How to create and play custom maps in Meccha Chameleon

Mod support has been one of the best ways for the game to build a community, and Mecha Chameleon Jumping in on the fun with tools that let players create and share their own custom maps. If you've spent any time tinkering with the Unreal Engine, this is your chance to turn your cool idea into something other players can actually explore, survive, and hopelessly defeat.

The process is a bit more involved than just building a level and hitting publish. Custom maps need to be created within the Mod Kit, packaged correctly, and ready for Steam Workshop before they can be shared with the world.

How to create and upload a custom map

Creating a custom map in Meccha Chameleon is a fairly straightforward process once you understand the workflow. You first Create your own map within a custom plugin, Project package through the right means Unreal engineAnd then Upload the finished files to Steam Workshop.

Open Mod Kit and create a plugin

Before starting, make sure you are using Unreal Engine 5.6.1, as the Meccha Chameleon mod kit was built for that version. Open the plugin you downloadedLinked above. After the project is opened, Create a new content-only plugin By navigating to Edit > Plugins > Add > Content Only plugin. Give the plugin a unique name, as you will need it later in the packaging process.

Create your own custom map

Inside your plugins folder, Create a folder named Maps and Then create a new level inside. This level will be the map loaded by the game when players use your mod.

Go to File > New Level > Basics to get started with an easy grid. You can use the Fab plugin to find objects and buildings to use.

When designing a level, Keep in mind that players spawn at X=0, Y=0, and Z=100. If you are building a large enclosure, it is a good idea to extend outwards from this location. To prevent camera problems, walls and other solid surfaces should use the CameraBlockWall collision profile, so the camera cannot pass through them.

Package The Mod

Once your map is finished, Open the Legacy Project Launcher (found on the platform button at the top). Here, you will need to create two packaging profiles:

The FullGame profile should match these settings:

• Cook > By Book > Cook Platforms: Windows (also check 'Create a release version of the game for distribution' and name 1.0).

• Package > Package and store locally > Check 'Is this a build for public distribution' > Check 'Use container files for optimized loading (I/O store).

• Deploy > Do not deploy

For the MyMod profile, enter the name of the plugin you created in the DLC to Build field. This tells the project which content should be packaged as a mod.

• Cook > By Book > Cook Platforms: Windows (also check 'Create a release version of the game for distribution' and name 1.0).

• Package > Package and store locally > Check 'Is this a build for public distribution' > Check 'Use container files for optimized loading (I/O store).

• Deploy > Do not deploy

When everything is configured, Package full game first and Then package MyMod by clicking on 'Launch this profile'. Do not change any project settings between these two builds, as doing so may cause packaging errors.

Prepare workshop files

After the packaging is complete, Create a folder where you will store the files which will be uploaded to Steam Workshop.

Navigate to the packaged output of your plugin and copy the .pak, .ucas, and .utoc files generated during the build process. You need to copy the AssetRegistry.bin from the folder you created. Finally, create a thumbnail image named Preview.png and place it in the same folder.

At the end of this step, Your upload folder should contain the packaged mod files, AssetRegistry.bin, and Preview.png.. These are the files Steam Workshop needs to distribute your map.

Set up SteamCMD

Meccha Chameleon uses SteamCMD for workshop uploads. Download SteamCMD, extract the files, and run steamcmd.exe. Once it opens, log in with your Steam account credentials (Steam > Login Username Password).

The mod kit includes a Sample.vdf file that serves as an upload configuration. Make a copy of this file and edit the required fields. You need to specify the location of your upload folder, The location of Preview.png, the title of your mod, and its description.

Upload the mod to Steam Workshop

With your VDF file configured, Return to SteamCMD and run the workshop_build_item commandPointing to the VDF file you just created. SteamCMD will package the information and upload it to the Steam Workshop.

If the upload completes successfully, your mod will appear in the Steam Workshop and can be subscribed like any other workshop item. If the upload fails, Double-check that all required files are present.

Once the upload is successful, your custom Meccha Chameleon map is ready for players to download and enjoy.

How to play custom maps

Fortunately, downloading custom maps is much easier than creating them. From the main menu, Click Map in the bottom-left corner of the screen. This will open Meccha Chameleon's Steam Workshop page, where you'll find all available community-made maps.

Browse through the selection and find one that catches your eye, Then click Subscribe to its workshop page. Steam will automatically download the map in the background. Once the download is complete, create a server as normal in-game, and a new map should be available to select.