Making the most of dual-screen setups and IDE documentation for Better Beyond All Reason gameplay and modding.
Tags: game improvement, overviewmap, second monitor, api browser, modding, beyond all reason
Players with dual monitors sometimes want the overview map on their second display for better air control and strategic positioning. BAR does not natively support moving the overview map to a separate window. The overviewmap is tied to the main game rendering viewport.
Third-party solutions or custom widget development would be required to achieve this. A custom widget could pull map data and render it to a borderless window positioned on the second monitor using Spring drawing functions.
Working without API documentation in an IDE is frustrating. Spring RTS function signatures and return types are documented on the wiki, but browsing methods inside an editor saves time. The challenge is that BAR uses the Spring engine, which lacks a formal type definition system for its Lua API.
A practical workaround is building local stub files that mirror the Spring API. Functions like Spring.GetTeamRulesParams() return values from indexed tables. To see what those tables contain, reference other players' modding code or step through the game Lua at runtime.
Classic Total Annihilation maps like Eastside Westside from The Core Contingency are frequently requested for BAR. The main barrier is texture quality. BAR does not have good city textures, so anyone porting legacy maps needs to create or source new assets. Custom map contributions with proper textures are generally welcomed into the game.
Investing time in tools and settings pays off in matches the same way investing in teamwork pays off. Creed of Champions is built for players who take their game seriously and want teammates who do the same. Check the channel for community gameplay.
[Crd] One of the few places where you can for sure coordinate with people in matches with a good supportive attitude. Everybody tends to be understanding and constructive.