AOE3 RMS Tutorial:
by M0nTy_PyTh0n
Version 0.93

PROLOGUE

FAQs

I. INTRODUCTION:
- How to Script
- How to Create Map Files
- Variables
- Functions
- Conventions
- Script Order
- Map Grid
- Object Names:
- - Unit Names
- - Technology Names
- - Trigger Names
- - Terrain Names
- - Other Object Names
- XML Files
- A Simple Random Map
- How to Test the Map
- Now Let Us Have Some Fun!
- How to Get Help

II. RANDOM MAP SCRIPTING COMMANDS:
- General Purpose
- Players
- Areas
- Connections
- Objects
- Fair Objects
- Constraints
- Trade Routes
- Triggers

ADVANCED RM SCRIPTING TUTORIALS

DISCLAIMER

COMMENTS

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PROLOGUE

Welcome to Hyena Studios' Random Map Scripting (RMS) Tutorial for the Age of Empires III (AOE3) game. Below you will find a step-by-step tutorial to create your custom random maps for playing in skirmish mode - offline and online. This tutorial is suitable for both beginners and advanced random map scripters. If you are new to random map scripting you should read all FAQ's first, even if you know RM scripting from the Age of Kings (it is completely different) or Age of Mythology game. Chapter I is the main tutorial chapter. Chapter II will explain all predefined commands you will find in an AOE3 RM script. If you want to have quick success, check Chapter I (Now Let Us Have Some Fun!).
This tutorial is still a bit under construction - more RM commands will be added soon. However, it already allows you to learn creating both simple and complex maps. Now enjoy! Regards, M0nTy_PyTh0n.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Why can I not play my custom scenarios in skirmish mode?
A: Only random maps can be played in skirmish mode.

Q: How do I convert my scenario into a random map/skirmish map?
A: You can't. A scenario is a map with a fixed size, player number, terrain, buildings, etc.
A random map/skirmish map will be generated new each time it gets started,
and with the random commands you will learn to create in this tutorial.

Q: Can I play my custom scenarios online?
A: Not yet. You will have to wait for a game patch with a version higher than 1.11 .

Q: Can I play my custom random maps online?
A: Yes.

Q: I joined a custom random map online. Can I host this map now?
A: Yes. When you join a game with a custom map online, the map will be automatically transfered onto your computer. In the game hosting menu you press the "Custom Maps" button on the upper right screen and the custom maps will appear for selection.

Q: I played a custom random map online. Where do I find the map files on my computer?
A: You will find the custom random maps in your windows profile directory. This is usually
"C:\...\My Documents\My Games\Age of Empires 3\RM\".
Each map consists of 2 files (*.xs and *.xml) - more informations in this tutorial below.

Q: I am new to RMS. How long does it take to make my first own RMS?
A: Long! You will need several hours to be able to correctly modify an already existing map, and a few weeks to create you very own random map from scratch. But, modifying maps makes MUCH fun and will enormously help you learning the commands.

Q: Why is there no RMS Editor for AOE3?
A: First of all, Ensemble Studios - the developers of AOE3 - do not support custom maps at all. They never did it in the past with AOE, AOK, and they will not do it in future. The main reason is: It is just too complicated for the regular players. Furthermore, it makes no sense in creating a drag and drop menu for RM scripting, since RM's are dynamic/random. So, be happy to have this tutorial here - made by a fan of this game. And, I hope it is also a bit of entertainment for you ;)

1) HOW TO SCRIPT

Random Map Script files (RMS files) will be created and edited only with Windows Notepad or any other text editor tools. The AOE3 map editor is not needed for creating a RMS, but it will help a lot for testing the RMS.

(you create a random map with a text editor only)

The RMS are more like an actual programming language than were the RM scripts from Age of Kings: The Conquerors. This gives the AOE3 RM scripts a great deal of power, but also a potentially steeper learning curve. However, users with any familiarity with programming should have an easier time because many of the conventions are similar. Furthermore, the script code is most similar to the C++ programming language, but don't worry - this tutorial will make you learing most commands to make your first RMS without any C++ programming knowledge.
In this tutorial examples for script text are shown in Courier Font.
Notes:
1. Learing RM scripting is NOT easy. You should be at least 12 years old.
2. If you are good in maths you will highly profit from it! But I can tell, learing it can make even more fun than playing AOE3!
3. While reading this tutorial you will even learn some basic for "C/C++" programming!
4. If you do not know how to copy and paste text, then you have visited the wrong website!
5. If you do not know how to use "Notepad" or any other text editor, then you have visited the wrong website!

2) HOW TO CREATE MAP FILES

For making a map we need to create two files: If you name your map "MyMap" then we need to create files with this name and the extensions ".xs" and ".xml", so we name them: MyMap.xs and MyMap.xml . To create each file, open Windows Notepad. You will find the Notepad program under Windows in Start -> Programs -> Accessoirs -> Notepad (or Editor, it's the same). Open Notepad and select "New" from the "File" menu bar. Well, let's save these two neccessary files without any contents first:
1. Select "Save as..." from the "File" menu bar.
2. At the top of the new opened box we chose our directory, where we want to save our files. For the "Save in" directory we chose the directory, where our AOE3 game was installed.
If you use the AOE3 version, use the directory: "C:\...\Programs\Microsoft Games\Age of Empires III\RM\" (if C: is the drive where you installed it!)
3. At the bottom of the box insert the file name MyMap.xs
4. Below chose "All files" as data type.
5. And at the lowest bottom of the box chose "ANSI" as code type.
6. Now you can press the "Save" button at bottom right.
7. Repeat the actions 1. - 6. and chose the name MyMap.xml in (3.) .
Now we have all the files created we need for our first RMS. They are still empty and don't work, but now we can open them one by one and edit them with Notepad!
Note: Do NOT use map names which already exist: Like "texas", "new england", etc.

3) VARIABLES

Variables are the most important items in a RMS. They let you define numbers, strings, operators (and even functions, more later). All variables have to be defined before using them, this means you have to give your variable a variable type and a name:
For an integer number it looks like this:
int myCounter = 1;
Now we have defined a variable of type integer in the following order:
<variable type> <variable name> <is equal to> <predefined value> <execute this>
It is recommended to use a name for a variable, which explains it a bit. This is useful if you have many variables in your script. Surely, you could also name it as int c1 = 1; , which is shorter.
Typical variables are:
Integer numbers (Numbers without decimal places): Example definition: int myCounter = 1;
Float numbers (Numbers with decimal places): Example definition: float myFraction = 0.87;
String (Strings contains letters, numbers and signs): Example definition: string myUnitName = "My Hero";
Bool expressions (Expression which checks validity) : Example definition: bool myCheckIfItIsTrue = "true";
The bool variable is special. It can only have two values, "true" and "false". This variable is useful, if you want to compare two or more values/variables.
Once a variable is defined in the script and you want to give your variable a new value, you don't have write the variable type again:
myCounter = 2;
myFraction = 0.53;
myUnitName = "My New Hero";
myCheckIfItIsTrue = "false";
You can also add these variables:
float myNewFloat = myCounter + myFraction;
Here we defined a new float variable myNewFloat and gave it the value myCounter+myFraction, which is 2.53 . We also could make other math operations with our variable numbers, like substract (-) or divide (/).
string myNewName = myUnitName+" "+myCounter;
Here we defined a new string variable myNewName and gave it the value myUnitName+" "+myCounterFraction, which is "My New Hero 2".
As you can see, we added a string, a "space" letter and an integer to the new string variable.
Note: The maximum amount of "+" signs for setting a string value is 3. Above we just used 2 "+" signs!
In this section we also learned a bit more: The use of the operator "=". When we use "=" in our script, we always give our variable left of "=" the value which stands right of "=". So in case of int myCounter = 1; the variable myCounter has the value "1" whenever we insert it into an equation. If we use our variable myCounter right of an equation, it will be not changed, it will just uses the value we gave it before.

AOE3 variables:
These variables are predefined by AOE3 when starting/launching the finished RM script. The most important ones are:
cMapSize (integer) = 0, if map size is chosen normal; = 1, if map size is chosen large
cNumberNonGaiaPlayers (integer) = amount of players when running/starting the RMS
cNumberPlayers (integer) = amount of players + gaia player when running/starting the RMS = cNumberNonGaiaPlayers+1
cNumberTeams (integer) = amount of teams when running/starting the RMS.
Remember, you first get this values when setting up and starting a game with your RMS!

Summary:
1. Variables will be defined exactly in this order:
<variable type> <variable name> <is equal to> <predefined value> <execute this>
2. There exist 4 types of variables: Integer, Float, String and Bool.
3. Once a variable is defined, you don't have to write the variable type again and can use it's value in the script.
4. If our variables are numbers, we can use them like it in a math expression.
5. String variables can be added and will add the string or number to it's end.
6. AOE3 variables don't have to be defined nor have to be set to a value. You get these values at game start.

4) FUNCTIONS

You all know functions from Maths, like y=x+2. As you can see, this function is also an equation. A function in a program code (like the random map script) can also contain an equation. It can even contain a few equations and also commands. We can also write the Math function y=x+2 in RMS code. It would look like this:
int myRMSFunction (int x=0) { return(x+2); }
You see, we need a bit more to define, in order to tell the AOE3 program, which kind of variables we want to use. First, we gave our function a name (myRMSFunction) and defined it as an integer variable. In the brackets () we defined the input variable x. You see, we defined also x as integer with value 0, but we can change this value when we call this function later in our script. To call a function just means that we want to execute this function and want to get the result. Now, let's call this function:
myRMSFunction (3);
Well, nothing happens! Really? No! What have we done? We inserted "3" into the brackets, so this means that x now has the value "3" instead of the old value "0". Since we called this function, everything within the brackets {} will be executed. Since x is now "3", we get a value for the variable myRMSFunction, which is "5" and surely of type integer, as we defined it before. The command "return" just executes the equation in the brackets of "return()". Now you can easily see, that myRMSFunction(3) is nothing but the y of our math equation, when using x=3. Even more, you are now be able to use this function like a regular integer variable! However, do not forget to insert a correct variable into the bracket, since x has to be an integer. Well, why don't we use float for x and myRMSFunction? Simple answer: Don't use it if not necessary, since calculating integers works much faster than calculating floats.
Now we are able to call this function in our RMS as often as we want and with different integer values.

In a random map script there are two different kinds of functions, predefined functions and custom functions:

Predefined Function:
These functions are already defined by the AOE3 program. Most of them start with the letters "rm...".
Example: "rmEchoInfo("Large map");".
These functions are all explained below. Some of these functions just execute something (they are called void functions), others can return a value or variable (they are called int, float or string functions), and some other functions can compare values or variables (like if, else, while, case, etc. They are called operator functions). There are also some math functions which work in RMS (like sqrt(x) for the square root of x).

Custom Functions:
The most important custom function is called "void main(void) {}" and ALWAYS has to be included once in your RMS! The "void" before "main" means, that this function doesn't return any value, it just executes something. The "void" in the brackets () means, that the function "main" doesn't need any additional variables, so it just executes all commands and definitions, which are added in the {} brackets.
Typically, there is no need for further custom functions in a random map script. However, they get pretty useful, if we want to repeat commands over and over again. If you want to use further custom functions, there are two rules to follow:
1. You have to define all additional custom functions BEFORE you define the function main.
2. You can even call a custom function in a definition of a new custom function, but the function you call has to be defined BEFORE you call it.

Using Operator Functions:
As we already have seen, operator functions are predefined functions. They are needed to compare values or variables, using operators. The most common operators are:
i == j , means "i" has the same value as "j"
i < j , means "i" has a lower value than "j"
i > j , means "i" has a higher value than "j"
i <= j , means "i" has a lower or the same value as "j"
i >= j , means "i" has a higher or then same value as "j"
i != j , means "i" has NOT the same value as "j"
i || j , means "i" OR "j", this is a boolean operator, "i" OR "j" has to be TRUE to proceed
i && j , means "i" AND "j", this is a boolean operator, "i" AND "j" has to be TRUE to proceed

i % j , means "i" modulo "j". In simple words: "i" AND "j" have to be integers. Devide "i" by "j" as much as you can. If you can divide i (k*j) times, (k is also an integer), then substract this amount and look at the rest (i%j = i - k*j). If i<j, then k is 0.
Example: 1%4=1, 2%4=2, 3%4=3, 4%4=0, 5%4=1, 6%4=2, 7%4=3, 8%4=, 9%4=1, 10%4=2, ...

Now let's have a look at the operator functions. We insert the following into the main function:
int i = 0;
int j = 0;
for (i=1; <= 10) {
if (i<4) j=1;
else if (i<6) j=2;
else j=3;
}
The first two lines just define the 2 integers i and j. Next line start a for-loop, beginning from i=1 til i=10, so it runs 10 times, since the for-loop increases the variable i by 1 after each loop. If there is more than 1 command in your function (here the for function) you need the brackets {}. We have 3 commands in this bracket. The first command "if (i<4) j=1;" can be read as "If i is smaller than 4, then set j equal to 1". The next command else if starts working (and only then!), when the if command above is not fulfilled anymore. For this case j will be set to 2. The last command in this loop, else, is always necessary when you used an else if command before! If the last else if command is not fulfilled, then set j=3. Surely, we could have added more else if commands between if and else!
So, the result of "j" for each "i" in the for-loop is:
i = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
j = 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

5) CONVENTIONS

Some conventions to keep in mind:
1. The script is case-sensitive. Example: int, Int and inT are 3 different things!
2. All variables (such as integers and floats) must be defined the first time they are used. If they are redefined after that, you must leave out the “int” of “float”.
Original: int numCows = 0;
Subsequent: numCows = 2;
3. Variables must not be named or defined by reserved names or commands, like "int", "float", "string", as well as all further "rm***" commands. Example: Avoid "int int = 4;" or "string float = "A Name";".
4. Semicolon: The Semicolon ; always finishes a command line. This is where AOE3 will know, that the definition or command before the semicolon shold be executed next. Always use a semicolon after EVERY definition or command.- There are many shortcuts for making scripts, and some are shown at the end of this file. Conditional statements can make use of “if”, “else” and “if else”. Do loops can run through a list of commands multiple times, and is particularly useful for duplicating areas or objects for each player.
5. Comments can be specified by inserting // at the beginning of a line or enclosing text in /* and */. Comments can remind you (and anyone else reading your map) what each section is trying to do, and commenting out sections of a map script can help in debugging problems.

6) SCRIPT ORDER

Order of the scripts is important. You must build land before you can place objects on it. Objects will only respect the constraints of areas and objects that are already placed. You can’t use a variable that you haven’t defined.

7) MAP GRID

Maps are oriented along an X, Z grid. Y is elevation. The origin of the grid, (0,0), is located at the bottom of the screen. When using fractions, (0.5, 0.5) is the middle of the map, (1, 0) is the right corner of the map at 3 o’clock, (0, 1) is the left corner of the map at 9 o’clock, and (1, 1) is the top of the map at 12 o’clock.

The grid uses 2x2meters square tiles. You can see these tiles also in your scenario editor. Select "View" in the editor and chose "Grid". Each small and white rectangle is 1 tile. Each large and blue rectangle is 5x5 tiles (=10x10 meters).

A 4-player map is probably about 400 m along one side. Small buildings occupy 1 tile (=2x2 meters) and small units (like small rocks or a bundle of grass) occupy a quarter tile (=1x1 meters) of space.

8) OBJECT NAMES

1. Unit Names:
All object names refer to a protounit name. What’s the difference between a unit and a protounit? Unit names in the game are a friendlier version of the protounit name. For example, the protounit name for “Villager” is “Settler”. The protounit name for “Town Center” is “TownCenter”. So, most of the unit names have a similar or the same protounit name. You will find all protounit names in your AOE3 installation directory:
"\Age of Empires III\data\proto.xml".

2. Technology Names:
Technologies are for example "attack", "shield", "armor", "hitpoints", etc. . All technology names refer to a techtree name. You will find all techtree names in your AOE3 installation directory:
"\Age of Empires III\data\techtree.xml".

Both files are very long xml (text) files. I recommend to use an "XML Viewer" program to find the protounit you need. A very good freeware program is the "Mindfusion XML Viewer". You can download it here.

(the XML Viewer shows you a searchable treetable of the proto.xml content)
Note: Do NOT edit this file. It will cause problems in game.

3. Trigger Names:
Triggers are not needed for a regular random map, but we short want to explain it here for completeness. You can include all trigger effects and conditions from the scenario editor into a random map script. For the triggers we need the trigger effect and condition names, its parameter names (if any) and the corresponding custom variables. You will find all trigger related names in your AOE3 installation directory:
"\Age of Empires III\trigger\typetest.xml".
Now, we open this file in the XML Viewer (see above) and get something like this:

(how to find the trigger effect and condition names for our xs script file)

In the RM script it will be inserted, similar to this:
rmCreateTrigger("FoodForAllPlayers");
rmSwitchToTrigger(rmTriggerID("FoodForAllPlayers"));
for(i=1; <= cNumberNonGaiaPlayers){
rmAddTriggerEffect("Grant Resources");
rmSetTriggerEffectParamInt("PlayerID",i);
rmSetTriggerEffectParam("ResName","Food");
rmSetTriggerEffectParamInt("Amount",1000);
}
rmSetTriggerPriority(4);
rmSetTriggerActive(true);
rmSetTriggerRunImmediately(true);
rmSetTriggerLoop(false);
The explanations for the commands you can find in Chapter II - Triggers.

4. Terrain Names:
This is a bit different than for units and technologies. Terrains refer to a painted texture. These texture files can be found in a compressed archive of graphic files. The files are bar-compressed (similar to zip) and have the file extension "bar". You will find all texture files for terrains and other pictures and icons in your AOE3 installation directory:
"\Age of Empires III\art\art1.bar".
"\Age of Empires III\art\art2.bar".
"\Age of Empires III\art\art3.bar".
To view these files we need a "Bar Explorer". There are some freeware programs around, but I can highly recommend the "AoE3Ed" program made by Ykkrosh. It allows you to view and extract the files. Download link here.

However, we just need the names. Well, let us pick the terrain from the Scenario Editor. We chose "ground2_tex". In the AoE3Ed Archive Viewer we find the path "Art\terrain\texas\ground2_tex.ddt", as shown above. We only need the name shown as blue bold. In a RMS line it will be inserted, similar to this:
rmTerrainInitialize("texas\ground2_tex",4);

5. Other Object Names:
Names for water, cliffs, forests, etc. are mainly the same as shown in the scenario editor. Explore the original AOE3 scripts if you need a special name for an object you have seen in these maps. The "ALT+F" hotkey is your friend finding it!

Note: There might already be some lists for names around on the next. But remember: Each game patch can change the names, and even more the attributes and parameters. So with the methods above you are always on the secure side finding the correct names.

9) XML FILES

Map scripts use the file extension xs but they are text files and can be edited with any text editor. However, in order to play on a new map, you must also create an xml file with the same name as your xs file. xml is a markup language similar to HTML used by Web pages. Most Web browsers can view xml files, but you may need to open the file in another application, such as an xml editor or even a text editor. The only things you need in your xml file are shown below in blue bold: the map’s name and description, plus a screenshot icon if you want. xml files for random maps look like this:

<?xml version = "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?>
<mapinfo detailsText = "My Map Description." imagepath = "ui\random_map\all_maps" displayName = "My Map" cannotReplace = ""
loadDetails="" loadBackground="ui\random_map\all_maps">
<loadss>ui\random_map\new_england\new_england_ss_01</loadss>
<loadss>ui\random_map\new_england\new_england_ss_02</loadss>
<loadss>ui\random_map\new_england\new_england_ss_03</loadss>
</mapinfo>

(this image explains the effects of your xml commands while loading your xs map script)

10) A SIMPLE RANDOM MAP

Each custom random map consists of two files. If your map is called "MyMap", then you have to create two files, called "MyMap.xs" and "MyMap.xml".

Example:
NOTE: The text in grey is not necessary, its only for your help. Since it is marked as unreadable for the RMS builder, you can include it into your real file!

MyMap.xs contains:
/* A SIMPLE RANDOM MAP - by Author - Version 1.0 */
include "mercenaries.xs"; /* This loads the mercenaries needed for regular gameplay RMS! */
void main(void) { /* This is the main entry point for your RMS! */
rmSetStatusText("",0.01); /* This is the value for the map generation progress bar when starting the game */
/* (value 0.00 - 1.00) */
int myTiles = 8000; /* This is a typical variable for the map size */
if(cMapSize == 1) { /* This if function checks if map was selected normal or large. cMapSize (1=large, 0=normal) */
myTiles = 12000; /* This is a typical variable for the map size, when map chosen large! */
rmEchoInfo("Large map"); /* This is an output information only for the RMS debugger! */
}
int mySize = 2.0*sqrt(cNumberNonGaiaPlayers * myTiles);
/* Above the size of the map will be redefined. */
/* Since the map size is now proportional to the square root of the player number, */
/* the map area will be proportional to the player number! */
rmEchoInfo("Map size="+mySize+"m x "+mySize+"m"); /* Another output information only for the RMS debugger! */
rmSetMapSize(mySize,mySize); /* This command will build the map size */
rmSetSeaLevel(0); /* This command will set the sea level in meters height */
rmSetSeaType("Amazon River"); /* This command will set the sea texture, if there is water */
rmTerrainInitialize("texas\ground2_tex",4); /* This command will set the map as water or land map */
/* If you want water, replace "texas\ground2_tex",4 with "water",0 and the defined SetSeaType texture will be used! */
rmSetStatusText("",0.20); /* This is the next value for the map generation progress bar, the bar increases */
/* Areas can be added here: */
rmSetStatusText("",0.40); /* This is the next value for the map generation progress bar, the bar increases */
/* Players are added here: */
/* The following command will align the place for the player areas randomly in a circle: */
rmPlacePlayersCircular(0.3, 0.3, rmDegreesToRadians(0.0));
/* Now we start a loop for every player: */
for(i = 1; <= cNumberNonGaiaPlayers) {
/* We define an area for every player: */
int id = rmCreateArea("Player"+i);
/* We define the height of each player area: */
rmSetAreaBaseHeight(id,4.0);
/* We define the coherence of each player area (1.0 = smooth circe, 0.0 = roughest circle): */
rmSetAreaCoherence(id,1.0);
/* We define the height blend of each player area: */
rmSetAreaHeightBlend(id,2);
/* We define the center of the player area: */
rmSetAreaLocPlayer(id,i);
/* We define the size of the player area: */
rmSetAreaSize(id,0.001,0.001);
/* We define the area of the player area: */
rmSetPlayerArea(i,id);
/* We define the terrain of the player area: */
rmSetAreaTerrainType(id,"texas\ground3_tex");
/* We have defined all neccessary variables for the player area, now we can build it: */
rmBuildArea(id);
/* We 1. define a new object, 2. we add a starting TownCenter to it, 3. we place/build it onto the map: */
int towncenterID = rmCreateObjectDef("Starting Towncenter"+i);
rmAddObjectDefItem(towncenterID,"TownCenter",1,0.0);
rmPlaceObjectDefAtLoc(towncenterID,i,rmPlayerLocXFraction(i),rmPlayerLocZFraction(i),1);
}
rmSetStatusText("",0.60); /* This is the next value for the map generation progress bar, the bar increases */
/* Objects can be added here */
rmSetStatusText("",0.80); /* This is the next value for the map generation progress bar, the bar increases */
/* Triggers can be added here */
rmSetStatusText("",1.00); /* This is the next value for the map generation progress bar, the bar is full! */
}
/* This is the end of our xs-file! */

MyMap.xml contains:
<?xml version = "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?>
<mapinfo detailsText = "My Map Description." imagepath = "ui\random_map\all_maps" displayName = "My Map" cannotReplace = ""
loadDetails="" loadBackground="ui\random_map\all_maps">
<loadss>ui\random_map\new_england\new_england_ss_01</loadss>
<loadss>ui\random_map\new_england\new_england_ss_02</loadss>
<loadss>ui\random_map\new_england\new_england_ss_03</loadss>
</mapinfo>

Explanations for the XML commands you can find above.

The result of this map is a map with flat terrain and terrain texture "texas\ground2_tex". An object for each player is added: A starting towncenter object. The town centers are placed symmetrical in a circle. The content in the xml file between <loadss> and </loadss> should not be changed, unless you know the image paths (see Terrains).
Now you can copy and paste the text above into your files and try it out!

11) HOW TO TEST THE MAP

First of all: This is different than in Age of Mythology game.

1. For TESTING the map script:
For testing the map script you should enable the debugger. The debugger is an AOE3 build-in program which allows you to find errors in your XS script. The debugger is deactivated by default - even if you see the "Debugger" button in the scenario editor.
1.a. How to enable the debugger:
The easiest way is to create a new link icon for AOE3 onto your desktop. Select your "Age of Empires III" icon on your desktop, then right click on it and chose "Create Link". You will get a new icon on your desktop: "Age of Empires III (2)". Now, right click on your new "Age of Empires III (2)" icon, then right click on it and chose "Properties". In the popup menu you see the target line similar to this:
"C:\...\Age of Empires III\Age3.exe"
Add the green text below and press "ok". That's it!
"C:\...\Age of Empires III\Age3.exe" +debugRandomMaps
(for debugging AI scripts it is +debugAI, but not needed here)
Note: Do NOT use the "user.cfg" file to enable the debugger. This can cause problems with future patches of the game.
1.b. How to debug your random map:
Now run AOE3 by clicking your new AOE3 debugger icon, then select your new map in the Scenario Editor by chosing "File -> New -> Type='Your map' and enable the debugger button!". Then generate it. The following screen will occur, if and only if there are some unusual or wrong commands in your script:

(AOE3 XS Debugger. Click image for more informations)

2. For PLAYTESTING the map script with the computer players offline:
You MUST move your map files (MyMap.xs and MyMap.xml) from the AOE3 installation directory
"C:\...\Programs\Microsoft Games\Age of Empires III\RM\"
to your windows profile directory, usually
"C:\...\My Documents\My Games\Age of Empires III\RM\"
If you JUST COPY your files you get problems later!
For Re-editing your custom map files, move your files back to the previous directory!
Notes:
1. Do NOT publish or play any maps online which did NOT pass the debugger without errors!
2. NEVER EVER use map names for your new map which already exist, neither offline (SP) nor online (MP: LAN or ESO2)!
3. Feel free to modify AND rename the original AOE3 random map scripts - you have paid for it!
4. Do NOT modify or use parts of custom random map scripts without permission by the authors.
Most RM scripters leave their name and address in the script header. So, contact them BEFORE you publish their modified script!

12) NOW LET US HAVE SOME FUN!

We change the original AOE3 "Texas" map from summer skin to winter skin. After reading this small sub chapter you will be able to create and play the following map:

The original "Texas" map:		Your new "Texas Winter" map:

Features:
- The map you will create here has EXACTLY the same gameplay as the original "Texas" map!
- It can be played single player mode, multiplayer mode and even on ESO2 (It was already published, so avoid the last step - PUBLISHING. If you want to make this map unique, read the complete tutorial here.).

Step "0":
If you have any questions, later, scroll up to the top of this site and select the item in the menu to the left.

Step 1:
First we copy the original map files to another directory:
The original map files are called "texas.xs" and "texas.xml" and are usually located in the directory:
"C:\...\Programs\Microsoft Games\Age of Empires III\RM\".
Copy them to any other directory, as example "C:\".

Step 2:
Now rename these files as follows:
"texas.xs" -> "texas winter YourName.xs" - (just replace YourName with your nickname, in all Steps)
and
"texas.xml" -> "texas winter YourName.xml".
Then, right click on each file - one by one - and select "Properties". In the popup property menu disable "write protection" for each file. Now you are allowed to edit these files without any warnings.

Step 3:
Now, move both renamed files back to the directory where you copied them from, usually:
"C:\...\Programs\Microsoft Games\Age of Empires III\RM\".

Step 4:
Now open your "Notepad" and open your new file "texas winter YourName.xml".
Note: Better use a text editor which shows you the line you are currently working on. Like WinEdt 5.4, or any other. By the way, this text editor rocks, and I use it regularly - especially for RMS. "Texturizer 1.7" or higher is also great. But, now back to basics...
The file content is:

<?xml version = "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?>
<mapinfo details = "25997" imagepath = "ui\random_map\texas" displayNameID = "25996" cannotReplace = ""
loadDetails="35876" loadBackground="ui\random_map\texas\texas_map">
<loadss>ui\random_map\texas\texas_ss_01</loadss>
<loadss>ui\random_map\texas\texas_ss_02</loadss>
<loadss>ui\random_map\texas\texas_ss_03</loadss>
</mapinfo>

Change it into (black bold text only ... and avoid line breaks!):

<?xml version = "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?>
<mapinfo details = "25997" imagepath = "ui\random_map\texas" displayName = "Texas Winter YourName" cannotReplace = ""
loadDetails="35876" loadBackground="ui\random_map\texas\texas_map">
<loadss>ui\random_map\yukon\yukon_ss_01</loadss>
<loadss>ui\random_map\yukon\yukon_ss_02</loadss>
<loadss>ui\random_map\yukon\yukon_ss_03</loadss>
</mapinfo>

(If you want to know what the changes will do, just read the subchapter "XML FILES" above - but not needed here).
Now, save the XML file. Cool, your own XML file is finished! Now the XS file ...

Step 5:
Change the following lines in your "texas winter YourName.xs" file (the changes appear colored):
NOTES:
1. Do NOT make line breaks while typing the text in!
2. ONLY the text in Courier Font should be changed in the corresponding script line!
3. The outlined grey text: /* old ... */ can be neglected if you like. It is only for your help.

/* Line 001:*/
// TEXAS WINTER - made by YourName - with help of M0nTy_PyTh0n's RMS Tutorial /* old was "TEXAS" */
/* Line 002:*/
// CurrentMonth Year - The Tutorial can be found here: http://hyenastudios.mugamo.com/aoe3rmstutorial.htm /* old was "October 2003" */
/* Line 061:*/
rmSetLightingSet("Yukon"); /* old lighting was "Texas" */
/* Line 065:*/
rmSetBaseTerrainMix("yukon snow"); /* old terrain mix was "texas_grass" */
/* Line 066:*/
rmTerrainInitialize("yukon\ground1_yuk", 5.0); /* old terrain was "texas\ground1_tex" */
/* Line 067:*/
rmSetMapType("yukon"); /* old map type was "texas" */
/* Line 068:*/
rmSetMapType("snow"); /* old map type was "grass" */
/* Line 184:*/
rmAddObjectDefItem(randomTreeID, "TreeYukon", 1, 0.0); /* old object was "TreeTexasDirt" */
/* Line 192:*/
rmAddObjectDefItem(StartAreaTreeID, "TreeYukon", 1, 0.0); /* old object was "TreeTexasDirt" */
/* Line 246:*/
rmSetAreaTerrainType(westDesertID, "yukon\ground4_yuk"); /* old terrain was "texas\ground4_tex" */
/* Line 247:*/
rmAddAreaTerrainLayer(westDesertID, "yukon\ground1_yuk", 0, 4); /* old terrain was "texas\ground1_tex" */
/* Line 248:*/
rmAddAreaTerrainLayer(westDesertID, "yukon\ground2_yuk", 4, 10); /* old terrain was "texas\ground2_tex" */
/* Line 249:*/
rmAddAreaTerrainLayer(westDesertID, "yukon\ground8_yuk", 10, 16); /* old terrain was "texas\ground3_tex" */
/* Line 251:*/
rmSetAreaMix(westDesertID, "yukon snow"); /* old terrain mix was "texas_dirt" */
/* Line 270:*/
rmSetAreaTerrainType(id, "yukon\ground2"); /* old terrain type was "texas\ground2" */
/* Line 704:*/
rmSetAreaCliffType(cliffEastID, "Rocky Mountain2"); /* old cliff type was "Texas Grass" */
/* Line 710:*/
rmAddAreaTerrainLayer(cliffEastID, "yukon\ground2_yuk", 0, 2); /* old terrain was "texas\ground2_tex" */
/* Line 745:*/
rmSetAreaCliffType(cliffWestID, "Rocky Mountain2"); /* old cliff tpye was "Texas" */
/* Line 751:*/
rmAddAreaTerrainLayer(cliffWestID, "yukon\ground2_yuk", 0, 2); /* old terrain was "texas\ground2_tex" */
/* Line 809:*/
rmSetAreaForestType(westForest, "yukon forest"); /* old forest type was "texas forest dirt" */
/* Line 845:*/
rmSetAreaForestType(eastForest, "yukon snow forest"); /* old forest type was "texas forest" */

Done Editing! Congratulations!!!

Step6:
Now, save both edited files and move (MOVE! NOT COPY!) both files to your custom random map directory, usually:
"C:\...\My Documents\My Games\Age of Empires III\RM\" .

Step7:
Play your new map! Select your map in the Skirmish startup menu by pressing the "Custom Maps" button.
Enjoy!

FINAL NOTES:
1. You can also make the changes line-by-line and generate the map in the scenario editor to see the effects. Sometimes you have to load the map a few times (or with different player number) to see it.
2. If you did not succeed, go to this chapter above!
3. If you are too lazy modifying this map by your own, then shame on you ;) , but download it here!
4. Do NOT publish this map online. I already did it! But, now there are new possibilities for you to make new maps, right?!

13) HOW TO GET HELP

Some ways to get help:
1. Look at Ensemble Studios official RM scripts to learn conventions and shortcuts. Alot lof lines in their RM scripts have comments for your better understanding.
2. Use the XS debugger (see above).
3. Using the console, you can get help for any command by typing: help(“command”)”.
4. Look online. Fan sites are often a great source of information on random map scripting.
5. Keep it simple. If something in your script seems to be breaking, try and isolate the problem.

You found no answers to your questions here?
Just post it in our tutorial thread of our

1) GENERAL PURPOSE

rmEchoInfo( string echoString, int level);
Random map echo. Use this to spit out information while debugging a script. It is not shown to the player.

rmRandFloat(float min, float max);
Returns a random float between min and max. This is a random number generator useful for determining random events. Because it is a float, it can handle decimals.

rmRandInt(int min, int max);
Returns a random integer between min and max. This is a random number generator useful for determining random events. Because it is a integer, it cannot handle decimals, but that makes it useful for placing down numbers of objects.

rmSetMapSize( int x, int z);
Sets the size of the map. X and Z are in meters. They do not need to be the same if you want to create a rectangular map. All ES maps scale map size by number of players.

rmSetSeaLevel();
Sets the sea level for the map.

rmGetSeaLevel();
Gets the sea level for the map.

rmSetSeaType(string name);
Sets the sea type for the map. This is used if terrain is initialized to water.
You must use this command before you place water on a map. The sea type must be a valid water type from the random map editor.

rmAreaFractionToTiles(float fraction);
Converts an area from fraction of the map to tile count. Fractions are relative to map size, so sometimes you may want to use them.

rmAreaTilesToFraction(int tiles);
Converts area tile count to fraction of map.

rmXFractionToTiles(float fraction);
Converts an fraction of the map in the x direction to tile count.

rmXTilesToFraction(int tiles);
Converts tile count in the x direction to fraction of map.

rmZFractionToTiles(float fraction);
Converts an fraction of the map in the z direction to tile count.

rmZTilesToFraction(int tiles);
Converts tile count in the z direction to fraction of map.

rmMetersToTiles(float meters);
Converts a distance in meters to a number of tiles.

rmTilesToMeters(int tiles);
Converts a number of tiles to a distance in meters.

rmXMetersToFraction(float meters);
Converts meters into a fraction of the map in the x direction.

rmZMetersToFraction(float meters);
Converts meters into a fraction of the map in the z direction.

rmXFractionToMeters(float meters);
Converts a fraction of the map in the x direction to meters.

rmZFractionToMeters(float meters);
Converts meters a fraction of the map in the z direction to meters.
Fractions are relative to map size, so sometimes you may want to use them instead of distances in meters.

rmDegreesToRadians(float degrees);
Converts an angle in degrees to radians.
Particularly useful when players are placed in a circle.

rmTerrainInitialize( string baseTerrain, float height);
Initializes the terrain to the base type and height. Specifies the base terrain to use for a map. If set to water, sea type needs to be defined. Initial terrain is usually grass, sand, snow or water.

rmSetLightingSet(string name);
Sets a lighting set. You can specify a lighting set from the scenario editor to be used for your RMS. This command must be placed after terrain is initialized.

rmSetGaiaCiv(long civ);
Sets Gaia's civilization. This is only useful if you place Gaia objects that vary by civilization, such as special civilisation units.

rmSetStatusText(status, progress);
Sets the friendly cool loading screen text. This text will be seen by players while the map is generating. If you do not at least specify percentages in the progress parameter, the “loading bar” will not advance during map generation.

rmDefineConstant(string name, int value);
Defines an integer constant.

2) PLAYERS

Player locations need to be determined so that objects and area can be placed “by player.” Player areas must still be created as individual areas. A special player in an RM script is the "Gaia" player and always has the player number "0" in a map script (see chapter above for more explanations). The following commands refer to human and computer players only:

rmGetPlayerCiv(int playerID);
Gets the civilization the specified player is on.

rmGetCivID(string civilization);
Sets the civilization to compare with the players civilization. Example:
if ( rmGetPlayerCiv(i) == rmGetCivID("Russians")) {
/* do something for player i if he is Russian */
};
These commands are useful for placing specific objects or varying starting resources. They are also useful for triggers that fire or prohibit specific improvements.

rmGetNumberPlayersOnTeam(int teamID);
Gets the number of players on the given team. Useful for scaling area or resources in a team area based on number of players on that team.

rmSetTeamSpacingModifier(float modifier);
Sets the team spacing modifier. Normally, all players are placed equidistant. This command allows you to force team members closer together. Values of 0.3-0.5 return the best results. Values less than 0.25 may not provide enough space for starting resources.

rmPlacePlayersCircular(float minFraction, float maxFraction, float angleVariation);
Makes a circle of player locations. Places players in a circle. Variation is determined by the difference between the min and max. Angle variation determines whether players are equidistant or can be slightly closer or farther apart. Circular placement is generally the most versatile, but will not work on all map types, such as non-square maps.

rmPlacePlayersSquare(float dist, float distVariation, float spacingVariationfloat);
Makes a square of player locations. Places players in a square, which automatically adjusts to a rectangle for rectangular maps. Unlike the circle, variance here is determined by a plus or minus (the distVariation) off of the mean distance. SpacingVariation determines whether players are equidistant or can be slightly closer or farther apart.

rmPlacePlayersLine(float x1, float z1, float x2, float z2, float distVariation, float spacingVariation);
Makes a line of player locations. Sometimes you will want players to be placed in a line. Texas places each time in a line, while New England places all players in a circle. Using a line placement is not easy because there may not be enough room for player areas or resources. X and Z determine the starting and ending locations of the line. DistVariation determines how far from the line player areas can vary, and spacingVariation determines how much space there is among points along the line where players are placed.

rmSetPlacementSection(float fromPercent, float toPercent);
When placing players in a circle or square, this command allows you to skip part of the circle or square, in essence removing a slice from the pie (maybe you want to fit an ocean or sea in there like in Texas). The default for fromPercent is 0, and the default for toPercent is 1. That means use the whole circle or square. You can pass in something like 0.25 and 0.50 to have the players placed from 25% in to 50% in along the circle or square. For circular placement, 0 is at 9:00, 0.25 is at 12:00, 0.5 is at 3:00, and 0.75 is at 6:00. For square placement (think of the square as a line that follows a square), 0 is at 6:00, 0.25 is at 9:00, 0.5 is at 12:00, and 0.75 is at 3:00.

rmSetPlacementTeam(long teamID);
Sets the team to place. Use this before calling the various rmPlacePlayers functions, and only players on the specified team will get placed. The first team is number 0, the second is number 1, etc. Pass in -1 for the teamID to place all teams (or actually all players that haven't been placed yet).

rmPlacePlayer(int playerID, float xFraction, float zFraction);
Sets one player location. You can use this to place players anywhere. Once a player is placed, it won't be repositioned by any future calls to the various rmPlacePlayers functions. This can be tricky since you often do not know how many players will be placed on the map, since from 2-12 players can play any map.

Here are a few examples of things you can do;

Put the first team in the center of the map and all other teams around the outside:

rmSetPlacementTeam(0);
rmSetPlayerPlacementArea(0.3, 0.3, 0.7, 0.7);
rmPlacePlayersCircular(0.4,0.3,rmDegreesToRadians(5.0));

rmSetPlacementTeam(-1);
rmSetPlayerPlacementArea(0, 0, 1, 1);
rmPlacePlayersCircular(0.4,0.3,rmDegreesToRadians(5.0));

Put player one in the bottom corner, player two in the right corner, and the rest of the players in a line from the left corner to the top corner (9:00 to 12:00):

rmPlacePlayer(1, 0.2, 0.2);
rmPlacePlayer(2, 0.8, 0.2);
rmPlacePlayersLine(0.2, 0.8, 0.8, 0.8, 20, 10);

rmSetPlayerPlacementArea(float minX, float minZ, float maxX, float maxZ);
Sets the area of the map to use for player placement. Use this command if, for example, you want to place players in one quadrant of a map.

rmSetPlayerArea(int playerID, int areaID);
Sets a player's 'official' area.

rmSetTeamArea(int teamID, int areaID);
Sets a team's 'official' area. When you want an area to belong to a player (i.e. this is the location from which you will place player resources) assign it to a player. Teams work the same way. Usually you want to iterate through number of players using for(i=1; <cNumberPlayers).

rmPlayerLocXFraction(int playerID);
Gets a player's start location x fraction.

rmPlayerLocZFraction(int playerID);
Gets a player's start location z fraction. Use these commands when you don’t know where a player’s starting location is and you need the values to place other areas or resources.

3) AREAS

Areas are regions on a map. They are often irregular in shape, but can be rectangular as well. Some areas are used for placing specific terrain, like a cliff or ocean, while others are just used as boundaries for other areas. Special types of areas are player areas, which belong to a certain player, or team areas, which belong to a team. Saying these areas “belong” is just a convenient method of making sure other areas or objects are placed in that area.

rmCreateArea(string name, int parentAreaID);
Creates an area. Creates an area and lets you name it. Areas without a parentArea use the entire map as their parentArea. You can also make existing areas the parentArea, in order to place a sub-area within a player area, for example. Areas will generally try to place several times and will return an error message if they fail. To ignore this error message, use setAreaWarnFailure below.

rmSetAreaSize(float minFraction, float maxFraction);
Set the area size to a min/max fraction of the map. The min and max can be set to the same value if you want no size variation. Experiment with different values to make sure your area is not too large or too small to be seen. Even if your area does not place special terrain, it can be helpful to temporarily paint the area with a distinct texture, such as black or snow, to see where and if it is actually getting placed.

rmSetAreaLocation(int areaID, float xFraction, float zFraction);
Set the area location. Sometimes you want to place an area in a specific location, such as 0.5, 0.5, the center of the map.

rmSetAreaLocPlayer(int areaID, int playerID);
Set the area location to player's location. This is a shortcut for placing an area at the player’s location. Generally, this is used when tiny player areas are first placed as placeholders, then SetAreaLocPlayer can be used to make larger player areas later or to place a sub-area (such as a terrain patch) near the player’s Town Center.

rmSetAreaLocTeam(int areaID, int teamID);
Set the area location to team's location. Just like SetAreaLocPlayer except it applies to team areas.

rmBuildArea(int areaID);
Builds the specified area. Actually builds the area. Choosing when to use this command can have a big effect on your map. For example, if you define a lake area and then build it, land that is placed later can stick into the lake or be placed as islands. On the other hand, if the land and water are built at the same time, they will try to avoid each other (if the proper constraints are set). Generally, player areas should all be built at the same time to make sure there is enough space for ever player.

rmBuildAllAreas();
Simulatenously builds all unbuilt areas. Does not include connections.

rmSetAreaTerrainType(int areaID, string terrainTypeName);
Sets the terrain type for an area. Often, you want to paint in an area with a certain terrain. Use the terrain names from the scenario editor. Forests, cliffs, and water are handled differently. Use AreaTerrainType for terrains such as grass, snow, ice, and sand.

rmPaintAreaTerrain(int areaID);
Paints the terrain for a specified area.

rmSetAreaBaseHeight(int areaID, float height);
Sets the base height for an area. If not specified, the area will adopt the height of the parent area, including the base height of the map if no parent area is specified. Make sure to place land higher than water if you want to place land objects (such as TownCenter) later.

rmSetAreaWarnFailure(int areaID, bool warn);
Sets whether the area build process will warn if it fails. It is very easy to over-constrain areas to the point where there is no room for them. This can cause two problems: the map may take a long time to generate, or if you are in debug mode (see above), the debugger will pop up and generation will stop. Sometimes you want to catch these errors, but when you are done with your map it is a good idea to set SetAreaWarnFailure to false.

rmSetAreaForestType(int areaID, string forestName);
Sets the forest type for an area.
Paints the area with a forest type. Use the forest types from the scenario editor.

rmSetAreaWaterType(int areaID, string waterName);
Sets the water type for an area. Paints the area with a water type. Use the water types from the scenario editor. Because water types automatically change elevation and can place objects, they tend to affect areas a little larger than specified. Just allow plenty of room.

rmSetAreaCliffType(int areaID, string cliffName);
Sets the cliff type for an area. Cliffs are handled differently from other terrain in order to allow you to handle features like ramps. However, you can use setAreaTerrainType to place an impassable cliff-texture as a normal area as well. CliffName should use a cliff type from the Editor.

rmSetAreaCliffPainting(int areaID, bool paintGround, bool paintOutsideEdge, bool paintSide, float minSideHeight, bool paintInsideEdge);
Set cliff painting options for an area. Determines how a cliff is painted with impassable and passable textures. PaintGround - Specifies if the ground should be painted or just left whatever it already is. Defaults true. PaintSide - Specifies if the cliff sides should be painted. Defaults true. PaintEdge - Specifies if the cliff edge should be painted. This is the area between the cliff side and the ground. Defaults true. MinSideHeight - Specifies the minimum height that a cliff tile must be sloped before treating it as a cliff side. Set to 0 to have the minimum amount of cliff sides painted. Defaults to 1.5.

rmSetAreaCliffEdge(int areaID, int count, float size, float variance, float spacing, int mapEdge);
Set cliff edge parameters for an area. Determines whether there should be pathable ramps or not connecting the top of the cliff to the surrounding area. Count - Number of cliff edges to create. The count times the size should not be more than 1.0. Defaults to 1. size - This specifies how much of the area's outline should be turned into cliff edges. It should be between 0.0 and 1.0. Set to 1.0 to make the whole area surrounded. Defaults to 0.5. Variance - The variance to use for the size. Defaults to 0.0. Spacing - Spacing modifier. This should be between 0.0 and 1.0. The smaller this is, the closer together the cliff edges will be. Defaults to 1.0. MapEdge - Specifies where the cliff edge should be in relation to the map edge. Set to 0 for any, 1 to be away from the map edge, or 2 to be close to the map edge. Defaults to 0.

rmSetAreaCliffHeight(int areaID, float val, float variance, float ramp);
Set an area's cliff height. Val - Make positive for raised cliffs and negative for lowered cliffs. Defaults to 4.0.
Variance - The variance to use for the height. Ramp - This is used to determine how quickly the height ramps up to the cliff height (it refers to steepness in this context, not pathable ramps to reach the top of a cliff). Defaults to 0.5.

rmAddAreaCliffEdgeAvoidClass(int areaID, int avoidID, float minDist);
Adds a class for an area's cliff edge to avoid. You can tell a cliff edge to avoid a certain class, such as a connection. Remember that connections must be created before the cliff (see below).

rmAddAreaTerrainLayer(int areaID, string terrain, float minDist, float maxDist);
Adds a terrain layer to an area. Terrain layers allow you to place a border of one or more textures around an area. For example, you can have "texas\ground3_tex" and "texas\ground4_tex" around an area of grass. You can specify multiple layers for an area, as long as the minDistance for one starts where the maxDistance for another leaves off. Because different textures overlap one another you may need to experiment with distances to get the correct effect. Here is an example:

rmSetAreaTerrainType(bonusIslandID, "texas\ground2_tex");
rmAddAreaTerrainLayer(bonusIslandID, "texas\ground6_tex", 13, 20);
rmAddAreaTerrainLayer(bonusIslandID, "texas\ground5_tex", 6, 13);
rmAddAreaTerrainLayer(bonusIslandID, "texas\ground4_tex", 0, 6);

rmSetAreaTerrainLayerVariance(int areaID, bool variance);
Specifies if the area should vary the terrain layer edges. Usually, variance in terrain layers looks better, but sometimes you might want to turn it off. Defaults to true.

rmSetAreaMinBlobs(int areaID, int blobs);
Sets minimum number of area blobs.

rmSetAreaMaxBlobs(int areaID, int blobs);
Sets maximum number of area blobs. An area can be placed with multiple blobs. Blobs are placed independently, using the minimum and maximum distances below. Areas made with a single blob will be circular. Areas made with multiple blobs can be come long and sinuous.

rmSetAreaMinBlobDistance(int areaID, float dist);
Sets minimum blob distance.

rmSetAreaMaxBlobDistance(int areaID, float dist);
Sets maximum blob distance. Specifies how far apart blobs can be from each other. The greater the distance, the more the area will tend towards serpentine instead of circular (envision a chain of beads). However, if you specify many blobs, this variation may become obscured as more and more blobs are placed for the area.

rmSetAreaCoherence(int areaID, float coherence);
Sets area coherence (0-1). Coherent areas tend to stay together more. The effect is harder to notice on smaller areas.

rmSetAreaSmoothDistance(int areaID, int smoothDistance);
Sets area edge smoothing distance. Distance is number of neighboring points to consider in each direction. Water areas benefit from more smoothness as it eliminates small bumps and indentations.

rmSetAreaHeightBlend(int areaID, int heightBlend);
Sets how smoothly area height blends into surroundings. Corresponds to the smooth tool in the Scenario Editor. Usually a heightBlend of 0 will leave geometric-looking jagged edges. A heightBlend of 1 will smooth smaller areas. A heightBlend of 2 will smooth larger areas or areas of disproportionate heights. Anything above 2 may flatten an area completely.

rmAreaID(string name);
Gets area ID for given area name.

rmAddAreaInfluencePoint(int areaID, float xFraction, float zFraction);
Adds an area influence point.

rmAddAreaInfluenceSegment(int areaID, float xFraction1, float zFraction1, float xFraction2, float zFraction2);
Adds an area influence segment. You may want an area to grow towards specific points or lines. A circular area placed at the center of the map with an influence point of 1, 1 will produce a peninsula that protrudes towards 12 o’clock. Influence points and segments can be useful in getting areas, such as rivers, to extend beyond the edge of the map.

rmAddAreaRemoveType(int areaID, string typeName);
Add an unit type that the specified area removes. Sometimes you may want an area to clean itself of objects, such as removing trees from ice. This will only work if the objects are already placed before the area, which is the reverse of how most ES maps are generated. You can reference specific units or abstract types, such as “unit” and “building.”

rmAddAreaTerrainReplacement(int areaID, string terrainTypeName, string newTypeName);
Adds a terrain replacement rule to the area. If you place an area with no terrain specified, it will use the terrain of the parent area (including the base map). However, specifying terrain replacement will paint an area only when another texture is present. This command is most useful with connections, where you want to replace water with land where a connection goes across a river, or replace rock with snow for mountain passes.

bool rmAddAreaToClass(int areaID, int classID);
Add given area to specified class. The reason to add areas to classes is so you can refer to the entire class later on instead of the individual areas. This is most useful when placing objects (you can say just place in a class) or constraints (you can say to avoid a certain class).

int rmDefineClass(string className);
Define a class with the given name.