How to create a map package

How to create a map package in the Pagonia editor

Fundamentals

The editor thinks in packages. A package can be seen as a mod which can for now only contain one or more maps. A package can be added to the game by placing it in the Pioneers of Pagonia UGC folder: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Pioneers of Pagonia\UGC or by downloading it from mod.io through the in game UI.

Once a mod is installed in Pioneers of Pagonia you can see the maps contained in it in the map browser. To be visible there, the map must be placed in the usermaps folder of the package.

Start the editor

Start the editor from your Steam folder, usually:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Pioneers of Pagonia\Editor

Launch Pagonia Editor.exe.

You are greeted by an empty Editor workspace.

The first package

To create your first package open the file menu and click "Map Package…"

"File menu"-button

Now the package wizard opens and you can name your package. The location is fixed and cannot be changed.

The wizard warns you in case of naming collisions with existing packages installed on your system. It does not warn you about collisions with packages existing on mod.io. Since renaming packages is not yet supported by the Pagonia Editor it makes sense to first check mod.io for a free name.

Map package information

When creating a package, you are asked to fill out title, author, description and image fields. This information is shown to users who download your package (through mod.io or manually) in the menu in-game. To ensure that your map package is represented the same on mod.io as it is in the game, it is recommended to match the following fields to their respective counterparts on mod.io:

• Title: the name of your package -> This can't be changed later!
• Author: your display name
• Description: short summary of your package
• Image: the package’s preview image (16:9, at least 512x288 px, must be .png) Example file to be added.

Once the package is created you are back in the workspace.

The first map

Once you created your first package you can start creating your map by selecting "Map" in the new file menu.

Button to create a new map

Select the usermaps folder and name your map. Naming your map is different from naming your map package. Since a map package can contain multiple maps, it makes sense to not name the map the same as the map package. However, unlike the map package you can change the name of your map. Press Save.

The map's inspector panel will open on the right of your window. This contains the Hierarchy and Properties sub-panels.

In the hierarchy sub-panel, select the top level node (with the name you gave your map). In the properties panel below, you can tweak the map's initial generation settings.

The hierarchy window of the Pagonia editor

Map meta data

When creating a map in the editor, the following meta data entries can be set:

• Title: the name of your map
• Description: short summary of your map
• Image: the map’s preview image (1200x280 px, must be .png) Example file to be added.

The progress bar

At the bottom of your window you will find the Progress Bar containing all the sequential steps to design your map.

The progress bar displays the steps of creating a map

You can select any of the steps below to preview the map at the specific state of creation and modify it as you wish.

During the map generation some warnings may appear. Some of them are not important and can be ignored, some of them could be crucial for your intended gameplay and should be addressed before publishing the map.

Head here for a step-by-step of the map generation process

The final checkpoint must be generated and reflects the final map.

Uploading a map to mod.io

When you are done editing your maps you will have to publish the package.

1. Click the "publish package" icon in the header
   • The Wizard will guide you through this. (make sure you have added all information (name, description, image) in the "Map meta data" in the Hierarchy for ALL maps of this package.)
   • The created .zip and .pak file will be located here: C:\Users\your.name\AppData\Local\Pioneers of Pagonia Beta\My Mods\package.name\dist
     • Simply zip up the .pak file if there is no .zip file
2. You will have to create an account on mod.io or connect to it using the button in the "Map Packages" menu in game
3. Once logged in, head to Pioneers of Pagonia on mod.io and click "add map package" in the top right
4. After that, just follow the guidance of mod.io and input all necessary information

How to play community maps

Play maps created by the community by installing map packages.

1. Sign in and go to "Map package browser" to browse packages from mod.io.
   • If you do not wish to sign in to mod.io, you can browse map packages in your web browser and place them manually in the map package folder.
   • The button "Open map package folder" leads you to the correct location.
2. Subscribe to a package.
3. Return to this page and the package will show up!
   • Disable a package to remove it from the Community Maps screen.
4. Unsubscribe from a downloaded package to remove it from your collection.
5. To play a community map, start a new game and select Scenario Maps → Community Maps.