Yah, there's an um... Map Designer I think it's called in-game? It's not the same as in Galaxy Forge where you can place planets in specific locations.  You control how many of which kind of planets are where, and it generates it for you.  Have a look!

I ttried the suggestions in this thread, and my game won't even load with an altered manifest file.

If your game is crashing:

Get a good text editor(i recommend ultraedit), set the maps version number to 3 and replace this:

homePlanetUpgradeLevel:Population 3
homePlanetUpgradeLevel:CivilianModules 1
homePlanetUpgradeLevel:TacticalModules 0
homePlanetUpgradeLevel:Home 1
homePlanetUpgradeLevel:ArtifactLevel 10
homePlanetUpgradeLevel:Infrastructure 2

with this:

normalStartHomePlanetUpgradeLevel:Population 3
normalStartHomePlanetUpgradeLevel:CivilianModules 1
normalStartHomePlanetUpgradeLevel:TacticalModules 0
normalStartHomePlanetUpgradeLevel:Home 1
normalStartHomePlanetUpgradeLevel:ArtifactLevel 10
normalStartHomePlanetUpgradeLevel:Infrastructure 2
quickStartHomePlanetUpgradeLevel:Population 4
quickStartHomePlanetUpgradeLevel:CivilianModules 1
quickStartHomePlanetUpgradeLevel:TacticalModules 0
quickStartHomePlanetUpgradeLevel:Home 1
quickStartHomePlanetUpgradeLevel:ArtifactLevel 10
quickStartHomePlanetUpgradeLevel:Infrastructure 2

And then find and replace all instances of this (all following lines should have 2xtab before text):

        startingUpgradeLevelForPopulation 0
        startingUpgradeLevelForCivilianModules 0
        startingUpgradeLevelForTacticalModules 0
        startingUpgradeLevelForArtifacts 0

with this:

        normalStartUpgradeLevelForPopulation 0
        normalStartUpgradeLevelForCivilianModules 0
        normalStartUpgradeLevelForTacticalModules 0
        normalStartUpgradeLevelForArtifacts 0
        normalStartUpgradeLevelForInfrastructure 0
        quickStartUpgradeLevelForPopulation 0
        quickStartUpgradeLevelForCivilianModules 0
        quickStartUpgradeLevelForTacticalModules 0
        quickStartUpgradeLevelForArtifacts 0
        quickStartUpgradeLevelForInfrastructure 0

Thanks psugar, I know it seems silly but I just never batted an eye at that in game map editor before for two reasons; first I have been unable to force myself to break away from playing the game.   and Second because my brother had told me that it did not allow alot of control. 

Well, I tried it out after reading your post to get my own experience from it and all I can say is wow!   I know for the hard core it may not meet their needs but atm for me its pretty cool.  Particularly if you consider that I have now played all the maps (that are playable on my machine) multiple times now, so even a random generated map is refreshing.  But even better than that is the fact that when I use the in game editor to make a map it uses the new planets from the mods I play (albeit a random selection each time but stil more planet types is better) And sure enough I now have maps in my custom folder to play. 

I have a couple questions though that hopefully someone can help with concerning the in game editor and galaxy forge.  My question is, are there plans to update the ingame map editor ?  Because it is sOooosoSOSOOosooSOo fast to make a map with that I thought if it were given a  lil more love it would become an indispensable tool for the game. What I mean is that it only lacks a few more parameters that would need to be adjusteable in order to make maps that  do not require forge tools.  I do not mean to suggest makeing the ingame editor as intuitive as forge tools, I just wondered if there was any talk of making it have a couple more options. 

Having said that, I love the forge tools.  I find myself spending way more time sometimes just fooling round with it instead of playing the game.  In fact, a buddy I sometimes play with has recently been telling me to quit working on maps and play a game with him instead. :/  Ok so my question about forge tools is, would it be possible without screwing up my checksum to place maps I have made "into" a mod I dl'd so they would show up?  Because nothing I have done so far allows them to show up in Mad scientist mod unless I make a random map(hence random planets types) I just can not go back to having only 4 planet types......talk about vanila, sheesh.  Multiple Planet types/Moons/Additional Races are something I just do not feel the game should be without.  And if I can figure out how to place a single file into the game that allows me to use new planets that is compatible with forge and the mods I have I would simply be in "game heaven".  Atm I useforge tools with frontiers mod scenario def file I believe and so I CAN make maps with new planets but they will only show up if that mod is enabled. 

Any insight or information is greatly appreciated.

Valkajin

Heya, Yea it is the entrenchment version I need.

pm'ed ya, thanks Harpo

Valkajin

bart, assuming you have entrenchment 1.02 then the correct folder for custom(galaxy forge) maps is in the users space next to the mods-entrenchment v1.02 folder called 'GalaxyForge'. this folder works for BOTH sins 1.16 & entrenchment 1.02, BUT does NOT exist for any earlier sins

the full path to the folder for xp is
C:\Documents and Settings\'user name'\Local Settings\Application Data\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\GalaxyForge

or for vista/windows 7
C:\Users\'user name'\AppData\Local\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\GalaxyForge.

NOTE the first two folders after the 'user name' are hidden , so to see them you must first click on 'tools' then 'folder options', then 'view', then click on 'show hidden files& folders' then click ok, then you will be able to browse your want to the folder. I suggest when you find the folder that you create a shortcut to it on the desktop

also the galaxy forge maps only show up in the galaxy forge tab of map types

and if a map you want to play was released before 25th feb 2009 then you will also neet the sins map updater from here
http://files.filefront.com/sins+map+updater+v200rar/;13585432;/fileinfo.html

harpo

Bart, the steps needed for any version 3 map is to place it in the galaxyforge folder then start either sins or entrenchment, start the single player change map until you see "Galaxy Forge" above the maps list the look through the list of maps  and click on the map you want and then click on start.

for maps earlier than version 3 then you put the map in the galaxy forge folder, run my map updater v2.00, click on find galaxies, then click on fix galaxies, then click on exit then start sins or entrenchment, start the single player change map until you see "Galaxy Forge" above the maps list the look through the list of maps  and click on the map you want and then click on start.

you do NOT need or want to place the maps in the program files galaxy folders as they are now reserved for the ironclad maps only, and all user created maps & mods belong in the galaxyforge/mods folders in users(documents & settings) space

hope this helps

harpo

Is this fixed for 1.15. I want to play some new maps for that blast it.

A quick question, 

I am running 1.17 and entrenchment 1.01 (I don't want to update), and I am still having trouble bringing the original maps across to entrenchement. I just tried to use bother versions of you updater and manifest editor mentioned above, yet neither would work for me, since I am running versin 1.17 of sins. Have you by chance created a version that would work for my mix of game versions?

Thanks.