Tribes2Maps.com - News Archive

When I took over Tribes2Maps.com from Bytor, I promised the community for as long as I could I would keep Tribes2Maps.com up and operational and I intend on continuing to do so, however some changes have been made. The Forums are now located at TribalOutpost.com, and the Map of the Week has been removed.

Tribes2Map.com from this point forward will not be receiving any updates (unless something breaks), but it will remain in its current state with all content being browseable, for those of you who do not want to use TribalOutpost.com.

It is time for the doors of Tribes2Maps.com to be closed, but there is a caveat. TribalOutpost.com has now taken over!

After much deliberation I have decided that a more updated design and a better programmed website was necessary to maintain the over 2.5 gigabytes worth of data that I have collected related to the Tribes series. I also decided that with this site it would be necessary to have sections for community based games that are a spin off or influenced heavily by the Tribes series. Please take a look when you get the opportunity. Sections of this site are slowly being redirected permanently to TribalOutpost.com and you will receive a notice on TribalOutpost.com when you get referred. Eventually my plan for Tribes2Maps.com is to make all the pages static and make it basically an archive during its glory days.

Tribes2Maps.com has re-opened its doors under new management. I, Sfphinx - the Spawngraph Shaman, has taken over management of Tribes2Maps.com! Here is the email that I sent out to all members of the forums.

I know that everyone was sad to see that Bytor was shutting down the site, then even more sad when he /actually/ did it. I know that I have been away from the Tribes 2 Community for a while now (due to marriage, serving my country, etc...) that as my gift to you all I, Sfphinx, am re-opening Tribes2Maps.com with the blessing of Bytor (no I didn't steal the site). After trying to track down Bytor for several weeks (ok, days), I was able to talk him into handing the site over to me in its entirety. (Just want to note that "a tiny fishie" from the Pond put in a good word for me). I have been spending the last few, several days obtaining the content and putting it on the new server. There are a few bugs I am sure in the system and the forum "look" isn't the same, but I am working on that.

So without further ado I present to you the re-opening of Tribes2Maps.com! Please no rushing the server! :)

Now for the juicy part.

New Features:
Wrench, a tool designed for better error checking for any Torque Engine scripting. It returns the file name you are checking, the line number
Random Map of the Week, this is not necessarily new, but I had to make a script for it, so I decided to list it here. :) Every Sunday Morning Tribes2Maps.com will post a new Map of the Week on the site.

Old Features: The following features of Tribes2Maps.com have been disabled due to server capabilities, however as soon as I have the capability the features will come back online.

Custom Map Packs - Disabled (this is due to a missing package for perl, hopefully will be back soon) Monthly Map Packs - Disabled (same reason as above)

I am always going to be looking for new ideas and directions to take the site. All suggestions are welcome!

-Sfphinx

What is it? xpack2 contains 31 maps for the Tribes 2 game. Some of these maps are tweaked versions of ones that came with Tribes2, some are tweaked versions of previously released community maps, and some are brand spanking new!

The Sparkmeister says: "This is a major update to my teleporter system in an effortto ease the use of teleporters in your maps."

There has been a long-standing debate about the merits of server-side versus client-side mapping and which one gets your map more server rotation. Many mappers have a fear of making client-side maps because they believe that nobody will ever play them since they have to be downloaded first. This fear is compounded by the belief that server admins never install client-side maps on their servers because they feel they will lose their player base as a result.

I decided to do an informal study to see if these fears were unfounded. I wrote a script that queries every T2 server listed on the master servers and logs the map that is currently being played. I ran this script every half hour for 30 days. Each time a server is queried, it's called a "sample". Over those 30 days, my script collected 523,625 such samples.

After all the data was collected, I wrote another script to analyze it. I cross-referenced the map names against the tribes2maps.com database, and against the list of other known maps, to count which maps were client-side and which were server-side. I also counted which ones were the "stock" maps that came with the game. If I couldn't determine if a map was client-side or not, I counted it as "unknown". Here are the results:

So in conclusion, most of the maps in rotation are the stock maps. No surprise there. However, out of the 39% that are not stock maps, better than two thirds of them are client-side maps. Note that if I run the numbers again, but filter out servers that don't have any non-bot players on them, the ratio between server-side and client-side is much closer, but client-side still wins out. In other words, the popular belief that server-side maps get more server rotation as well as playtime, is a myth.

CodeName: Lonewolf is officially kicked off today by the release of the first of their maps. The team of mappers, Links of Honor, has chosen to release the first map in each series, and then release the Chapter as a whole upon its completion.

CodeName: Lonewolf begins the chronicle of a young StarWolf warrior, caught unwillingly in the middle of a strange attack on the world of Orsini, far from the galactic masses.

Within this first mission, the Links of Honor team has brought everything possible: custom terrain, skies, textures, buildings, voices, incredible bot programming, involving storyline, and more.

The maps that will be released are "reverse engineered" to fit under Tribes2's default "Training" tab. However, when the LoneWolf chapter is finished in its entirety, there will be a new tab for players to work with, customizing their warrior's name, loadout, teammates and more.

The Links of Honor team hopes this map shows what they are capable of, and truly believe this is only the beginning.

Dark Millenium is a new total conversion mod for Tribes 2 based on the popular game Warhammer 40k. It will feature: custom maps; custom player, vehicle, and weapon models; New gameplay modes; and a new GUI system. More will be released to the community within the next month or so. In the meantime, Dark Millenium is looking for EXPERIENCED mappers and map scripters. If you have any interest in joining, contact Mirv at thegreatpablo@hotmail.com.

21-6 Productions (http://www.21-6.com) is currently looking for a talented level designer to work on their sci-fi action-RPG Myrmidon. Myrmidon will combine the exploration and character-building aspects of an RPG with strong team-based gameplay features. Much has been accomplished on Myrmidon (visit the 21-6 website for more detailed info), but much more needs to be done before we will be able to release the ESD version.

We are looking for someone who can join the existing team and hit the ground running. Myrmidon is being developed using the Torque engine by Garage Games (http://www.garagegames.com), so familiarity with Worldcraft and the in-game level editors is a big plus. Knowledge of T2/Torque scripting and the ability to create textures would be useful, but is not necessary.

If you are interested in working with a serious and dedicated team on an interesting game, let us know by sending an e-mail to helpwanted@21-6.com. If you can include some information about the levels and/or projects that you have worked on, including links to the levels themselves, we'd appreciate it.

Vision Studios is currently looking for people to help them with their next big project. The development team behind Strike Force Unreal Tournament - http://www.strikeforcecenter.com is working with the Tribes 2 engine to develop a military vs military mod for the engine. The new mod will feature real world weapons, vehicles and characters. The team is currently looking in the Tribes 2 community for experienced object designers for the new maps. If you can create map objects and import them into T2 the team wants you. The new mod will feature real world objects like watch towers, small towns, trees, bushes, etc. Think of Delta Force with better graphics. =) If you would like to apply for the positions and be part of this huge mod for Tribes 2 please contact optimizer@strikeforcecenter.com

Note: The new mod will put two military teams together in the huge outside environments of Tribes 2. The game will have the standard Tribes 2 game types with a real world setting. Maps will display real world objects and buildings. The ground and air vehicles will be updated to be real world vehicles and the characters will be classed based. You will be able to do parachute drops over targets and take out teams in a military fashion using real world guns. Vision Studios already has a development team in place but they are currently looking to expand that team with experienced people in the Tribes 2 community.

After a successful and relatively bug-free beta test, I'm finally releasing the Tribes2Maps.com AutoDownload system. This is a Tribes 2 script with an accompanying Visual Basic application that allows you to automatically download maps from Tribes2Maps.com from within the game, without having to restart Tribes 2, or ever leave the game.

The VB program runs in the background and takes care of "installing" the maps that are downloaded from Tribes2Maps.com by the T2 script. It also launches T2 for you, either directly or via the Sierra Auto Update utility. It can also launch T2 via Panama Jack's TimeHUD.exe. This all happens with very little modifications to any core T2 code, and it includes a box to enter optional command line parameters, so it should be compatible with any mod.

PJ (not Panama Jack) has prepared an installer program that installs the VB application as well as the required T2 script files. Download the installer here:

After many months of hard work, Nefilim and Company have released the first four Tribes 1 Classic Map remakes for Tribes 2! Having seen these remakes during beta testing, I can attest to their high quality. Follow the link below to see all of Nefilim's maps in the Tribes2Maps.com database. This will include all of the T1 Classics as they are released. As of the date of this news release, the list includes Dangerous Crossing, Roller Coaster, Snowblind and Stonehenge. Download them here:

Designed to help "server side" mappers. This package consists of terrain jpegs plus a .vl2 with MissionBlanks for each terrain. Browse the jpegs, make a "hotlist", then jump into the MissionBlanks in-game to view in 3D before making your final decision. You can even edit without worrying about overwriting anything. Read the README. Thanks go out to Zear, Bytor and Panama Jack.

Mapzip, the Tribes2 command line utility for creating VL2 mission files has been updated to include .DIF (building models), .DTS (Shape Models), and .PNG (Gui & Other Images.) Grab it here.

Former Dynamix Dev Team member Drew "Mongo" Zilm has given us a new toy! His new Particle Editor gives mappers and modders the ability to create custom particle effects for Tribes 2. Here's what Drew had to say:

Something for everyone:
Mappers are able to place default tribes 2 particles in their maps. It also enables them to easily create and place all new custom particles ( water effects, explosions, mist, steam ). All of this with NO CLIENT DOWNLOAD. If the server has the new particles you will see new particles.

Mod makers can create in real-time new weapon effects, explosions, vehicle dust, player jet. Using this tool can make a any MOD feel different than the regular tribes2. Combined with good scripting and this will make your MOD worth the effort. NO CLIENT DOWNLOAD, datablocks get sent to the client when joining the server this includes all custom particles.

Server Operators: this will enable custom particles on a server. Keep in mind, if you run new maps with custom particles and you don't have the particle editor running the new particles will simply be ignored. There is no penalty for not having the editor but at a 15 KB download it is worth having all the new eye candy.

PJ and I thought the Tribes 2 mapping community needed a new object catalog. There has been one hosted at Planettribes.com for quite some time, but we felt it left some room for improvement, such as multiple screenshots of the larger objects, a design that is easier on the eyes, and inclusion of the objects from the Dynamix Final Map Pack. So, we built the Tribes2Maps.com Object Browser. Thanks go to PJ for spending a considerable amount of time taking the screenshots for this tool.

Novice mappers often run into problems loading their map because of simple but hard to find errors in their mission files. To help with this problem, I've created a web-based .mis file syntax checker. It finds common problems with .mis files that can cause the mission not to load. Check it out here.

Total-Recall is a need of mappers...mainly the MOD is based around CTF things, and enclosed areas are a good thing...I require the maps to be serverside since I don't want to waste the clients time downloading the map...You can contact me at neomatrix3010@home.com with more details and you can check the Total-Recall website at:

http://www.the-junkyard.net/micromitch

A side note for the creators: All maps you create you will receive full credit, place your signature or whatever over the map, as long as its Total-Recall "friendly" =)

Hey all, I just upgraded the site code so that you must now provide your forum user name and password when you submit a new map to the site, or when you submit a comment about a map.

Also, you cannot submit more than one grade on a map, ever. You can submit as many 'None' grades as you want.

Also, map authors can no longer grade their own maps. Obviously, this restriction will only work for maps that were submitted after today's site upgrade.

Comments and suggestions about these improvements should be posted in the Suggestions forum. Thanks.

The Terminal Mod Development Team is asking any and all mappers in the Tribes 2 mapping community for their help. We need CTF maps. Large CTF maps, with the bases/flags atleast 1500 meters apart, a minimum of a 1Km flight ceiling, and at least one fully loaded vehicle station for each team. As far as terrain types and styles, the more diverse, the better. Server-side maps are preferred, but client-side maps will be accepted as well.

The Terminal Mod is currently in its final beta stages, and can be played on the -=TTC=-Battlefield and -=TTC=- servers. The maps that work best with the mod will be included in the mod which I hope to be releasing for download in the next few weeks. Email all submissions to Zer00@Islc.net. P.S. - The creators of the maps that we decide to include in the mod will be given full credit for their work.

I am proud to announce the first script in my mappers support scripts pack.

pingpong.cs allows the creation of pinpong style movement paths for any game objects, allowing the easy creation of moving platforms, sliding doors and many other repeat movement functions.

This file is the first file in my soon-to-be released "EvilCheese's mappers support scripts" package, which will provide many interactive movement, trigger and other interesting features for use in Tribes2 maps.

Dave "Diamondback" Meddish, former Dynamix Dev team member, has submitted his map "Erebus" to the site. This map was custom made for the UVALAN3 Tribes 2 event recently held on the east coast. We've playtested it, and it's a lot of fun. Interesting terrain with plenty of action hot-spots. Check out the map details here.

Since I launched Tribes2Maps.com, I've had a lot of requests to put all of the maps into one big zip file so people could download every map on the site without having to do them one at a time. Personally, I don't see why anyone would want to spend the time downloading hundreds of megs of maps when they will probably never play on more than 10% of them. So, as a compromise, I am making available monthly map packs broken down into CTF and non-CTF maps, separated by client-side and server-side.

Please be aware that I get charged by the amount of bandwidth this server uses at the hosting facility. Please only download the packs that you actually will be playing on, or hosting if you are a server administrator. Don't just download all the packs just so you can say you have all the maps on this site. Click here for the list.

I just completed work on the newest feature on Tribes2Maps.com - Custom Map Packs! You can now add maps to your custom map pack, then download them all as a single Zip file when you're done. You can add up to 50 maps to a pack, or up to 10 megabytes of maps. To try this new feature, look for the button labeled "Add to Map Pack" which can be found on map detail pages, as well as review pages. There is also a link for each map on search results pages.

I have changed the map submission system so that it only accepts files in .vl2 format. This means that you will be able to download the .vl2 file directly into your tribes2\GameData\base folder, restart Tribes 2 and it will immediately be ready for play. No more unzipping.

Tribes2Maps.com suffered a temporary DNS outage yesterday, and some people weren't able to access the site. The problem has now been fixed, and the site is back to normal.

{FRG}Bones from -=Fraggers Hall=- sends word that their DnD mod for Tribes 2 has been released. Here's the scoop:

Defend and Destroy for Tribes 2 is now here. All the excitement of attacking the enemy base while defending your base grows to a new level with the larger maps and matches of Tribes2. Players: There are several servers already running this new game type, simply look for 'Defend & Destroy' as a mission type in the server list. Rules of the game are: Destroy the Enemy Objectives. Defend your Objectives. All Objectives have a automatic waypoint on your screen. When an Objective is taken out, the waypoint is automatically removed. Server Administrators: You can run the DnD code without interfering with any other mod. The code only enables the new mission type, it doesn't alter any other properties of the game. The script can be found at http://www.fraggershall.com/dnd along with 5 Defend and Destroy maps and a short technical (not aesthetic) tutorial on how to convert a map for DnD style play. Maps will also be submitted to Tribes2Maps.com upon completion.

We've just released Version 2.0 of TriCon2, a Tribes 2 server administration tool. This version is a rework from the ground up, with a new development platform and interface, designed to make the application as intuitive as possible. You now have a great deal more customizability, from mixing game types in your map list, to controlling the types of functions you want your admins to have access to through TriCon 2.

The server and client side installs can be downloaded from our website at www.tricon2.com

The masses have spoken, and we have heard you! In response to numerous requests from the Tribes 2 mapping community, Tribes2Maps.com now has a full featured forum section, just for mapping.

We feel this section of our site will be a very popular place for mappers to share ideas, help each other out, and just shoot the breeze with other community members.

TySoft at PlanetTribes recently had the chance to interview one of the most popular third party mappers in the Tribes community - Necrobones. We'll take a peek into this mapper's mind. You can check out the full thing here: http://www.planettribes.com/features/interviews/necrobones.shtml

Stuart "Vovin" Presley has released a new script for map makers making it easier to place random static shapes within maps. The original script shipped with Tribes2 however was broken by a mistyped variable name. The script has been repaired and enhanced in functionality and can be downloaded from http://home.carolina.rr.com/vovin/RandomObjs.zip.

Hey all ... just a quick note to let you know that I've made a couple additions to the Tribes2Maps.com search engine. You can now do an advanced search and choose how the search results will be sorted. You can sort the maps by the map name, the author's name, download count or upload date. You can also filter the results to only show the maps which were uploaded within the last 7, 14, 30, 60, or 90 days. That addition was suggested by Cato. Thanks Cato! To check out the changes, head over to the Advanced Search form.

The HaVoC folks have released a patch for their Tribes 2 teleporter code. This is a maintenance upgrade which is required because of the latest Tribes 2 patch. Download it here:

Heya Tribes 2 fans ... Tribes2Maps.com is still growing like crazy. We received our 100th upload today! It's a map called "Ice Arena" and it was created by "=X= Gambit69". Check it out here:

Mappers, be sure to check out this cool utility from Emo1313. It helps you zip up all the various files that make up your maps, ensuring that the paths for each file are correct. For more details, check out our tools page.

I'm happy to say that the response to the site has well surpassed my expectations. The site received it's millionth hit this morning! Also, we've logged over 5,400 map downloads. Thanks everyone for checking it out and giving your feedback. Mappers, keep those maps coming!

Hey all you mappers! Tribes 2 Database (http://www.tribes2database.com) is hosting a dueling tournament this June 23rd and 24th. We are looking for some dueling maps to use in our Tournament. We would like you to submit your dueling maps to maps@tribes2database.com. In the dueling map we are looking for only 2 spawning points on a raised elevation and a ton of observer points (Don't go overboard) Winning map will have your name on it (we'll do that, and yes it'll be BIG) and used in our tournament. If you have any questions, email me at madassassin@tribes2database.com.

Tribes2Maps.com has opened it's doors to the hungry masses. We're looking forward to seeing all the new maps that the community will be producing in the coming months. Keep the quality maps coming, and we'll keep up the reviews!

Yep, one of the most highly anticipated first person squad combat games has shipped to stores. That means I need to get this site finished up quick, to prepare for the droves of hungry map makers that are sure to latch onto the much improved editor in Tribes 2. Get those maps in!

Here's a snippet from an interview with Mark Frohnmayer, Lead Programmer on the TRIBES 2 Dev Team. This is great news for us mappers, since we will be able to mess with the terrains without forcing players to find and download our maps. Source: tribes2players.com

"Basically the terrain file for the mission is small enough that the server can send it to you at mission start without incurring a major bandwidth hit. This will allow mapmakers much more freedom without causing users major hassles - in TRIBES 1 most of the custom maps used existing terrains or had to be downloaded outside of the game. Also, for map resources like new models, skins and buildings, the server will be able to redirect clients directly to ftp sites for downloads - so users won't just get "file blah was missing" and have to go find it somehow."