This setup applies to HLDM mainly, but can work with other mods/games.

One of my personal pet hates is looking up map info, only to find the author did not include a readme. These are good ways to affiliate your name, and more importantly I find, spread the knowledge of good media resources (eg textures)

This is not so much a tutorial, more a template for people to use Include readme's with all your maps!

Download the template >> http://www.snarkpit.com/pits/gwil/maptemplate.txt

File Info

---

Game : Game Name
Mod : Mod Name (if applicable)
Map Name : bsp name / official title (only necessary if youre being artsy fartsy to include the "official title"
Version : Final Version Number (if you logged version numbers)
Filename : filename.xxx
Author : Your Name Here
Email : Your Email Here
Website : Your Website URL(if applicable)
Build Time* : Hours spent creating the level
Compile Time* : Minutes/Hours/Days/Years (!) spent compiling the level

Level Description

---

Level info here - description of the setting, how it started/progressed as you made it, ideas which were scrapped, and failed. Try and make it short and succinct, but still worthy of a quick glance

Credits/Acknowledgements/Thanks

---

Playtesters, texture/sound/model creators, beta feedback, inspirations

Easter Eggs/Secrets*

---

Reveal easter eggs/secrets here - or, hint at what they are/how many there is in the map.

Known Issues/Bugs*

---

All known bugs (which hopefully have had at least ONE attempt to fix them - eg odd clip issues, dodgy shadows, whatever)

All known issues - more applicable to TFC/CS or other team based mod - Imbalances on the map can be listed here, as a warning (or disclaimer ;))

Textures, Sounds and Models

---

Authors Name - filename - source name - availability (freeware/exclusive for example)

Installation Guide

---

Where, and how (eg Winzip) to install the map, and relevant attached files (models, sounds, textures etc)

Copyrights, legal blathering

---

You MUST NOT distribute this level UNLESS you INCLUDE THIS FILE WITH
NO MODIFICATIONS. If you don't co-operate, then DON'T DISTRIBUTE IT
IN ANY FORM.

or

Free to distribute anywhere/on any medium with authors express permission, and for non profit use.

Game name/company name, year of copyright. Also copyrights of your intellectual property if you wish, not sure how legally binding it is though.

N.B.

• considered optional (in my opinion, at least)

I just got through checking our archives, and I couldn't locate the file anywhere. It was posted back when SnarkPit was still a .com address, and all content from that site was transferred manually by owner, so he may have left some things out.

However, the member who posted this article may have this file, and he tends to be a regular lurker (when not posting), so I'll see if he still has it.

I can't get the textfile, download link seems broken.

Pretty good, but you shouldn't put easter eggs/secrets/spoilers in the readme: finding them for yourself adds to the fun of the map.

Ah, very helpfull, its always one of the things that go wrong wiht me:)

Maybe stick in an 'Other maps by author' field.
If someone likes the map that the readme is for, they might like to check out more from the same source.

If its any help, use one of mine as a base of comparison gwil.. but i would like to point out to everyone.. a readme txt is not set in stone, they are fully editable to ones own taste.. gwil offers a template.. make it suit yourself and leave his version alone

Fair enough either way - like I say, it's not so much a tutorial, more a means for those who don't know how to do Readmes, and to emphasise their importance with releasing a map

I'll have a dabble with it

I agree, the order is a little funky, plus I don't see how compile time becomes something that the player of the map really needs to know about, especially if the specs of the compiling machine isn't listed in the template.

Anyway, it's good to have for people who don't already have one of the many billions of map templates.

The order is a little odd ...

It should be something like:

File Info
Level Description
Installation
Bugs
Secrets
Acknowledgment (includes textures, models, and music)
Copyrights

Maybe, bugs and secrets can be swapped, but overall, this is a more organize (easier to follow) order.

It goes:

Properties > Technical > Credit > Copyright

As opposed to:

Properties > Credits > Properties > Credits > Technical > Copyright.

Seem reasonable?

I have read some pretty lame "readme txt" included with a map before.. almost makes you wonder, if they put as much effort into the map itself..

we needed one of these, for the new mappers.. but i prefer my old "radium" version, ALL of my maps have one.