Hi everyone, it seems like there is a lot of confusion regarding a few things and I am seeing some possible misinformation floating around, so I wanted to make a post to clarify how some of the technical features of the multi-map functionality works. I hope this helps clear up some uncertainty and answers some of the questions people have.
First I want to talk about the multi-map functionality. This update is titled after the Isle of Siptah, but it actually contains significantly more features than just the Isle of Siptah content. One of these features is added multi-map functionality. Prior to this update, Conan Exiles was played in the ConanSandbox map. It has always been possible for modders to go in and change this map to add resources, camps, dungeons, or even to remove the entirety of the map assets and replace the whole thing with their own map. However, with this update we have added support for the game loading entirely different map files, so modders will no longer need to replace, they will be able to add. Players will then be able to choose between all available maps, rather than having to add and remove mods that replace the base map. This feature also includes the ability to customize things like character creation, loading screens and tips, journey steps, map markers, and the map UI on a map-by-map basis. This should make it significantly easier for modders to create and add new maps to the game, and for players to download and play on those maps. We will be releasing documentation on how to use multi-map functionality in your mods on Monday.
Speaking of mods, I want to clear something up. Mods will work on the Isle of Siptah. We have already updated and released the mod dev kit to support the new version of the game. I have already spoken with several authors of popular mods who are already working to update their mods for the new version of the game, and checking out how those mods work in the Isle of Siptah. The only restriction on mods related to the Isle of Siptah release is that mods will not be able to modify the Isle of Siptah environment assets. The reason for this is twofold. First, similar to our DLC building pieces, we want to mitigate the risk of someone packaging the entire island into a mod and releasing it. Secondly, the Isle of Siptah is a significant amount of content, and making it available for modders would require it to be part of the base game. We know that Conan Exiles is already a very large game that takes up a lot of people’s disk space, and we did not want to eat up more disk space for players who choose not to purchase the Isle of Siptah Expansion.
Getting back to the idea of having multiple maps, I want to talk a little big about how players interact with different maps, and what that means for the characters and buildings you have already created in the Exiled Lands. Remembering that modders can now make maps, we need an infinitely expandable system that could support players playing on dozens of maps and switching between them at will. When the Isle of Siptah update hits, the server browser will have a new filter that allows you to filter for any map you have downloaded, or look through all the servers to find maps you maybe don’t have and want to try out. Similarly, starting a new game in single player mode will allow you to choose which map you want to play on. Dedicated server hosts will be able to choose a map for their server either by editing the command line parameters or the ini files on their server. More details on this will be included in the documentation being released on Monday.
Part of the Multi-Map functionality was adding a save file for each map. Single player, co-op play, and dedicated server play all behave the same way when it comes to saving. Each map, including mod maps, has its own database file that it writes to. They also each have their own backups in case something goes wrong and you need to roll back. The game will automatically choose the correct database file when your server or local game starts and will load the characters, buildings, and world state for the map you have chosen. If you choose to go back to another map, you will find all of your characters, buildings, and resources waiting for you just as you left them.
Finally, I want to say some things about the structure of the game as a whole. The multi-map functionality is a feature update to Conan Exiles. The Isle of Siptah is a content update to Conan Exiles. The Isle of Siptah is not a separate stand alone entity that recieves updates separate from the Exiled Lands. For example, we have made some significant improvements in memory usage, CPU usage, and network traffic in this update, and have more on the way. These improvements are not just present on the Isle of Siptah, but on the Exiled Lands as well. Another example is the new temperature system for armors, which ensures that armor can only ever be a benefit to a character, is available game wide. Updates like these are not bound to maps specifically, but to the game in its entirety. So you will continue to get bug fixes, QoL improvements, and new systems and features as they become available, regardless of which maps you choose to play on.
I hope this clears up some confusion and clarifies things for some people. I also want to remind people that you can currently play on the Isle of Siptah update on Testlive. You cannot yet access the new map, but all of the game-wide features are available on the Exiled Lands, including some interesting new things to check out in the admin panel. So if you are curious, feel free to experiment!
