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BainIhrno

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So, I'm *gasp* starting a BoA scenario with the 3D Editor, which I'm only working on the town/outdoor layouts so far. Is there any kind of guide you can point me to in regards to using the 3D Editor and designing in BoA in general?

 

I've noticed that I can't seem to use anything other than what the editor has provided me with. Not that it's mandated for the purposes of this scenario, but I'd still like to know.

 

Also, can someone point me to a graphics file so I know the scenario pic numbers?

 

Thanks.

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We're working (well, The Turtle Moves did most of the work, and I've mostly been a source of delay) on newer and more up-to-date documentation, but if you download the official SW editor you get the documentation files as well. One of the appendices lists all of the available scenario graphics. On Mac OS, these are in the file 'Scen Icon Graphics' in the 'Blades of Avernum Files' directory.

 

EDIT: To elaborate: Work on the editor has far outstripped work on the documentation, so there is no existing documentation about how it currently works. It's all based on the original editor, and nothing has been removed, so the old documentation isn't completely useless. Hopefully the tooltips in the new Mac version also make it less difficult to locate things that aren't in the same places as in the original.

 

EDIT 2: There's also a nice tutorial that Dinti started writing.

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I'd suggest three things.

 

First off, the actual documentation that comes with the 2D Editor has a chapter on making your first scenario and messing about with the editor. Obviously it won't all apply, but I think the tool icons are still the same (right?), so it should be of some use.

 

Secondly, Eric Westra's cookbook cookbook is pretty amazing. It covers the most basic things you're going to be doing in BoA design in a really straight-forward way.

 

Finally, practise. Mess about with the tools on a fresh town - you can always delete it afterwards. See what the tools do, and how hills and water interact with each other (and other terrains). This is by far the best way to get going.

 

(Also, can we get a more prominent link put in for the cookbook? It *is* super helpful.)

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If you are coming straight from BoE, try porting The Final Spire to BoA. This will give you an understanding of the differences between the two games, in a scenario you will be familiar with.

BoA does not live up to a lot of its potential as you will soon learn the hard way.

Best Editors are Mac because the best programmers work on the Mac versions.

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