Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition

Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition

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The Unofficial Map Editor Guide
By Akage Megane
This is an unofficial guide for newbies wanting to use the map editor to create Rise of the Triad levels.

This guide may receive updates from time to time, but if you wish to contribute or just chat around with other ROTT fans, be sure to check out RoTT Central. https://thebaratusii.com/rottcentral/
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Hotkeys
Plane Types :
1 - Walls
2 - Objects
3 - Info

Brush Types :
Q - Pixel
W - Outline Rectangle
E - Fill Rectangle
R - Flood Fill (Bucket)
T - Yank

F1 - Help Screen
F5 - Test Level
Ctrl+F5 - Test Level (without Verification)

Ctrl-S - Save Mapset
Ctrl-N - New Mapset
Ctrl-O - Open Mapset

F10 - Exit Editor
Understanding the file formats
The best way to save a level set would be to base it on the file format.

.RTL / .RTLX (Single Player)
.RTC / .RTCX (COMM-BAT / Multiplayer)

It would make less sense to save a COMM-BAT level set as a .RTLX file.

Also keep in mind to check the COMM-BAT Mapset setting in the Campaign Settings menu.

Campaign Settings

Before you start mapping, you need to give out a name for your mapset/campaign.

It's pretty straight forward, just add a title, a description, hint text, and add the authors name. (Insert your name if it's your map)

If you are making a COMM-BAT Multiplayer mapset then check, 'COMM-BAT Mapset'.

You also have the ability to add your own Episodes for this mapset.
Map Settings

The first two settings focuses on setting a floor and ceiling texture. With the ceiling texture setting, you can also set a skybox if you want to have an outdoor level.

You can adjust the level's height by adjusting the map height. Level 1 is the standard Wolfenstein 3D style while Level 16 or close to it are for those who want to create a stupidly tall level, or want to make yet another Vomitorium.

I don't know what Sky Height is for but if anyone knows what it does, leave a comment down below.

Brightness Level allows you to either make darker levels or even brighter levels.

Light Fadeout is a bit self explanatory, determining how far the player can see.

Music Track allows you can select a song from the game while also allowing the player to preview the song.

Level Type determines weither the level is a normal level, COMM-BAT level, Secret level, Boss Battle, and a Chase level.

The last two options focus on cinematics you can select. (Useful for singleplayer campaigns)

Checkboxes :
Lightning - Makes your level play thunderstorm sounds in the background.
Light Icon - Enables Lighting from Light objects.
Don't count lights - When checked, the lights won't ramp up and down when activated/destroyed.
Fog - Enables fog in the level

*Light Icon and Fog don't work together as it crashes the game*
Blocking your map

Making a layout for your map is pretty simple. just use the Pixel and Outline Rect. brushes and start building some rooms.

Remember to fill out the rooms with Area tiles to make the map work properly.

To place an wall or object, just left click. To delete a wall or object, just right click.
Testing your level

Before you test your level, you need to place a player start somewhere in the map.

Go to the Sprite Plane and go to the Players section to add a new player start.

Up/Down/Left/Right are the directions the player start will face, and Combat is to allow players to spawn in different places for COMM-BAT multiplayer games.

After that's done and saved, you can now test your level. (Ctrl+F5 is recommended early on)

Doors

It's as simple as placing the door tiles in the map.
But do keep in mind which tile is which.











The ones highlighted in red are normal doors, while the ones in blue are meant for elevators, but can be used as normal doors (albeit only in one single tile instead of a line set of tiles)
Locked Doors

In order to make a locked door so the player can hunt down the key in order to unlock it, you simply just place the desired keys inside the door tiles.
Touchplate Doors

You simply place some doors and a touchplate and link from the doors to the touchplate.
GADs
GADs are platforms allowing for some height variation.

Types of GADS :
Stationary GADs - A non-moving GAD
GAD Up/Down/Left/Right - A moving GAD
Raising GADs - Can be used as lifts.

Changing the height


After placing a GAD, You go to the info plane section and go to the Heights tab. For example I want the GAD to be at height of 128.

After increasing/decreasing the height of choice you click on the GAD to set the height.






When making stairs from GADs, make sure the first gad is between 16 to 28 height units and follow up by multiplying the height units per GAD (If the first GAD is 28 height units, just add 24 height units per GAD instead)
Moving GADs

First place a moving gad of any direction while placing a pushwall object in front of it.

You can change the direction with the GAD by placing another pushwall object and have the GAD lead to it.
Pushwalls
Simply place a pushwall object inside a wall.














You can also make it push even further by placing pushwalls like this :
Moving Walls/Floor Blades

For instance we're going to make a lava wall. First place a lava wall, and then place a movewall inside the lava wall. You can also place a fast movewall instead if you wish for it the be faster.

To avoid the lava wall going through walls, you need to place a pushwall to change directions.







The same also applies to moving floor blades.
Catwalks

Just simply go to the Info plane and place a catwalk from the General tab.

List of blocking catwalks :
Top
Bottom
Bottom and Top
Top and middle
Middle
Bottom and middle
Sky Tiles

To add the sky tile that kills the player when walked into. You got to the info plane and change the type to Sky tile in the General tab.

Place it around the walls to support it like in the screenshot.

*A sky ceiling needs to be set inside the Map settings for this to work properly*

Elevators

To place elevators in the level, you need to place some walls, a door, and a switch tile for both rooms.

Without this, the game would crash. after structuring the elevator room, place a elevator object inside on both ends. (You can go up to 8 elevators)
Upper Textures

To place an upper texture on a wall, just go to the Info plane and go to the "Alt. Upper Texture" tab

There you can select a texture of your choosing and place it on a existing wall.

Switches


To make a switch that does something like enabling/disabling certain things (for instance a fire cannon),

Place a switch tile and fire cannon in the map, then you go to the info plane and click on the Links tab.

Here you can link the fire cannon to the switch by clicking Pick Tile and click on the switch before placing it on the fire cannon like so.

These switches are meant for normal use.




While these switches are meant for elevators.
Touchplates

This works similar to switches, you place a touchplate (comes in different sizes) and link the elements (for example push walls) to the touchplate like so.
Jumppad/Bounce Pad

To place a normal bounce pad in your level, simply place one from the sprite plane.

In order for it to be a one-time only bounce pad or a periodic firing bounce pad, you go to the info plane and set the "Place over jumppad for one time only jumping" or Place over jumppad to make it a periodic firing jumppad" on the desired bounce pad.
Exits

You place an exit trigger from the sprite plane, and then you go to the info plane and select the Exit To Map tab.

There you can set to either exit to a certain map or finish the campaign. The exit from secret level is meant for exiting secret levels.
Remember to fill the Area tiles
It is best to fill the entire map with Area 01 - Area 46 tiles so that the map will work properly.


I recommend using the Flood Fill to cover the map with Area tiles easily. I recommend using Area 01 tile only in COMM-BAT levels (unless you have completely different areas with doors/elevators in mind maybe?)
Uploading to Steam Workshop

Go to File -> New Workshop Project

There you can name your Workshop item and Description.

You can supply your own thumbnail as well, it can be a screenshot or an actual image. (Supports .GIF/.JPEG/.JPG/.PNG formats)

Now tagging your workshop item is the important part.

List of tags :
campaign - Singleplayer Campaign Set
comm-bat - Comm-bat Multiplayer Set
episode - Singleplayer Episode Set
level - Singleplayer Single Level

You can save a Workshop project and load it if you wish to.

As of this writing there is no way to update an existing Workshop item you've uploaded. For now you have to delete your old Workshop item and reupload it. I'll update this if there's a alternative method or if a new patch fixes this issue.

UPDATE : To prevent making a entirely new Workshop submission (if you are planning to update your existing workshop), make sure to exit the game and reload the editor before loading your workshop project to update.
30 Comments
Wakko Kakko 23 Mar, 2024 @ 6:50pm 
How do I properly set up exit trigger sprites in boss levels?
Gunsaremagic 22 Mar, 2024 @ 10:34am 
im also trying to add moving walls not working either put a moveall down on a wall and and a push wall up below it wont let me launch the map when i do it
Gunsaremagic 22 Mar, 2024 @ 9:08am 
Links also dont seem to work and the touch plates i place a switch and link it with the door but it wont let me launch the map not placed on toggleable object
Max le Fou 5 Jan, 2024 @ 3:01am 
There's something weird. When I make a door that activates with touchplate, the touchplate spams the player with "touchplate triggered". But like way more than it does in official maps. Is it a debugging feature or am i doing something wrong ?
JonahMagic 7 Aug, 2023 @ 6:13am 
Do you know whether it's possible to make a level not end when killing a boss enemy?
Akage Megane  [author] 6 Aug, 2023 @ 11:49pm 
@Roobar Due to the nature of the game engine (heavily modified Wolfenstein 3D engine), there is no way to truly rotate walls.
Roobar 6 Aug, 2023 @ 11:33pm 
Can you rotate walls?
Roobar 6 Aug, 2023 @ 10:57pm 
why placing fence wall crashes the game?
micmotorheadst 5 Aug, 2023 @ 2:49pm 
@Pig Cop I think that entirely depends on what you're triggering. Push walls will always be one time, but fire traps will toggle. Doors will open for a short while and get triggered by the touch plate again after closing. I think switches behave the same. I'm not sure how to stop the player from being able to disable fireball cannons again, except just having them being on all the time from the start of the level
I might be wrong about some of this, but that's how I understood things after making 4 maps this week.
Akage Megane  [author] 5 Aug, 2023 @ 10:23am 
Updated the guide regarding the switches and GAD heights.

@Ricardo I believe the main reason using only Area 01 in COMM-BAT levels was due to how everything looks empty till you enter Area 02 or other. Discovered this while making a COMM-BAT map myself.

To replicate this, make a simple room, half covered in Area 01 tiles and the other half covered in Area 02 tiles, then place an item or two on both sides and you'll likely see what I mean when testing.

I do recall looking at the stock COMM-BAT levels and everything was covered in Area 01 tiles.