Creating a fake map image file

[llamabeast]

Calling all technical types.

I would like people to be able to upload their own maps to the LlamaServer. However, I'd rather they didn't have to upload the images as well, since they are often large. It occurred to me that the images are surely fairly pointless - the server doesn't have to see the prettiness of the map. So I was hoping to set it up so that only the .map file need be uploaded.

However, you can't actually start a game without the map image present (it gets angry). So, I decided to write a program to create a fake image file, containing only a row of white pixels with as many pixels as there are provinces listed in the .map file. Ingenious, I thought. Unfortunately, it turns out that Dominions isn't happy with such an image file. On trying to create a test game, it said:

N�got gick fel!
can't find a valid starting province
N�got gick fel!
can't find a valid starting province
Aborted

So, my question is: what other features of the image file do we think Dominions needs? Do I need to space out the white pixels somehow? I'm at a bit of a loss, being as I don't know what Dominions actually does with the image file.

Hope someone has some ideas!

Thanks, llama

[Aezeal]

well no idea but just try to space them with a green pixel

[llamabeast]

Okay, I think I may have fixed it. I created a file like this:

RRRRRRRRRRRRR
RWRWRWRWRWRWR
RRRRRRRRRRRRR

where W is white and R is dark red, and it didn't complain. I'll do a bit of testing to see if there are any side effects, but if not this is going to be super awesome.

[llamabeast]

This is also quite exciting because trying to work out the .tga file format was the first ever time I've had a go at hex editing. Turned out, unsurprisingly I guess, to be quite easy.

[Gandalf Parker]

Love the concept but I dont think its going to work.

I tried copying a random maps RGB over another random map of the same size and starting a server game.

My machine had the map that the .map said was being used so no transmitting was done. But the result the old map, with very strange placements of flags. I didnt think that the host needed the graphic file either but apparently it does use it for something.

[llamabeast]

Bugger. Looks like you're right Gandalf.

Hmm, I think that's game over for that plan. What a shame.

[Aezeal]

/me gives llama a hug and an A for effort

[Gandalf Parker]

You might offer a number of different well-chosen maps from the various map generators, and support players creating their own .map files to go with them. Thats the only thing I can think of.

[llamabeast]

Thanks Aezeal!

Gandalf - yeah, I think that's the best plan really. Maybe down the line I could allow upload of whole map images, but there's the potential for problems there. Not least is the fact that the LlamaServer's web server is provided by a volunteer student group, so I want to leave as small a bandwidth footprint on it as possible.

[Ballbarian]

Try this llamabeast:
Create a cross-platform program that your users can download (or run from a browser) that will change every pixel to black except for the pure white province markers. Then have them upload the resulting image.

I have attached a "minimized" version of the silent seas map image. The file size goes from 2787 KB to 50 KB. If you are able to automate zip file decompression as well, have the user or your distributed application zip the resulting "minimized" image and it will squeeze down to 2 KB.

I have not tested the map image in game yet, but I see no reason why it should not work. I have attached it to this post for anyone who wants to try it out.

Hope this helps!