I assume that you have a copy of WinZip or some other decompression program that will unzip the file you download. If not you will need to install one on your computer since the files on the web-site are zipped.
Following a download of a map file, you must unzip it and copy the files to the directory where your Caesar3 program is located (default directory of c:/Sierra/Caesar3 if you did not change to another drive or directory during installation).
There are two types of scenario downloads available on the web-sites. It is important to know which type your are downloading to be able to determine how to bring them up in Caesar3.
The first type of scenario is one created by the map editor. This scenario must be unzipped and then copied to the Caesar3 directory. It can be viewed without playing it by using the Map Editor and selecting it's name. To play it start Caesar3 and select the scenario from the City Contruction Kit menu option where it's name will be listed (as opposed to a career game or saved game).
The second type of scenario is one that is a saved game from Caesar3 that might have pre-built structures in it. Once again this map must be copied to your Caesar3 directory after unzipping it. This type of map cannot be viewed in the map editor. To play it you must enter Caesar3 and select it from the Saved Game menu where it's name will appear.
The reason designers use saved games is to allow certain buildings to exist in the game at the start while not allowing you to build new ones (by using Dragon2's Building Off program). Or to prevent theft of their maps by someone who wants to make minor changes and then submit it under their own name. Or to give the players a more advanced starting position in the game.
If the map designer has failed to tell you if it supposed to be loaded as a Construction Kit scenario or a Saved Game, look at the file extension of the scenario using windows explorer after it is unzipped. If the scenario file ends in a .sav that means it's a saved game. If it ends in a .map then it is a City Contruction Kit scenario.
Anything else that is unzipped could be introductory text (.txt or .doc extensions) that can be read using Notepad for .txt files or Word for .doc files; or it could be images of the map (.bmp or .gif extensions) that can be viewed using the Paint program or another graphics program such as Corel; or it could be an Excel spreadsheet (.xls extensions).
And finally, remember that you should already have both the patch and Map Editor already downloaded and installed on your computer in order to view or play any maps that are City Construction Kit scenarios. They are available in the downloads section of this web-site and also at the Impressions web-site. I believe that saved games can be played without the Map Editor being installed on your computer.
Hope this is the detail you wanted and helps.
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Bob the Lethargic
[This message has been edited by Bob the Lethargic (edited 01-11-2000).]