Ares Map Creation

General Information

• Ares maps are just text files that contain configuration for each map.
• All maps are located in /var/starmade/plugins/Ares/Maps/. If the map is not at that location, it isn't loadable.
• Maps are broken up into pieces starting with [] with a name enclosed, that name is the name given to that sector (and the station that spawns there). All whatever= refer to configuration specific to the above [].
• The sector defined in each map is relative to the map_center defined in ares.conf (default is '8 8 8')

Sample Map

Here is a sample of a map file with only one object describing what each option does:

# Sample map config showing all available options and hopefully explaining them


[object_name]
# sector the station/object is to be spawned in
sector = '3 0 3'
# blueprint of the object to spawn
blueprint = 'Ares Mining Outpost'
# Type of object. currently does nothing
type = 'station'
# value of the station. This is used as a multiplier on the credits a faction 
# gets for owning this station. 
value = 0.5
# owner of the station. -2 is trading guild, -1 is pirates, 0 is unowned, 1 is 
# team 1, 2 is team 2.
owner = -2
# Set to one if you want this to be a game objective. Game objectives are 
# spawned with an npc faction allied with the owner (given above). These are 
# generally referred to as bases in game, and if a faction no longer has any, 
# they lose the game.
objective = 0
# 1 if this can be captured. If it an be captured, then if a player is in the 
# same sector for a given period of time they gain ownership of this.
can_capture = 1
# If this object is captured by a player, change this object to be owned by 
# that players faction (meaning the actual entity not just a claim).
switch_owners_on_capture=1
# blueprints of pirate ships to spawn at the beginning of the game to guard the
# object.
pirates = blueprint 1,blueprint 2,blueprint 3
# Positions of the spawned pirate ships (comma seperated list, the first one 
# corresponds with the first blueprint, and so on)
pirate_pos = 100 100 0,-200 -10 -20,-50 20 50
# When a faction captures this station, spawn these defenders that are allied with those who captured it.
defenders = blueprint 1,blueprint 2
# positions of the defender ships when they spawn. (comma seperated list, the 
# first one corresponds with the first blueprint, and so on)
defender_pos = 100 100 0,-200 -10 -20

Note that a map requires more than just one object. Here is a map with only 2 bases:

[Alpha_base]
sector = '6 0 0',
blueprint = 'Ares Home Base Lite'
type = 'station'
value = 1
owner = 1
objective = 1
can_capture = 0
home = 1

[Beta_base]
sector ='-6 0 0'
blueprint = 'Ares Home Base Lite'
type = 'station'
value = 1
owner = 2
objective = 1
can_capture = 0
home = 1

Now let's create a control point:

[Alpha_base]
sector = '6 0 0',
blueprint = 'Ares Home Base Lite'
type = 'station'
value = 1
owner = 1
objective = 1
can_capture = 0
home = 1

[Beta_base]
sector ='-6 0 0'
blueprint = 'Ares Home Base Lite'
type = 'station'
value = 1
owner = 2
objective = 1
can_capture = 0
home = 1

[mining_station_alpha1]
sector = '3 0 4'
blueprint = 'Ares Mining Outpost'
type = 'station'
value = 0.5
owner = -2
objective = 0
can_capture = 1