Blitzkrieg Mapping Guide By Ocelo et. al

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I would like to dedicate this work to the mappers of Blitzkrieg.

First and foremost, I’d like to include Dmitry M., whose superb map making and unit placement has taught me many

lessons.

Secondly, I would like to commemorate my friend Leon, a Blitzkrieg mapper, scripter, and modder himself, a great coauthor, and a great friend. You will be sorely missed.

Finally, I hope that this will be a small token which enhance the survival and popularity of this great game for years to

come. Certain aspects of it, including modification friendliness, historical accuracy, and relative simplicity still, for

me, make it a WWII RTS game second to none.

Works Used:

Firstly, this tutorial contains the work of my fellow ‘Blitzkriegers’:

Aleksej fon Grozni, Leon, and [BKP].

I would also like to thank Aleksej fon Grozni and Viriato 13 for localization.

Finally, I owe my skills to both the many who broke the trails before me, as well as the many after them who have inspired creativity and ideas in me and other mappers.

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Table of Contents:

Lesson 1: Toolbars…………………………………………………………………..Page 5

Lesson 2: Terrain……………………………………………………………………..Page 12

Lesson 3: Units, Objects, Fences, and Bridges…………………………………………………………………….Page 22

Lesson 4: Trenches, Roads, and Rivers………………………………………………………………………Page 35

Lesson 5: Script Areas, Air Support, and Damage…………………………………………………………………..Page 45

Lesson 6: Reinforcement Groups and Start Commands………….……………………………………………………Page 47

Lesson 7: Random Maps……………………………………………………………………….Page 54

Part 8: Notes……………….………………………………………………………Page 64

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Copyright: I do not normally copyright my works, as they at times contain some content from other authors, and generally, I see no point in it. However, if you do copy and paste into other places, please be polite and give proper credit.

All the best, Ocelo. ocelo4@gmail.com

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Lesson 1- Toolbars and Minimap OK, first, let’s get acquainted with the sections of the left toolbar.

We will have separate lessons for each (indicated in parenthesis)

A- lay terrain tiles, adjust heights, and create random fields (Lesson 2- Terrain)

B- set objects and units, build fences, and lay bridges (Lesson 3- Objects, Units Fences Bridges)

C- Set entrenchments (more sophisticated than the ones available in-game), lay roads, and rivers (Lesson 4- Trenches, Roads, and Rivers)

D- add damage to buildings or units, and set script areas (Lesson 5- Script Areas, Air support, and Damage)

E- add reinforcement groups and set their IDs in the script (Lesson 6- Reinforcement Groups and Start Commands)

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Part 2- Top and Bottom Toolbars:

Your toolbar may not be set up like this; that's fine. Just go to the "tools" tab and select all the options there. Then you can drag around the different tool boxes on your toolbar and set it up as you see fit. Personally, I like to see as much of my maps as possible, and I don't fancy wide toolbars, especially since most of the buttons there are just shortcuts anyway.

Note: all tool boxes can be dragged around and positioned as you want.

1- create a new map

2- open existing map

3- save current map in current format (Default is BZM)

4- save current map in XML format.

XML format can be edited with several programs, including Notepad and SciTE editor (the latter is most popular among BK mappers and modders). XML format files are generally much larger than maps in BZM format, but they can also be compressed to a much greater degree using ZIP or RAR archives. This format allows you to edit certain features, such as set destroyed units, as well as other unexplored tools, though it is not recommended to mess with map XML files unless you know what you're doing.

The biggest advantage of the XML format is that you can then edit the files using the Blitzkrieg XML Map Tools (see links to it and other tools in the Part 8: Notes section).

5- save current map in BZM format.

BZM format yields smaller map sizes, and is the universal format in which maps are distributed in the BK community worldwide. As far as I know, they can only be edited with a Blitzkrieg map editor, or an editor belonging to a game which is based on the Blitzkrieg engine and uses the same map editor (which is, btw, not always included in stand-alone games based on Blitzkrieg).

Here, I will stress a point of the Map Editor Application: BZM files are not word files; everything is much more complicated here. Thus:

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There is no undo function in Blitzkrieg Map Editor!

This may at times turn out to be a pain, but that’s the way it is, and you’re not stupid in the case that you do make a mistake. Everyone who maps BK does this occasionally.

6- toggle on/off displaying ranges

This toolbar allows you to toggle on/off displaying units' ranges, both on the minimap, and on the map itself (this only applies to what you are seeing in the map editor).

In the drop-down box to the right, you can select which units you want to see the ranges displayed for. This is mainly useful for checking the long-range artillery ranges of each side, or using the SELECTION category to check the weapon range of a selected unit(s), which is useful for creating defensive positions, especially in the city. Positioning an Antitank (AT) gun on a narrow street and entrenching it in a direction so that it covers the entire approach down the street will significantly increase the unit's life, and give the player a harder time. Hiding it behind simple objects or bushes and having the infantry in the buildings coordinate the fire would, of course, be even better. Camouflage is very often just as important as entrenching! ;)

7- set startup camera positions

Here you can set where the player's camera will be on the map when the mission starts. Center your screen on the position and then click the button to see the position at mission startup (you will see a camera appear on the map [not visible in-game]). In the drop-down box to the right, you can select which player's camera will start where (used in MP maps).

8- Units creation info

Used for setting up player sides and air support info.

==> See Lesson 5- Script Areas, Air support, and Damage

9- set script file name

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Once you have a script made for the map, you need to specify its name in the map file for the game to be able to find and open it. Just type the name of the script (without the file extension), and the game will look for it in the "maps" folder in either the game's main Data folder, or in the Data\maps folder of the mod the map is in.

10- check map for errors

This map fixes errors, which are either double objects (two identical objects in identical positions), or fixes links, which are most commonly found when deleting a building or unit capable of transporting infantry and leaving the infantry squad which was inside it. You'll rarely use this tool, though, as the game does this automatically whenever you save the map.

11- update map

This is useful after you have edited the heights on a map and do not have the button to the right on. In this case, objects and units will stay where they are until you move them. This can also give you a hard time in selecting and working with them, so you should do this each time after you have edited the heights unless, of course, you have turned the button to the right on.

The button to the right of this one has the terrain update automatically as you edit the heights. Personally, I recommend against using this feature, as it makes editing heights much more time consuming.

11c- fit objects to grid

This function toggles on/off fitting objects to the game's grid. Having this off really helps out in fine placing objects (ie: making a cliff), or, more importantly, improvising objects, and especially buildings to diversify your map.

Having this function ON makes building fences and fitting together fences and similar objects in general much easier.

12- display units' passability

This handy tool will show you where units can go. More specifically, areas of light green are impassable to some units (ie: impassable to wheeled units, or

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passable only to infantry), while areas of dark green signify places where NO units can pass.

13- show grid on map

I guess this tool may be handy in fine-fitting objects together, or, conversely, setting them equal distances apart, but I have never really used this tool to great significance.

14- show stuff going beyond map borders

Shows any roads or rivers (and also some terrain objects) which may be sticking off the end of the map. Useful for selecting roads which may be on top of each other on the visible map. ATTENTION: LARGE MAPS WITH LOTS OF RIVERS (ie: map of a pacific Island) STICKING OFF THEM TEND TO ALWAYS CRASH THE GAME AT STARTUP. AVOID THIS USING THIS FUNCTION, MAKING SURE NO RIVERS ARE STICKING OFF THE MAP ON LARGE MAPS WITH MANY RIVERS.

15-toggle on/off seeing units on map in map editor

16-toggle on/off seeing objects on map in map editor

17-set start commands ==> see Lesson 6- Reinforcement Groups and Start Commands

18-Display start commands ==> see Lesson 6- Reinforcement Groups and Start Commands

19-Run blitzkrieg map

You should take several preparatory measures for this:

1.Make sure the map is saved in the "maps" folder of your game's "data" folder. By default, maps are created there, but I have a tendency to put them into special folders, usually on my desktop when I’m working with them.

2.Make sure the name of the map you are running has no whitespace characters (use "_" instead of " "). Make this a habit for ALL texts, names, etc. in BK which the player will not see.

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3.Make sure that, if the map is for a mod, that the mod was loaded the last time you exited the game. Otherwise, the game will crash upon loading.

4.There is a possibility that this still will not work. :P This is the case for my regular BK installation, but not for my RT installation. However, don’t let this discourage you from trying.

20-map coordinates

These coordinate values are used for specifying all locations in the Map Editor. To the right, the SCRIPT coordinates are positions on the map referenced in the script of the mission.

21-selected unit/object info

When selecting an object or unit, the following information on the object/unit will be displayed: "NAME, SCRIPT ID, [POSITION COORDINATES]". Useful to double check which unit/object you have selected, and is also an easy way of seeing the unit/object's script ID.

Part 3- Minimap

This bar usually comes attached to the left toolbar. However, I have found that after long and late hours of map making, selecting units and objects for placing is much easier when you can see their thumbnails. Thus, I moved it over so now I can easily make it square (or rectangular, depending on the map dimensions), without having to mess up the ordering on the left toolbar which you use so often. Using this can also warn you of a potential crash (see next lesson for more info).

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97- By default, the map which will appear will show what terrain tiles you have where (as seen above) or, if you are editing heights, a black map will appear with white areas signifying elevated terrain and dark ones signifying depressed areas.

99- Generally, the map of the editor doesn’t say much, so creating a map such as the one used in-game for minimaps is helpful, as it shows buildings, roads, rivers, and flora, making the minimap easier to use. Click on this button to create a minimap.

98- If the minimap image files are already present in the same folder as where the map file is currently in, you can pull up this minimap by clicking on this button.

Map Artist’s Note: if you want to hide certain features of the map from being seen in the minimap (ie: gaps in rivers [will be addressed later], new roads, buildings (especially large ones), etc.), make a minimap PRIOR to placing them (again, this is a bit different for rivers and will be addressed later). Then, you can set any new features you like; just include the created files in the “maps” folder of your final product (make sure you don’t change the map file name after this). Blitzkrieg will see the files already made for the map, and won’t make new ones, allowing you to keep the player from seeing any unwanted features instantly, and making the whole shebang much more realistic.

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Lesson 2- Terrain Part 1- Tiles

=> Intro: This sub-sub toolbar is pretty self-explanatory. You select your brush size in the dropdown box as shown, and then select which tile you want to apply. Keep in mind that not all tiles are passable to all units, and some are passable to none. (remember to use the "AI" button to check for passability of your terrain and make sure it’s what you want).

To the left of that dropdown box which you use to select your brush size, there is a button resembling a paint bucket. Selecting a tile type and clicking on this button will fill the entire map with that one tile type (you will be warned before this is done).

Map Artist’s Note: in summer maps, line the edges of stony paths with terrain objects such as “DirtRavine01” or “DirthLightGrass04” to obtain smooth edges.

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Map Artist’s Note: use the handy tiles which don’t allow wheeled vehicles to traverse them to keep such units off muddy fields in the “spring” season (which can also be used for making Fall-seasoned maps). This will correctly resemble the tactical issues of muddy ground in an advance.

Part 2- Manual Heights

ð Intro: when you need to make custom heights (as will usually be the case), from a large mountain to a small crater hole, this is the thing to use.

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1- select brush size using movable pin

2- select the speed at which you want to elevate/depress the terrain (faster is recommended for large jobs, where precision is of lesser importance).

3- set all heights to zero (ie: erase them)

6- Update terrain (same function as the button in top toolbar from lesson 1)

8- sub-sub toolbar to select tab for editing heights.

ALSO: to level heights in a particular area (ie: you want to set fences there without headaches), choose the height brush to fit the size of the area you are leveling. Then, press the left mouse add right mouse buttons SIMOLTANEOUSLY to average out the terrain level in that area.

Map Artist's note: use a combination of small, deep depressions with crater terrain objects at their center to simulate realistic craters, into which vehicles would tip over. You could even make them impassable to vehicles using a "Marsh" tile.

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Part 3- Automatic Heights

=> Intro: OK, so say you are making a map for Afghanistan for Spetsnaz's Able Archer mod (info on BKHQ, btw). How on earth are you going to replicate all those endless, dizzying mountains? You use the random heights generator, of course!

This tool I'm not as familiar with, and its a bit shaky, as you're editing the entire map, as opposed to a certain specified area, as is the case with the fields generator. However, with luck, after a few tries, you might be able to get the map you'd like. Then you could throw some fields on the map, add a couple of villages, and you're done! Now you can go ahead and lay out the units- after all, BK is at times about the units, not the environment.

Make an interesting mission and people will respect it just as much as they would respect an intricate map. You choose what you want to put your efforts and focus in- the map, or the units and their maneuverability. I have found that the two eventually conflict with each other, so you must decide which one you will opt for.

OK enough rattling off. Here are the functions:

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3a- you select this first; there are three types of random height generation patterns.

--Hills: mostly smooth hills and depressions. For example:

--Rocks: differences in elevation are more common, and are sharper. An example:

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--Dunes: Now this one would probably be the most productive, as it is the one where you can get elevation changes which are significant enough for the player to notice on his map rather than being just big enough to pester you as you make the map. Not quite the mountain ranges of Afghanistan- I'd call them the plains of Afghanistan more likely. :P

3b- OK, this is a good point to look at Granularity, and also explore those dunes more. On the previous three demonstrations, I used a granularity of 0.5, which was quite visible on the minimap, but to a much lesser extent on the map itself, which is where things count in the end.

Now have a look at a granularity of 0.25. Yep, you see those mountains now!

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And now just to demonstrate a much lower granularity- and, I daresay, see that BK Map editor is not as calm and pacifying as it looks (granularity 0.01):

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So, generally, the higher the granularity, the less hills, rocks, or dunes you have. The lower the granularity, the more of them you have, and you also get sharper elevation changes.

3c&3d- These are essentially the limits you place on the heights generator- it will not produce heights above or depressions below the limit you impose on it, in VIS tiles.

You can also see the VIS tiles (=elevation of map) of a certain spot on the map by placing the cursor over the spot, and looking at the third variable in the parenthesis on the lower toolbar. So, you have "VIS: (76.13[x-variable], 42.25[y-variable], 2.08[z-variable])". Blitzkrieg IS 3d!

5- Now for the final part- click on this to generate your random heights.

*One last note on heights: keep in mind that areas with high elevation don't run very smoothly in the game (as in the editor)- black gaps appear at the top of the screen on the maps. This is not a fault nor problem with Blitzkrieg, but rather one of its limitations. Don’t let this prevent you from making a nice big hill, but keep that in mind.

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Part 4- Random Fields Generator

This is a real boost for creating BK maps. Believe me.

First, on the left tab, click on the "Terrain" tab, there are 3 tabs there called "Tiles", "Heights", and "Fields". We're interested in the tab called "Fields". Click on it.

Now you see various stuff. I'm not sure what all the boxes mean/effect, but check all of them- just in case :) .

Next, select a field in the "Available fields" box (you may have to widen the instrument panel to see the numbers). Here's what they mean:

(You can actually use any field on any map, only the terrain tiles will get messed up. Avoid this by laying the terrain somewhere else, and laying a field normal to your season where you want the field from the other season to be. Then, delete all the objects on the ‘normal’ field, and drag all the objects from the other one onto it.)

SUMMER

00- plains with bushes

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01- SWAMPS 02- deciduous FOREST; with a few ravines 03- wheat plain; with light brush border; Y-axis 04- same as no.03, but aligned with the x- axis 05- fir forest; less dense than 02 06- less dense forest; with no ravines 07- (fall?) forest, with few trees, many without leaves; random log cabins; small ravines 08- same as no.07, but with fir trees 09- bare ground with border of spare bushes; at times, a Russian shed; all terrain objects on Y- axis 10- same as 09, but with no sheds; and all terrain objects aligned with the x- axis

SPRING

00- spring plain, with a few bushes 01- SWAMP; few bushes (and w/out leaves) 02- same as 05, but more varying terrain 03- planting ground; Y-axis 04- planting ground; X-axis 05- forest without leaves and some snow 06- same as 05, but with some FIR trees

AFRICA

00- rippled sand; no terrain objects 01- oasis 02- varying terrain with small dunes 03- dry ground with dry terrain

WINTER

00- wind-blown terrain with thick brush 01- snow-covered field surrounded by brush with trees+watery terrain 02- forest with fir trees 03- garden surrounded by spare bushes and trees 04- light forest with no fir trees

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JUNGLE- These fields are made by CorpBob. You can access these in the Map Editor by placing the file “Fieldsets.pak” (included with the tutorial) into the Blitzkrieg Data folder.

01-swamp with palms on borders 02-light jungle forest 03-thick jungle forest 04-border of palms with space in the middle-- for lakes???

Now, once you've selected the field you want, move your cursor to the map. As you click the mouse in various places, you will see numerous segments created. These will be the outer limits of your field (you may at times want these to be slightly beyond the actual borders you want).

Once you have your shape, double-click for the polygon to complete itself. Now you can move the vertices if you want to by dragging them around. Note that after the next step, you will NOT be able to alter the field; you'll only be able to manually clear it by deleting the objects in it.

Once you are satisfied with the polygon and the field, double-click anywhere to have the field created. This may take a few seconds.

Now you have a professional field, with randomly placed terrain, simple, and flora objects placed in your field. Note that you may have to enlarge your field to get the entire result.

Your field is done! Experiment and tweak with it to fully understand how it works. On the whole, though, it’s a life saver.

Map Artist's Note: you can make another field on top of the one you made to double the amount of objects in it. What does this give you? Denser forests, primarily. Hope the player has the Tank Passability mod!

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Lesson 3- Units, Objects, Fences, and Bridges

Part 1: Units and Objects

=> Intro: Basically, setting units and objects is an easy task. Positioning them such that they present a tactical challenge to the player is another, usually much more challenging matter. Here, we will cover the things in between the two.

[Map “In Berlin” from the Great patriotic War Campaign.]

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3- This dropdown box has a wide selection of objects and units, and contains some objects (such as pillboxes [which have their own filter], some cisterns, and Watch Towers) not available in the common filters above them.

4- These allow you to create a custom filter. I made one once when I was making some destroyed cities near Berlin to conveniently include debris, craters, and the "Garbage" objects together. However, I lost this filter when my map editor crashed, due to the issue just mentioned above.

This tool is just a matter of convenience, so we will not look into it beyond this.

5- Here you can adjust the angle of the unit you have placed and selected, or adjust the angle at which new units will be placed. Just drag the line around and

1- This is the objects sub-sub tab. This is the first thing you usually see when you click on the "Objects, Fences, Bridges" subtab. 2- Basic filters. These filters you will use most often, and so they are available right in front of you. Click on one or a combination to see the units or objects which are included there.

A note to modders: where you place custom objects, buildings, and units of your mod will affect which filter the mapper will have to use to select them. In the bad scenario, the "All" selection will be needed. Keep that in mind when compiling a mod, and especially when you're trying to find your units in the map editor afterwards!

Finally, beware of anything which has a "No Icon" thumbnail. Firstly, this means that it is not an original game unit, and could be just a faulty modobjects.xml or objects.xml entry. If so, trying to place this unit on the map will crash your editor, as the entry leads to a folder which doesn’t exist. In this case, you will lose everything on your map which you haven't saved. Keep your modobjects.xml files clean!

This is another reason why I prefer thumbnails over a list. Always try to have a thumbnail (icon.tga file) for the custom units you put in a mod. Even if it’s just a British flag.

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you will notice how it moves and the angle value changes. You can also do it manually to each unit under the unit properties, but I never bothered with this feature, which is more for informational purposes.

6- Here you select which player the units you place will belong to. Usually, 0 is the player, 1 is the computer (enemy), and 2 is neutral, although sophisticated mappers can add sides and allot units to them- ie: set troops which will fight on the players side, but the player can't control them. 7- you choose how you want the units to be represented: with a thumbnail or in a list. As I said, Thumbnails are more recognizable and can warn you of a faulty modobjects.xml or objects.xml entry which would crash your editor.

Just to reiterate on the unit properties of selected unit/object shown in the bottom toolbar:

8- Unit/Object name 9- Unit/object's Script ID number 10-X/Y position of unit/object on map.

Also note I have the ranges turned on, and in the "SELECTION" mode. Long-range artillery and AA guns also have their ranges shown on the minimap.

Unit and Object Properties Window

Now let’s explore the unit and object properties window. This can be brought up by either double clicking on a unit, object, or trench, or alternatively, you can bring it up by hitting the Spacebar to bring up the properties of the Unit(s) and/or Object(s) YOU HAVE SELECTED.

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1- Units line: this usually tells you if any of the selected units are linked, meaning whether they're hitched to another unit. Double click on the field which notes that a unit is linked (ie: “1 units linked”) to detatch an artillery unit from a truck, unhitch a railway car, remove infantry from a truck or house, and to remove a squad from a trench (in this case, be sure to open the properties box for the section of the trench containing the squad in the editor (the same sections you see when building a trench)- double click just under the squad).

2- This shows you, as noted previously, at what angle the unit(s) is/are positioned at. The units I have selected are set at differing angles, so in this case the box just reads "..."

3- Script ID. You'll probably bring up this property most often just to set the Unit or Object Script ID. This is used in order for the script to understand which units or objects on the map you are talking about. In this case, all the units appear together as a reinforcement group- no. 400 (you can set any number you want, as long as it’s a number). “-1” appears in this slot if the unit/object always appears at startup. A unit/object with just an assigned script ID will do the same. You will need to add a reinforcement group of the same number to prevent this (if needed). More on this in Lesson 6- Reinforcement Groups and Start Commands.

4- Scenario Unit True/False. This is used to label units as core units. Obviously, for BK, this just applies to armor and artillery, although you can set this for many things. Note that the T-34/85 unit at the bottom right corner of the picture is highlighted in

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blue. This means that it IS a scenario unit (TRUE). You can set this using the dropdown box.

NOTE: Units/objects labeled as TRUE DO NOT APPEAR ON MAP unless they are called for, in which instance, the map must be part of a chapter (which in turn may be part of a campaign), in which the exact unit is specified. If you have more core unit "slots on the map" (ie: how many units are highlighted) than core units, the game will only use as many as there are core units in the player's possession. These are assigned randomly. Conversely, you can use this to limit the core units used.

5- Specify unit/object player side. After setting a unit/object, you can still change what side it is on using this dropdown box. Not available for all objects, as are most of the other lines in the property box.

NOTE: IN-GAME, MINES WILL ALWAYS APPEAR ON THE SIDE ON WHICH YOU ORIGINALLY PLACED THEM ON THE MAP. CHANGING THIS PROPERTY FOR THEM DOES NOT WORK IN-GAME!

6- Health. Here you can specify how much health the selected unit or object has. As this can also be done using the damage tool at a much faster pace, I only used this for setting the health of infantry, as their health bars aren't always seen in the Map Editor.

7- select formation type. Used for squads; self-explanatory.

Now here is where turning off the “Align Objects to Grid” tool comes in necessary: [next page]

Making good maps requires good, creative object placement. Just recently I was plagued by having to make 4 Russian villages on the map, plagued with the small amount or Russian village buildings in the game. So I improvised, as always. Here's how:

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Every object in Blitzkrieg can be used in at least 3 different ways. Like the village houses which allow themselves to be blended together. If you enjoy making maps, you probably like diversity, and this is brought by creative use of the objects made available to you. The key is in close-fitting the objects.

çWAS

BECAMEè

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In 5 minutes, you can make this:

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Combination of ravines and height editing:

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Make a ship to support the player’s troops with heavy artillery (Bunkers from HeimatfronT mod).

Stalingrad (from the Great patriotic War Campaign):

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Hangars are a problem in BK (some good ones can be found in the HeimatfronT mod), but at least the dirt roads make good runways. An Airfield from the Great Patriotic War Campaign:

A peaceful beach from the same campaign.

Note effective use of varying water opacities (See Lesson 4- Trenches, Roads, and Rivers), and underlying sand tiles.

Sewer ditches down lower too make a good obstacle course- if you want.

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Above: Using terrain objects, craters, and debris to replicate the aftermath of a bombing raid.

I learned many ideas from other maps; I found Dmitry M. - one of the original BK mappers to be a great master at both detailed maps, but also at extremely efficient unit and object placement. He would position an 88mm AA gun so that even in easy difficulty, you'd lose some KV-1s storming a village.

As far as units are concerned, it’s easier for you to just play many maps and see how different authors arrange their units differently. Learn from them.

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Part 2: Fences

This is pretty straightforward. The one catch is that the direction in which you make (drag, really) the fence DOES MATTER, and determines which side of the fence will be facing the player. I only bother with this if I'm making wired fences.

NOTE: In regular BK, none of the fences are passable to infantry, even the small ones. Included with this tutorial is a file called “Fences.zip”. It makes certain fences passable to infantry units, allowing you to use the fences much more liberally, without worrying about the player’s infantry. To use this function, rename the file to “Fences.PAK” and stick it in your game’s data folder. You can also distribute this with your maps, or add it to your mod. I don’t see any possible way that this file would alter anything- unless you or the player has already modified the fences.

Just credit bkfan41 when you distribute it.

Map Artist's Note: When making barbed wire fences, first lay out the "WireFence" fence as you like, and then directly over it, lay the fence called "E_FieldFence".

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Part 3: Bridges

Making these is pretty straightforward. Some key aspects of them, however, are not straightforward at all. Here they are:

1. An often mistake by new mappers: RAILROAD BRIDGES MUST HAVE RAIL UNDER THEM! One Piece. All the way, along the bridge, under the river, and out the other side. Trains can go only on tracks. The tracks on the RR bridge are just images, and do not have the same property.

2. To delete a constructed bridge, simply hover your mouse over it WITH THE "BRIDGES" SUB-SUB TAB OPEN, and hit the Delete key.

3. To make WOODEN BRIDGES 'buildable', hover your mouse over the constructed WOODEN bridge as if you were going to delete it, but instead hit the Enter key. It will be then highlighted in blue, like a core unit.

4. Bridges cannot be damaged or destroyed in the map editor. Only known way so far is by scripting or in-game action. You can, however, try getting a heavy rocket launcher (better two) like the BM-31-12 or the Nebelwerfer 42 to make an artillery bombardment on the bridge using start commands ("ART_BOMBARDMENT" command).

5. Remember: NOTHING can pass under ANY bridge in Blitzkrieg.

Below: Screen of RR roads and bridges from the Great Patriotic War Campaign.

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Lesson 4- Trenches, Roads, and Rivers

Part 1: Trenching

ð Intro: Making basic trenches is pretty straightforward, but there are a few tricky spots, and you will just have to play around with this to learn the necessary mouse movements to make small details in them, and master entrenching.

So, open the "Entrenchments, Roads, Rivers" subtab on the left toolbar. Select the "Entrenchments" sub-sub tab, and then click on the map where you want the trench to begin.

Next, move the mouse in the direction where you want the trench to go. Remember, the little lines on one of the sides of the appearing red line signify the direction in which the trench (and, consequently, the soldiers in it) will face.

If you want just a straight trench, just double click when you get the desired length.

If you want to continue, and want a curve in your trench, click ONCE, and then move the mouse in the direction where you want the trench to go now.

Deleting trenches is the same as deleting bridges, only you now have the "Entrenchments" sub-sub tab open, and press Delete.

You can assign script IDs to trenches by double clicking on them. However, I have no experience with landing them as reinforcements, so try to find a senior mapper if you have a need for that.

Similarly, landing infantry inside trenches (as with buildings) is a challenge, which I don't believe can be completed. You can, however, try landing the infantry and the trench simultaneously, as one reinforcement.

Besides the possibility of bundling them as reinforcements, I have seen no difference between single, straight strands of trenches and long, continuous and curvy ones, with the exception of the visual appeal.

Map Artist’s Note: watch out for differences in elevation, as this will mess up your trenches and gaps will appear in them. You can try to compensate for this with dark terrain underneath. Also, lay a 3x3 tile of dark ground under trenches to give the player a bit of a break, and warn him in time of the enemy positions.

Unless, of course, the troops in them are veteran and know better. ;)

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Part 2: Roads

Here, I am going to borrow a very nice tutorial on road making, use, and opacities made by Aleksej fon Grozni and posted on the now defunct Blitzkrieg Portal Forums several years ago.

1. Making normal road (road size) Now, I saw many roads on maps that are bigger than airfield runway. I personally don't like it but, 100 people, 100 tastes This is how I make a "normal" road. First, I place the road:

Then I place two trucks one near other...that's a two way road, nice to have it. :)

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2. Fading road Ok, I learned this after MANY hours of getting angry (only because I had no idea how to do it) First, place a road. Take a look of red dots for road placement, place them like I did.

Now click and set it up. You'll have this:

Road opacity should be 100% .

Select "Single point" in the menu on your left, above the road types. Now, right mouse button click and hold on yellow dots, I marked them, left or right, doesn't matter.

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Now, move your mouse (while still holding right button) down.

You have one part of the road fading away. Nice Next is to place another road, different type next to it and place it but this time we will place dot number 5 on the opposite side. Make it fade just like you did on dirt road, by pressing and holding right mouse button on the yellow circle and moving mouse toward you.

Now, select "All points" on your menu to the left, above the road types. Left click on any red dot of asphalt road and pull it toward dirt road and Voilla, you have two roads linked real nice... Now it's up to your creativity.

3. Making different uses for roads Now, you have also some different purposes for roads, first let's make it on a trench. Place a trench and paint around it with "Dark ground” texture like I did:

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Now, use "Road_path" type of road (make sure Opacity is 80% or higher) and place dots like I did below. Now set the road and let's finalize it. You will get this:

Now, set up "All points" and left click and hold on any yellow points. Move mouse toward you and you will see road is widening. You have entrenchment with nice ground around it. Someone will like it, some not. It's up to your creativity to edit it and make it look better.

4. Some examples of road fitting to the ground Screenshots to show you how you can fit road to the ground:

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OK, so I’ll add a little more to Aleksej’s Tutorial: here is what I got at my attempt in making some tram lines in the city of Belgorod for the Great Patriotic War Campaign:

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As Aleksej said, experiment and see what you like- it’s your map. In the end, people will appreciate the creativity.

Lastly, some notes on Railroads:

1. Common width should be 6. I’m writing the tutorial, so I will take the liberty to say that it has to be 6. :P Not wider like a runway, not narrower like a gutter. Hehe. It says so in the official BK Map Editor manual.

2. Railroads should be one, continuous piece, from one end of the map to the other end, or to wherever it is supposed to end. As said earlier, I there is a railroad bridge on the way, lay the road underneath, the same single piece. The train uses the bridge, but follows the railroad. ;) You can then make train-usable segments off of the road, like so:

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Have the first two points of the new railroad align with the center of the old one, and then set the points going away from the original, as seen above.

While we’re here- Tools:

1- Single Point road adjustment. Use this to extend roads, move parts of a road around, and fade or change the width of sections of the road. The nicest road fade when you have road tracks coming onto, say, a paved road, is to have the last point of the track road on the paved road to be 0% opacity, and the one before it to be around 30%. (fading is not needed for railroads)

2- All Points road adjustment. Use this for changing the opacity or width of the entire road, or to move the whole road.

3&4- shows the width of the last road on which you edited the width. This will also be the width of a new road that you make. You can adjust the number if needed. Same for opacity, only that is in %.

Part 3: Rivers

Rivers share almost everything with roads, including with, set-up, and opacity.

It is noteworthy that there are three types of “rivers”- ones with flowing water and sandbanks (DefaultRiver”), one with banks and water flowing rather slowly to the side (“Lake”), and one like the previous one, just with no banks (“Water”). That one

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is transparent near the sides, and can be made to be transparent overall. These three rivers have different uses. See below:

To the left and to the right of the sandy river section are the two rivers with banks. The one in the middle is called just “water” in the map editor. As you can see, decreasing its opacity to around 60% makes the sand below visible, but so is the water. Don’t overuse this feature- above, I set the center and upper half of the river to have the DarkGround tile underneath it so it doesn’t look as transparent overall, as it is in the sandy section, with the bright tiles underneath it. Playing with rivers is fun:

Map Artist’s Note: for swamps, ponds, and rivers, you can use the terrain object called “Flower07” found under the “TerrainObjects” common filter. Use patches of ~7 or more of the objects and set their lower halves in the water, close to the shore (make sure it’s not a beach) to imitate water weeds, lilies, whatever. Credit for that one goes to Dmitry M. and his Finland 1944 minimod. As I said, look and learn. ;)

Map Artist’s Note: at an opacity of 64% and at larger widths (about 16), the Africa rivers make a good African coastline with their sandy bottoms.

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Map Artist’s Note: in winter scenarios with rivers, set patches of ice (terrain objects “W_DirtDark04” and “W_Snow01” shown on the river to the right) to simulate ice floes (opacity for that river is about 70%, just so it’s not too blue).

If the water is supposed to be frozen, decrease the opacity to 20-30% (~22% preferred), and lay down the Iceberg tile below it. Thus, the river is frozen over, but has a thin crust of ice, so it’s still impassable, but one can see the water flowing beneath- where the fresh ice hasn’t been blow over with snow yet (I used terrain objects “W_DirtDark04”, “W_RavineLittle10”, and “W_RavineLittle06” for that). In parts, you can even have the river fade out to yield an impression that areas of it are completely frozen over and are safe to use (I credit LaPlata’s Esternach map for that idea. It takes a while, but this is a Map Artist’s note. ;)

OK, so one last challenge: how do you get around the fact that the gaps in the river will appear on the large minimap (especially if there are a lot of them)? You make a fooling minimap, of course! When you have everything done and perfect on your map, including the frozen passages, run a fresh river of similar size over all the rivers which contain the frozen sections. Next, create the minimap. Include the created files in the “Maps” folder of your final product. The game won’t make new minimaps if they are already available. Finally, simply delete the new river(s) you created, and save the map.

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Lesson 5- Script Areas, Air support, and Damage OK, under the “Map Tools” subtab, you will find that you have a choice between two tools: “Damage Tool” and “Script Area Tool”. Let’s look at their uses and features.

Part 1: Damage

This tool is pretty straightforward. It is especially useful when replicating some battered forces of the player (ie: as remnants of a previous battle); it this case, I use set 20% in the available box.

Now, each time you click on a building or unit, 20% will be deducted from its health. Each time you right-click on the unit using this tool, 20% will be added to its health. Obviously, 100% and 0.9999% health are the limits to which you can raise/lower the health of units. For houses, the lower limit is 0%.

When making wrecked houses, I use 50% damage. Thus, I can make a building to look damaged, but it still retains 50% of its health, so it is still feasible to position infantry inside it. Clicking on the damaged hose once more will destroy the house. A combination of 50% and 100% destroyed houses make a nice, destroyed environment, which is still of some tactical value in Blitzkrieg.

One caution: using this in very fast, long sequences may cause the editor to crash, so just save the map before you plan on adding some serious damage.

Part 1.2: Destroyed Units

Now say you want to have destroyed units. This matter takes us a bit outside of the Map Editor, but since it’s meant to enhance maps, we’ll look at it. There are 2 methods.

Method 1:

OK, so take the unit folder of the unit you want to have destroyed. If you want a regular BK unit, take its map from the Data.pak file. Extract it by renaming the file to Data.zip; don’t forget to rename it back into PAK, as FILES WITH .ZIP EXTENSIONS IN THE GAME’S OR MOD’S DATA DIRECTORY WILL CAUSE BOTH THE GAME AND THE EDITOR TO CRASH WHILE LOADING BLITZKRIEG OR MOD. Now, navigate to the same unit folder in Textures.pak in the same way, and extract the unit’s folder from there; remember to rename the file to .PAK once you’re done. Now merge the folders, and delete all the files with the first character in their name being 1 (ie: 1_h.dds). Then, copy all the files with the first character “2” (ie: 2_h.dds) to another folder. There, swap all the 2s for 1s in their names, and put them back into the unit folder.

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Finally, create a new modobjects.xml entry for the new unit (ask a modder on how to do this). What you have is a unit which has a destroyed texture for both its normal and destroyed states. Be sure to set them as neutral on the map.

Method 2:

This tutorial is taken from Blitzkrieg portal. It is written by [BKP]. I thank Viriato13’s BKPE site for safekeeping it.

Destroyed Units Tutorial

This article explains how to add destroyed units onto maps to simulate the aftermath of previous combat, for example, by setting the units hit points to -100. Unfortunately this isn’t possible using the Map Editor application. A work around is to save the map in XML format and then manually edit each unit:

1. Add the units that you want to ‘destroy’ on to your map. It may be easier to do this before you add units of the same type which are not going to be destroyed unless you make a note of the coordinates. Double-click each unit and change the Player value to 2 to set them as neutral. Alternatively you can do this when you edit the XML file later.

IMPORTANT: Artillery units (anti-tank guns, artillery, rocket launchers) etc can be ‘destroyed’ but they will be manned if you re-supply near them during gameplay and because they are neutral they will not be usable.

2. Save the map in XML format – ‘Save in XML’ option on the File menu or from the toolbar.

3. Shutdown the Map Editor application.

4. Open up the map saved in XML format using any XML editor. Best results (in terms of speed as map files can be quite large) are gained by using Notepad.

5. Search for the unit names in the XML file. The unit name in the XML file is the same as that displayed in the status bar area of the Map Editor, for example ‘Opel_Maultier_Cargo’. Find the HP value for the unit (which will be before the units <name> tag) and change the HP value to read -100. If you didn’t do so in the editor you should set the Player value to 2 as well.

6. Once all units have been edited save the XML file and then load it in the Map Editor. Once you are satisfied that all the units required have been ‘destroyed’ you can save it again in BZM format from the toolbar or by using the ‘Save in BZM’ option on the File menu.

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Part 2: Script Areas

This too is very easy and self explanatory, just a few tips:

1. Don’t use whitespace characters (spaces, in other words) if you will be using the script area in a script. In fact, it’s best to use capital letters to separate words, such as “GermanReinforcement5Trigger”. Both numbers and letters are acceptable.

2. You can (and I actually recommend this) use script areas which you don’t plan on using in the script to organize your map- separate out areas, mark out units, such as which ones will arrive when, or which ones belong to which reinforcement group, to help you keep track of things.

Part 3: Air Support [Units Creation Info]

ð Intro: in a nutshell, here you will determine which country each side is fighting for, and also which planes will be available, how often, in what quantity, and where they will appear. Setting the menu so that some aircraft will appear in-game is pretty easy and self-explanatory. However, here, I will teach you to thoroughly understand this menu and its functions in-depth, and to the best of my abilities.

As a reminder, the icon to open this is the airplane (I for a long time saw it as a spindle top) looking sketch in the top toolbar. This function is also found under “Map” in the uppermost toolbar.

The system works much like Windows Explorer, with the pluses and minuses, and the expansions/collapses, so hopefully this is self-explanatory.

Screen is taken of Tobruk, in the Axis Campaign of the North Afrika mod.

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Here is[are] the menu(s):

1- Dropdown archive containing info for the certain player. Click on the + to expand its contents. 2- In the dropdown box, you can select which country the side is fighting for. This will affect the artillerymen, MG gunners, and engineers used by that side. 3- Dropdown archive containing the side’s aviation info. 4- Dropdown tab containing info on the type and quantity of aircraft available to that side.

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5- These are the different archives containing info on each of the available air support types.

Interchanging Airplane Types:

This is a good point to talk about interchanging aircraft types and the feasibility of doing so. I do not know the behavior of each aircraft unit in every position, but I will tell you what I know, and it’s up to you to experiment what you like.

Firstly, any aircraft can be used as a paradrop plane. Whether squads of men jumping out of a 1920s era two-seater agricultural biplane (Po-2) is realistic is up to you to decide. In any case, though, you should be cautious of allotting paradropers to the player, as they will most likely be able to have them land an endless source of snipers or infantry in the location of their choice, so make sure you have a way of limiting this via scripting, getting the planes destroyed (ie: allowing the AI to send fighters out after player’s paratroopers have landed in a certain area [in which case the amount of players units in an area could trigger a check], or landing enemy AA guns as reinforcements in the planes’ returning path).

Now, fighter planes AND ground attack planes can function as fighters, although some of the latter will be quite mediocre in combat due to their slow speed. Fighters can be used as paradropers, recon planes (if they have an on-land LOS; this is obvious if you try them in-game, and there are no such planes in regular BK), and perhaps to drag away enemy AA fire.

Any plane can be a scout, although, as mentioned, this will not be feasible for the fighters with no on-land LOS. You should also first check whether the actual range of the LOS and turn radius of the aircraft are suitable for this purpose. With that in mind, It may even be advisable to give the player a better recon aircraft, such as a Pe-2 on larger missions with more enemy troops and, consequently, AA guns. Actually, only the American P-38 Recon Plane is suitable for this role and has actually appeared in BK as a dedicated recon plane. In truth, however, it was built, foremost, as a long-range escort fighter plane, so this is the reason why it is perhaps the best recon plane.

Interchanging ground attack planes for bombers is a shady area, as it won’t work for some planes, but will work, I know for the Junkers 87 Stuka and the Hs-129B. This is useful to know, as the AI (meaning the enemy) will not call for ground attack planes to support its troops, unlike bomber aircraft. So if you want those Jerries to strafe and dive-bomb the player instead of just making bombing runs, give them to the enemy as bombers. I daresay that to avoid experimenting with what you

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want to do regarding these airplanes, with the exception of recon and paradropping tasks, you would have to be an experienced modeler of these units yourself. Even then, you will find that this varies from unit to unit in the aircraft fulfilling this specialized role.

Remember that most GAP planes of the time were originally either modified fighters or bombers. These properties are reflected in the game. The limitations are slow speed and low maneuverability for fighters, and weak bombs (if any) for bombers.

Lastly, bombers will not work as ground attack planes.

Map Artist’s Note: If there are no enemy units in the area, bombers will just circle around as if they’re recon planes. However, if there ARE enemies in the area, they will just fly straight across the map and just hang out there, invisible, until their time in the air runs out. With this in mind, this is perfect for ending those getaway missions, in which a plane just flies off across the map never to be seen again (or so the player thinks, lol).

OK, back to the menus:

6- In this dropdown box, you select which aircraft will fulfill this task in-game.

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7- Formation Size. Here, you select how many of those aircraft will appear each time that air support type is called. If the formation is larger than the plane count due to planes lost during the mission, the plane count then becomes the limiting factor which reflects on how many planes will appear. Similarly, if the formation size is smaller than the plane count, no more planes will appear than are allotted to the formation.

NOTE: if you set the plane formation to be larger than the plane count, then the formation size also becomes the plane count. Don’t do this to avoid possible confusion if you’re just learning.

8- Aircraft Count. OK, now think of it as if there’s an airbase. It doesn’t matter if you actually put one on the map or not. Just imagine there is one. Aircraft count stands for how many planes of that type there are in total at the airbase. So, according to what is allotted in the picture above (formation size=2; count=3), if the relax time expires before the formation of 2 aircraft return, the player will be able to call for the plane type again, cause there’s still one of those airplanes sitting on the airfield. And if both of those airplanes are shot down, there will just be the last airplane left to call. This applies to all aircraft types. However, only apply this thinking to the plane count.

Note: If you want the aircraft type to be available, the Count must be at least 1. Conversely, set this value to 0 to disable the aircraft type.

Note: as they don’t fly in a strict formation like paradropers and bombers (for which all the planes of a formation disappear off the map simultaneously), the rest of the aircraft types disappear one-by-one as the formation returns to its appear point. Thus, some gray area appears in the airfield scheme above, for as soon as a plane disappears, it can be called again.

9- select which squad will be dropped from the paratrooper plane(s), if this applies to the map. 10- Paratroop Squads Count. This is the number of specified squads which will be dropped from each paradrop plane. 11- Relax Time. This is the amount of time which the player (or AI) will have to wait between calls for air support. Experiment with this to get a feel for the timing, and then alter as necessary. Keep in mind, though, that planes were and are expensive stuff (probably the most expensive mass-produced combat equipment, in fact). Thus, there should be less planes available (or less often, whichever applies to the mission) than there are ground units available to both sides. 12- Double click on this to open up the Appear Points menu.

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13- Click this to add an appear point(s). You can put more than one, in which case the game will randomly decide where the next aircraft call will appear. Doing this or not purely depends on the mission scenario. 14- Delete appear point. Select a point by left-clicking on it, and then click this to delete it. 15- After selecting an appear point, you can click on this to edit it (as opposed to deleting it, whatever you prefer).

Map Artist’s Note: if possible (if neither coordinates go negative when you point your cursor to somewhere beyond the borders of a map on the edge of the map which will contain the appear point), try to set the aircraft appear points off the map (though not too far out) to delay the time before the aircraft appear on the map after they are called by at least a little bit, or at least so that they don’t spawn on the map (unless you want this, of course).

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Lesson 6- Reinforcement Groups and Start Commands

ð Intro: I’ll borrow and modify/add here from a tutorial made by my friend

Leon (RIP) and others. As he used to say, “No need to reinvent the wheel.”

Setting Script IDs to Units: Double click on scriptID and change it to the number you want. I prefer using numbers less than 1000 for my Player 0 and above 1000 for the AI. I also normally work in hundreds and 50’s. So in this case the armor will be 100 and the accompanying troops will be 150. Click the close button (x). I (Ocelo) prefer giving the AI reinforcements 10-100, 1-9 being any units which do not arrive as reinforcements but are rather on the map when the map starts and can be referenced in the script, and leaving 100-1000 for the player. As Aleksej said- 100 people, 100 tastes. Map Artist’s Note: in missions where the player has to defend against combined tank and infantry assaults, I give the units which need to be destroyed (ie: the tanks and armed APCs tanks) an ID as a multiple of 10 (ie: 20), the infantry which will attack together with these units an ID number 1 greater than the ID of those tanks (ie: 11, 21, 51- that way, the player doesn’t have to hunt down individual soldiers to complete the objective or requirement), and I give any other AI units arriving at the same time as those IDs like 12, 32, 82, etc. So, if a third enemy wave of reinforcements arrives, 30 will be the units the player needs to destroy (ie: tanks), 31 will be the infantry supporting those tanks, but which the player doesn’t have to destroy, and 32 would be supporting AI units arriving at the same time (ie: an artillery battery or resupply trucks). If one of those groups isn’t needed, the number is simply not used.

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Important quote by LouisXIV on the matter: Part 2: Start Commands ð Intro: Using the Start commands is easy and similar for most.

Click on Reinforcement Groups in the Workspace Bar.

Click New Group. Enter the group number in the box and click OK

Click on the Group that has now been created. The word AddGroupWithScriptID will now become available at the bottom of the workspace bar. Fill in the same number that the units have been given. Press OK and the group has been created. The little tick marks that you can place in the little square actually just toggles the see/no see of the units in the editor. Save map and call reinforcements via the script.

“Please note that you can add a Reinforcement Group number that doesn't have an a actual unit or units assigned to it. Then you can Add Groups with ScriptID--More than one group with more than one ScriptID. That way you can land the whole reinforcement at once, or just part of it. In other words, you can create Reinforcement Group 200 which contains Groups with ScriptID 2001, 2002, and 2003. If you LandReinforcement 200, the whole lot will show up; if you

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After placing a unit on the map as I have done here you select the unit and then the unit and then the Unit tab on the Top bar. (You can alternatively use the buttons in the top toolbar)

A new box appears. As such: What does it all mean? Command is the one we are going to change. Units: How many units have been selected to do this command. Position X and Position Y: coordinates of where the command is located (this is not set yet). Parameter-? I really don’t know and have seen no references to it as yet. OK we have double clicked on the Command (which indicates STOP in the previous picture) and then scrolled up or down to MOVE_TO and clicked on it. Now click on the map where you want the Tiger to move to: The co-ordinates are added in and the Tiger is ready to go. Close the box.

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Part 2.2: Start Command Sequences OK, I’ll take over from here to expand on start command sequences more thoroughly. Why: I have a thing for maps: they are the most important part of the game. I feel at home here, and I like to do as much as I can on the BZM files, so as to keep everything in one piece, rather than having bits of instructions to units in the LUA file and only having a sea of ScriptIDs as a whiff of all that. This is also a

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much more visual method of doing this, and is more foolproof. Having said that, I’ll reveal the one advantage of using in-script commands: they can make a unit move/whatever at a certain point in the mission, rather than being limited to when it appears on the map. So now, once you have specified the first command to the unit, you will need to add all the other commands from a special list. Here it is:

In the background, you see a “masterpiece of start commands”: an entire German convoy arrives to supplement the German defenses on Seelow Heights (Great Patriotic War). Each has its own purpose: some attack (ie: JadgTiger), some provide lethal AA defenses against the Sturmoviks (Wirbelwind), some deploy artillery. Which is what I have selected: an Opel with three functions: Deploy a Nebelwerfer42, unload the infantry inside at the front lines, and then replace any killed artillery crew at an artillery battery. Menu Tools: 1- Add a command to the sequence (will be placed at the end) 2- Edit a command in the sequence: as you cannot change the order of the commands (which can be a real pain), use this to recycle unwanted commands (you can change everything about a selected command with this feature). 3- Remove a selected command from the sequence.

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Part 2.3: Useful Start Commands Index ð Intro: Here I have a list of the start commands I have used. The commands

NOT listed here did not work when I tried them. Command: AMBUSH Units: Squads, tanks, guns What the command does: Places the selected units in the "ambush" mode. Notes: very useful for certain types of defenses; you choose. Command: ART_BOMBARDMENT Units: Mortars, artillery, mobile artillery What the command does: Bombards the co-ordinates XY Notes: same as the in-game command “Suppressive Fire”. Cannot be stopped besides, perhaps, scripting. Can be sequenced (ie: fire in various locations) only for rocket launchers which do not expend all their ammo in one salvo (ie: nebelwerfers). Command: ATTACK_OBJECT Notes: does not work; crashes the game when attempted. Command: ATTACK_UNIT Notes: does not work; crashes the game when attempted. Command: BUILD_BRIDGE Notes: does not work; crashes the game when attempted. Command: CLEARMINE Units: Engineers What the command does: Tells the engineer truck where to remove mines. Notes: Especially for minefields, use a generous amount of these, and make sure there is nothing which can impede the clearing of ALL mines, unless the unit is expected to have a short life expectancy (lol). Command: DEPLOY_ARTILLERY Units: Trucks capable of towing a unit What the command does: Moves the truck towing the piece of arty to the specified position and then unhitches the arty. Notes: be sure the artillery piece will be deployed facing the correct direction. Use “ROTATE_TO”, have the truck move a bit in the opposite direction, or both to do this. Command: DISBAND_FORMATION Units: Squads What the command does: Disbands the squads - it does work

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Notes: units from squad do not follow start commands after this. Command: ENTRENCH_SELF Units: Artillery, tanks, Mortars, MGs What the command does: Tells the units to entrench themselves at their last position Notes: don’t need to change coordinate (can use (0,0) regardless of position). Command: FORM_FORMATION Units: Squads What the command does: tells the squad to reassemble – doesn’t work as squads do not follow start commands after disbanding (the game thinks the unit is gone). Command: MOVE_TO Units: All units that can move, including mortars and MGs. What the command does: Tells the unit to move to specified location without attacking any enemy units. Notes: must use this for trucks and all other units (ie: artillery) which cannot perform attack moves. Command: PLACE_ANTITANK Units: Engineer truck What the command does: Selected engineer truck builds an antitank obstacle at selected location Command: PLACE_MINE Units: Engineer truck What the command does: selected engineer truck places 2 AP mines at selected location Command: RANGE_AREA Units: Artillery, mortars, mobile artillery What the command does: zero in on specified location Notes: cannot be sequenced; does not work for rocket artillery and artillery without the in-game “Zero In” ability. Command: REPAIR Units: Engineer vehicle What the command does: Repairs the units in the close vicinity of the specified location Command: RESUPPLY Units: Supply trucks What the command does: Offloads ammunition to units and squads at specified location.

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Command: RESUPPLY_HUMANS Units: Supply trucks What the command does: Resupplies HUMANS at specified location. Notes: works on all squads, friendly artillery, as well as neutral artillery which can be manned. Command: ROTATE_TO Units: all units able to move, including squads What the command does: Tells the unit/squad to rotate so its front is facing the XY cords Command: STAND_GROUND Units: all units able to move What the command does: units do not move from specified(?) location. Notes: useful to hold units in place which would normally move out to attack enemies they can see. Command: STOP Units: All units What the command does: Stop what they are doing at that stage Notes: don’t need to change coordinate (can use (0,0) regardless of position). Command: SWARM_TO Units: - Mobile fighting units and squads What the command does: Advances in aggressive mode attacking anything on the way to specified location. Command: UNLOAD Units: All units carrying infantry What the command does: Unload the infantry at specified location Notes: if location is not where the unit carrying the infantry is at that point, unit will first move to the location before unloading the infantry. Command: UNINSTALL Units: most artillery What the command does: artillery units are “packed” (ie: Karl Mortar is not in firing position). Notes: after a few seconds, the gun is installed again. I am not sure as to the use of this, except perhaps to delay artillery from firing on enemy units in their LOS. Command: USE_SPYGLASS Units: Snipers, officers, squads with officers What the command does: The unit with the binoculars uses them in the direction of the XY co-ords.

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Lesson 7: Random Maps ð Using regular BK random maps, this tool works well. However, considering the

amount of random mission the average BK player has played, I would recommend AGAINST using these, UNLESS you have a unique idea in mind. However, making one of these maps and moving the features around (ie: rivers, villages, RR stations, adding new positions), which is fun to play and not too difficult, especially for a MOD, I personally STRONGLY RECOMMEND, and I believe many others would agree with me. Moreover, I believe it’s a great start for those who are looking to learn scripting, using the Random Script Generator from [BKP], of course! So first, let’s explore this type of safe, foolproof method of making random maps.

Part 1: Regular Blitzkrieg Random Maps

As you open the Map Editor, select File => “Create Random Map”:

Now, you will get a menu like this:

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1- select the template around which the mission will be based. This essentially determines what the mission will be like (recall in BK there were escort missions, tactical know missions, etc.). You can increase the width of this menu to see the full, descriptive names of the templates.

2- This determines what kind of units will go on the map. Based on the chapter (consequently-its date), this will determine how advanced the units are, and also what side will be which (the first side name in the path will be the player’s side).

3- setting: select which objects will go on the map.

4- select which direction the “camera” will be from. Essentially, I think the game realigns the missions to face different ways. This is why the original BK random maps are so diverse.

5- choose this to save the map in BZM format. If you plan on altering it with the Blitzkrieg XML Map Tools by [BKP], don’t check this box to have the map saved in XML format.

6- choose whether you want the in-game minimap to be created at the same time. When picking around at many maps to find the one you want, this will save you a step- and time.

There are a lot more gray areas with this part of the game than perhaps any other. Very few people I know have mastered this aspect of it (though not all that many have been interested). Undoubtedly the most remarkable achievements have been made with the Solvgang Random Maps alteration, which quite thoroughly remakes (or rather, replaces) every random map, greatly increasing their size, the variation of the objectives, and doesn’t sacrifice any quality in the maps themselves. However, I daresay that the last time I played this modification, something crashed the Soviet campaign at the beginning of the Leningrad chapter, and I’m not sure if the Market Garden chapter works in the Allied campaign. However, the achievements of the author are truly remarkable, and he has my high respect in any event. Now, I hope the creator of the random missions campaigns won’t kill me for saying this, but these maps are truly wonderful bases for future missions. Moreover, they fit quite well for modification, and provide a wide range of mission possibilities. Finally, their large size means that [hopefully], you won’t crowd the player on these large maps, and give him some tactical freedom for a true Blitzkrieg, but not without a grain of salt- let the AI keep a grip on him in artillery, air, or armor supremacy.

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Again, as I haven’t been able to play these random maps much and suspect a similar story for a number of Blitzkrieg players, I strongly encourage new mappers to base their first missions off them. To make them more unique, I furthermore suggest making them for some mod, for example (and especially)- the newly published, wonderful, and little-used Panzerwaffen Mod. Again, I am sorry if I have treaded on the toes of the creator of the wonderful random missions mod. For another similar tutorial with a more hands-on approach, see this topic by LouisXIV: http://www.cdv-forum.com/cdvboard/english/showthread.php?t=56871

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Part 8: Notes ð Intro: Though not a formal lesson, this section was written to help new

Blitzkrieg mappers familiarize with the applications of Blitzkrieg available, as well as where to ask for support.

Part 1: Sites There are several sites with active BK communities. You can ask for help, collaborate with others, as well as publish you works here: Panzer-Blitz: a great medium-sized (and growing) English site run by Aleksej fon Grozni Link: http://www.panzer-blitz.com/home CDV forums- Blitzkrieg Mod Forum: though a largely empty place, along with several other members, I check the site daily. If you wish to contact me, you can do so here, and if you have any mapping, modding, or scripting issues, post them here. Link: http://www.cdv-forum.com/cdvboard/english/forumdisplay.php?f=8 Blitzkrieg Portal en Espanol: Although primarily a Spanish-speaking site, you can find new as well as old articles, maps, and tools, as well as comment on them in both Spanish and English. It holds much content from Blitzkrieg Portal, and is an active site. Link: http://blitzkrieg-es.net/ Souyz Union Forum: though primarily a Russian speaking site, you can find assistance and info on the GZM mod and other projects, as well as some great community created content on this site. Link to English Subforum: http://union.4bb.ru/viewforum.php?id=22 Part 2: Applications, Tools, and Tutorials Below is a link to this section on the Blitzkrieg en Espanol site. It is the best collection of Blitzkrieg tools readily available online that I know of. [Descriptions of tools/tutorials contain English translations as well.] Link to Tools section: http://blitzkrieg-es.net/tag/tools/ Link to Tutorials section: http://blitzkrieg-es.net/tag/tutoriales/ Here is a link to a couple of very helpful tutorials by Aleksej fon Grozni on Panzer-Blitz: Link: http://www.panzer-blitz.com/developing-tools

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Part 3: Blitzkrieg Mods As I said, mapping in mods is very welcome, and is often more fun. Here are links to some of the main mods I personally recommend modding in, due to the mods’ popularities, content, and user friendliness: HeimatfronT mod Download: Link: http://www.panzer-blitz.com/mods/58-full-mods/168-heimatfront-mod-102 There is a roll-up version of this mod available, containing a large majority of all the released maps for the mod which I can upload upon request at the CDV forum, Blitzkrieg section (or email me). Panzerwaffen Mod (a new mod; great skins and objects; demand for new maps is quite big): Link: http://blitzkrieg-es.net/panzerwaffen-mod-english/ North Afrika Mod- a mod by myself and others; It needs some more maps, particularly for Britain. Info here: http://www.cdv-forum.com/cdvboard/english/showthread.php?t=60188 Iron Frost: Western Front mod for Mission Kursk: http://www.panzer-blitz.com/mods/58-full-mods/150-iron-frost-western-front A more modern mod: CSLA 1.1 mod (I can upload the 1.2 version upon request on CDV forum): http://www.panzer-blitz.com/mods/58-full-mods/135-csla-11-mod Solvgang Random Map Mod: I can upload this mod upon request by email or at the CDV forums, BK section. Link to info on the soon-to-be-released GZM 7.0 Mod: http://union.4bb.ru/viewtopic.php?id=359 Part 4: Campaigns If you’re just looking for a thorough campaign, try these out: The Great Patriotic War Campaign: http://www.panzer-blitz.com/blitzkrieg-maps/51-blitzkrieg-custom-campaigns/136-great-patriotic-war-custom-campaign Achtung Panzer! Campaign: http://www.panzer-blitz.com/blitzkrieg-maps/51-blitzkrieg-custom-campaigns/176-achtung-panzer-custom-campaign Motherland Calls Campaign: http://www.panzer-blitz.com/mods/59-map-mods/180-motherland-calls-custom-campaign

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Moscow to Berlin: a Soviet campaign for the HeimatfronT mod (Click on the main 12MB file): http://blitzkrieg-es.net/hf-moscow-to-berlin/ Part 5: Last Note If you need assistance with making mods or maps, things/problems related to those, wish to collaborate on a project, need some files (ie: mods), you may contact me at: ocelo4@gmail.com My best wishes of luck, happiness, and success in Blitzkrieg Mapping and collaborating with its diverse, friendly communities.

Ocelo, September 6, 2009