Creating a New Map — Step-by-Step Guide

  1. In the Main Menu, select Extras → Map Editor

  2. Inside the editor interface, click the "New" button.

  3. In the window that opens, select the desired map size and click the green "Create" button at the bottom of the window.

    ❗ In the current version of the editor, the name and description specified here DO NOT matter. Instead, they are determined later — during the first save and in the course of further configuration.

  4. Immediately after the new empty map appears, click the "Save As" button — perform the initial save.

    ❗ File **your_map_name**.map ****will not appear in the game folder (i.e. the map will not exist) until the initial save has been made.

  5. In the window that opens, click the green "Save As" button at the bottom of the list. Optionally, you can first open a different subfolder within the list in order to save the map outside the general folder. But it will need to be opened from that same location every time.

    <aside> 💡

    The notification "MAP SAVED", appearing in the center of the screen, means the map has been successfully saved.

    </aside>

❗Steps 6, 7, 8, and 9 are mandatory — they ensure the map is saved correctly.

  1. Exit the editor to the Main Menu by clicking the "X" button in the top right corner.
  2. In the Main Menu, select Extras → Map Editor again.
  3. Inside the editor interface, click the "Open" button.
  4. In the map list that opens, select the map saved previously and click the green "Load Map" button at the bottom of the list.
  5. Begin creating the desired map:

Creating a New Map — Recommended Workflow

  1. Conceptualizing the idea. Coming up with the victory and defeat conditions, as well as the overall concept of the map / story.
  2. Creating a new empty map template of the desired size.
  3. Modifying the game rules through map settings: limiting the number of heroes, changing win conditions, banning specific spells, etc.
  4. Constructing the level design.
    1. Creating a rough layout. Rough marking of zones/biomes. Sketching out game areas and main passages (where Main Guards will potentially be placed in the future).
    2. Distributing key "points of interest.”
      1. Placing spawners and positioning win condition objects. At this stage, an approximate estimate is made of the overall game duration from start to finish, as well as how players will gradually explore the map.
      2. Placing primary interactive objects. An initial determination is made of the locations that will drive the gameplay (key artifacts, special treasure areas, PvP player encounter zones, etc.).
    3. Populating with interactive objects. Distributing mines, banks, treasuries — everything that will serve as local objectives shaping the gameplay.
    4. Placing neutral squads that determine progression through the map.
      1. Placing main guards, which serve as hard progression blockers.
      2. Placing regular local guards.
    5. Decorating the map.
  5. [Optional] Scripting quests/events. (Usually done immediately after creating the rough layout — if the gameplay is expected to rely primarily on quests/story.)
    1. Placing triggers on the map and writing the .json quest file.
    2. Testing the viability of quest ideas, first cycle of finding and fixing scripting errors.
  6. Polishing, testing, and resolving inaccuracies using the editor's auxiliary tools (viewing zone layouts, squad aggro zones, pathfinding, etc.).

Detailed description of editor UI

<aside> ❗

In its current state, the editor lacks a Quest Editor and a Dialog Editor. Quests and dialogs are created manually and separately. For more details, see. 2. Scripting and triggers and 3. Story text and dialogues.

</aside>