Building Overlapping

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Building Overlapping Guide by DWIEEB. Updated in 11-21-05

Introduction

Throughout my experiences in Age of Mythology, I have watched Scenario Designers make scenarios, and I can tell the good from the bad. I made this guide so you can see what the many options of AOM has in store for you. The editor is a very complex, and useful tool in the right hands, and I believe you can turn a blank, boring map into a world of exciting and interesting things. I will first explain to you building overlapping.

Building overlapping adds uniqueness to your maps. It provides the necessary eyecandy to make your maps more fun to play, and explore. To move a part of the Building, create the object, then use the move command in the editor to move it into its place in the building. Try to mix and match so your buildings look more unique than a bunch of units (unit)thrown into a pile. I will start with the basics of overlapping -

Basic Overlapping

We start at the basics. These buildings have been made without spikes

Lighthouse of Bernieus, From the Life of Saul Farrak (http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/DWIEEB/Life%20of%20Saul%20Farrak/lighthouse.jpg)

Forge and a Tower, From the Life of Saul Farrak (http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/DWIEEB/Life%20of%20Saul%20Farrak/forge_and_tower.jpg)

Lighthouse - There are a few enlarged objects, but for the most part this was pretty easy to make. It was made with no spikes, or raised areas of land for the specific purpose of the building, so it was easy to make. Overlapping buildings isn’t hard, its making them look good that’s hard. I’m not too happy with my work on the lighthouse.

Forge and Tower - This is a screenshot of a Norse tower and a forge. This too was made with no spikes. Odin’s tower, or Odin’s wonder, is a single tower, but by making multiple towers, you are able to make smaller towers around the larger one. Hill Forts were then used to make the courtyard in the middle look cool. Then the outside wall of Odin’s tower tops off the building, making it look like a defensive position. The forges aren’t overlapped much, but to make them look good, it’s ALL about the detail. With a lot of detail in and around the building, people will look at that and think of how much work you put into this scenario, thus making them play the whole scenario.

Intermediate Overlapping

The basics were created with reyk's new editor (http://aom.heavengames.com/downloads/showfile.php?fileid=1746), found at AOM Heaven. Now I will introduce the wonders and marvels of flipping and turning and finding the best buildings and best surfaces for your building, using reyk's editor.

Hammerfoot's Hillfort, From Disciples of Chaos: 3. Snotbeard and Hammerfoot (http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/DWIEEB/Snotbeard%20and%20Hammerfoot/HHwithdoor.jpg)

Tower of the Arch Angel, From Disciples of Chaos 4: The Lords of the Shadows (http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/DWIEEB/Lords%20of%20the%20Shadows/screen16.jpg)

Temple in Calankalia, From Disciples of Chaos 4: The Lords of the Shadows (http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/DWIEEB/Lords%20of%20the%20Shadows/screen17.jpg)

Fortress, From The Next Generation: 1. The Third Born (http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/DWIEEB/NG%201%20The%20Third%20Born/screen55.jpg)

Hammerfoot's Hill - Again, no spikes were used, however, if you look closely, you’ll see that inside, there in a roof with truces. This is the back end of a Norse longhouse. I used reyk’s new editor to flip it sideways to show the back. Look for opportunities on units in AOM. They are the key to an excellent building. Again, details are EVERYTHING. Cinematics are used to show off your creations, so you want many details and eyecandy to suck the player in.

Tower of the Arch Angel - I had hoped that the mirror tower at the top would shoot a ray of light very very far and it would be one shot kill, however modifying the tower proved ineffective, and I just kept it as it was. Remember sometimes the editor will hold you back, as it did for me here. But always always always look for these kinds of options. Your main goal will be to impress people, and make them say, "Wow, that guy was really thinking about this building"

Temple in Calankalia - Again, a beautiful display of options given. I'll let you figure out the many things this building has. You also want the player of your scenarios to look in awe in how you thought that up.

The Fortress - With bigger buildings like these, it would be wise to allow access up and throughout the building. In this fortress, which you must siege in NG: 1. The Third Born, you can walk up the ramp, walk around, and see it's fullness. Also notice the wooden spikes below the wall. When making a building, especially a building of defense, you must be the designer and think of how hard it would be to have a siege, even if wooden spikes such as these, are only for eyecandy.

Advanced Overlapping

Cross Building, From Life of Saul Farrak (http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/DWIEEB/Life%20of%20Saul%20Farrak/6d44eacb.jpg)

Capitol Building of Bernieus, From Life of Saul Farrak (http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/DWIEEB/Life%20of%20Saul%20Farrak/capitol.jpg)

Hefichi's Tower, From Disciples of Chaos 4: The Lords of the Shadows (http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/DWIEEB/Lords%20of%20the%20Shadows/screen12.jpg)

Capitol Building of Galador, From the Tournament of Galador (http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/DWIEEB/Tournament%20of%20Galador/screen40.jpg)

Gate into Galador, From the Tournament of Galador (http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/DWIEEB/Tournament%20of%20Galador/screen38.jpg)

Arena of Galador, From the Tournament of Galador (http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/DWIEEB/Tournament%20of%20Galador/TOG-A1.jpg)

Cross Building – Spikes were definitely used in this building. Remember, Spikes don't have to be small areas, they can also be large areas, like in Oscar's "The Guardians" Fortress. Spikes can be your friend at times, and they can be your foe. They make buildings look much better, but they are hard to place units on them and get them aligned. Symmetry is your greatest destination, but it is very hard to obtain. The five columns supporting the upper regions got very hard to make symmetric, and if you look really hard, you will find flaws in the base. This is an example of a very hard building to make, but it my best and favorite building. Hammerfoot’s Hillfort comes pretty close, though.

Government Building – Spikes were also used here. I absolutely love this building, it was quite hard, though. Notice the aqueducts around the building. That is two Gaia wonders, with the gaia statue hidden in the Hades wonder. I find wonders very good overlapping tools, also notice the Poseidon wonders at the base. One thing I learned from these buildings, its columns. Columns are probably the best overlapping tool out there. They provide dimension in your buildings, along with beautification.

Hefichi's Tower - Spikes were actually used to lower the huge Kronos Wonder into place in the volcano. I find this tower to be one of my best towers I have made. See it yourself in Disciples of Chaos: 4. The Lords of the Shadows. (http://aom.heavengames.com/downloads/showfile.php?fileid=4665)

Capitol Building - This is a very accessible building, you are allowed to walk around it, on the wall, and even through it. Always keep in mind ways to show your buildings off in game.

Gate into Galador - Very nice way to defend. Behind the wall, units like archers can stand behind stone and shoot arrows, while the flipped fortresses can fire arrows down at incoming soldiers. It can even fire arrows inside the gate while units attack it.

Arena of Galador - Definitely the biggest building I've made, and with that, the most accessible. You can walk almost anywhere. COLUMNS are very useful units, they add the most eyecandy, (as I said before) and here they are used to support the overhead roof, made with Troy Walls. Always look for opportunities to enhance the look of your buildings.

Closing

Advanced overlappers should also keep in mind the environment of your buildings. That provides so much eyecandy you wouldn’t believe it. I had troubles with nature surroundings, so Pepsidude_123 came in and made the forests and surroundings all pretty. Add unique things to your buildings, I see so many attempts to make an awesome building, but there’s always something missing, or they just don’t look right. Like my lighthouse.

Forge, From The Next Generation: 1. The Third Born (http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/DWIEEB/NG%201%20The%20Third%20Born/screen54.jpg)

I hoped this helped you and your buildings. Have fun and be creative.

~DWIEEB

For additional questions or comments, email DWIEEB at dwieeb@gmail.com, or visit us at Phoenix Studios (http://www.phoenix-rts.net)