Campaign Creation Team

General feedback and discussion of the game.

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Peacekhan
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Joined: March 14th, 2015, 9:28 pm

Campaign Creation Team

Post by Peacekhan »

Ok so does anyone want to help me make campaigns? I was going to do it by myself but I can't seem to figure out the coding so I was thinking I could make up the story lines and someone could code them in. By the way I already have the first 2 maps for one of my Campaigns made.
If you're serious about this, please post below or friend me and send me a private message, thanks.
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Dixie
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Re: Campaign Creation Team

Post by Dixie »

Yeah, I don't want to be an ass about it, but good luck with that. Basically, you DO realise that you're asking someone to do all the grunt work for you, while you take care of the (arguably) easier and fun part of conception. I mean, why would anyone want to work on your (unknown to us, but probably awesome from your point of view) ideas when they can work on their (awesome from their point of view) ideas? Why would they want to compromise on the fun when the other person supplies none of the hard and boring work?

I don't know what method you have used to try and create your campaigns, but forget about any kind of lush looking editor. Just grab a code/text editor (something as simple as notepad++ will do wonders) and dive in the files themselves. It's really rather intuitive. You can browse the big CREATE tab at the top of this page for code reference (in fact, you should bookmark this and always have it opened when you code. The menu on the right is your coding index and life-saver). For any specific problem, search or ask in the WML workshop forum. People will be more than happy to help you, explain stuff, and maybe even supply whole chunks of code, only because you took matters in your own hands and got them dirty. It DOES seem really daunting when you've never done it before, but don't worry: most content-creating users never did any kind of coding before. I certainly didn't have any background, anyway. But once you decide to wrap your head around it, it's not THAT hard or complex. WML is really user friendly. You should try it, it's rewarding :)
Jazz is not dead, it just smells funny - Frank Zappa
Current projects: Internet meme Era, The Settlers of Wesnoth
Peacekhan
Posts: 11
Joined: March 14th, 2015, 9:28 pm

Re: Campaign Creation Team

Post by Peacekhan »

Thankyou for the links. I do realize that people wouldnt exactly want to do all the work themselves, which is why I'm attempting to learn this WML as we speak. Until I've actually figured it out, however, I have no choice but to do the easier portion, as it is all I'm capable of atm.
Also thank you for bringing to my attention the fact that the editor's dont have to be complicated, that was probably my main downfall lol.
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Dixie
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Re: Campaign Creation Team

Post by Dixie »

Another quick tip (but I guess you could have thought of that yourself?). You don't need to start your stuff from scratch or learn from the wiki from the ground up. Open an add-on or campaign or whatever that does what you'd want to do, copy it and work form that. Copy existing scenario files and modify them to put your stuff in instead of whatever was in there before. Copy units and modify them. Etc. It's also much easier to learn when you see the final, working result before your eyes. Modifying "name=elvish_fighter" for "name=UberCoolHeroOfDeath!!1!" is a trivial formality once you have the basic layout ;)
Jazz is not dead, it just smells funny - Frank Zappa
Current projects: Internet meme Era, The Settlers of Wesnoth
Peacekhan
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Joined: March 14th, 2015, 9:28 pm

Re: Campaign Creation Team

Post by Peacekhan »

Ok, and thanks again, I've playing Wesnoth since 1.9 but havent actually attempted to create more than a map until now.
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Implementor37
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Re: Campaign Creation Team

Post by Implementor37 »

I agree with Dixie. You are going to have a hard time finding anyone who will want to let you write story/draw maps for a campaign while they do all the coding. However, there are probably some people out there who don't enjoy map-drawing or who can't write a great story. If you really want to do this, your best bet is going to be to write out the complete story-line of your idea and post it in the Writer's Forum, and say something like 'I came up with this idea for a campaign, but I don't have the time/skills to make it myself. If anyone out there would like to use this idea to create a campaign: feel free to do so.'

Another idea would be to throw whatever ideas you have out the window and focus on creating several gorgeous maps. Post those in a thread, and say something like 'here are some examples of maps I've made in the past. If any UMC authors out there would like some help creating maps for their campaigns, I would be happy to help.'

So essentially, you have 3 options:
1) Learn everything (including the coding) for yourself and create something that is all-yours.
2) Become a writer who creates the best storylines for use by others
3) Become a map-creation expert who helps UMC authors out by creating stunning maps which they can use in their campaigns.
There will always be UMC authors who hate 1 particular part of the campaign-creation process, be it coding, artwork, maps, story, music, or anything else. If you don't want to do the coding (arguably the most difficult/important part of the process) but still want to help create campaigns, your best bet is going to be to become so great at one of the other aspects that everyone will want your help.
Author of End of the Legion, available now on the 1.12 and 1.13 servers!
Supporter of the addition of the Aragwaithi into mainline.
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beetlenaut
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Re: Campaign Creation Team

Post by beetlenaut »

Download "Campaign-How-To (A Simple Campaign)" from the add-on server. It's not intended to be a real campaign, but has all the files you need to connect scenarios, create sides, and everything. If you just replace the scenario code with your own where it tells you to, it all should work. When that's working correctly, you can worry about changing the name and description and everything.
Campaigns: Dead Water,
The Founding of Borstep,
Secrets of the Ancients,
and WML Guide
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Dixie
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Re: Campaign Creation Team

Post by Dixie »

Implementor37 wrote: There will always be UMC authors who hate 1 particular part of the campaign-creation process, be it coding, artwork, maps, story, music, or anything else. If you don't want to do the coding (arguably the most difficult/important part of the process)
Personally I'd argue that the most difficult part is art/music because you need not only the skill (which probably is tougher to pick up than coding WML depending on each individual), but it also takes much more time and effort to create anything once you have the ability to do so. But then again it's purely for the sake of arguing the fine prints :P
Jazz is not dead, it just smells funny - Frank Zappa
Current projects: Internet meme Era, The Settlers of Wesnoth
Peacekhan
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Joined: March 14th, 2015, 9:28 pm

Re: Campaign Creation Team

Post by Peacekhan »

As said before, Im trying to learn WML, but Im not too skilled at it, so it's going to take me a while. Usually though, I'm pretty good at coming up with stories, and doing it fast. I'm average (in my opinion) at making maps, so that's not really an option.
Peacekhan
Posts: 11
Joined: March 14th, 2015, 9:28 pm

Re: Campaign Creation Team

Post by Peacekhan »

If anyone wants to volunteer to help me learn WML, I'd accept help. Im trying, but I just dont understand half of what I'm reading, and what I do understand, I don't know what to do with.
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beetlenaut
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Re: Campaign Creation Team

Post by beetlenaut »

Besides the Campaign-How-To, the wiki is a good resource for learning WML. Read this, and go as far as you can. When you get completely stuck; meaning you've looked at the How-To, you have read and re-read a section, you've tried to write the code a couple times, and your campaign still doesn't load right, then you ask in the WML Workshop forum. You need to have specific questions though. Something like "Can you teach me WML?" is not really answerable. All the rest of us learned by reading the wiki and looking at simple campaigns like we're telling you to.

Also, please don't double post. That's what the edit button is for.
Campaigns: Dead Water,
The Founding of Borstep,
Secrets of the Ancients,
and WML Guide
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Implementor37
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Re: Campaign Creation Team

Post by Implementor37 »

The best way to learn WML is simply to do it. Like beetlenaut said, download "Campaign-How-To (A Simple Campaign)" from the add-on server and go through that. It should get you started on how WML works. One other piece of advice: Play a scenario of a mainline campaign and then read the WML for it while the scenario is fresh in your mind. This helps gain an idea of how certain pieces of code affected the scenario you just played--and will speed up the WML learning curve considerably.
Author of End of the Legion, available now on the 1.12 and 1.13 servers!
Supporter of the addition of the Aragwaithi into mainline.
Peacekhan
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Joined: March 14th, 2015, 9:28 pm

Re: Campaign Creation Team

Post by Peacekhan »

Yeah I'd done the campaign how to before, didnt help me too much, but I hadn't heard about the wiki before so I'll look into it
Peacekhan
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Joined: March 14th, 2015, 9:28 pm

Re: Campaign Creation Team

Post by Peacekhan »

Can Someone look this over, I feel like I probably did something wrong so I'm getting it checked. Also I don't know how to play it even if it's fine.
[campaign]
name= "Test Campaign"
first_scenario=test-1
define=CAMPAIGN_TEST_CAMPAIGN
difficulties=Easy,Normal,Hard
difficulty_descriptions={MENU_IMG_TXT2 "units/humans/sergeant.png" _ "Sergeant" _"(Beginner)"} + ";*" + {MENU_IMG_TXT2 "units/humans/lieutenant.png" _"Lieutenant" _"(Normal)"} + ";*" + {MENU_IMG_TXT2 "units/humans/general.png" _"General" _"(Hard)"}
icon="units/humans/lieutenant.png"
[/campaign]
#ifdef CAMPAIGN_TEST_CAMPAIGN
{~add-ons/test_campaign/scenarios}
#endif
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Implementor37
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Re: Campaign Creation Team

Post by Implementor37 »

If you have this campaign in the same folder as the rest of your add-ons, it will show up in Wesnoth under the 'campaigns' tab just like anything else. Proof-reading code is a LOT harder then simply running the code and examining errors. If you have a problem, please remember two things:
1) use 'code' tags around your post. It makes WML much more readable in a thread. You can also click the little 'Code' button when writing your post to do the same thing. This would make your code look like

Code: Select all

[campaign]
name= "Test Campaign"
first_scenario=test-1
define=CAMPAIGN_TEST_CAMPAIGN
difficulties=Easy,Normal,Hard
difficulty_descriptions={MENU_IMG_TXT2 "units/humans/sergeant.png" _ "Sergeant" _"(Beginner)"} + ";*" + {MENU_IMG_TXT2 "units/humans/lieutenant.png" _"Lieutenant" _"(Normal)"} + ";*" + {MENU_IMG_TXT2 "units/humans/general.png" _"General" _"(Hard)"}
icon="units/humans/lieutenant.png"
[/campaign]
#ifdef CAMPAIGN_TEST_CAMPAIGN
{~add-ons/test_campaign/scenarios}
#endif
This is much easier to read, don't you think? (Especially for long code pieces--it contains a built in scroll-window and screams 'here be code' to the members of the forum.
2) Post an error-message that has you stumped rather than "can you please check this?" Without having your entire campaign (which i don't) i cannot find anything wrong at first glance. Bugs are usually caught through trial-and-error. Try launching your campaign, and if you have an error, then post it. Sorry, but there is little I (or anyone else) can do without knowing what (if anything) is wrong.
Author of End of the Legion, available now on the 1.12 and 1.13 servers!
Supporter of the addition of the Aragwaithi into mainline.
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