__________________________________________________ |Advance Wars | |Game Boy Advance | |Design Mode Guide v.1.1 | |By Zentheoutcast23 (ZenTheOutcast@hotmail.com.com)| |August 10, 2003 | |__________________________________________________| - = A D V A N C E W A R S = - Design Mode Guide NOTE BEFORE READING: This version of the guide is no longer updated, to see the most recently updated guide, visit it at the Advance Wars 2 FAQ page. =============================I. Table of Contents============================ I. Table of Contents II. Introduction III. Orientation III-a. Requirements III-b. Terrain Types III-c. Units IV.Tips & Strategies V. Maps V-a. Vs. Maps V-b. 3-Player Maps V-c. 4-Player Maps V-d. Pre-Deployed Maps V-e. Submitting Your Maps VI. FAQ VII. Revision History VIII. Copyright Info IX. Credits & Contact Info ===============================II. Introduction============================== Hello, and welcome to my Advance Wars Design Mode guide. In this guide, I intend not only to orient you with the design mode of Advance Wars or show you strategies, I will actually present ASCII Maps which you can copy into the design mode in your Advance Wars Game and play them for yourself! I hope you enjoy this guide and find it helpful and resourceful. ===============================III. Orientation============================== The design mode in Advance Wars is powerful and versitile. With it you can create quality maps, sometimes better than the ones provided to you in the battle maps shop. But, However, in order to make enjoyable maps, you must learn to use it. Yes, I realize the Design Mode is simple and easy to learn, just by trying different things and learning-by-doing, but this just wouldn't be a Design Mode guide without a section devoted to using it. ~III-a. Requirements~ You won't be able to play your maps unless you meet a few sinmple requirements, so first things first. 1. Each map must have at least 2 seperately owned HQs. 2. Each player with units on the map must have a corresponding HQ. 3. Each map may have no more than 60 properties 4. Each player may have no more than 50 units (This applies even when you're playing the map!) Now, with that out of the way, onto the Terrain types and unit placement. ~III-b. Terrain Types~ There are several terrain types in Advance Wars, each with its own properties and characteristics. Here I will give a brief explanation of each. The summaries will look like this. Terrain Name Defense: how much damage protection units gain while on this terrain, 1-5 (in *s) Movement Cost: How much movement each unit type must spend to cross this terrain under normal weather. (If a unit type isnt listed, it cant cross that terrain.) Special Characteristics: Whether or not this terrain type has any special conditions. Now the Terrain... Plains Defense: * Movement Cost: Inftry-1, Mech-1, Tires-2, Tread-1, Air-1 Special Characteristics: None Road Defense: None Movement Cost: Inftry-1, Mech-1, Tires-1, Tread-1, Air-1 Special Characteristics: Movement costs arent affected as much by rain or snow. Forest Defense: ** Movement Cost: Inftry-1, Mech-1, Tires-3, Tread-2, Air-1 Special Characteristics: In fog of war, units in forests can only be seen by units in a square directly adjacent to it. Mountain Defense: **** Movement Cost: Inftry-2, Mech-1, Air-1 Special Characteristics: Infantry or mech units on top of mountains gain extended vision in fog of war. River Defense: None Movement Cost: Inftry-2, Mech-1, Air-1 Special Characteristics: None Sea Defense: None Movement Cost: Ships-1, Trans-1, Air-1 Special Characteristics: None Reef Defense: * Movement Cost: Ships-2, Trans-2, Air-1 Special Characteristics: In fog of war, units in reefs can only be seen by units in a square directly adjacent to it. Shoal Defense: None Movement Cost: Inftry-1, Mech-1, Tires-1, Treads-1, Trans-1, Air-1 Special Characteristics: Landers can be loaded or unloaded on shoals. HQ Defense: **** Movement Cost: Inftry-1, Mech-1, Tires-1, Tread-1, Air-1 Special Characteristics: Repairs and supplies ground units ordered to wait on it. Provides preset amount of funds per property per turn to player controlling it (does not apply to pre deployed maps). If an enemy unit captures a player's HQ, that player loses, and all of his or her properties go to the captor. City Defense: *** Movement Cost: Inftry-1, Mech-1, Tires-1, Tread-1, Air-1 Special Characteristics: Repairs and supplies ground units ordered to wait on it. Provides preset amount of funds per property per turn to player controlling it (does not apply to pre-deployed maps). Base Defense: *** Movement Cost: Inftry-1, Mech-1, Tires-1, Tread-1, Air-1 Special Characteristics: Repairs and supplies ground units ordered to wait on it. Provides preset amount of funds per property per turn to player controlling it. Can deploy ground units. Airport Defense: *** Movement Cost: Inftry-1, Mech-1, Tires-1, Tread-1, Air-1 Special Characteristics: Repairs and supplies air units ordered to wait on it. Provides preset amount of funds per property per turn to player controlling it. Can deploy air units. Seaport Defense: *** Movement Cost: Inftry-1, Mech-1, Tires-1, Tread-1, Ships-1, Trans-1, Air-1 Special Characteristics: Repairs and supplies sea units ordered to wait on it. Provides preset amount of funds per property per turn to player controlling it. Can deploy sea units. Whew, Now onto units... ~III-c. Units~ Okay, not much to say about units; You obviously cant place ground units in the sea or vice-versa. If you only place units and no production properties, the map is classified as a Pre-Deployed map meaning, that there will be no concept of money and once you lose units, theyre gone. Remember the 50 unit per player rule and try not to go crazy with units, it makes the map less fun. Yeah, that's pretty much it. =============================IV.Tips & Strategies============================ I expect this to be a pretty short section. I'm just gonna lay down a few tips you might want to use in some of your maps. Use them if you want, if not, meh. - Try placing bases and cities on secluded islands and starting out with nothing but a few ground units and some landers. - Make a thick section of mountains and fill the spaces between the mountains with forests to create a sneaky mountain pass. - Try to evenly spread out the properties. Giving yourself an unfair advantage sucks the fun out of the map. - Spread out the HQs for a longer game, place them closer together for a shorter game. - Divide the map with a river or mountain range and place an equal amount of properties on either side. Set the rules to end the game after any player captures one more property than their side has for a do-or-die capture map. - Try making a D-day type map with a horde of ground units invading a mainland from tiny islands via landers. - Pitting three small forces against one large one makes for an interesting battle with/against your friends. ====================================V. Maps================================== Here I will put up some of my maps. But first, heres the legend; #=Plains, (=)=Road, ^=Mountain, %=Forest, I=River, ~=Sea, $=Reef, 0=Shoal, Q=HQ, C=City, B=Base, A=Airport, S=Seaport ~VS. Maps~ Wood Pass ^^%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%^%%%%%C%^%^%^ C%%%^C%^%^%%^%^^%%%%%%^^%^%%B% QC==%^%%%%^C%^^B%%^^%^%%%%%^%% C%%=%%%^^%%^^%%%^%%C^%%^^%^^%^ %%%=%%^%%%%%%%%^C^%^%%^%%%%%^% %%%=^^C%%%%===%%%%%%%%%%%C%%%% ^%%===^%====^====%^%====%%%^%% %^%%%====%^C^%^%=%C^=%%=====%% %%%%%=^%==%^======^==C^=%^%=%% %^C%%=^%%====%^B%===%^%==%^==C %%^%%=%^C^^=%^A^%^%%%^^%=C^%== %^%%%==%^%%=^%^%C%^B^C%%=^%%^= %%%^%%=%====%%^%^%B^%%%==%^^%= %%^%^%=%=%%=======%^%%%=%^C%%= %^%%%%===%^%^%%%%=%%C===^%%=== %^C^%%^%%%C^%%%^%=====%%%^%=%% %%^%%^%%%^^^C^%^%%%%%=%%^===%^ %^%^%%^^%%%B^%%%%^%^^=%%%=%^%C %B^^^%^%^^%%%%^%^^^C%=======CQ ^%%%%C%%%%^^^%%%%%%%%%%%=%^%%C BY: Kyle (Author) NOTES: Move your people through the forests to hide them and capture as many buildings as you can. Sturm, Grit and Kanbei work exceptionally well. Properties: Each player controls the three cities surrounding their HQ. All other properties are neutral. Units: Whew long list... Each player controls 4 infantry, 4 mechs, 3 tanks, 3 anti-air, 2 recons, 2 md-tanks, 2 APCs, 2 artillery, 2 fighters, 2 bombers, 2 b- copters, 1 rocket, 1 missle, and 1 t-copter. Spread these units evenly around the area where their HQ is placed ~3-Player Maps~ Mountainous ^^^^^^^^^^^#Q=C^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^=======^^^%~~~~CA^^^^ ^^^^^^^^==%B^B%=#%%%%~~~~CB^^^ ^^^^^C===#%^^^%==^^^%%%~~%%^^^ ^^^^^^=#%%%^^^%B==^^^^%%%%^^^^ ^^^^^^=#%^^^^^^%#==^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^==%^^^^^^^%%#==%%%^^^^^^^ ^%^^==%B^^B%%%^^^%C===%%%^^^^^ %%===C%%^^%~~%%%^^%##====^^^^^ #C=%%%^%%%%~~~~A%^^%%%%#=B^^^^ %==%%^^^^C%A~~~~%C%%^%%#=#^%^^ %=B%^^^^^%%%%B~~%B^^^^%%==##%^ %=^^^^^^^^%^^%C%%^^^^^^^%==### %=C%^^^^^^%^^^^^^^^^^^^^%#===# %=%%%%%%C%%%%%^^^^^^^^^^%%%B=Q #=#%%###====%%%%^%^^^^^^^%%%== #=###====^^==##%%%%^^^^^^^%B=C #=====^^B^^^====##%%^^^^^^===# B=B%^^^^^^^^C^^==##%C^^^===##% Q=C^^^^^^^^^^^^^=========###%% BY: Kyle (Author) NOTES: The center is important, try to get there first, then hide your units in the forests around the path to your HQ and ambush your enemies. Properties: Each player controls their HQ and the city and two bases closest to it. All other properties are neutral. Units: None. ~4-Player Maps~ MountainMaze Q=========C^====B^===========Q =^^^^^=^^^^^=^^^^^=^^^^^=^=^=^ ===============^%^=====^=^C^== =^^^^^^^^^=^^^=^=^^^=^=^=^^^=^ =^=======^===^=====^=^B^==C^== =^=^^^^^=^=^=^=^^^=^=^^^=^=^=^ =^%^==C^===^B^========C^%==^== =^^^=^^^^^=^^^^^=^^^^^^^^^^^=^ ======B^%^===^A^=^%==^====B^=^ ^^^^=^^^=^^^=^=^=^^^=^=^=^^^=^ ==C^===^==B^===^=====^=^=^===^ =^^^=^=^=^^^=^^^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^ =^===^===^===^====A^===^===^== =^=^^^^^^^=^^^=^=^^^^^=^=^^^=^ =====^======%^=^B^===^=^==C^=^ =^^^=^=^^^^^^^=^^^=^=^=^^^^^=^ ===^===^====A^%^%==^===^===^=^ ^^=^^^^^=^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^=^=^=^ =========================^==Q^ Q^=^C^^^^^B^^^^^^^^^^^C^^^=^%^ BY: Kyle (Author) NOTES: Pretty simple, capture and destroy. Sneak to the computers' HQ, its usually unguarded. Properties: Each player starts with 1 HQ each. All other properties are neutral. Units: Each player starts with 1 infantry, 2 mechs, 1 recon, 1 APC, and 1 T-copter deployed directly on top of and around the HQ. Island Strike ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^B=C=Q ~~~~~0^0~~~~~~~~~%^00~~~^===== ~~~~~%%%%^0^~~~~~0%^%~~0^C=B=C ~~~~~~0^^%B%~~~~~~0A%~~0====== 000~~~~~~~^~~~00~~~~^~~0%B=C=B %===S~~~~~~~~0%%0~~~~~~~S%=^^^ ^=C==0~~~~~~~^%%^~~~~~~~~000~~ ^===%0~~~~~~S%CC%S~~~~~~~~~~~~ %=B==0~~~~0^%%AB%%^0~~~~~~00~~ Q=%=^~~~~0%%CBQCAC%%0~~~~S%%A^ C=%=^~~~~0%%CACCBC%%0~~~~S%%A^ %=B==0~~~~0^%%BA%%^0~~~~~~00~~ ^===%0~~~~~~S%CC%S~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^=C==0~~~~~~~^%%^~~~~~~~~000~~ %===S~~~~~~~~0%%0~~~~~~~S%=^^^ 000~~~~~~^~~~~00~~~0%~~0%B=C=B ~~~~~~~~^%%0~~~~~~B%^~~0====== ~~~~~~~^%A%%~~~~~0%0~~~0^C=B=C ~~~~~~0%00%^~~~~~^0~~~~~^===== ~~~~~~~~~~0~~~~~~~~~~~~~^B=C=Q BY: Kyle (Author) NOTES: Possibly the greatest and most complex map Ive ever made, definitely one of my favorites. This map is made to be 3 against 1. Orange Star on the far left, Yellow Comet in the middle, Blue Moon in the top right, Green Earth in the bottom left. Obviously, Yellow Comet Vs. allied Orange, Blue, and Green. I highly advise setting the funds to 1000 as you will still be getting alot of money, especially Yellow Comet. Properties: Orange Star controls the HQ and the city next to it, Yellow Comet controls all the properties on the center island, Blue Moon and Green Earth control their HQs and the Base and two cities closest to them. Units: Oh jeez. Orange Star - 2 infantry, 2 mechs, 2 recon, 2 tanks, 2 md tanks, 2 APCs, 2 artillery, 2 anti-air, 2 missles, 2 fighters, 2 b-copters, 2 t-copters. Blue Moon/Green Earth - 2 infantry, 2 recons, 2 tanks, 2 artillery, 2 anti-air, 2 missles, 2 fighters, 2 t-copters, 1 mech, 1 md tank, 1 APC, 1 b-copter. Yellow Comet - 4 APC, 4 artillery, 4 anti-air, 4 fighters, 4 bombers, 4 t-copters, 4 landers, 2 landers, 2 infantry, 2 mechs, 2 tanks, 2 b-ships, 2 subs, 1 md tank, 1 rocket. Place these units in a symmetrical pattern, radiating from their corresponding HQ. ~Pre-Deployed Maps~ None yet, Maybe later. ~Submitting Your Maps~ I made this guide under the hope that once it was posted, veiwers would send me their maps which I would reveiw and if I thought their map was good, I'd post it here. if nobody sends me their maps, this guide will be pretty dull. So if you'd like me to post your maps, send me a your map using the symbols ive used above and be sure to include the notes, properties and units as ive done above. If you dont send me these things, i wont even try your map, I'll just email you back and tell you to do it right. Even if you do everything i ask, i still might not post your map because I want all of the maps on this guide to be original, imaginiative, and creative. If you send me a map that i dont feel is good enough, ill return your email and give you some tips on how to make it better, after that, feel free to send it to me again. If you send me a quality map with all of the notes and requirements and i think its good, I'll post it here and give you full credit. Now get to work and send me your maps! ====================================VI. FAQ================================== Here I will answer some of the common questions my friends ask me and feel free to email me your own and I might add it here. Q: Why doesnt my river pour into the ocean like it does sometimes? A: The three spaces in front of the mouth, to the front-left and to the front-right must be sea. if it doesnt change try tracing the river with the river brush. Q: What is the difference between the tall mountains and the short ones? A: Nothing. The appearence is the only difference. Tall mountains are created when the space directly above a particular mountain square is a plains square or another mountain square. Q: How can I submit my maps? A: Try checking out section V-e. "Submitting your maps" Q: Why doesnt my map work? A: Make sure all the units have corresponding HQs, and check section III-a. "Requirements" Q: Can I change the dimensions of my map? A: No. =============================VII. Revision History=========================== v.1 May 16, 2003 - Completed the initial version of the guide. Updates later for sure. Hopefully I'll get some submissions too. v.1.1 May 17, 2003 - Made a minor change to the spacing and its ready to submit! v.1.2 May 17, 2003 - Added Island Strike in 4-player maps. v.1.2 August 10, 2003 - No revision, just added a note... ==============================VIII. Copyright Info=========================== I do not claim to own this game's characters logos, scenarios, etc, nor do I claim to. All Advance Wars material copyrighted by their respective owners. The content of this guide is (c) 2003, Kyle Pointer. All rights reserved ===========================IX. Credits & Contact Info======================== ~Credits~ Here are all the people who helped make this guide possible; CjayC - for creating GameFAQs.com, where my guide will hopefully be posted. thanks. Meowthnum1 - as always, for giving me advice, support and inspiratiopn towards writing my guides. Thank you muchly. You, the reader - Without you, this guide would be pointless now wouldn't it? Thank you for reading my guide. Myself - For being such an avid writer! *huggles self* ~Conact info~ NO SPAM!!! EMAIL: ZenTheOutcast23@hotmail.com AIM: ZenTheOutcast *END OF GUIDE!*