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Beginner Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Posts: 26

I am curious to the advantage of mapping in zones. Right now, I have about 2k rooms mapped. They are all in one zone. When mapping, how do you know when it is a different zone? Also, what is the advantage of mapping in zones? Also, is it possible to make my current map into zones, instead of the one large map, if it is advantageous?

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 1:33 am

1) Your MUD tells you in some way, or you decide to put some rooms in a different zone. From the perspective of zMUD's mapper, the choice of zone for a particular room is abitrary.
2) The advantage of using zones is that you don't have to look at the entire map. Some people like looking at the entire map at once, some people want to look at small bits of it. For example, if you want to go to a particular room, it's easier to start by selecting its zone and then finding it on the map than it is to scroll round a huge map, but on the other hand, you can't see the whole world at once.
3) Yes. Cut the rooms, change to the right zone (or make a new one) and paste them.

Adept Joined: 04 May 2007 Posts: 292 Location: Boston

On Achaea the Survey command tells you a mud zone, some people have used that, like on my maps, and others still make huge maps.

The small zone map corresponding to the mud assigned zone is better for me, I magically find myself in places with little time for finding my location, I check "survey" then I click the map zone. Even in duplicate rooms it is somewhat better then a global map. The down side is badly assigned mud zones which leave me with scattered, unconnected areas. I sometimes walk out of zone to get my position.

If I did not have the mud assigned zone I would probably make the big map, though by dividing zones with special difficulties, like a hard to see DT or especially dangerous, tricky paths, maybe could be useful.

GURU Joined: 23 Dec 2000 Posts: 4834 Location: USA

Zoning isn't some hard-and-fast mechanic you can pull from the game, it's just a mapper-based version of class folders in settings files. They're mostly there for organizational purposes. It helps with the map scales, too, since typically the scales change from zone to zone and room to room.

Beginner Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Posts: 26

Thanks for the info. That tells me that I am pretty sure I want to use zones. However, Leitia brings up another question for me. Is there any way to make my map show a DT and I never enter the room with the DT? I really really HATE DTs

Novice Joined: 20 Jul 2004 Posts: 38 Location: Australia

I'm guessing you mean Death Traps. But in any case, yes. Once you find a room you want to avoid, click on the room in the mapper window (once only. if you double-click on a room in the mapper, the mapper will speed-walk you to that room.). Next right-click on the room, and select properties from the menu that just appeared. (Or use the menu ... Edit ... properties, or Ctrl-P).
In any case, you should have a window appear with the title 'Room Properties'. There should be several tabs there, and if you select the 'Appearance' tab, there is a box labelled 'Room Color'. Select the box, then select a new colour for your room. (If you have Zmapper, you can create a new picture for the room, like a skull and cross-bones instead of the regular square. Very Happy

)

For avoidance, select the last tab 'Other'. Change the 'Cost to move into room' up very high, and/or select the 'Do not enter' checkbox. These 2 settings prevent the mapper from speedwalking you into the room, one prevents access into the room, the other forces the mapper to use an alternative route unless it cannot.

However, if you walk around normally, you can still enter the room.

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 11:41 am

The Do Not Enter flag actually just sets the room cost to a MASSIVE number, so they're the same thing. The mapper will still enter a Do Not Enter room if it's the only route. The Room Cost works because a normal move is worth 1. Moving into a room with a room cost set costs whatever the room cost is. The mapper finds the route with the lowest total cost.

Apprentice Joined: 13 Feb 2004 Posts: 157 Location: USA

That's not my experience; if the only path is through a Do Not Enter room, you just don't go. In fact, if you're already in a Do Not Enter room, it won't speedwalk you anywhere.

Wizard Joined: 11 Jul 2002 Posts: 1265 Location: USA

Newbie Joined: 09 Feb 2008 Posts: 5

All i know is i mark the room color in red click do njot enter check and my guy doesn't enter there.

As for Zoning realms of despair use's a system where some areas are geo's (ie countries) and areas in those geo's as places to go (ie city's caves, towers etc etc). Breaking the map into zones works well in an application like that. Typing where tells you area and geo