Overview

The Campaign Editor is used to create Heroes3 campaigns from single scenario maps.  Conceptually, you string a collection of single scenario maps together into a single cmapaign.  Ideally, these single scenario maps are planned to be a part of a single campaign and have an integrated story line.

As a matter of process, it is generally good to draw your map progression as a graph (shown below).  This will help determine the individual scenario ‘pre-requisites’.

After you have planned your campaign path, you may proceed to determine the more complex options of the campaign: starting options, hero crossovers, etc.


Keyboard Shortcuts

FILE SHORTCUTS

Control-N

Create a new campaign.

Control-O

Open a saved campaign.

Control-S

Save a campaign.

Control-R

Refresh all scenario maps.

Control-E

Export all scenario maps.

EDITING SHORTCUTS

Control-Enter

Show the properties of the current campaign.

Enter

Show the properties of the currently selected scenario.


Campaign Map Window

When you first start up the Campaign Editor, you are presented with the Campaign Map.  The Campaign Map is a bird’s eye view of the terrain over which the entire campaign will take place.  Each Campaign Map is divided into ‘terrain regions’ outlined in gold.  Color outlines designate political boundaries.

Within these regions, you may attach single scenarios, and ultimately, create a campaign.  Clickable regions are automatically ‘colorized’.  Double click each region to display its Scenario Properties window.


Campaign Properties

In Campaign Properties you may define the name and description for your campaign.

Map:

This is the name given to the current Campaign Map.

Name:

In this field you may type in the name for your campaign, as it will appear in Custom Campaign Menu in the game.

Description:

In this field you may type in the description for your campaign, as it will appear in Custom Campaign Menu in the game.

Selectable Difficulty Checkbox

By placing a check in this box, you enable a player to change the difficulty setting for individual campaign scenarios.  Leaving his box unchecked forces players to play the campaign maps the difficulty settings you choose.

Okay Button:

Left click this button to accept the changes you have made and return to the Campaign Map.

Cancel Button:

Left click this button to discard the changes you have made and return to the Campaign Map.


Scenario Properties

There are five pages pertaining to each terrain region and the attached scenario map.  These pages specify a variety of options as detailed below.

General Page

Prologue Page

Epilogue Page

Crossover Options Page

Starting Options Page

General Page

From the General Page, you can select the region color, attach a scenario map, define its prerequisite scenarios, and add region help text.

Region Name:

This is the name of the currently selected region.

Region Color Pull Down Menu:

Each region to which you can assign a map is colorized to mark it as a clickable hotspot apart from the surrounding terrain.  You have control over what color the region can be.  Available colors are the same as the player colors.  Generally, it is a good idea for the region color to reflect the player’s color when they start the associated scenario.

Once a player starts a campaign, if a region does not have an attached map, it will not be colorized, or clickable.

Scenario Name:

This is the name of the map currently associated with the selected region.

Map File:

This area shows the name of the map file currently ‘attached’ to the selected region.

In this area are four potential buttons: Import, Refresh, Export, and Remove.

Import:

This button appears only when a region exists without a map file.  Left click this button to display the Open Window.  In this window, simply select the map you wish to attach to the selected region.  After selecting the map, left click the Open Button to attach the map to the region.

Refresh:

Left clicking the Refresh Button displays the Open Window with the current scenario already selected in the File Name field.  Left click the Open Button to attach the associated map file to the region.  When you make changes to a single scenario map, using Refresh is good for reattaching the revised file of the same name to the associated region.  However, this feature is also good for simply exchanging one map for another.

Export:

Export is used to save a copy of the currently attached scenario.  Upon left clicking the Export button, the Save As Window appears.  In this window, you may save the current scenario of your liking.  Doing this will not remove the scenario from the associated region.

Remove:

If you wish to remove the existing map from the currently associated region, left click the Remove Button.

Player Difficulty:

In single scenario games, players are able to choose which difficulty they want to play the selected game.  For campaigns, this choice is put into the hands of the campaign creator.

For each region, using the Player Difficulty pull down menu, you determine at what difficulty the player will experience the map.

Prerequisites:

A campaign can have up to eight scenarios.  In what order these scenarios are played is accomplished by establishing ‘prerequisites’ for each region.

For example: Let’s imagine you want to set up a simple linear progression of A to B.  First, selection region A and attach to it, map Alpha.  Second, select region B and attach to it, map Beta.  Now, in the prerequisites field, there should appear a checkbox with “Alpha – Region A” alongside it.  Put a check in the checkbox.  By doing this, you are establishing the player must finish map Alpha in region A before having the chance to play the map Beta in region B.

There are many different paths you can create using this system.  When constructing a campaign’s progression, it is not a bad idea to draw and graph and layout the desired paths.  From your graph you should be able to easily figure a scenario’s prerequisites.

Also keep in mind… until other maps are assigned to other regions, the prerequisites area will be blank.

Region Right Click Text:

When the campaign map is displayed in the game, players my right click colored regions for additional story or help information.  This text is written in this field.

Prologue Page

Before playing each scenario, you have the option to add a Prologue movie with music and subtitles.  This is done through the Prologue Page.

Has Prologue Checkbox:

When you add a check to this checkbox, before the selected scenario begins, an animated ‘movie’ will play.  These movies will cycle through their animation indefinitely until the player presses a key or the message concludes.

Movie Pulldown Menu and Graphic Panel:

After choosing to have a prologue movie before your scenario begins, you may use the default movie, or using the Movie Pulldown Menu, you may make a different choice.  As you make your selections, the Movie Graphic Panel will display a still frame from the movie to help you make your final decision.

Music:

Along with your prologue movie, you may also choose background music to play over the movie.

Message:

As your selected movie plays, you may add scrolling text along the bottom of the screen.  To do this, simply type the desired text into the Message field.

Epilogue Page

After playing each scenario, you have the option to add an Epilogue movie with music and subtitles.  This is done through the Epilogue Page.

Has Epilogue Checkbox:

When you add a check to this checkbox, After the selected scenario ends, an animated ‘movie’ will play.  These movies will cycle through their animation indefinitely until the player presses a key or the message concludes.

Movie Pulldown Menu and Graphic Panel:

After choosing to have an epilogue movie after your scenario ends, you may use the default movie, or using the Movie Pulldown Menu, you may make a different choice.  As you make your selections, the Movie Graphic Panel will display a still frame from the movie to help you make your final decision.

Music:

Along with your epilogue movie, you may also choose background music to play over the movie.

Message:

As your selected movie plays, you may add scrolling text along the bottom of the screen.  To do this, simply type the desired text into the Message field.

Crossover Options Page

Crossover options pertain to objects and heroes, and how they retain various traits, so they might appear in a subsequent scenario as they finished a previous scenario.

When dealing with crossover heroes imagine a ‘holding pen’ where crossover heroes are kept throughout the course of a campaign.  Heroes only go into this pen if at the end of a scenario if they finish under your command.  They only exit the pen and appear in a scenario when the scenario has ‘crossover heroes’ pre-placed on the map (done with the map editor).

Also, keep in mind, the existence of ‘placed heroes’.  If you place Sir Mullich on Map B, it is best to edit the hero pool in Map A and remove Sir Mullich.  By doing this, Sir Mullich will not appear as a random hero, or in a tavern, over the course of a game on Map A, insuring he will appear on Map B.

Crossover Heroes Retain

Below are the options pertaining to heroes crossing over from one scenario to another.

Experience Checkbox

Place a check in this check box if you want heroes crossing into this scenario from a previous scenario to retain their experience.

Primary Skills Checkbox

Place a check in this check box if you want heroes crossing into this scenario from a previous scenario to retain their primary skill points.

Secondary Skills Checkbox

Place a check in this check box if you want heroes crossing into this scenario from a previous scenario to retain their secondary skills.

Spells Checkbox

Place a check in this check box if you want heroes crossing into this scenario from a previous scenario to retain their spell book, and the spell contained therein.

Artifacts Checkbox

Place a check in this check box if you want heroes crossing into this scenario from a previous scenario to retain all their artifacts.

Creature Types

In this field is a listing of all the creatures.  If you want heroes crossing into this scenario from a previous scenario to retain creatures, place a check in the each of the checkboxes corresponding the to the desired creature types.

All Button

Left click this button to place a check mark in all the checkboxes for the listed creature types.

None Button

Left click this button to remove a check mark in all the checkboxes for the listed creature types.

Crossover Artifacts

In this field is a listing of all the artifacts.  If you want any artifacts to crossover into this scenario from the most recently played scenario, place a check in each of the checkboxes corresponding to the desired artifacts.  For instance, if you want the player to have Armageddon’s Blade in this scenario if the player had Armageddon’s Blade in the most recently played scenario, place a check in the Armageddon’s Blade checkbox.  It is important to note that this artifact crossover will happen independently of hero crossovers.  In other words, the specified artifacts will crossover even when no heroes crossover.

Starting Options Page

Radio buttons

Use the radio buttons to show the desired starting options.

Starting bonus options

Left click this radio button to see the starting bonus options.

Hero crossover options

Left click this radio button to see the hero crossover options.

Starting hero options

Left click this radio button to see the starting hero options.

Starting bonus options

You may define up to three starting options by adding, editing, and removing them here.

Player Position Pull Down Menu

Using this pull down menu, you specify which player position the user will play.

Add

Left click this button to display the Edit Starting Bonus dialog window.

Edit

After selecting an existing starting bonus, left click this button to display the Edit Starting Bonus dialog window for the chosen bonus.

Remove

After selecting an existing starting bonus, left click this button to remove the bonus.

Edit Starting Bonus Dialog

Hero crossover options

Under Starting Options, Hero Crossover Options refers to two or more groups of heroes transferring from one or more scenarios into another.  Imagine if you will, the Red Hat heroes from Map A and the Blue Hat heroes from Map B.  When the time comes to play Map C, with hero crossover options, you can given the player the option to play with either the Red Hat heroes or the Blue Hat heroes.  This is what hero crossover options does.  This option is grayed out if the current scenario does not have any pre-requisite scenarios.

Add

Left clicking this button displays the Edit Hero Crossover Option Dialog window.

Edit

Only after selecting an existing hero crossover option does the Edit Button enable.  After it enables, you may left click the button to display the Edit Hero Crossover Option dialog window to change the settings of an existing crossover option.

Remove

Only after selecting an existing hero crossover option does the Remove Button enable.  After it enables, you may left click the button to remove an existing crossover option.

Edit Hero Crossover Option Dialog

Starting hero options

With starting heroes, you simply give the player option to choose one of three heroes as the player’s starting hero.  Essentially, a starting hero option is using individual heroes as starting bonuses.  However, you cannot mix both starting bonuses and starting heroes.  You must choose one or the other.

Add

Left click this button to display the Edit Starting Hero Option dialog window.

Edit

Only after selecting an existing starting hero option does the Edit Button enable.  After it enables, you may left click the button to display the Edit Starting Hero Option dialog window to change the settings of an existing crossover option.

Remove

Only after selecting an existing starting hero option does the Remove Button enable.  After it enables, you may left click the button to remove an existing starting hero option.

Edit Starting Hero Option Dialog


Creating a New Campaign

To create a new campaign, left click the “New Campaign” button on the toolbar.  Doing this will display the New Campaign Window.

You may also left click “File” on the menu bar, then on the File menu, left click “New (Ctrl + N)”.

Once the New Campaign Window is displayed, you must choose a ‘Campaign Map’.

Campaign maps are bird’s eye views of continent terrain.  On each map, there are a number of outlined regions.  In the game, users left click these regions to choose which scenario, within the campaign, they want to play.

To exit the New Campaign Window, click “Cancel”, or press the ESC-key.


Loading an Existing Campaign

To load an existing campaign, left click the “Open Campaign” button on the toolbar.  Doing this will present the Open Window.  You may also left click “File” on the menu bar, then on the File menu, left click “Open (Ctrl + O)”.

Your initial campaign map directory is the MAPS subdirectory inside the Heroes3 directory.  From this window you may choose from any existing campaigns.  If you have file extensions enabled, Heroes3 campaign files use the extension .H3C.


Saving a Campaign

To save an existing campaign, left click the “Save Campaign” button on the toolbar.  You may also left click “File” on the menu bar, then on the File menu, left click “Save (Ctrl + S)”.  If the campaign has not been saved, the Save As Window is displayed.  In the Save As Window, give your campaign a file name and left click the “Save” button (you may also press the RETURN-key).

If the current campaign has been saved, left clicking the “Save Campaign” button on the toolbar, or choosing “Save” from the File menu will simply save the exiting data.

To save the existing campaign under a different name, left click “File” on the menu bar, then left click “Save As”.  This will display the Save As Window where you can change the existing file name for your campaign, and re-save it.


Edit Starting Bonus Dialog

You may only define three starting options.

Spell Radio Button:

Left click this radio button to give a spell as a starting option.

Recipient Pull Down Menu:

Using this pull down menu, you choose which hero is to receive the specified spell in their spell book.  You may choose to give the spell to a specific hero on the map, or in the case of crossover heroes, choose to give it to the player’s most powerful hero.

Spell Pull Down Menu:

Using this pull down menu, you specify which spell will be put in the specified hero’s spell book.

Creature Radio Button:

Left click this radio button to give a creature type as a starting option.

Recipient Pull Down Menu:

Using this pull down menu, you choose which hero is to receive the specified creatures.  You may choose to give the creatures to a specific hero on the map, or in the case of crossover heroes, choose to give them to the player’s most powerful hero.

Creature Type Pull Down Menu:

Using this pull down menu, you specify which creature type will be given to the specified hero.

Quantity Field:

In this field you may define how many of the specified creature type will be given to the desired hero.

Building Radio Button:

Left click this radio button to construct a building in the player’s main town (specified in the Map Editor) as a starting option.  If the player doesn’t have a main town, this option is disabled.

Building Pull Down Menu:

Using this pull down menu, you choose which building to construct in the player’s main town.

Artifact Radio Button:

Left click this radio button to give an artifact as a starting option.

Recipient Pull Down Menu:

Using this pull down menu, you choose which hero is to receive the specified artifact.  You may choose to give the artifact to a specific hero on the map, or in the case of crossover heroes, choose to give them to the player’s most powerful hero.

Artifact Pull Down Menu:

Using this pull down menu, you specify which artifact will be given to the specified hero.

Spell Scroll Radio Button:

Left click this radio button to give a spell scroll as a starting option.

Recipient Pull Down Menu:

Using this pull down menu, you choose which hero is to receive the specified spell scroll.  You may choose to give the artifact to a specific hero on the map, or in the case of crossover heroes, choose to give them to the player’s most powerful hero.

Spell Pull Down Menu:

Using this pull down menu, you specify which spell scroll will be given to the specified hero.

Primary Skill Radio Button:

Left click this radio button to give a spell scroll as a starting option.

Recipient Pull Down Menu:

Using this pull down menu, you choose which hero is to receive the specified primary skill bonus.  You may choose to give the bonus to a specific hero on the map, or in the case of crossover heroes, choose to give them to the player’s most powerful hero.

Attack Field:

In this field you may define how many points of Attack are added to specified hero’s Attack.

Defense Field:

In this field you may define how many points of Defense are added to specified hero’s Defense.

Power Field:

In this field you may define how many points of Power are added to specified hero’s Power.

Knowledge Field:

In this field you may define how many points of Knowledge are added to specified hero’s Knowledge.

Secondary Skill Radio Button:

Left click this radio button to give a secondary skill as a starting option.

Recipient Pull Down Menu:

Using this pull down menu, you choose which hero is to receive the specified secondary skill bonus.  You may choose to give the bonus to a specific hero on the map, or in the case of crossover heroes, choose to give them to the player’s most powerful hero.

Secondary Skill Pull Down Menu:

Using this pull down menu, you specify which secondary skill will be given to the specified hero.

Mastery Pull Down Menu:

Using this pull down menu, you define the mastery of the chosen secondary skill given to the specified hero.

Resource Radio Button:

Left click this radio button to give a secondary skill as a starting option.

Resource Type Pull Down Menu:

Using this pull down menu, you choose which resource to give to the player at the start of a scenario.  You may choose to give individual resource types, or ‘precious resources’ as a group.

Quantity Field:

In this field you may define how many of the specified resource type will be given to the desired hero.  A quantity of 1 ‘precious resource’ is 1 of each precious resource.


Edit Hero Crossover Option Dialog

With the Edit Hero Crossover Option Dialog, you define from which prerequisite scenario the user may select their group of crossover heroes.  You choose the prerequisite scenario from which to find the group of heroes, and the player position the user will play if this group of heroes is chosen.

Source Scenario Pull Down Menu:

Using this pull down menu, you specify from which prerequisite scenario the computer will find the desired group of crossover heroes.

Player Position Pull Down Menu:

Using this pull down menu, you specify the player position that the user will play if this group of crossover heroes is chosen.


Edit Starting Hero Option Dialog

With the Edit Starting Hero Option Dialog, you define a hero identity with which the user may choose to start the scenario.  Also, this dialog lets you specify which player position will be played if the user selects this option.  For instance, if you select “Orrin” as the hero identity and “Player 1 (red)” as the player position, the user will be able to select Orrin at the beginning of the scenario and the user will be playing the red player position if Orrin is chosen.

Hero Identity Pull Down Menu:

Using this pull down menu, you specify the identity of the hero you wish the user to be able to select.

Player Position Pull Down Menu

Using the pull down menu, you specify the player position that the user will play if this starting hero is chosen.