How do I add AI markers using Hazard's Editor ?

When I open some maps in the game,on the left hand side there is a message that says that the map needs markers.

Use Supreme Marker Editor 0.921 BETA

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Ok I have but I opened a map and it has all these lines,like connections for water,air and land but I haven't a clue as to how to use this.

Is there a tutorial on using this ?

The lines that you see are the interconnects between the movement markers (Land, Air, Water and Amphibious). They'll disappear when you turn off those toggles.

Overall, it's pretty easy - down in the lower right you should see some toggles that allow you to turn off different categories of markers. Turn off the Land, Air, Water and Amphibious nodes to start - you can turn them on later. In fact, turn off all of them except the Grid - and the Basic Markers.

So, we'll start simple.

Place starting locations.

You'll notice a purple ring around each starting location - that's the No-Rush radius - it keeps the AI from going anywhere until after the No-Rush timer expires - if you use that function when you play - otherwise - it does nothing. You can adjust the size of the ring, and even move it off centre - so be careful when you play with it - you'll want it to be fairly centre - just in case someone want's to play with the No Rush time turned on.

Place Mass and Hydrocarbon markers.

These are pretty self explanatory - place them as you will - the only thing you need to concern yourself with is the terrain they get placed on. They'll turn red if they're placed on unsuitable terrain - also - don't place them too close to the edge of the map. The AI can sometimes have trouble air dropping engineers onto markers too close to the edge.

Transport Markers.

These often mis-understood markers seem to have been originally intended to guide the AI in making air drops of combat units. They still have this role, but the AI rarely uses them (it prefers Land Nodes). In general, I go back and place these after I've built the Movement nodes, and put them in places where I don't have a Land node nearby. Some AI's (Sorian) use them better than others.


OK - turn on the Combat markers now.

The combat markers perform a number of functions - the most important here are the rally point markers. Rally point markers come in two flavors - Standard and Naval. They tell the AI where to send new units that come from factorys. They need to be placed within reasonable proximity of the various base building markers - usually within 1 grid (which is about 1km). Beyond that, the AI won't use them.

The combat markers are usually used by scouts and should be placed where you'd like the AI to keep a fairly constant watch.

The Defensive Point Markers (both Standard and Naval) are used in a similar fashion but some AI's will also build defensive hardpoints at these locations. Generally, these are placed in chokepoints.


Ok - turn on the Build Markers now.

The build markers are used to tell the AI where to build additional bases (most importantly Naval Bases on water maps) - and where to build experimentals.

The two expansion markers are used differently by various AI's - and like any regular base - they should have rally point markers near them. Don't use too many of them as the AI will quickly build too many bases and game performance can suffer.


THE MOVEMENT Markers

This is the most important category of markers - and the most time consuming. Creating the movement layers is crucial to insuring that the AI can get from point A to point B - and giving the AI various options for approaching a location. Often when moving from one point to another, the AI will examine multiple paths to find the safest route (depending upon how much threat the platoon itself has), so if you want the AI to be kind of smart, providing a complex path network allows the AI flexibility in being 'sneaky'.

Just a note here about performance - many have claimed that having a complex movement map will hurt performance - but in my experience - it's quite the opposite. While it consumes more RAM up front, it removes a great deal of CPU load that would otherwise be consumed when units are trying to pathfind on their own. This is especially true with the Sorian AI which caches sucessful movement routes for a short period, thus reducing the calculations required to find a suitable path. I've redone many maps with very extensive movement maps and never seen a performance hit at all.

The two easiest layers to complete are Air and Water.

The Air nodes are best placed in a straight grid pattern that covers the entire map - place nodes about 2 km (grids) apart - and interconnect each node to it's nearest neighbours (like a star pattern). While you can get by with far simpler patterns, this gives air transports lots of choices when trying to move safely from one place to another. Bombers, gunships and fighters will often go directly to a target, so the grid is not terribly important for them - but if it's a long trip - they will use the grid. Obviously, you may want to avoid putting in connections that would take aircraft over some particularily large features like huge mountains or volcanoes - they'll go - but it slows them down a great deal as they try to ascend to the height required to get over them.

Water nodes are of course used by the Naval units, and they can have a very loose layout - just make sure to keep them well away from the shoreline and if you have a very rough shoreline - put in enough points to allow them to negotiate around it without getting to close - and enought points to allow them to get within 2km of any position on the water. I've seen lots of players 'fool' the AI by building in some obscure corner of the map - as many of the water maps don't cover those distant places.

Land nodes are perhaps the most complicated - since they have so many more obstacles to deal with. I usually use a very tight grid - often only 1 km (grid) apart in many places. Yes - it's a lot of work - but pays great dividends in having smooth platoon movement that will get larger platoons around hilltops or ridgelines. As with the water nodes, don't put them too near to shorelines as land units will get hung up trying to negotiate the water.

The amphibious layer is both easy (there is a function which will create the amphibious layer for you by copying the Land nodes) - but you will have to complete it by making the interconnections between land masses yourself. Note - Engineers make extensive use of the amphibious layer - and a poor amphbious layer will have those AI engineers making odd detours in order to go from one place to another.

Anyhow - I hope I've been able to help - you'll notice that I didn't discuss one of the markers - the Naval Link - which appears to have no function that I can find in any of the AI's that I've looked at - so I just leave it out.

Best of luck !

Thank You So Much For This Tutorial Sprouto.

Glad to be of help