If you are in the Sins game and you are trying to help someone add custom maps, you can easily direct them to this thread by telling them to go here: http://tinyurl.com/Sins5
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Installation Instructions
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adding custom maps to Sins is easy to do. In fact, you don't even need to close the game in order to do it. You can just download any map you want, add it to the correct folder, and then join the game.
Part 1
(1) Unzip the map pack.
(2) This is the hard part. We need to find your Sins Application Data folder so that we can move the .galaxy files into your GalaxyForge folder, which is located in your Sins Application Data folder. This is NOT the same as your main Sins Program Files folder where the game itself is installed. Let's go find it.
For Win XP it should be something like:
C:\Documents and Settings\user name\Local Settings\Application Data\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\GalaxyForge
For Vista and Windows 7 it should be something like:
C:\Users\user name\AppData\Local\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\GalaxyForge
You can open up any folder and in the location bar, just copy and paste the location while replacing user name with your Windows name. That should pull it up. Also, you can use the "Up a Folder" button to go up to your Sins Application Data folder or just leave the GalaxyForge part off of the end.
If you are having problems finding it, try doing a Windows file/folder search for "Ironclad". In Vista, when searching for "Ironclad", you'll have to also choose to do an 'advanced search', with the box for look in HIDDEN FILES checked. (Thanks to SageWon for that tip.) If you're still having problems, please see the additional instructions down below ("I still can't find my Application Data Folder. Help!"). It is on your computer somewhere, we just have to find it or at least make it so that you can see it.
If you do not have a "GalaxyForge" folder in your Sins Application Data folder and you are certain that you are in the right place--if you see other folders like "AutoRecord-Multiplayer", "Settings", "Screenshot", "Save-SinglePlayer", "MapDesigner"--then just create a new folder called "GalaxyForge".
(3) Move the map files--the .galaxy files--into your GalaxyForge folder:
- Asteroid Belt 3v3 neutrals v03.galaxy
- Asteroid Belt 4v4 v03.galaxy
- Asteroid Belt 5v5 v03.galaxy
- Diamond 2v2v2v2 v03.galaxy
- Diamond 4v4 near v03.galaxy
- Diamond 4v4 far v03.galaxy
- Red Crush-2 5v5 v03.galaxy
- Ring of Risk-2 3v3 v03.galaxy
- 3v3 Asteroid Belt v03.galaxy
- 3v3 Ring of Risk v03.galaxy
- 3v3 Gateway to Paradise v03.galaxy
- 5v5 Red Crush v03.galaxy
- Asteroid Belt 1v1 v03.galaxy
- Asteroid Belt 2v2 v03.galaxy
That's it! That wasn't so bad was it? Basically, if you can find your Application Data folder, then you can easily add custom maps anytime you want. You can make it faster and easier by creating a shortcut to your Sins Application Data folder and putting it on your Desktop or wherever you want.
Part 2 (optional)
Wouldn't it be nice to see the name plaques for these maps, the map title box textures/pictures that you see in the game setup screens? That's what the .tga files are. They are Targa files, which is like an alternative format to JPG. You don't need to add these to play the maps, but it would be nice and it's easy to do.
(4) (Optional) Now open your Sins of a Solar Empire game folder. This is NOT the Application Data folder. Rather, it is the folder where your Sins of a Solar Empire.exe and Sins of a Solar Empire Entrenchment.exe files are located--the main install folder. In that folder you should see a folder called Textures. Move the .tga files into the Textures folder:
- Asteroid Belt.tga
- Ring of Risk.tga
- Gateway to Paradise.tga
- RedCrush001.tga
- Diamond.tga
Now we are compeltely finished. Enjoy some GGs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I still can't find my Application Data Folder! Help!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you want to play custom maps, then you MUST find your Application Data folder for Sins. It may be hidden. In that case, you may need to adjust Folder Settings in your Control Panel so that you can see hidden files.
If you followed all of the instructions above and you still can't find it or see it, then it may be a Hidden Folder and you will need to adjust your folder options/settings in the Control Panel so that you can see hidden files and folders. I think Microsoft more or less assumes that anyone who can't figure out how to view hidden folders probably shouldn't be messing around with them.
In Windows XP, you find the Folder settings this way: <Start Menu> <Control Panel> <Folder Options>. Then click the <View> tab. In the list you'll see a listing called "Hidden Files and Folders". Make sure you've selected "Show Hidden Files and Folders".
I'm not sure exactly what you need to do in Vista but it's probably pretty similar.
What is this pesky Application Data folder anyway?
When Microsoft released Windows XP, they created a new folder structure where some of your programs have their own folder in a folder called "Application Data". This is NOT the same as your "Program Files" folder. Rather, the folders in the Application Data folder contain settings files--your Firefox bookmarks, Google settings, Thunderbird e-mail, and your Sins keybinds, screenshots, game replays, and saved games. Your Sins Application Data folder is also where Mods and custom maps--"GalaxyForge", go.
I'm guessing that Microsoft did this with the intention that different computer users (who log in and out on the computer) could use one single program install while allowing different users to have their own individual settings. I suppose it works well for Firefox and other stuff, but it makes game file management a pain-in-the-ass.
Wait! I put the maps into the "Galaxy" folder in the Main Sins (Program Files) folder. That's where all of the standard maps are so shouldn't any MapName.galaxy file go there too? It's where those texture.tga files went (into the Texture folder). That's where I put them in v1.05. You're saying that that's not the right place for them?
That's right. The real custom maps, Galaxy Forge-made maps, don't go there anymore. I don't know when Ironclad made the switch, but now they have to go into the "GalaxyForge" folder in your Sins Application Data folder. Important--if you added the maps to your "Galaxy" folder in your main Sins folder, then you MUST REMOVE the custom maps from your "Galaxy" folder. The game may not run or load up properly if any non-standard maps are present there. It has something to do with a manifest file.
But wait! They are all .galaxy files so shouldn't they work in the regular Galaxy folder?
You would think so, but the game distinguishes between the standard map files and Galaxy Forge made maps. I don't know exactly what it recognizes or where it is, but my understanding is that it has something to do with permission settings. I've compared the map files side by side (they're just simple little text files) with a program that compares and contrasts different files and I haven't been able to figure out how they are marked differently. It might be in some other file. Anyway, as silly as it sounds, the game doesn't treat Galaxy Forge-made maps the same way it does the standard maps and even the Map Designer maps (which will auto-download online unlike real Galaxy Forge-made custom maps--go figure).
For Win XP it should be something like this. If you see "Program Files" anywhere in the path to the Sins folder, you're probably in the wrong place:
C:\Documents and Settings\user name\Local Settings\Application Data\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\GalaxyForge
For Vista and Windows 7 it should be something like:
C:\Users\user name\AppData\Local\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\GalaxyForge
If you can't find it, try searching your hard drive for the folder "Ironclad Games". In Vista, when searching for "Ironclad", you'll have to also choose to do an 'advanced search', with the box for look in HIDDEN FILES checked. (Thanks to SageWon for that tip.)
If you've read this a couple times and you still can't find it, then please post in this thread and perhaps someone will be able to help you.
