Editing Map requirements

This page lists the requirements that all maps must meet in order to [[Making maps public|go public]].

== Requirements ==


=== Connections are Visible ===

Players must be able to tell what territories connect just by looking at the map.

The biggest mistake some map creators make is to connect two territories over water, but don't include any indication on the map that they connect.  It's customary to use yellow lines to show where the connections are - see the [https://www.warlight.net/SinglePlayer?PreviewMap=12 Earth Map] for an example.  It's not necessary to use yellow lines, it just must be obvious where the connections are.  It may be obvious that the territories connect in the map designer, but it needs to be obvious in the real game too.

https://d32kaghj56y4ei.cloudfront.net/static/img/ConnectionMissing.png

In maps with tricky connections, you may need to take special care to ensure that the connections can be reasonably figured out just by looking at the map (without clicking around).  A common rule of thumb is that territories that touch must connect, and territories that connect but don't touch must show the connection somehow.

=== Tiny Territories ===

All territories must be big enough to fit a two-digit army number.  Often people's first instinct is to keep territories real-life sized, however this doesn't work well in WarLight's engine.  This is especially evident once you try playing the [[Mobile Client|mobile version of WarLight]].

Take, for example, Hawaii in the [https://www.warlight.net/SinglePlayer?PreviewMap=12 Earth Map].  Hawaii is a very small island, but in the Earth map it's sized significantly larger so that it can fit the army number.  

In the map designer, you'll find a button labeled Show Example Armies.  When clicking this, all army numbers must fit entirely within the territory's borders.

https://d32kaghj56y4ei.cloudfront.net/static/img/TinyTerritories.png

See [[Inkscape tips]] for a guide on how to enlarge territories to make them fit their army number.

=== Copyright Violations ===

By uploading a map to WarLight, you are asserting that you own or have the necessary licenses, rights, consents, and permissions to the content within.  See the [https://www.warlight.net/TermsOfService Terms of Service] for full details.

=== Missing or Mistaken Connections ===

Maps should make an effort to find and missing or mistaken territory connections.  Missing connections are a very common problem, as it is difficult to find every last connection error within the map designer alone.

The best way to find these kinds of mistakes is to play the map with real humans. Incorrect or missing connections are also much more pronounced in the map previewer (which you can access via links in the Get Link for Sharing window), where all territories connected to the clicked one turn bright yellow.  Map creators should create several [[Testing maps|test games]] on their map with real human players and play them out.

If you need help finding players to test your map, make a thread on the map development [[forum]] asking for volunteers to help test your map.  There are always lots of people willing to help test.

=== Territories are named ===

All territories should be named appropriately.  Naming many territories the same thing, or just typing gibberish makes it hard for players to coordinate in team games.

=== Bonus Links ===

Bonus Links are the small boxes that show many armies each bonus is worth.  Without these, it is difficult to tell where the bonuses are.  See [[Creating the SVG]] for instructions on how to add bonus links.

When possible, bonus links should be placed near or on top of the bonus they correspond to.

=== Appropriate Size ===

The SVG file specifies the width and height of the map in pixels.  The recommended starting point is 1000x1000, however map creators can reduce this if they are making a small map or increase it if they're making a big map.

The size specified in the SVG file determines how big the army numbers will be on the map.  This size must be appropriate for the map.  If a very small map is stretched into a huge SVG file, the army numbers will be too small to see without zooming in.  In order to avoid unnecessary zooming, a large SVG file should only be used if the map really needs that much room to fit all of its territories.

=== Territories should not overlap ===

Player-controllable territories can never overlap with each other.  If you find yourself in a situation where you feel like you want one territory to be on top of another, you need to cut a hole in the outer territory in the shape of the inner one. This makes the inner one look like it's on top, even though technically the territories aren't overlapping.

=== Testing Maps ===

The map must be a real map and not just a test.  It's a good idea to make your first map just a couple of territories to prove you understand how to make a real map, however maps without any strategic value should not go public.  You're free to put these into testing mode to play games on them, however.

== Grandfathered Maps ==

Players sometimes notice maps that are already public that don't meet some of these requirements.  Older maps that were created before these requirements existed are grandfathered in, such as the Wheel map that does not have bonus links or the United States Big map that had tiny territories.  The presence of the old violations does not exempt new maps from the requirements.

== See Also == 

* [[Map Making]]
* [[Map guidelines]]
* [[Inkscape tips]]

[[Category:Map Making]]