Difference between revisions of "In-Game Maps"

Revision as of 20:16, 17 March 2006

Overview

These downloadable in-game maps are available so that a player does not have to switch back and forth between his or her game and an external application to view maps containing common locations that a player may wish to visit.

Downloadable Map Files

• Mercy Island
• Port Oakes

Important Notes: Please Read

• This patch adds, not replaces, game files. The map patch can be undone at any time by simply deleting the files downloaded. This is important, so I'll say it again: This patch does not modify any game files in any way!
• Updates and other changes may come at the whim of the developers at any time. If stuff moves around, don't cry, just check back in and see if there is an updated version of the map patch.
• This is by far not complete. Hell, it's probably not even a fraction of the stuff in the game. If you know of more stuff, please send me an e-mail at tonyv@pcfreepress.com
• These files are provided free without any kind of warranty of any kind. NCsoft's official position is that using these files violates your terms of service for playing the game, but they have yet to act on people who used the original City of Heroes map patch files. This shouldn't be regarded as explicit or implicit acceptance of people using the map patch files, it just means that NCsoft has not taken any action against people who do use them.

How to Install

The Nutshell Version

Save the downloaded .texture files in the following directory:

(Installation Folder)\data\texture_library\V_MAPS\Static

The Extended Version

If you are having trouble determining your Installation Folder or otherwise creating the correct directories, please follow the instructions below.

First, determine what your City of Heroes and/or City of Villains directory is called. By default, it is in the following location:

C:\Program Files\City of Heroes

If this location does not exist, the exact location can be determined by the following method:

• Click on your start button.
• From the popup menu that appears, select Run...
• In the dialog box that opens, type regedit and click the OK button.
• In the application window that opens, navigate to the following key by double-clicking each key name:
  • My Computer
  • HKEY_CURRENT_USER
  • Software
  • Cryptic
  • COH
• The City of Heroes installation directory is listed beside the Installation Directory entry in the right pane of the window.

Once the installation directory is found, create a subfolder in that folder named data. Create a subfolder of the data folder called texture_library, then a subfolder of that folder called V_MAPS, then a subfolder of that folder called Static. When done, you should have the following folder structure under your City of Heroes/Villains installation folder:

(Installation Folder)\data\texture_library\V_MAPS\Static

Copy the .texture files you download into that folder.

How to Uninstall

If you decide that you wish to stop using the in-game maps, simply delete the .texture files. If these are the only files in the folder, you may delete its container folder as well. If there are no other files in the data subfolder of the installation folder, you may safely delete the entire data subfolder.

Notes

First of all, I am not trying to step on anyone's toes with the release of these maps. In particular, in the interest of disclosure, this is not the original site to host map files. Arguably, the most famous at this point is VidiotMaps, which hosts a complete set of City of Heroes and City of Villains in-game maps, and which is the source of some of the information found on these maps.

However, these maps were developed for two primary reasons:

• There was a delay in the time between the release of City of Villains and its in-game maps. These maps were developed to be an interim solution.
• These maps use a new set of icons that I feel more accurately indicate the exact location of the items that players search for in-game. I have tested each location icon thoroughly and personally verified each's location, and the "pinpoint" of each marker is in the closest avaialble pixel on the map.

The Pinpoint Markers

Each location on these maps is marked with a Pinpoint Marker, or a small white dot in the center of a colored circle indicating what type of marker the location is. This is slightly different from the notation used on other in-game maps. Hopefully, the markers have retained their visibility while allowing a player to more easily find the locations he or she is searching for.