                      THE GLOBAL CONQUEST MAP MAKER
                             by Scott Osborn
                            (c) 1992, Ozware

     You've been a good sport about it.  You were playing Global 
     Conquest against your best friend and worst enemy, and the nearest 
     burb to your corner burb was half a world away!  And your 
     "friend"?  Well.  How does starting off with four unmanned burbs 
     in your corner sound to you, hmmmmm?  A little unfair, would you 
     say?  But that's okay.  You gritted your teeth and got down to 
     business, swearing under your breath that YOU weren't going to let 
     a little thing like LUCK keep you from being dominant in Global 
     Conquest.

     But the battle raged on, and due to circumstances beyond your 
     control, you lost.  "If only..." issued forth from your lips, 
     followed by an oath that swore that if the "playing field" had 
     been level, there could be no doubt that YOU would have prevailed.  
     But being the good sport that you are, you did not let your enemy 
     hear this.  Instead, you smiled.  You said "Good game!"  And you 
     plotted your revenge.

     Now, however, there IS a way to make an "level playing field", or 
     any other sort of field, for that matter:  The Global Conquest Map 
     Editor.  This program allows you to make a map that Global 
     Conquest can use in a "Custom Scenario".



HOW TO MAKE A WORLD

     First, you need to copy the following files into the directory 
     which contains Global Conquest (most likely, this directory is 
     designated CONQUEST):

     MAKEAMAP.EXE
     BRUSHES.PIC
     MAPOPEN.PIC

     Now go into that directory and type MAKEAMAP at the DOS prompt.

     After viewing the title screen, you will see a list of possible 
     choices for your map.  The topmost option, "Start from Scratch", 
     allows you to 1)Choose a world size, and 2)make a map from a 
     "blank canvas".  All other choices listed are maps which have 
     already been made, but which you can load and change, if you want.



WHERE WORLD-CHANGING DECISIONS ARE MADE

     After you choose how you will start, the Map-Editing screen will 
     come up.  You will notice:

     1)On the right-hand side, words in boxes, one of which will be 
     highlighted (Land).  These are the various characteristics that 
     every world can have.  To pick that type of terrain, simply point 
     and click with your mouse cursor onto the one that you want to 
     use.

     2)On the left-hand side, five boxes with various shapes in them, 
     one of which will be highlighted (The upper-most).  These are the 
     different "brushes" of each type of world characteristic.  To 
     choose a different size shape of brush, simply point and click 
     with your mouse cursor.

     3)In the middle part of the screen is the world "canvas".  This is 
     where you will make your world-changing decisions.  To change the 
     world, just move the mouse cursor over this and click with the 
     left mouse button.  The world will be changed into the 
     characteristic that you have chosen at the spot which you have 
     clicked.  Its that simple.

     Like Global Conquest, your "world canvas" is too big to fit on the 
     screen.  To move your point of view, just click the right mouse 
     button.  A miniature version of the map you are working on will 
     pop-up.  Move the cursor to a place on the pop-up map where you'd 
     like to go see, click the right mouse button, and you're there 
     (Just like in Global Conquest).

     4)In the top right hand corner, you will see a box with the word 
     "Quit" in it.  Likewise, in the top left hand corner, you will see 
     a box with the word "Save".  One guess what these do.  But more 
     about them later.

     5)In the lower right hand corner, you will see two boxes.  One 
     says "Stats" and the other has a pair of numbers.  The numbers are 
     the world coordinates of the cursor position.  The first number is 
     your East-West coordinate, where 0 is the furthest West one's 
     cursor can be placed.  The second number is your North-South 
     position, where 0 is the North Pole (and Santa's Castle).  If you 
     think that this box is called the "Coordinates Box", you're wrong:  
     It's called the "WORLD Coordinates Box.  As for the "Stats" box, 
     more about that in a minute.


TOOLS OF THE GODS

     Of the five brushes, the top four are the easiest to understand:  
     Simply put, they are different sizes and shapes of the same beast.  
     The top one is the smallest possible brush world-builders are 
     allowed.  The next three are slightly different in size and shape.  
     When you use them, just clicking on the world "canvas" produces 
     that size and shape (of the chosen characteristic) on the world.

     The fifth and final brush, however, requires a little bit more 
     explanation.  This is the "line" brush.  You use it to produce a 
     "line" of a characteristic on the world "canvas".  To use it, you 
     click on a place of the world canvas, then move the mouse cursor 
     until the line is placed where you want it.  Then click again, and 
     the line will be "laid down" at the place you have chosen.

     Perhaps you noticed that these brushes are relatively small when 
     considering that there are continents to create.  Not to worry, 
     these are "true" brushes.

     To explain:  Consider your mouse as the brush, and a "click" with 
     the left mouse button as touching the brush to the canvas.  Very 
     well.  But say that you want to really smear up your world with 
     lots of heavy brush contact.  No problem:  As long as the left 
     mouse button is held down, the brush is making contact with the 
     "canvas", and you are applying your chosen terrain unto the world.  
     SO:  While holding down the left mouse button, you can move the 
     mouse cursor about and, consequently, the chosen terrain as well.

     But you're worried.  You and your mouse are, shall I say, not on 
     the same wavelength.  It doesn't know when it should quit moving 
     and lay still.  And you want to be particular about where and when 
     you lay down YOUR terrain.  Hey, we were thinking about you:  When 
     the mouse cursor is over the "canvas", you can use the numeric 
     keypad to move it one "step" at a time in any chosen direction.  
     Also, the "Enter" key works just like the left mouse button (it 
     will lay down your chosen terrain at the spot you picked) and the 
     "Space Bar" works like the right mouse button (it brings up the 
     "unzoom" map).  One more thing:  If you happen to have your "Num 
     Lock" key on, using the numeric keypad will be just like holding down 
     the left mouse button:  In other words, you're "smearing" with the 
     cursor keys.  But keep this in mind:  The cursor must be over the 
     canvas for any of these keys to work.


A WORLD RECIPE

     Back to our world "ingredients", or the terrain characteristics on 
     the right hand side of the screen.  You'll notice that the bottom 
     three are slightly separated from the top five:  These are special 
     world "features" that must be handled with care.

     The top five ingredients can be placed anywhere on the world 
     canvas EXCEPT within three "squares" of the world's edges.  Go 
     wild, if you will.  And if you go too wild, choose the "Ocean" 
     characteristic to act as a world-type "eraser" (just remember 
     Atlantis).

     The bottom three characteristics, however, must be handled with 
     discretion.

     You will notice that these have only one "brush" available to them.

     Now is the time to talk about that "Stats" box you've noticed and 
     are curious about.  It's the one in the bottom left hand corner of 
     the screen, under the brush boxes.  When you click on it, you get 
     a box with (amazingly enough) the world's statistics in it.  We're 
     not talking batting averages here, but economic stats.

     A quick point about Global Conquest worlds:  No world can have 
     more than 50 burbs in it, or 84 burbs and resources.  No world 
     economy can stand more than that, or inflation runs rampant and 
     the Democrats win a presidential election.

     The "Stats" box allows you to see how many burbs and resources 
     you have on the world that you are editing.  And after you reach  
     your 50 or 84 limit, those characteristics can no longer be used.   
     If you reach your limit, but want to rearrange them, removing one  
     from the world (by placing another characteristic on it) will  
     give you access to them once again. 

     On the other hand, worlds with too few burbs in them sometimes 
     give Global Conquest the bends.  Imagine that you want to play a 
     scenario where each player gets four additional burbs.  If the 
     world you have created only has 7 burbs in it, Global Conquest 
     won't let you play with that map, simply because it can't place 
     all players' four additional burbs due to a burb shortage.  The 
     game will lock up, and there you'll be, all dressed up and no one 
     to destroy.  Well, we warned you!


BURB BEHAVIOR

     You will notice that there is only one type of burb allowed, even 
     though there are four different types in Global Conquest.  
     Doubtless, you feel cheated.  I don't blame you.  But the truth 
     is, when Global Conquest is presented with a burb, it gets to 
     decide what economic type that burb gets to be, as well as where 
     the Native Capital is placed.  This way, when you make your 
     "Custom Game", the choices you make in regards to "Burb Economic 
     Level" can be honored.  So, no apologies here:  You are not 
     allowed to have your World Cake and eat it too.

     But I know how you feel:  You wanted to place the Native Capital!  
     Well, you've picked up a lesson or two from your spy, so you know 
     how to get around these types of things.  Global Conquest picks 
     the Native Capital by 1)Taking the AVERAGE position of each 
     available burb and 2)Placing the Native Capital in the one that is 
     closest to that average.  SO, by eye-balling the coordinates box 
     and knocking the dust off of your calculator, you can figure out 
     where the AVERAGE is and place a burb there.

     Hey!  Who is that I hear saying "The burb 'brush' doesn't allow me 
     to make docks!  What kind of map-maker is this??!??"  Which one of 
     you is it?  Well, Mr. Smarty-pants, you CAN make docks, so THERE!  
     And if you're so smart, I'll let you figure it out for yourself!!  
     (But for all of you who have kept your patience, I'll let you in 
     on it:  To make a dock, 1)select Ocean, then 2)choose the 
     top-most, smallest "brush" on the left hand side of the canvas, 
     then 3)click that brush on the burb where you want to place a 
     dock.  It's that simple.  But some cautions:  1)You can't make the 
     center part of the burb a dock (if you try it, the burb will be 
     removed), and 2)You can only make docks with the SMALLEST OCEAN 
     BRUSH.)

     But back to burbs:  When you start a new map "From Scratch", 
     you'll notice that the four corner burbs are already set into 
     their positions.  Sorry, but you can't move or remove these burbs:  
     They're presence there is crucial to the game.  Also, you can't 
     place any type of terrain within three "squares" of the map's 
     edge.  One more thing:  You can't place burbs so close that they 
     touch each other.  One square apart, OK.  Touching, no.  Them's 
     the rules.  Even Global Conquest has to have limits, you know.


OF MAPS AND MEN

     As is explained in the Global Conquest Game Manual, the "world" is 
     divided into 8x8 pixel squares which the units move into and out 
     of as they go about their duties.  Thus the "boxy" appearance of 
     the brushes.

     But you wanted nice, curvy, jagged-looking coastlines!  You wanted 
     the mountains to look different from one another!  You wanted the 
     forests to look like a real forest!  You wanted your secret fuel 
     reserve to look like swamp terrain to everyone else!

     Relax.  When you are finished placing all of the terrain where you 
     want it, complete with the secret fuel reserve, click on the 
     "Save" box.  As your map is saved, it is "Finalized" into a form 
     worthy of Global Conquest:  All areas that border on ocean are 
     converted into a jagged coast line.  All mountain areas are 
     changed into range-type terrain.  All swamps are enclosed with 
     swamp-like edges.  And all fuel areas (if not previously 
     "swamped") are surrounded by swamp terrain.


NOW WHAT?

     Right before the map editor does all of this nice "Finalizing" for 
     you, it asks you for a name to call this map.  Enter in something 
     appropriate, then press enter.  The "Finalizing" will take place, 
     then you will be brought to the file selection again for more 
     world-making activities.

     After you exit out of the map-maker, you're palms are sweating.  
     You've planned revenge on your lucky enemy, and finally your ship 
     has come in.  But it occurs to you:  Hey!  I've got this nice, 
     kind, trap-laden map all ready.  But how do I use it?  Global 
     Conquest MAKES these things for every game!!

     Not EVERY game:  To use it, you have to make a "Custom Scenario" 
     that designates a map as pre-fab.

     Do this:  Start Global Conquest.  Pick "Configure" from the 
     opening menu.  Next, choose "Custom Game".  Okay.  Now, go through 
     all of the menus, picking the things that you want this game to 
     include.  If you have doubts about any of these, check out the 
     Global Conquest manual, pages 63-68.

     Now.  When you come to the WORLD TYPE OPTIONS menu, STOP!!!  
     Here's where you tell Global Conquest to use your map.  In the top 
     left hand corner of this menu, there's a little box with the word 
     TMAP beside it.  This is the one you want.  Click on it with your 
     cursor.  Notice how the TMAP is suddenly obscured by a gray bar?  
     That means that it's waiting for you to enter in a file name so it 
     will know what file to look for when it starts this game.  So what 
     are you waiting for?  Use the keyboard to enter in the SAME FILE 
     NAME that you used when you saved your map earlier.  (Notice that 
     these map files MUST have a ".MAP" extension, and that if they 
     don't, they can't be used.)  When you're through, press the 
     "Enter" key, and you're set.

     Now click on the "Done" box on the bottom of the screen, and 
     you'll be brought to the Save a Scenario screen.  Pick an 
     appropriate name, enter it in, and you're ready to play.


USING YOUR WORLD

     Now all you need to do is call your enemy and suggest a "friendly" 
     game of Global Conquest.  Tell him or her that you want to try a 
     custom game that you thought would be neat.  Then send them your 
     newly-created map file before playing.  (If you try to start your 
     custom game WITHOUT sending it first, Global Conquest will have to 
     send it, and it will take quite a bit longer than most ordinary 
     means.  Except, of course, U.S. Mail.)

     Next, choose the "Pick Custom Game" selection, then choose the 
     custom game that you equipped to handle your "personalized" map.  
     Your game, as well as your map, will be loaded, and you will be 
     off to revenge-land.


A WORD TO THE WISE

     You now have the power to make your own world for Global Conquest.  
     Use it wisely.  Also, prepare better, stronger, and more powerful 
     excuses:  You can no longer blame your losses on "blind luck"...


GLOBAL CONQUEST is a registered trademark of Microprose Software, Inc.
