NOTES FOR TACEDIT:
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Thank you for downloading TacEdit.  Due to the complexity of creating new maps for X-COM Apocalypse we recommend that you use TacEdit to modify the original map files (see ApocMaps.zip).  This will allow you to change features, and edit the data which can (and will) effect the game play to quite a large degree.  We cannot provide support for the editor however there is some information below that should help you to gain some insight into the composition of Apocalypse maps and therefore help you to get some enjoyment from the editor.


KNOWN PROBLEMS:
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Win95 Font Size & Colour Depth:
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Win95 must be set to use small fonts.
Colour depth must be 8bit (256 colour).

SCROLLING PROBLEMS:
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If the machine does not support the DirectDraw Blit operation
used when scrolling the screen, adding "/no_fast_scroll" as a
command-line option can be used to fix this (by using a
slower manual blit operation).

Pallete:
--------
The game uses some of the colours which are reserved by windows as system colours.  Thus some of the sprites will have odd coloured pixels on them, however this will not be the case in the game.

Installation:
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You must run the 'Install.bat' given with the 'TacEdit.zip' file to run TacEdit.  Unfortunatly TacEdit must be installed at the root of 'C:\' to function.
 

MAP FILES:
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If you want to edit maps in Apocalypse you must install the maps to your harddrive (max install of Apocalypse) as TacEdit must read the data from a '\mapunits' directory which is contained within every subsequent map directory (see example below).  You should have downloaded all the map files for Apocalypse (ApocMaps.zip).  If you unzip these you should have a load of '.sec' files in varying map directories.  These files must be copied to the same directories as the game maps on your hard drive.

e.g.
	c:\Xcoma\Maps\01Senate\.sec files must go here
	c:\Xcoma\Maps\01Senate\Mapunits\data is already here

Then to edit a map file all you need to do is load one of these '.sec' files in TacEdit.

SUPPORT:
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I'm not going to go into the in and outs of how to use the editor in any detail, you should be able to work out most of the things that the editor can do from the key list provided with the editor (TacEdit Keys.txt).  However heres some information which may help:

Sections:  The maps in Apocalypse are made up of several varying sized square or rectangular sections of building which are randomly put together like a jigsaw.  It is these sections that you will be editing in the editor.

Entrances and Exits:  Because the sections are fitted together at random the entrances and exits from each section must appear in the same places on all sections belonging to a given map.

L.O.S. Areas:  Or 'line of sight areas'.  These are rectangular boxes which the movement system uses for finding it's way around the sections.  Large structural changes to the map will cause ranged movement problems, however you will still be able to move characters a few squares at a time.  WARNING!!! The L.O.S. areas have to be connected using an external application (not provided) for movement to work, thus tampering with the areas will remove their connections and cause movement problems.

Deployment:  The colour of the L.O.S. boxes defines which type of creature will be deployed in this area:
  Red = Xcom units, 
  Green = Aliens, & 
  Yellow = Civilians.

Data:  I think this is probably were you can have the most fun with the editor.  CTRL+M when a section is loaded will take you to the data editor.  This will allow you to edit the many data values which apply to each and every terrain graphics in the Apocalypse maps.  I would suggest that you BACK UP THE DATA BEFORE EDITING IT as you can easily damage the maps by changing the wrong value.  Using the data you can make characters float in the air, walls disappear with a small shot from a machine gun and then explode setting off a chain reaction around the section.  You could make metal objects catch alight, and wooden ones fire proof. In fact you can make the maps act completely weird.  Below is a small description of each value:-

Red Highlighted Graphics:  Graphics which havent been used in any of the sections.

Size:  How heavy an object is 1-10 (this effects what damage it does to characters when it falls, as well as how much rubble it creates.

Height:  How high characters and objects sit on an object (0-34). - This also affects movement across an object.

Strength:  How much damage an object can take before it is destroyed. 0-255.  255=Indesructable.  The machine gun is the weakest weapon and does a damage of approximately 15.

Independent Structure:  If an object is a small part of a large multiple tile object it is not an independent structure (setting this wrong will make things float occasionally).

Provides support:  Does an object provide support for another object (i.e. a wall piece for the wall piece above it).

Gets support:  Where does an object get support from.  0=Down, 1=North (Top right hand corner of you screen), 2=East, 3=South, 4=West, 5=Up.  The others are special cases for things like stairs.

Floating:  Does an object float.

Move Cost:  How slow a character walks over an object.  10-1=Slow-Fast respectively. -1=Can't walk on it.

Climbable:  Not used.

Explosive Power:  How strong an object explodes when it has been destroyed.  (Be careful not to set off to many large explosions.)

Depletion Rate:  The fall off per square of the explosion.  If this number is large the explosion will not spread very far.

Exp Type:  Explosion type.  0=Smoke, 1=Alien Gas (kills alien), 2=Fire, 3=Human gas, 4=Explosive, 5=Stun, 6=Psionic.

Fire Resistance:  Will an object catch alight.  255=Fireproof,  0=Alchohol

Burn Time:  How long an object will burn for before it is destroyed.

Physical Blockage:  How much an object blocks the different types of explosion.  255=Completly blocks explosion, 0=Lets all of it through.

Damaged tile:  An object turns into this tile when it is destroyed.  0=Object will disappear.

Modifying any of the other data values will almost certainly cause bugs.

L.O.F.:  Or 'Line of fire'.  This allows you to edit an objects 3D shape as seen in the game.



DISCLAIMER:

YOU MAY DISTRIBUTE THE ZIP FILES (TACEDIT.ZIP AND APOCMAPS.ZIP) PROVIDED THEY ARE COMPLETE AND NOT TAMPERED WITH.  THIS README FILE MUST BE INCLUDED IN TACEDIT.ZIP.  USE THIS SOFTWARE AT YOUR OWN RISK.  MYTHOS GAMES LTD. ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE OR LOSS OF ANY KIND CAUSED BY THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, WHETHER PROPER OR IMPROPER.  ALWAYS BACK UP BEFORE USING THIS SOFTWARE.  I MUST STRESS AGAIN THAT MYTHOS GAMES CANNOT GIVE ANY TECH SUPPORT FOR THIS SOFTWARE.

(C) 1997 Mythos Games Ltd.

Enjoy!
