If there are no objections from the community, I would like, over the next few posts, to show you guys how to modify PTE Battlefield Heroes files to load any BFH map you wish into Tutorial mode and relieve any one of those maps of combat boundaries. This would work ONLY in tutorial mode; you would never be able to take these files online, since upon being connected to any BFH server your files are checked against the master files on the server. I also STRONGLY STRONG STRONGLY recommend that you DO NOT (EVER) touch the original (non-PTE) source code (never do it), because the consequences of this range, invariably, from your inability to join any online BFH game to the termination of your BFH account.

Again: (1) if you wish to modify any Battlefield Heroes files (as per this tutorial or on your own), you should do so ONLY to your Public Test Environment (PTE) files and NOT to the original game.
(2) This tutorial will NOT show you how to gain an unfair advantage over anyone on any BFH server; it is strictly for local, singleplayer, offline play in Tutorial mode. (This might be useful for filming, for example, or for just having fun with an entirely-open map).
(3) If there is legitimate discontentment from the forum community or any discontentment from a community moderator, I will cease publication of this tutorial. I would like to work within the bounds of propriety and legality, so if this project encroaches upon any forum rules please tell me so I can cease immediately.

>>> PRELIMINARIES. <<<

Before beginning the tutorial proper, you must first have the Public Test Environment (PTE) version of Battlefield Heroes.

You can download the PTE version of Battlefield Heroes at http://pte.battlefieldheroes.com/ .

If you already had the PTE (or have now download it), please make sure that your version is up-to-date and fully functioning (if you do not do this and a problem arises, you will not be able to know whether the culprit is a bad install of the game, or an error on your part or the tutorial's. So please do check right now.). To do this, press Play Now at http://pte.battlefieldheroes.com/ and ensure that you are able to join a game and can access the tutorial mode. (The tutorial mode can be accessed by checkmarking the box to the left of the "Play Now" button IN THE GAME.)

In order to be able to play a map with no combat boundaries, you must first be able to load it into your Public Test Environment tutorial.

The next section in this tutorial (I am going slowly so that everyone understands that they should get the PTE in order to do this) will be dedicated to loading any map (be it the old maps like Coastal Clash or one of the new maps--"ruin," "fork," or "lowlands") into the PTE Tutorial.

Added (2010-06-29, 8:50 Am)
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PART 1: LOADING THE MAP OF YOUR CHOICE INTO THE PTE TUTORIAL (A THREE-STEP PROCESS)

IMPORTANT: If the map you want to play on is SS, please do not do any of the steps in PART 1, since SS is the map the tutorial loads by default. Skip to PART 2 now.

Step I.
1.1 Go to C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\PTE\Battlefield Heroes\mods\bfheroes\Settings.

1.2 Open file "maplist".
1.2.1 Right-click on the file called maplist (on some systems it will appear as maplist.con)
1.2.2 Select Open With...
1.2.3 Select Choose Program from a list
1.2.4 Scroll down and select Notepad and click OK

1.3 Delete the line of text that is there and replace it with the following line:

maplist.append "village" "gpm_tut" 16

1.3.1 The above line will allow you to access Victory Village. If you want a different map, pick the code name from the list below and type it instead of "village".

1.4 SAVE maplist.con BUT MAKE SURE TO REMEMBER WHICH MAP YOU TYPED IN!

Step II.
2.1 Go to C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\PTE\Battlefield Heroes\mods\bfheroes\Levels.

2.2 Go to the folder of the map you chose in step 1.3.1. Here is the list again:

2.3 Open the folder called "Info".

2.4 Open the file inside that folder (If you chose Victory Village, for example, the file should be called "Village").
2.4.1 Right-click on the file
2.4.2 Select Open With...
2.4.3 Select Choose Program from a list
2.4.4 Select Notepad and click OK

2.5 Delete everything starting with the line <music> sound/music/menuquiet.ogg </music> down.

2.6 Replace it with the following code:

2.7 Save the file.

Step III. *important -- If you want to play on Seaside Skirmish in the future, instead of deleting your seaside_skirmish folder, simply remove it from the below folder and place it on your desktop.*

3.1 Go to C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\PTE\Battlefield Heroes\mods\bfheroes\Levels .

3.2 DELETE THE FOLDER TITLED "seaside_skirmish" ONLY IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO PLAY ON Seaside Skirmish IN PTE ANYMORE!!! If you want to play on it in the future, simply remove the folder from PTE\Battlefield Heroes\mods\bfheroes\Levels and place it on your desktop to put it back when you're done with the map you chose. NOTE: if you leave the Seaside Skirmish folder in PTE\Battlefield Heroes\mods\bfheroes\Levels, the PTE Tutorial will load the SS map regardless of what you typed in your maplist.con file from step 1.3.1.

Go on to PART 2.

Added (2010-06-29, 8:51 Am)
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PART 2: DETELING BOUNDARIES (PART 2, STEP I) + ADDING A TUTORIAL GAME PLAY MODE (PART 2, STEP II) TO THE MAP OF YOUR CHOICE
Step I. (Deleting boundaries from the map of your choice)
1.1 Go to C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\PTE\Battlefield Heroes\mods\bfheroes\Levels\.

1.2 Open the folder of the map you chose to play on.

1.3 Open the file called "server" with WinZip, WinRAR or a similar program.

1.4 Open the folder "GameModes" within within the file called "server".

1.5 You should now see a folder called "gpm_tdm".

1.6 Drag "gpm_tdm" out of WinRAR (or out of whichever program you're using) and onto your desktop.
1.6.1 You should see the folder "gpm_tdm" on your desktop after this.

1.7 Open it (double-click on it) from your desktop.

1.8 There should be a folder called "16" inside of it.

1.9 Open the folder "16". There should be a file called GamePlayObjects inside of there.

1.10 Open the file called GamePlayObjects.
1.10.1 That is, right-click on it, select "Open With...", then "Choose program from a list", then choose Notepad and click OK.

1.11 Scroll to the very bottom of the list and delete everything starting below and including "CombatAreaManager.use 1" (So all the lines like these-- CombatArea.addAreaPoint -81.043701/300.502258 --should be gone. These are your combat area boundaries.)

1.12 Save the file to your desktop. Leave the name and the rest of the properties as they are.

1.13 Now find it (GamePlayObjects) on your desktop and drag it into the folder on your desktop where the original file was (gpm_tdm -> 16 -> GamePlayObjects). When if asks if you want to replace, say yes.

1.14 Now close the folder titled "16".

Step II. (Adding a tutorial gameplay mode to the map of your choice)
2.1 Rename the folder on your desktop from gpm_tdm to gpm_tut.

2.2 Go to C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\PTE\Battlefield Heroes\mods\bfheroes\Levels.

2.3 Choose the folder for the map you want to play on.

2.4 Open the file "server" in WinZip or WinRAR or a comparable program again.

2.5 Open the folder "GameModes" again.

2.6 From your desktop, drag the newly named folder "gpm_tut" into the WinRAR or WinZip file opened to "GameModes".

2.7 You should now see two folders in your WinZip or WinRAR directory: gpm_tdm and gpm tut.

2.8 You can now go to http://pte.battlefieldheroes.com/ and start the game using "Play Now". Then, when the game has started, after the hero menu, checkmark the "Play Tutorial" box next to the big "Play Now" button and then click "Play Now".