Stronghold 2 comes complete with a fully comprehensive map editor and scenario creator, allowing the user to create detailed maps similar to those seen in the single player campaign of the game. This preview will give you an idea of what you'll be able to create using the map editor within a short amount of time.

Intro
When you fist load the in-game editor, you'll be presented with a setup similar to what you see below. This is a completely new map, with no existing features. Within minutes, we can edit this map to make a simple map that resembles a playable game environment. The first and most important step to creating a detailed looking map is to edit the terrain.

Terrain Editing

Using the terrain editing tools, you are able to create a mixture of different terrain features, including rollings hills, mountains and cliff faces. The tools used to create these effects are explained below.

1: Raise or lower the land - Using these tools, the user can slowly raise the ground, or gently lower it again. This is great when you want to create small, smooth slopes or make slight adjustments to some existing terrain.

2: Equalise tools - These tools allow the user to 'equal out' parts of the terrain. Equalising allows you to 'join together' parts of the terrain without having to spend hours messing around with the raise and lower tools. If you want your troops to be able to access a cliff from the ground, use the equalise tool on the edge of the cliff face, and the game will slowly bring the ground up while bringing the edge of the cliff downwards until they join, creating an accessible ramp. There are two equalise tools; A slow equalise for precise adjustments and a fast equalise for making ramps and hills quickly.

3: Mountain and uneven terrain tools - If you're in need of a quick mountain, or you decide that an existing cliff face is too flat, you can use these tools to quickly give your terrain a rough feel. Typically, you use these tools to make your terrain inaccessible to units in the game.

4: Set height tools - These tools allow you to create areas of land of a set height. If you wish to create a large, flat plateau you can choose one of the higher land types and drag out a large section of land. Similary, if you wish to flatten all of your terrain in an area, you can use the 'flatten' tool on the far right.


Water
The next important step you can take to making your map a living breathing world is to add water. You have the choice to add both sea and rivers to you map, both of which are very easy to place.
1: Place river - These tools allow you to place rivers and change the direction the river flows in. With the power to change the direction the water flows, you are able to make your rivers flow around corners and split realistically.

2: Ripples tool - This tool allows you to place ripples over your rivers, giving them more detail and life.

3: Waterfall tool - Using this tool on the edge of a cliff instantly produces a flowing waterfall from the top of the cliff to the base.

4: Place Sea - These tools work the same way as the 'place river' tools but this time places sea. Although sea works the same way as the river in the way you place it and the way you can change the direction, the rivers and seas look and act very differently.

5: Waves tool - This tool allows you to place waves on your existing sea. Placing waves on beaches produces a very realistic and believable effect of the sea running up a beach.

6: Splashes tools - These tools allows you to place splash effects that, when placed in areas where the sea meets rocks and cliff faces, produces a great effect of the sea crashing into objects.

Trees
Another step to making a decent map is to add trees. Trees not only make your map look better and give your map a more realistic feel, but are a valuable resource in the game making them essential to most maps. You have multiple choices of trees, shrubs and bushes to place, but certain trees look better in certain areas or terrain.
The tree placing panel is pretty simple. The top row allows you to place different types of trees, while the bottom row allows you to place shrubs and bushes of different varieties.

Rocks and Resources
Something else that can add a lot to you map is rocks and resources. Resources (in this case iron and stone) are an important aspect of the game as they are required in both castle building, and weapon construction. Rocks add detail to your map, and can provide natural barriers if needed.
1: Place rocks - These tools allow you to place rocks of different types and sizes.

2: Change rock height - These two tools simply allow you to sink your rocks in the terrain and raise them again if needed. This allows you to give a large pile of rocks some variety.

3: Resources - These tools place Iron and Stone on the map. As described above, both can be valuable resources on a game map.

Texturing
One of the most important aspects of map building is the ability to texture your map. Texturing allows you to change the surface of the ground to appear differently. Using the texturing tools, you are able to create different areas of grass, create roads and pathways or make a beach. Without texturing, all maps would appear completely made of grass all over and would not look believable at all.
1: Textures - These are the different textures available for you to 'paint' the ground with. Simply by selecting the texture of your choice and using the mouse to paint across the ground you are able to make the ground appear exactly like the thumbnail. There are many textures to choose from including grass, sand and rocks, all of which have different types available to use.

2: Change texture page - These two arrows allow you to change the active page you are viewing from the available textures. There are many pages of textures to choose from.

3: Tinting tools - An advanced tool, these buttons allow you to 'tint' the current texture you are working on, making the texture appear tinted by a different colour. With the tinting tools, users will be able to create some very wild and different maps.

Features
At this point, there are a lot of choices you can take to complete your maps. Here I've added some hovels, a signpost and a bridge to give the map more detail. You could also add troops, siege equipment or build a small town or a castle. All are simple to do and take moments.
That's a brief overview of the editor but there are many more features and tools available for you to experiment with.We hope you enjoy map making in Stronghold 2 as much as we did.