for singleplayer and a map is for multiplayer. However, "map" is generally used when categorizing both singleplayer and multiplayer.

Singleplayer missions are commonly called Instant Actions, or IAs for short. They can range from being simple, one-objective skirmishes to huge, dynamic scenarios.

There's also multiplayer maps, which come in a variety of types. Deathmatch (DM) maps are typically 8 player maps where players shoot each other for kills. Strategy (ST) maps are 2-4 player maps where you control a base and destroy the enemy's. These are the two fundamental types of multiplayer maps. There are also three other standard types, King Of The Hill (KOTH), Multiplayer Instant (MPI), and Multiplayer Action (MPA). You've probably come across these types when playing online.

Multiplayer maps are relatively easier to make because they don't require setting up computer-controlled bases and all the AI. Because of this, this tutorial will guide you through creating a Strategy map.


You may already be thinking about how you want your map to end up looking. If you know what you want to make, you can skip ahead to the next section to start making your map. If you haven't put much thought into your map, or you want a couple tips before making it, then continue reading!

First, get a vision for the final look of your map, and stick to it. Like many things, the further you get into your project, the harder it is to switch to something else. Think about what world you want the map on, and what you want it to look like. A cratered field on the Moon? Vast lava fields on Io? The choice is ultimately yours.

After you've decided on what you want to make, go a little deeper into the layout and design of your map. If you want to make a Strategy map, think about where you want the bases to be. Or, if you want to make a Deathmatch map, consider where you want the weapons to spawn. Try to add something unique to your creation as well, since this will make your map stand out from the crowd and offer a special experience while playing.

All maps are first made with a program called MakeTRN. It is found in the Edit folder of your Battlezone installation (for example, your installation may be at C:/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/Battlezone 98 Redux/). MakeTRN is a console program, so you need to run it with the Command Prompt.

To open the Command Line, go to your Start menu, search for the Command Prompt, and select it.

Navigate the console to Battlezone's install folder (you may need to do some file searching to find it) by using "cd" (change directory). For example, you can type:




Then, type "maketrn". Some information should pop up and give you general instructions for using the utility.


The following settings can be entered into MakeTRN.

Map Filename
The map filename is a crucial part to create your map. The filename must be either multdm** (Deathmatch), multst** (Strategy), or usrmsn** (Instant Action). Replace ** with two numbers. You must name your map filename this way so MakeTRN can set up your map for the right type. Don't worry, you can (and should) change this later. When using MakeTRN, this must be the first setting you type.

/c
This tells MakeTRN you are making a new map.

/w=nnnn /h=nnnn
These specify the width and height (or length) of your map in meters. These must be a number divisible by and no less than 1280. Common map sizes are 1280x1280, 2560x2560, 3840x3840, and 5120x5120.

/p=ParameterFile
This is the Autopainter tool, which will be covered in greater detail in later guides. It is for quickly "painting" (placing ground textures) on your terrain, which is determined by the elevation and steepness of certain areas. ParameterFile is an optional file that allows you to specify the elevation and steepness for each texture.

/e=EmptyElevation
This will also be covered later. This is a number that sets the "background/outside area" terrain height.

There are other settings, but the ones above are the most common. For now, the only ones you need to know are "/c" and "/w=nnnn /h=nnnn".


This guide will help you create a Strategy map that is 2560x2560 meters. In MakeTRN, type the following:


MakeTRN should print out a bunch of status updates, and tada! Your map files should appear in the same folder as MakeTRN. You should have three files (.hg2, .trn, .mat), all with the name "multst69". These are your base map files, and what may be your first map!



Now, before you can actually play on your map, you need to move the map's files to Battlezone's addon folder, which is also located in the game's install folder. The addon folder is where Battlezone can load new or replaced content, including custom maps. You may optionally place these files in their own subfolder within addon.


When MakeTRN created your map, it used a blank .trn file with basic configuration. Before you load your map in the game, you'll need to add the world information (such as Achilles or Europa) to your map's .trn file. Go to the game's Edit folder, and then the trn folder. Open your selected world's .trn file and copy everything in it.

Now go to your map's .trn file. Inside you should have several sections of data, each categorized by a header. For example, here is an example Size section:


You will want to replace all of the data in your map's .trn, except for the Size section. Now, save your new .trn file as a replacement for the old.

Your files should already be in (a subfolder in) Battlezone's addon folder. To load the map, go to your Steam Library and right click on Battlezone's icon. Select Properties from the list. In the menu, click on Set Launch Options. Type your map's filename in the box, and add a .bzn to the end. For example, you may have multst69.bzn as your filename. Finally, add /startedit at the end.

Save it, and start Battlezone as you normally would.

You probably expect to see something cool, right? Well, not yet. The map is perfectly flat, like a canvas waiting to be painted on. You can move around and place units by using the Command Menu. Feel free to play around and experiment in what is called the Map Editor.


There's primarily three (default) key binds in the Editor: Ctrl+A, Ctrl+E, and Shift+F9.

Ctrl+A
Starts and stops the game's simulation. When paused, everything except the player is frozen, and you can't shoot.


Ctrl+E
This is the terrain part of the Editor, referred to as the Terrain Editor in this guide. Here, you can place ground textures, and raise and lower the terrain.


Shift+F9
This is the path and object part of the Editor, referred to as the Object Editor in this guide. This allows you to place units from a technical (top-down) view of the map, as well as set predetermined commands and AI paths.


Shift+F1
This will exit the Terrain Editor or Object Editor and return you to your normal view.

Press Ctrl+E to enter the Terrain Editor. You should have a fog-free birds-eye view of the map. Using the arrow keys will rotate your viewpoint, and moving your mouse to the edges of the screen will move it.



There are two modes in the Terrain Editor. The first mode edits your map's textures, as seen above, and is the default mode when entering the Terrain Editor. The second mode, which can be accessed by pressing W, edits your map's height, as seen below.



You are unable to move your ship and any other objects while in the Terrain Editor.

To the top left of the game, you'll see your editing tools.


There are three kinds of textures: solids, caps, and diags. Solid textures are the basic textures on a map, such as yellow acid or brown rock. Cap textures are transitions from one texture to another and are used when textures are lined up. Diag textures are also transitions, however they are used when textures line up diagonally. Here's an example of Io's lava solid, cap and diag textures:




Eyedropper: Copies a texture for use with the Paintbrush.


Rotate: Rotates your textures counterclockwise. Right clicking rotates textures clockwise.

Vertical Flip: Flips your texture vertically.


Horizontal Flip: Flips your texture horizontally. Shortcut: H


Paintbrush: Places the texture you've copied with the Eyedropper. Shortcut: P


Zoom: Zoom in by left clicking, zoom out by right clicking. Shortcuts: + / -


Cycle Texture: Cycles through all solid textures. Shortcut: S


Cap Texture: Cycles through cap textures appropriate to the texture used. Shortcut: C


Diag Texture: Cycles through diag textures appropriate to the texture used. Shortcut: D


Variant Texture: Cycles through variant textures appropriate to the texture used. Shortcut: A


Using shortcuts requires holding down the appropriate key to use the tool.

Texture editing is primarily done with your mouse, using both left and right clicking. Experiment with the textures for as much as you need!


Press W to switch to the Terrain Editor's height mode. Here, you can make your bumps, craters, mountains, and canyons. You see the world in wireframe. Pressing Tab will change the colors of the wireframe and can be used to help you see better in some areas.

Eyedropper: Copies the height for use with the Flatten tool.


Zoom: Zoom in by left clicking, zoom out by right clicking.


Incremental Area Tool: Incrementally aises or lowers terrain within selection area.


Incremental Circle Tool: Incrementally raises or lowers terrain in a circle, within selection area and bell width.


Flatten Area: Flattens terrain to the height copied with the Eyedropper within your selection area.


Bell Tool: Raises or lowers terrain in a bell shape, within your selection area and bell width, with the terrain change being the height copied with the Eyedropper.


Incremental Point Tool: Raises or lowers terrain on a single point incrementally.


?????: Nobody knows what this tool does, if it does anything. Try to find out!


Set Width: Left click to increase your selection width, right click to decrease it.


Set Depth: Left click to increase your selection depth, right click to decrease it.


Set Height: Left click to increase your set height, right click to decrease it.


Set Bell Width: Left click to increase your bell width, right click to decrease it.


Set Increment: Left click to increase increment, right click to decrease it.


Smooth Tool: Smooth terrain on a single point.



Play around with these tools and start creating your map! Here's a few things to keep in mind:

Maps look better if you utilize cap and diag textures for transitioning into different textures.If you want terrain that players can build on, make sure to have your terrain be flat in those areas.AI units will have a difficult time climbing up very steep terrain. If you want places where the AI can reach, make sure it's accessible by a smooth incline.

Here's something I made that will be an example for the rest of the guide. (Note that it doesn't have any cap or diag textures.)

In the previous section, you learned a little bit about what is called the Object Editor in this guide. This is where you can place paths, objects, and optionally give those objects commands. Press Shift+F9 while on your map to enter the Object Editor.



The first thing you'll see is an outline of your map that is easily accessible by your last saved location. While in this editor, you can move around. Your player object will be a green square labeled "player0_wingman" (or something similar, in rare cases).


There are four main settings of control. This can be changed by pressing 1, and then a number 1-4.

Find Path (1): Selecting two points on the map will find the actual distance and AI travel distance between them, as well as the time it took to calculate those distances. Left clicking will select a point.

Edit Path (2): This allows you to place a path. Paths are invisible lines (or points) that AI controlled objects can use (such as follow, defend, or goto) and can be used by Lua scripting. Left clicking will place a path point or select a path, and right clicking will deselect a path.

Edit Task (3): Selecting an object will allow you to see its current and next commands (if it's an AI controlled object) and allow you to set its next command. To the bottom, you'll see a list of commands that can be issued to a unit.

Edit Objects (4): In this setting, you can click and drag objects to move them around. Right clicking will set their rotation.


There are nine draw modes. This can be changed by pressing 2, and then a number 1-9.

Slabs (1): Displays terrain accessible by the AI from your saved location. Blue areas are easily accessible. Grey areas are steep inclines that the AI may have trouble going over. Yellow areas are places where the AI cannot reach.

Goals (2): Visualizes strategic AI's decisions.

Priorities (3): Visualizes strategic AI's priorities.

Paths (4): Displays paths made with the Edit Path control mode.

Surface (5): Displays the ground textures on your map.

Height (6): Displays relative height, blue being relatively low and white being relatively high.

Slope (7): Displays slope, with blue being flat and white being steep.

Cell Type (8): Displays terrain accessible by the AI at all locations. The colors mean the same as they do in the Slabs mode.

Cell Region (9): Displays terrain that can be reached and not reached by the AI at all locations. Grey means the AI can access the area, black means it cannot.


Edit mode is a toggle by pressing 3, and then either 1 or 2. This has the same affect as Ctrl+A.


Here you can add or subtract scrap and pilots from Team 1 and Team 2. Team 1 is the default player team in IA missions, and Team 2 is the standard for the enemy team in IA missions.


Navigating this menu allows you to place objects, just like from the first-person view in Edit Mode (Ctrl+A). Keep in mind objects placed with this will be on the team you have selected with the Team setting, and will initially be facing North.


This will set the team number for objects you place from the Build Menu. Neutral units will be white, Team 1 units will be green, and every other team will be red. The default setting will apply the team used in the Build Menu.


All multiplayer maps require spawnpoints. If you don't have a spawnpoint on your map, you cannot play it in multiplayer. Spawnpoints are located in the Buildings section in your Build Menu.

For Strategy maps, you'll want to place geysers and scrap (also located in the Buildings section). Try placing these in strategic areas on your map! You may also want to check the Cell Types or Slabs on your map to make sure the AI can traverse the places you want them to reach. Areas that are yellow indicate the AI cannot pass or enter that area.

For Deathmatch maps, you'll want to include weapon and powerup spawns. To do this, go into the Edit Path control mode and click anywhere to create a path for your powerup spawn. Click on the box to the bottom left and edit the path name:


Replace powerup with the ODF you want to spawn. These are things like "apstab" for the AT-Stabber, "apammo" for Ammos, "aprepa" for Repairs, and so on. Replace respawntime with how many seconds you want a powerup to take to respawn. Replace number with the number powerup this path spawns (for example, if this is the fourth Repair you're creating, the number would be 4).

Okay, your map has reached a great finishing point and now you're ready to share it with the world! The next step is uploading it to Steam Workshop. Before you begin, make sure everything in and on your map is working and looking good.


First, make sure you have all of your map files in the same folder. You should at least have the four essential files (.bzn, .hg2, .mat, .trn, and .lgt) and, if you have a multiplayer map, optionally have these additional files.

.bmp: Preview Image
This is the picture that displays for your map in the multiplayer map list. You can quickly and easily generate one of these by starting Battlezone with the "/shellmap" flag. The image will generate in the root of your Battlezone installation, so you'll need to move it with the rest of your map files.

.des: Map Description
Your map's description when it is selected. It is standard to use a map description like the following:


Of course, replace everything with your information.

.vxt: Player Vehicles
This is a list of vehicles allowed in your game. You need to know the ODFs for the player vehicles you want allowed, and enter them in a list format, with a comma after each vehicle. If your map doesn't include one of these, then all vehicles will be playable.


Next, you'll need to make a preview image so players can recognize what your map is. This needs to be a square image at least 200x200 pixels big. It can be a screenshot of your map, the preview image covered above, or whatever else you want! The image must be a JPEG (.jpg) with the same filename as your map so Workshop can display it. Put this image in the same folder as your map.

You'll then need to create your map's .ini file, which is read by by the game to categorize it. Find a file called sample.ini in Battlezone's Edit folder, and copy it to your map folder (or make a new file with the text below). Rename it to your map filename. This file is the configuration for your map. Open the .ini and enter the data appropriate. (As a side note, any line starting with a semicolon (;) is a comment, and is not used when uploading. You can delete these lines if you wish.)


missionName
This is your map's name. Pretty straightforward. Keep in mind that this is the name Battlezone will display, and is not what will be displayed on Workshop. You'll decide the name on Workshop later.

mapType
This is the type of map you're making.

• instant_action: This is a singleplayer mission. It will pop up in the singleplayer menu under Instant Action.
  
• multiplayer: Indicates this is a multiplayer map. It'll tell Battlezone to put this in your map list.
  
• mod: A larger, more advanced feature that will be covered much later.

customTags
You can add custom tags to help categorize your map so people can find it easier.

minPlayers / maxPlayers
The minimum and maximum amount of players in your multiplayer map. Deathmatch maps typically support up to eight players, while strategy maps support up to four players. You should remove this if you're making an IA mission.

mapType
Also for multiplayer, this one determines the type of map you're working on.

• D: Deathmatch
  
• S: Strategy
  
• K: King Of The Hill
  
• M: Multiplayer Instant
  
• A: Multiplayer Action

This is a huge step for any first-time mapmaker. In Steam, hover over the Library button and click on Tools. Click on Battlezone 98 Redux - Uploader Tool. In the boxes, enter the name and description of your map. Then click on Create New Item. The Uploader will ask you for your map's folder location and the preview image. Once you've selected them, the Uploader will put your map on Workshop!

When it finishes, your map is now on Steam Workshop! Congratulations! You can repeat the steps in this guide for as many maps as you'd like, and create anything you'd like. You're now a Battlezone mapmaker, which is a highly prestigious title in the community. If you're hungry for more, you can continue to the (currently incomplete) Intermediate Mapmaking guide. Happy Hunting!

Mapmaking is considered an art by virtually everyone. It takes time and effort, and you want your final product to look and play as good as possible. Here's some tips and tricks that are commonly used by seasoned mapmakers.


Map layout is a broad term for things such as balance, fairness, interest points, and other unique attributes on a map. This includes fair placement of scrap and geysers, access to certain parts of the map, and areas where you want there to be a lot of fighting. An excellent layout also requires consideration of what map type you're making: IA, DM, or ST.

Instant Action

IA missions are relatively easier to create a layout for because there isn't much pressure on balance and creating an equal playing field. However, IA mission layouts need careful consideration to the mission's objective(s), while also maintaining an immersive environment. Keep in mind that it is also generally good practice to follow a standard world design, such as Europa with steep icy canyons.

Deathmatch

Deathmatch maps should have consideration to where players spawn (and respawn). A common map should have powerups distributed evenly across the map, and not to one spawnpoint's advantage. Remember that a balanced DM map will base powerups around spawnpoints. However, it may be fun or innovative to try something new. Terrain features should also be considered as players may be attracted to these areas. Also keep in mind that the center of the map is typically where most fights occur.

Strategy

Strategy maps need thoughtful consideration on scrap and geyser placement. You want every player to have the same amount of scrap nearby when the game begins. Also consider the middle of the game and the end of it, and where you want strategic vantage points, if at all. Remember to have areas designed for base-building (geysers, flat ground) and areas designed for combat-only (rough terrain in the middle of two spawns).


A common oversight in many maps is the terrain outside your map's playing field. On the radar, you'll see an ugly dropoff at the edge of the map, and players close enough can see it themselves. Quality maps will remove this dropoff and blend it in with the playable map.

The first way of getting rid of the ugly terrain is plugging your map into MakeTRN. Put all of your map files into the same folder MakeTRN is in, and type the following into your Command Line:


Replace "mapname" with your map's filename, and "nnnn" with the height you want your background terrain to be.

Another way of getting rid of the terrain, and is often used over MakeTRN, is "edge_path", or the manually-set edge of your map. This is a diagonal line setting the boundaries of your map, in a rectangular/square form. An edge_path can be used to make your map slightly smaller (but not larger), while preserving the terrain outside. So, if you have a canyon in your map that extends to the map borders, edge_path will keep the canyon in your map while only keeping part of it in the playing field. It looks very nice on radar and sight.

Here's a review going over the Basic Mapmaking guide. You can refer to this for quick references.

Map Files
.hg2: The heightmap, consisting of all elevation data such as mountains and canyons.
.trn: Important data about your map size, world, sky, and other terrain information.
.mat: Your map's ground textures and their placement.
.bzn: Where all of your units, buildings, weapons, and other objects are stored.
.lgt: The lightmap, which is the lighting on the terrain and buildings.
.bmp: Preview image that is displayed in the multiplayer menu.
.des: Map description when viewed in multiplayer.
.vxt: Vehicles that can be played if the map is for multiplayer.

Types Of Maps
Instant Action (IA): A singleplayer mission with at least one objective.
Deathmatch (DM): Multiplayer map type where players pick up powerups and fight.
Strategy (ST): Map type where players build bases and destroy the enemy's.

MakeTRN Basics
MakeTRN is used to create maps. It's located in Battlezone's Edit folder and must be run with the Command Line.
Map Filenames must begin with either "multdm", "multst", or "usrmsn", and must end with two numbers.
/c: Flag used to indicate you're making a new map.
/w=nnnn /h=nnnn: Flag used for setting your map's width and height. This must be divisible by 1280.

Map Files
Replace all the information in your map's .trn file (except the Size section) with your world's information. The world .trn files are located in the Edit/trn folder. Put all of your map's files in Battlezone's addon folder.

Starting The Editor
In Battlezone's Launch Options, type in your map's filename with a .bzn attached, and then add /startedit at the end.

Editor Basics
Start and stop game simulation by pressing Ctrl+A.
Open the Terrain Editor by pressing Ctrl+E.
Open the Object Editor by pressing Shift+F9.

Steam Workshop
You must have a Workshop image (.jpg) included with your map files, as well as a configuration file (.ini) with the correct information. The following is used in the configuration file.
missionName: The name of your map.
mapType: What kind of map this is ("instant_action" or "multiplayer")
minPlayers / maxPlayers: The minimum and maximum amount of players in your map. For multiplayer.
gameType: Also for multiplayer, this is what type your map is (D, S, K, M, A).
Upload your map to Steam Workshop by using the Battlezone 98 Redux - Uploader Tool located in your Steam Library's Tool section.