Tutorial #3 - Building Tunnels In Final Alert2

How to create tunnels...written by Lion & RVMECH

Introduction to tunnel making:

NOTE: This tunnel tutorial only works with Matze original Final Alert Editor. Tunnels have been taken out of Final Alert2.
Before you try to tackle making tunnels, make sure you understand how to edit terrain. Final Alert comes with its own help tutorials, and there is a section on editing terrain. Tunnels add a sense of realism and 3-D to your maps. You can choose to build a real working tunnel, or you can just use the front entrance for looks if you want, as I have done in maps I've made. Of course, a tunnel that you can pass units through is much more fun for the players. This section will explain how to do that.

Getting Started: In order to make a tunnel, you'll have to have your cliffs already in place and leveled off. (See cliff tutorial) Make sure your cliff plateau is the same height as the cliffs or the tunnels will not work! If your cliffs are set to go, then proceed to the next section below. Keep in mind that making tunnels is very similar to making bridges in that you'll have a front and back section, and then you must connect the two pieces together in order for them to work. It's not as difficult as it may seem. We'll be using both tunnels for temperate maps and those for urban maps as picture illustrations. If this is your first attempt at making a tunnel, then select an urban map environment. The first two pictures below show the tunnel front face in a temperate map. But for the actual tutorial we'll be using an urban map setting.

First step: Take a quick look at the picture to your left. You will see the tiles and the tile selection menus that you will be using to begin the process of making your tunnel. If you were using a temperate map, you would select "Dirt Tunnel Floor" from the Terrain/Ground menu. Since our example picture is just for reference (wanted you to see what it looked like against a natural cliff setting), and this tutorial is for an urban map, we will be using the Tunnel floor tile set. You will see the four tiles you may select that will form your tunnels. First select the tunnel face (front entrance to your tunnel). Common sense will tell you which one you need. Now place the front tunnel into your cliff making sure it is aligned properly in your cliff. See the picture in the (second step) below. If it looks funny, then it's not correct. If you make a mistake, just use the "Undo" function in the Edit menu. You can undo as much as 6 turns.

Second Step: Now we'll switch to the urban map setting for the remainder of this tutorial. Click on the tunnel exit and drag it to the opposite side of the cliff and align it so that the "road" lines up with the "road" on the front tunnel entrance you placed. It must also line up with the back of the cliff...look at the screenshot carefully. If it is not lined up exactly it will NOT work. Do not worry if the cliff back looks like it has disappeared. It is still there but you can't see it in the editor because then you could not see the tunnel floor to place it. When you play the game it will be there. To make sure you have the tunnel exit in the position it must be in, use the "Hide Tile" feature located in the "Terrain Menu". Select it, then click on one of the cliff pieces. This action will hide your cliffs from view. Once your cliffs are hidden, you can clearly see where you must place the tunnel exit tile (back tunnel section). Again...refer to the picture. To see your cliffs again go to the "Terrain Menu" and select "Show Every Tile Set" and you'll see your cliffs again. The hide tile set is also very useful when working with cliffs even if your not building tunnels.

Third Step: Now we must connect the two tunnel pieces together so your tunnel will work. Before we get started, look at the picture again in the second step so you have an idea of what to do. Now, look in the left menu and find (+Tunnels). Now select "Create Tunnel". Click on the lower part of the entrance (tunnel front face) and DRAG it to the exit. If you did it correctly it will be a straight line from A to B. Now look at screenshot in the second step again and repeat what you just did for the whole width of the "road", otherwise you will only have room for one unit to pass at a time. You have created a tunnel that should work if you did it correctly. If you make a mistake, you can use the "Delete Tunnel" tool in the Tunnels menu by selecting it and clicking on the red squares at the end of the red lines you made when connecting the tunnels. Your line will be deleted, but your tunnel front and back sections will still be there. Redraw the line again.

Finished product: The picture to your left is the finished product. Now don't get discouraged if your tunnel doesn't work the first time. Just keep trying and you will get it. Just remember that the tiles have to be laid down PERFECTLY or it will not work. Also they work 100% better in the Urban maps than in the Snow or Temperate maps...so if your a first timer, then stick to the urban map for starters loke in this tutorial. Perfect your technique first then tackle the other environments. That completes the tunnel tutorial. When you get your tunnel made, try it out in the game. If it doesn't work, you made a mistake. Have fun making tunnels!