Load/Save a Map

Do you have any favorite maps that you play over and over again? Email them to me, and I'll post the best ones. My email address is below.

A feature introduced in Lords of Conquest 2000 is loading and saving maps. To implement this, I had to work around the fact that applets aren't allowed access to any file systems, for security reasons.

So, when saving a map, the map is converted to text format, and placed in a text area. From the Info page, click the "Save Map" button. The map is replaced with a text area filled with text representing the map. The user then copies the text into his favorite text editor and saves it on his own local machine. Click "Ok" to return to Info.

When starting a new game, click the "Load Existing Map" button on the Map Main Menu Page. A blank text area will cover the top of the window. Start your favorite text editor and load your desired map. Copy-and paste the text of the map into the text area, and then click "Ok". The game will parse it into a map. If you do not wish to load an existing map, click "Back" to return to the Map Main Menu.

Here's the format specification:

• A valid map file contains at least 20 rows of text, the first 20 containing at least 40 characters.
• Each character stands for a square on the 40x20 board.
• The period character "." stands for water.
• Territories are defined as adjacent squares with the same non-space, non-period character.
• No disjoint territories allowed. Two groups of identical characters are considered separate territories.
• When creating a map from scratch, one should avoid using sets of look-alike characters. Recommended characters to use for territories:
  1. All English alphabetic characters, any case, except for the following combinations:

     • u v

       (if they are the same case) (they look too similar)

     • 1 l

       (lower case letter 'l' can look like a one '1' in some fonts)

     • O o 0

       (both cases of the letter 'O' and the number zero '0')
  2. All numeric characters (0-9), except for any that was chosen to be eliminated from above.
  3. All punctuation characters, except the following:

     • ! ? , ; :

       (they either have a period in them or look like one)

     • ` ' "

       (is it one or two squares?)

     • #

       (Will be used by LOC to frame the map for the user).

     • ^ _ ~

       (they throw off the viewer's row alignment)
  4. No white-space characters (space, tab).
  5. Because LOC can easily tell all characters apart, these recommended exceptions are not disallowed.
• Each territory must have from 7 to 99 squares.
• The map must contain from 20 to 64 territories.
• All characters beyond the 40th in each row are ignored.
• All rows after the 20th in the file are ignored.
• It is recommended to place "#" characters in the 41st column and 21st row to "frame" the map.
• When editing the map in a text editor, it is recommended to use a fixed-width font, so columns will line up.
• The user may also wish to place a by-line below the bottom row of "#"s.

Here are some samples to illustrate the appearance of map files:

This is a blank map. Note the "#" characters "framing" the map, and the byline below them. Download it to make your own map from scratch.

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Created by LOC Map Generator

Here is a map with 36 territories. Territory "I" in the south is an island, and the territories 'Y', 'Z', '@', and '$' form a 4-territory island. Download it.

........................................#
..1..333.3AAAA....ZZZ$$$$$......P.QRRRR.#
.1111333333AAA....ZZZ$$$$......PPQQQQQR.#
.112222233AAA..YYZZZZ$$.........PQQQQRR.#
.122222....A.YYYYYZ@@@.........PPPPSQRR.#
.14442.......Y.YY@@@@@.........PPPSSSRR.#
.14444..........Y@@@....KKK.....OOSSS...#
.1444..................KKKKKKKNOOOSSS.T.#
.554........C.D......GGJJKJJNNNNOOO.STT.#
.5555......CCCDD....GGGJJJJJNNNNNOO.TTT.#
.55566...CCCCCDDD.FGGGGJJJ...N...O...TT.#
..55666....CDDDDFFFF.GGH....M........TT.#
...66669..BC..DFFFFF..HHH...MMMM..W..TU.#
.7.77669.BBBB.EEEEEF...HHHH.MMM...W.UUU.#
.7777799BBBB...EEEE.....HHLLMMMM.WWUUUU.#
.77..7999.BB....EE......H.LLL....WWWUUU.#
....88899...........III...LLL.....WWUXX.#
....88899..........IIII...LLL.....WXXXX.#
....8.8888.........IIII...........XXXXX.#
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#########################################
Created by LOC Map Generator

Here is a map with 56 territories. Download it.

........................................#
..XXXXXJ..hhhbbbbb....88.M.nnnn..iiiiii.#
.XXXXXJJGGhhhhbbbb....888MMMnnnn..CCCii.#
...XXJJJGGGhhhxxxx..p..88MMllln..YCCCCi.#
.vvvXXJJGGGGwwwxxxpppp.88MMlll..YYYYCC2.#
.vvvvvvJGGGwww.x.xppp....Mlll..fYYYY222.#
.kkkk..TTTTww......p.......9..ffqqY2222.#
.kk....TTTSw.....ee.......999fffqqqq2PP.#
.kk.....TTSSSS.eeee....AAAA999ffqqqqqPP.#
..k.....ttSS.S..ee..dd.AAA9944fWWWWWPP..#
.5.....ttttS.....e.dddAA333344fUWWWWWPP.#
.555...tttg....m...dddd33333444UWUWZZPZ.#
.55......gg..mmm....a7777133344UUULZZZZ.#
.5..RRRgggg..mmmm.saa77771113DDUUULLLZZ.#
.5..RRRRggIIIIymsssaaa771111DDDDDLLLLHZ.#
.5..RBBBBgIIIyyysssraaaKKK1NNNDDDDLHHHH.#
.EE.RBBBBFIIIyyyyssrrrKKjKKKNN.QQQQHHHH.#
.EEERBBBFFFIyy.cccsccrrjjjKjNN.QQQ6666..#
.EEEE..FFFFF.y...ccccrrrjjjjNN.QQ66666..#
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#########################################
Created by LOC Map Generator

Questions? E-mail me at gettmanr.AT.yahoo.DOT.com.