HOW TO MAKE YOUR MAP VOTE READY
QUESTION#1: What if my map already is vote ready?
ANSWER: Check the list on my website. If it is listed as vote ready, then it is. If it isn't, then it isn't.
It is VITAL if you want your map played on vote map servers that you release the map with VOTE SPRITE and VOTE SOUND INCLUDED!!!!
I can not stress this enough. Without a sprite, the map will not even show up as an option in the VOTE map editor program! This is done on purpose because without a sprite the map would crash the server. If your map is on the vote ready list on the front page, then DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, it's already done! It will work fine and you don't need to do anything. This is more important for maps that are not yet finished or released and maps not on the list that are released already.
If you don't make your map vote ready, you will regret it!
There are only two small and simple things you need to make your map vote ready. You need a marquee, which is simply a sprite placecard which displays your map name and an image, and a sound file, which is a small WAV file that is the name of your map spoken aloud.
STEP ONE: MAKING THE MARQUEE
It is simply a sign that gives an image representing the map and the name of the map and the author. More importantly, it is a SPRITE. If you don't know how to make a sprite, don't worry. It's really quite simple once you have the tools.
Here's where you get the tools:
It's very small and it comes with a nice little doc that tells you all you need to know about building sprites.
First the rules:
1. The image MUST be a 128X64 BMP. It is 8bits. That means it has 128 colors. No more and no less.
2. The image should have the map name very clearly stated on it and the author name below. NO OTHER TEXT.
3. Sprites can be animated. YOU MUST NOT ANIMATE THE MARQUEE! Marquee's add to texture usage. If you animate the Marquee, everyone else will want to. 16 animated Marquees will lag every computer in the world. If you animate the Marquee, people will replace it with a blank wall and ignore your map forever. I know I will. Don't be rude.
4. The sprite MUST have the exact same name as the bsp. If your map is "joemap.bsp" the BMP must be called "joemap.bmp".
5. I recommend you leave the last color in the palette unused. You got 255 colors left over, and you might regret it if you don't.
Any paint program can make a nice Marquee in a matter of seconds. Just take a screenshot. Crop it to a nice view in a 2:1 ratio. Resize it to 128X64. Put the text on it. You're done. Now you just have to compile it.
Here is what your sprites.qc file should look like. It's a simple text file. The sprite tools come with one, but this is all you need:
// 2fort Graphic
$spritename 2fort
$type vp_parallel
$texture normal
$load bmp\2fort.bmp
$frame 0 0 128 64
Just replace every spot it says "2fort" with your BMP file name(which is also the name of your map BSP, right?).
Now put the BMP file in the BMP folder of your sprites directory and run the Buildspr.bat file.
All done. You should have a sprite. If you need more instructions on sprite creation, check the info that came with the sprite build tools.
Put the sprite in this file:
HALF-LIFE/TFC/SPRITES/VOTE/
You will see a hell of alot of other sprites in there with map names.
If you honestly try your hardest and can't get this done(it is SIMPLE and a good thing to know if you're mapmaker, so try real hard), then you can send me a 128x64 bmp with your map name, author name, and bsp name and I will do the Marquee for you.
STEP TWO: TESTING, PART 1
So far so good?
Now compile the vote map with the handy votemapeditor.exe program in your TFC file and put your map in the circulation. If you put the sprite in the right directory it should automatically be added to the list of maps. Pretty cool, huh?
You don't need the sound file to test the vote map. If your map is in the maps directory and the sprite is in the sprite directory, run the map and make sure it all works so far.
If it doesn't work, please double check directories before you come to me. Usually if something doesn't work it's a misplaced file.
STEP THREE: THE SOUND
Now you need a wav file with the name of the map. Once again, there are rules:
1. Say the name of the map clearly and nothing else. You don't have time, and you don't want to annoy people.
2. HALF-LIFE uses 11025 HZ, 8-bit, MONO WAV files for sound. If you use anything else, people will have problems with it. It might play fine on your computer in other formats, but other people will have problems.
3. Keep it below 25 K total size. This is very easy to do. If you make it larger, it won't fit into the sound settings and your map sound won't be heard. Once again, it may sound fine on your system, but others will not hear it correctly.
4. Give it the same name as the BSP. Just like the sprite. If the map is "joemap.bsp" the sound should be "joemap.wav".
That's it. You now have the SOUND file.
If you don't like your sound file, or if you want the nice professional voice you hear in the map for consistancy, send me an e-mail with plenty of time BEFORE the map is released so I can get the sound recorded for you IF I can get the sound guy back. The reason he sounds so professional, you see, is because he's a professional.
Put the sound file here:
HALF-LIFE/TFC/SOUND/VOTE/
Once again, you will see a hell of alot of wav files in there with map names.
Now run that vote map again. If you compiled it right the first time, you don't have to mess with it again. This time, you should hear your sound. If you don't, check those directories again.
STEP FOUR: THE ZIP FILE
Whenever you make a TFC map, I STRONGLY recommend you do this:
Make a directory on your hard drive root directory called "TFC"
Then put all your stuff in there when it's done with the correct paths, and zip USING FOLDER NAMES. Remember, the Dedicated server does NOT usually go in the same directory as Half-Life, so don't zip up including the full "Sierra/Half-Life/TFC/" path because it will annoy the server admins.
Also, LINUX DOESN'T LIKE CAPITAL LETTERS! Get rid of all the capital letters in your files.
Now you should have this set up:
C:\TFC\
C:\TFC\MAPS\(bsp,txt, and text info files here)
C:\TFC\SPRITES\VOTE\(spr file here)
C:\TFC\SOUND\VOTE\(wav file here)
ZIP that all up using directory structure and you are ready to go!
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