Proper Map/Scenario Editor

Kevin Lynch shared this feedback ago

Submitted

In short, building scenarios and custom maps for SE is made very difficult by the fact we don't have a proper map or scenario editor as part of the default game or even as a DLC pack. While we do have creative mode and the visual scripting tool, these just aren't satisfactory.

In creative mode, time continues to pass and objects will continue to spawn. Which means you just don't have control of the map.
While the visual scripting tool is better than it was. To my recollection it doesn't allow players to build maps and it's much more of an advanced tool that goes beyond most players abilities.

The Map Editor

Should allow players to place objects in the world. Including objects from mods.
Players should be able to place an object with precision and tweak the position and orientation of the object.
A visual representation of the objects entire field of effect should be presents. For example the extent of a planet's gravitational field would be highlighted as would the firing arc of a turret or the damage radius of a warhead.
Time absolutely should not pass while the map is being edited. For example when the player moves from A to B. The editor shouldn't start procedurally spawning asteroids all over the place.
It would also be nice if we could control the dispersal of seeds for procedurally generated asteroids and the various ores included in the game and with mods. However this is somewhat less important than the above.
Another "nice to have" feature would be the ability to generate custom planets. This feature would include a simple 2D terrain editor used to generate hight maps and the ability to alter variables such as atmospheric composition/colour, vegetation type and ore types and distribution.

The Scenario Editor

This should essentially be a simpler version of visual scripting that is included as a game mode and should not require the player to download any additional special tools.

Players should be able to setup simple triggers that initiate scenario events.
Triggers should come in the forms of specific actions such as pushing a button or damaging a block as well as in the form of zones with inner and outer boundaries allowing zones to be layered.
When a has been created, the player should then be able to choose from a set of prefab events. For example, a pirate base may spawn a few kilometers away as a player enters a new zone. Perhaps a zone could be a trigger for a wolf attack. If a player builds a beacon, then maybe that will prompt drop pods to be spawned with some basic resources or perhaps it guides an AI supply ship to a docking point. On investigating a seemingly abandoned base, players could be left alone until they start hacking blocks.
While it would be nice to be able to control the exact shape of the zone boundaries. Simple spheres and cubes should be sufficient for simple scenarios.
Other "nice to haves" for the scenario editor would be the ability to import custom audio and images for use with sound blocks and lcd screens.

I like this feedback

Replies (1)

K.Hunter ●

Keen, you have been making some impressively good additions to the game with the latest updates. You have been listening to your playerbase and moving towards more and more survival and roleplay elements. It is now time to add a good editor to the game.

OP has described it near perfectly, but it's been 5 years and I'd like to expand on some of his map-editor ideas to propose a detailed planet-editor tool:

Imagine you open a map editor, and create a new empty world, and you now want to spawn a planet. Imagine being able to load any planet (vanilla or modded), with default parameters, but then being able to customise all possible parameters before spawning it into your world. Imagine everything the planet generation system in the game currently allows to customise within the PlanetGeneratorDefinitions.sbc and ore/height maps, you being able to customise it for a custom world instance from an easy to use, detailed UI before spawning it.
Biomes: In particular, with this tool we would be able to create detailed "biomes", by fine tuning ore/terrain/flora/fauna amount and distribution, restricting certain spawns to certain areas on the planet, editing weather, gravity and atmosphere parameters, etc. in an easy to use, graphical environment, and within a world-generation context rather than "creating a modded planet" context, which would also allow you to easily add modded ores or animals into custom planets.

Where and how easily you acquire different ores is the primary difficulty element of this game and having absolute control and customisation on that for a custom campaign would open many new doors for your players, especially when blended with environmental factors, and with mods adding new dimensions it can make a huge difference.

One more suggestion that nicely ties into everything else here is spawn zones:

Zone: Ability to alter economy/NPC spawns based on location or other customisable filters, allowing to define "bubbles" of no-spawn, limited-spawn, or guaranteed-spawn zones to determine what kind of encounter should or shouldn't spawn.
Having filters such as particular planets, particular biomes on particular planets, etc. ties in very nicely with planetary customisation. But it should not be limited to planets and allow regions of space, asteroid clusters, etc. to be used too. This would allow creating easy vs difficult zones with for example more valuable ores, and bigger threats, or quiet zones with some background mystery, etc. It could, for example, be used to define broad regions in space belonging to certain factions, with certain ores, etc. to have a characteristic feel and difficulty level to them.

An editor with all these capabilities would allow many more people to create many new awesome servers and bring new life and attention to your franchise. Don't underestimate the impact of this!

OP has described it near perfectly, but it's been 5 years and I'd like to expand on some of his map-editor ideas to propose a detailed planet-editor tool:

Imagine you open a map editor, and create a new empty world, and you now want to spawn a planet. Imagine being able to load any planet (vanilla or modded), with default parameters, but then being able to customise all possible parameters before spawning it into your world. Imagine everything the planet generation system in the game currently allows to customise within the PlanetGeneratorDefinitions.sbc and ore/height maps, you being able to customise it for a custom world instance from an easy to use, detailed UI before spawning it.
Biomes: In particular, with this tool we would be able to create detailed "biomes", by fine tuning ore/terrain/flora/fauna amount and distribution, restricting certain spawns to certain areas on the planet, editing weather, gravity and atmosphere parameters, etc. in an easy to use, graphical environment, and within a world-generation context rather than "creating a modded planet" context, which would also allow you to easily add modded ores or animals into custom planets.

One more suggestion that nicely ties into everything else here is spawn zones:

Zone: Ability to alter economy/NPC spawns based on location or other customisable filters, allowing to define "bubbles" of no-spawn, limited-spawn, or guaranteed-spawn zones to determine what kind of encounter should or shouldn't spawn.
Having filters such as particular planets, particular biomes on particular planets, etc. ties in very nicely with planetary customisation. But it should not be limited to planets and allow regions of space, asteroid clusters, etc. to be used too. This would allow creating easy vs difficult zones with for example more valuable ores, and bigger threats, or quiet zones with some background mystery, etc. It could, for example, be used to define broad regions in space belonging to certain factions, with certain ores, etc. to have a characteristic feel and difficulty level to them.

An editor with all these capabilities would allow many more people to create many new awesome servers and bring new life and attention to your franchise. Don't underestimate the impact of this!

Reply URL