[TUTORIAL] How to create Mods

[Rorarii]

Mr thib,

Some basic quesions i don't understand about your tutorial

(1) ARe you editing the Patch.pack file or you creating a new pack?
(2) How do you Create a new name (sub-heading) under the "Battle Personalities Tables" ?


If I need to create a NEW pack file, how i do I load up the directory structure, as it is in PATCH.PACK ?

thanks

R

[macke]

Does anyone know when you need to add a script file? Because I have managed to make a music mod with just making a patch_mod_music.pack file and moved it to the empire total war/data folder and it works fine. Nothing else at all.

However I used the existing music naming. So all music I changed had the same name (and folder structure) as the original. Perhaps that has something to do with it?

[MrThib]

Does anyone know when you need to add a script file? Because I have managed to make a music mod with just making a patch_mod_music.pack file and moved it to the empire total war/data folder and it works fine. Nothing else at all.

However I used the existing music naming. So all music I changed had the same name (and folder structure) as the original. Perhaps that has something to do with it?

Actualy be a mod type pack (youre is not) or a patch type, keeping the same names than the original files always overwrite the vanilla files if readed after at start of the game.
With musics or textures there're actually no problems loading them because they're not include in some official patch and the loading order is
boot->release->patch->mod->movie
so your patch overwrite the release.
however, if modding something included in the patch.pack, you can't really make a patch type pack because you would'nt know wich one would be read first.
But you should concider changing your file to the mod type, it will prevent futur conflicts with patch that integrate music files () and be supported by the mod manager so more user friendly.

@Rorarii

(1) ARe you editing the Patch.pack file or you creating a new pack?
(2) How do you Create a new name (sub-heading) under the "Battle Personalities Tables" ?


If I need to create a NEW pack file, how i do I load up the directory structure, as it is in PATCH.PACK ?

thanks

I actually extract the whole file from the patch.pack or the main.pack, then rename it in windows.
With the PFM, just create a new pack then import the files and start editing.
When I'm done editing I just delete the unwanted rows. And that's it.
Concerning the directory structure, the pack file manager usually make one for you when exporting files and create it back when importing.
You can see in top of the editor the relative path of your patch (when creating a new one you're prompted with it, by default it's your data directory), be sure to keep the same folder structure in your windows that in your pack. For exemple my ottomans_personalities was located in C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\common\empire total war\data\db\battle_personalities_tables and my new pack was relative to C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\common\empire total war\data so it create the db\battle_personalities folders in my pack.
Hope I'm clear enough.

[waronmars]

Now do you see why i said the editing of the config file should be part of the manager, simple mistake but I wouldn't have found that for 20 YEARS!!

Modders usually make tools for other modders - 95% complete, and you need a basic grasp of what's going on to get it to work. N00bs would be lost!


R

Actually the first release of LtChambers mod manager, which creates the config file for you, doesn't save in unicode, and therefore doesn't work. As soon as he fixes this it will be the awesomest thing ever :p

[macke]

Actualy be a mod type pack (youre is not) or a patch type, keeping the same names than the original files always overwrite the vanilla files if readed after at start of the game.
With musics or textures there're actually no problems loading them because they're not include in some official patch and the loading order is
boot->release->patch->mod->movie
so your patch overwrite the release.
however, if modding something included in the patch.pack, you can't really make a patch type pack because you would'nt know wich one would be read first.
But you should concider changing your file to the mod type, it will prevent futur conflicts with patch that integrate music files () and be supported by the mod manager so more user friendly.

Ok, I notcied that the packfile I made was a release one, so I guess that it worked because of that then. I couldn't find how to change it to a mod type, only boot, release, patch or movie. But I'll check the latest packfilemanager. I got 1.8 atm.

But I guess that some loading order is embedded or how would the game know that my pack file should be loaded? perhaps it takes it in the order they were created?

Btw thanks for the quick answer.

[waronmars]

You need to download the latest version of LtChambers' PFM (1.99) to get that option from it.

[Rorarii]

@Rorarii

I actually extract the whole file from the patch.pack or the main.pack, then rename it in windows.

Yes, i've done that before and had a copy of the PATCH.PACK but how did you delete all the sub-directories so you're only left with "db"

With the PFM, just create a new pack then import the files and start editing.

When i import from Patch, i get

[-] <MyMod>.Pack
....... [+] (patch.pack)

?????????????


I'm more confused than a catholic priest in a brothel!

R

[MrThib]

There is no "s" at file in my post (yes, I know my english suck...), so:
I don't copy the whole patch, let say I just want to work on unit_stat_land for my mod.
I extract this one from the patch (not the whole patch!) go to my db\unit_stat_land_table\ change the name of my extracted file (unit_stat_land, not the patch). Open the PFM, create a new patch, add file: my_name_changed_unit_stat_land and work on it. That's all.
If you mean how to delete rows in the file, just select the header and press del.
That's quite easy to do really.

When i import from Patch, i get

[-] <MyMod>.Pack
....... [+] (patch.pack)

?????????????


I'm more confused than a catholic priest in a brothel!

it's about texture but that's the same : http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...28#post4745728

[DaVinci]

Ok, I notcied that the packfile I made was a release one, so I guess that it worked because of that then. I couldn't find how to change it to a mod type, only boot, release, patch or movie. But I'll check the latest packfilemanager. I got 1.8 atm.

But I guess that some loading order is embedded or how would the game know that my pack file should be loaded? perhaps it takes it in the order they were created?

Btw thanks for the quick answer.

... it is most likely this way, yes.
However, the save as mod format will provide several advantages (future patches, if you share your file, etc.).

[moisesjns]

hmm ok i got a problem i did everything in correct way still i dont see changes when i edit my mod.pack so 1. i made a new .pack named moises_mod.pack and then went into my patch.pack and exported all the files i want to edit
2. i made the txt and saved as unicode and then impoted all the files into my mod.pack and set the pack to mod
3. i said lets see if this work and gave the fergusion riflemen muskets not rifles and nothing changed what did i do wrong this time?

[MrThib]

I've edited the tutorial with updated information and to insist on some points because it seems everybody is passing over this:

As showed in this screen, I’ve just put my new entries to the battle_personnalities_table in a new file called ottomans_personnalities, this way I don’t have to put the whole original battle_personnalities and I’m sure that my file will not conflict with other mods affecting this file.
At start, the game will start loading the normal pack files then my mod, when it finds my new file it knows from my file structure that this is concerning the battle_personnalities_table but because of a different name he will not overwrite the original, just add my new rows.

NOTE: unless you're really attempting to overwrite all the native file you must use a different name.
If I had called my ottomans_personalities battle_personalities, the game will overwrite the original battle_personalities with my new one containing only three rows and probably crash.
That was stated by Jerome from CA:

Quote:
Originally Posted by JeromeGrasdyke
Ok. If you were to make a mod which supplies a new file called "db/unit_stats_land_table/unit_stats_land" it would override the one from the CA packs. Yours would be used, the CA one would not. That's file-level overriding, and it's not something that you normally would want to do to the database files (although I imagine it'll be pretty common with data files like tga's and so on).

Instead, you should put in a file named something like "db/unit_stats_land_table/delphy_mod_unit_stats"... the game should then pick it up, and *add* any records that are in your file to the ones that are in the CA-supplied main one. And then if there are any records with the same name in the two files, the one that gets loaded last (the mod one) will be what's used. It'd be a good idea to try and pick unique, relevant names for the files your mod adds, as well.

The different naming is not a cosmetical option, it's necessary unless you have good reasons to overwrite native files!

@moisesjns
I think that concern your case
and when that's done, delete all unmodded rows from your files.
Right now, I'm almost sure the game wont take your mod because of conflicts with the native files (if you'de change it to patch type or movie type it would have crash the game!)
Deleting unused rows is really helpfull in that if there is some errors you know where to look.
If even with this your mod wont start, just post it there and I'll check it for you (but make this modifications first please).
Good luck.

Edit: I've also added the infos Waronmars found about text format (thanks again) ... I was in hope that was because my was a french txt through ...

[moisesjns]

it's not that my mod ctd's or anythnig nothing like that it just wont add the changes and i want to edit all the units so i cant deleate units i want to edit all of them ill try it out very quickly and if still not working ill send an attatchment of my pack and txt

edit nope still absoluteley no luck i renamded the file moises_unit_stats_land and added it still no luck here is both my patch and txt


i cant seem to add my moises_mod.pack i get invalid error

[DaVinci]

user.empire_script.txt.txt

..this can't work.
Just change it to user.empire_script.txt


Edit: ... i opened it.

mod moises_mod.pack ;

That's wrong, too. Must be:
mod moises_mod.pack;

(no space there)

[moisesjns]

kk let me try ill brb

[Muhammad.R1]

Those anyone know how to make the campaign movement longer?

[moisesjns]

ok i changed it and it still has no effect i dont get it let me try to get the .pack again ok it wotn allow me to upload my .pack keep saying invalid file hmm well i really hope they make a simple way to do this

[MrThib]

make it a zip or rar file

Edit: The mod manager from LTChambers is now up and running well! you really must have it (just create an empty user.empire_script.txtin the apropriate folder).

You'll never have to edit the script file anymore!

[moisesjns]

kk let me try in a second


alright heres the pack still dont quite get whats wrong

[MrThib]

You have two db folders in there,
And the names of your files are the same than the natives ones , change this that really will cause trouble even if you manage to make it work now...
As I've said, this is not a cosmetical change!
if one of your line is wrong you wouldn't know wich one!

[moisesjns]

LOL i knew something was odd about that ok then so ill just redo the import brb

YES IT WORKS NOW lol THANk you omg WHEW finally Now if i can only +rep you 10 more times but any wya il rep again


oh and you said change all the names can i ust add moises to all of them is that ok?