Mission Briefing Blank?

Pianodan

L3: Member
Apr 11, 2009
108
16
I've read the instructions in the wiki, and various threads on here about creating a mission briefing. (Text on the opening chalkboard) I've created a filename_english.txt file, and put it in the directory with the map.

Here's the thing: once I did that, the chalkboard changed from the default text to just blank, no matter what I put in the file.

Is there some way I'm supposed to format this file to make it appear?

Alternately, I have all my materials in a directory off my "My Documents" directory. Are they required to be buried somewhere in my Steam directory for this to work?

Thanks!
 

Owlruler

L12: Fabulous Member
Dec 10, 2008
964
275
ummm, it shouldn't be a filename_english.txt it should be the name of you map.txt and it should be pakratted into your map
 

GrimGriz

L10: Glamorous Member
Jan 2, 2009
774
133
Alternately, I have all my materials in a directory off my "My Documents" directory. Are they required to be buried somewhere in my Steam directory for this to work?

Try putting it in the same directory as the map
 

Pianodan

L3: Member
Apr 11, 2009
108
16
I'm sorry, I guess I wasn't clear. The map IS in a subdirectory of my "My Documents" folder, not in the multi-folder disaster that is the Steamapps tree. The txt file is in that same directory. The map itself compiles and runs just fine from that location.

So in this directory I have:
mapname.bsp
mapname_english.txt

Now according to the TF2 Developer Wiki, that's all I have to do for this to work. Clearly something is not right. Do I need to be storing my maps (and everything else) actually in the steam folder maze? Or is it not going to work until I pak the txt file in with the map, a step which is not even mentioned on the developer page. Or is it some other issue?
 

A Boojum Snark

Toraipoddodezain Mazahabado
aa
Nov 2, 2007
4,775
7,669
Your map is not running from My Documents, it's not possible. After compile Hammer copies it to team fortress 2\tf\maps where the game can run it, that is where the text file should go too.
 

Pianodan

L3: Member
Apr 11, 2009
108
16
Your map is not running from My Documents, it's not possible. After compile Hammer copies it to team fortress 2tfmaps where the game can run it, that is where the text file should go too.

Gotcha. That was the key piece of information I was missing. Since it didn't complain about compiling from that directory, I didn't realize that was the issue.

Thanks!
 

Ezekel

L11: Posh Member
Dec 16, 2008
818
245
also: using custom things like briefing, preview pics, etc. if you pakrat them into your map, they still need the same file convention as would be used for other things, so that the path they get in the map file matches the files they are supposed to supercede within the game files. (which means you do need to put your custom content into the steam file tree whilst you are mapping).