Map Editor Problems

I just began experimenting with ToA's map editor and I created my first map, i have figured out the basics of it but I have run into a couple of problems that I have tried to look up solutions for but haven't found a post that addresses it.

1. I created new opponents using each major race as a beginning refference point, I created custom ship styles for each and gave them different empire logos, leader portraits, and of course names. The problem comes when I try to assign a "Homeworld" the new opponent's race name does not appear on the drop down menu of available races to assign a planet to. It only shows the original races, I thought this was not a big deal and I assigned homeworlds to my new opponent races based on the original empire I used to create the new opponent. But when I start the game and select the custom map it will switch the homeworlds and assign them in a different order than the one I placed, it seems that the original race I used to create the new race does not register with the Map Editor.

2. Minor races will not spawn on map, the only minor race that will spawn in the map are the shanti, but the strange thing is that I get those messages...

"There are rumors that the Akillians (minor race) are paying the Drengin as a means to maintain peace"

Similar reports of other minor races but there is no hmeworld for Akillians, or any other minor race on my map, but obviously that message means that the game is acting as if there are, I tried using the "allow homeless players" flag on the Map Editor but it didn't seem to have any effect.

I apologize if this is in the wrong section of the forums but I had no idea where to put it, so not sure if this is a bug or if I am doing something wrong, but any insight on this from our mod masters would be much appreciated, thank you.

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"allow homeless players" is why you see messages for Minor races that aren't there. Check off the 'homeless' option.

When you create a "New Race" they must have a Race ID# in their racial file. Its' in the top of the (Race Name).raceconfigxml file.

Example:

</DataChecksum>
<Race Name="My Empire">
  <ConfigVersion>27</ConfigVersion>
  <RaceID>12</RaceID>
  <CivType>4</CivType>

ID# 12 is for custom races. If you want your race to replace the Terrans, you would change the 12 to a 0. All races that had the ID of 0 would then be taken off the drop list for opponenets as you can only have one of each race in the game. Every race has its own ID number unique to it. For example, the Iconians are #9.

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1. The map editor isn't "dependant" on modded items since it refers only to default races while it is in_use. Thus, we'll never get to see our modded races into it. As long as you've got direct memory of who is slotted in any given spot, it is only a matter of intuitively replacing Terran (values) with whichever race is going to get active once the mod is loaded up and a new game is started with the custom map in question.

2. Again, this is more about how the startup conditions are defined. When setting up a new game, we must select how many Minors will show up as an option. The custom map is 'normally' predetermined as having enough stars & planets to accomodate a maximum of possible habitable planets. It happened to me that on a special map, two or even more Minors HAD to share the same system 'accidentally' because the engine didn't find room for variable locations. Majors can receive specific homeworlds, but not the Minors AFAIC.

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But there is possibility to create a minor race on the "writing" map, as well as the major race?

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That option simply isn't available for custom maps, only Majors have pre-defined slots which are already listed in the interface itself.

One possibility would be for coders to provide an extra set of Minors dedicated slots with the explicit mention that ALL 8 locations must always be saved into the custom map for it to be detected upon init (as it applies to the number of Minors option we select) - while leaving the remaining (when none or less than eight) as regular colonizable empty systems.

Tricky stuff, though.

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Thanks

Interesting what we can do for our part that accomodation of the minor races became possible in the following patches?

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I have a new question below.

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