I discovered today that its possible to add completly new outdoor levels. They will not be linked into the existing outdoor worlds. Instead you can see this outdoor area like a new Moo Moo Farm, canyon of magi, tristram, Arcane Sanctuary, area.

I show first some screenshots and after that i will explain how you can make this.

A entrance to the new outdoor area from a tent

The new outdoor area - The Badlands first screenshot

The new outdoor area - The Badlands second screenshot


How to make a new outdoor area?
I will explain down here what you need to do to add a new outdoor area.


The first file we will look into is Levels.txt
You need to either use the extended level/lvlprest pluggin or replace an existing level. You need also to have a general knowledge about how vis/warp and preset levels works.

SizeX: This is the sizeX of the ds1 file you are using as a new outdoor area.
SizeY: This is the sizeY of the ds1 file you are using as a new outdoor area.

LOSDraw: 0, Line of Sight Draw. Since we are using an outdoor level we set this to 0.

OffsetX: I have used 1500 here, this are still a bit unknown for me how it works. But, it seems to have a relation on how the game is linked together (As Paul mentioned in his World Space post)
OffsetY: I have used 1000 here, this are still a bit unknown for me how it works. But, it seems to have a relation on how the game is linked together (As Paul mentioned in his World Space post)

IsInside: 0, since we are going to make a new outdoor area.

DrlgType: 2, we are making a preset outdoor area. Since the current knowledge doesn't make it possible to add a mazegenerated outdoor area.

LevelType: 2, i'm using the same leveltype as wilderness areas are using.

SubType: -1, i didn't use this in the example above. Also, since we are using a preset area we don't need this.
SubTheme: -1, i didn't use this in the example above. Also, since we are using a preset area we don't need this.
SubWaypoint: -1, i didn't use this in the example above. Also, since we are using a preset area we don't need this.
SubShrine: -1, i didn't use this in the example above. Also, since we are using a preset area we don't need this.

vis/warp: Add a correct vis/warp. You need to have knowledge how to make new preset levels with Paul's Win ds1 editor
and add a correct vis/warp. If you don't have that you will probably not be able to make a new outdoor area.

Intensity: 0, we set this to zero since if you want full use of day/night cycle.
Red: 0, we set this to zero since if you want full use of day/night cycle.
Green: 0, we set this to zero since if you want full use of day/night cycle.
Blue: 0, we set this to zero since if you want full use of day/night cycle.

A final word of levels.txt, rember to add a correct vis/warp to be able to use this new outdoor level.

Now we are done with Levels.txt save and close it.


next, open lvlprest.txt.

In here we will either use an unused row (id = 102 is unused) or use the extended levels/lvlprest pluggin.

First, make a copy of the row with id = 103.

Add this to your row, either at the unsued id 102 or at end of the file. In here change LevelId to the id you are using in your levels.txt.

Outdoors: 1, set this to 1 to have use for the day/night system.

File1: Add the path to your new preset outdoor level.

Now we are done in this file, save and close it.


We have one last thing to do. We want a name to this new outdoor area.

Open up your string table.

Add the following rows.

LevelName:
String Entry: A string name of your choice, as example The Badlands
String: A string of your choice, The Badlands. This is what will be shown in the area when you have used tab to see area name/version e.tc.


LevelWarp:
String Entry: A string name of your choice, as example To The Badlands.
String: A string of your choice, To The Badlands. This is what will be shown in when you hold your pointer over the entrance.

So, now you can hopefully make your own outdoor areas.

oh the possibilities... I can see so much now.

Nice work. Between "random" presets, additional levels, and additional presets, the area that can be included in a game is significantly larger than Blizzard's original.



Line of Sight Draw - in caves things that are around corners are not drawn until you can see that far without another light source. In outside levels, the light source is overhead (daytime) so things get drawn whether you are around a corner or not.

i can see it now...but...just a question....

i understand that we're making a new outdoor level, and it's outdoors and all...but how do you get to that level? i'm probably just stupid or something, but do you make an existing waypoint teleport to it, or do you enter through an existing entrance or what?

and after you've made this new level, i'm guessing it would be possible to add sub levels to this new level, right? i would certainly hope so. on the subject, anyway, is there any way to add a permanent portal or waypoint or entrance to a sublevel where there is none?

just smack me and tell me to shut me trap if i'm just blabbering.

Crazed

In this example. You get to the new outdoor level from the tent in rogue encampment and you get back to rogue encampment from the new outdoor area also.

It's possible to make new entrances to any area, included this new outdoor areas.

A permanent portal would be like a new entrance but with a different graphics.

I can't say as I know much about adding vis and warps and all that, or what you have recently done with making outdoor levels to caves. But unless there is something I'm missing what's stopping you from adding caves at this point?

BTW Kingpin you are now my god!

You can add as many caves as you want almost. If you use the level/lvlprest pluggin for 1.10 you can have 123 new caves/outdoor areas

Could we make a recipe ( bottle, book etc. ) that opens portal? or it will be much better if we can do it with events

To open a portal that leads to the right area would require code editing and also search out how that works (A good start is to search out the code that opens up a portal to Moo Moo Farm).

EDIT:

Myhrginoc:



Thanx for the clarification what this was

in this part:

i do not see a column called "id" are you talking about the row #, the def column, the levelID column or do i just not have this column because i am doing it for the 1.10 beta patch...

He did say that you need to copy the row in his post. Each of the rows have an ID number. Find the one that's 103. Copy that row and paste it over an unused one, or add it to the end of the file.

The offsets tell the game where to place items and dead bodies.

If the offsets are the same for several different maps items, and dead bodies start appearing in undiscovered areas.

Posting date of the first post is Thu Jul 17, 2003 2:51 am
Please do not ressurect old posts unless they are stickied.
Besides your wrong and there is a sticky post about the act space worldspace in levels.txt : increasing areas ?. Some of the information in that thread is outdated to, mapping has come a long way in the last 2 years.

The offsets tell the game where to place the ds1's in the act space.