How to create a custom unit - a complete guide

[skylli]

does this work for medival 2 total war?

[napoleon boneaparte]

Umm, no. The game engine is absolutely different.

[godridden95]

It won't let me open unit_stats_land but it lets me open and edit every other file in my_pack.pack Help Please. It says "Unhandled exception has occurred in your application!" I really want to make my own character, but I just can't!

[Quintus Hortensius Hortalus]

What tool are you using? Pach File Editor or DB-Editor? Try to use the tool you didn't used.

[dimovski]

I have that nasty feeling I'm necroposting... but I guess it's better than to open a new topic, so... how do I make a unit region-specific? I thought I found it somewhere but now I forgot it...

[Wolves In The Throne Room]

Could someone do a GIMP tutorial version?

[Quintus Hortensius Hortalus]

Why? It's basicly the same you just need the .dds and normal map plugin.

[Wolves In The Throne Room]

STEP 6. Creating a custom unit card

• Modifying an existing card. Go to ui.pack --> units/icons. Find the unit card you want to modify --> select it --> right click --> extract selected --> locate it in the ui/units/icons folder. Modify and save it (its extension should rename .tga). Add the modified file(s) in your custom pack --> save.
• Creating a new unit card. Create an image of your unit, crop it, resize to 66x88 pixels (extension should be .tga). Put it in the data/ui/units/icons folder. Open up your custom pack file, add the new image(s). Now go to db/units_tables/units tab, go to the line of your custom unit, go to the 12th column and enter the name of the card image file (f.e. if your custom unit card was named bloody_pirates.tga, write bloody_pirates here).

Thanks for the tutorial, but I have a question:

When you say data/ui/units/icons folder, it doesn't exist, create it?

Also when you say open pack and add image, how do you add it, there is no import function, only replace.

[Quintus Hortensius Hortalus]

Extract a unit icon via the pack file manager. Then you have the folder structure. When you created the icon add it to the folder then open a pack file manager create a new .pack file. Click right and select add file.

[MLJB]

I've tired to follow these instructions and others to solve problems that arose with PFM and DBEditor and the like and am now far more confused than I ever was before. Is there any chance someone could explain how to mod a unit using small words and perhaps a picture or two?

[MLJB]

Okay, scratch the above whiny issue. My question now is how do I edit the unit name in PFM 3.2.1 as there is nothing in options and no other box that I can find that would allow me? All I get is a drop down menu with a list to choose from.

[Wolves In The Throne Room]

Use DB editor, create new table, copy the line of the unit you want to change, paste it into the new table, there is a line for screen name, forget the exact name, but find where it says like 'regiment of horse' exactly like you see in game, edit, click out of box, save, exit

[Quintus Hortensius Hortalus]

Okay, scratch the above whiny issue. My question now is how do I edit the unit name in PFM 3.2.1 as there is nothing in options and no other box that I can find that would allow me? All I get is a drop down menu with a list to choose from.

You have to find the "local_en.pack" (name can be a bit different) and add a new line in the localisation.loc. Then copy the left entry from another unit, replace the unit key with your new unit and add in the right entry the name of your unit.

[MLJB]

I think I got all that to work but then it won't save. I fully believe it's because I'm a tool but what have I missed?

[Quintus Hortensius Hortalus]

Did you disable the read only function? Or did you create a new .pack file?

[MLJB]

Right, I've got it to save so thank you for that. My next big issue is that it still doesn't appear in the list of names. For instance if I follow this tutorial it isn't in my_pack or whatever it is and nor can I find i anywhere else to adjust recruitment, stats and so on.

[Ouchi Numbnuts]

Can someone advise what I have done wrong, as I know it is going to be something simple?

Although I've created a custom unit which is showing up as a recruitable unit OK, the Unit Card name at the top is blank. The example I have started with is a custom Line Infantry unit called "16th Foot" (will change the name properly once it sticks and works and have changed one of the unit_stats to make sure it is the right one, and it is!). Am on Windows 7, 64 bit, using PFM 3.1.6 and 3.2.1 as the DBE which replaced 1.12 does not seems to help / crashed a lot:

- Have created the unit in the data folder, called my_pack.pack which shows as recruitable. The 'key' is "16th_foot" which I assume carries on to the localisation pack?

- Have added a new line into the local_en.pack and patch_en.pack files, and created a new my_loc.pack (Pack Type = Mod) in the data folder. This still has all of the entries from the original localisation pack that I copied to be able to create the tables - should I delete the others and just have the new custom entry in it?

- Am updating the User Script in the DME launch window under Edit/User Script, after every new attempt to get it to stick.

- The 'Tag' in the localisation table is "units_on_screen_name_16th_foot", 'Localised string' is "16th Foot" (I think this is the on screen name or am I wrong?)

What am I missing or doing wrong please?

[Dea Paladin]

I followed the guide but my game crashes when I try to play with the unit! I edited the model myself, and I'm a bit of a noob in Milkshape 3d. Maybe I did something wrong i ms3d that makes it crash when trying to load the model?

PLEASE HELP! I've been trying to fix this for weeks...

[HoosierNat Rat]

I'm interested in creating a whole new mod for Empire: Total War and I've chosen this post as my starting point. I've read other posts about modding ETW but I'm starting here because even if I never finish my Plains Indians vs US Army 1866-1890 mod I might still be able to play with individual units from the mod like the 7th Cavalry or Sioux Mounted Riflemen.

First thing I noticed was this is not a complete guide; there are multiple detours. Hopefully I will be able to add an amendment to this post that can be used as a map. In regards to creating a custom unit the information seems to be here but is frustratingly lost in sort of fog that is common in a forum based tutorial that spans multiple years and software revisions.

I'll leave this here and move forward. If anyone comes along this way and wants to help or be helped please PM me.

[GuardiadelRey]

how can i enable cossack infantry for poland-lithuania?