RTW Faction Swapper v1.0 Working

[RedFox]

Yet another tool to help people still dedicated to the RTW community.

Tired of spending ages to swap or replace factions to get the best out of RTW's hardcoded features? Fear no more - you won't make RTW crash in a whole new way because of your poor modding skills, since this tool does it all for you.

How to use:
1) Put rome_faction_swapper into your MOD-FOLDER
2) The program will get a list of all the required files
3) Select two factions to swap, or replace an existing faction with a new one
4) Hit the Start button!
5) All detected files are copied into data_swapped/ and edited there
6) After first run you can continue swapping factions - all files are edited in data_swapped/
7) Once you're done, copy the files to your mod-folder (backup is always nice!) and test it out
8) Next time you run rome_faction_swapper, the files are again copied from the data folder, so you start from scratch!

Warning: This is still a Beta version, so there might be some errors. That's why I'm requesting the help of other modders to try out this tool and report where it goes wrong. (not all mod-files have the same structure!)

Changelog:
v1.0 Working
- Fixed all the bugs - swapped factions without a crash in mod "Extended Cultures"
- Now copies menu/symbols/, if the files exist
v0.9 Beta
- Added a debug window
- Window is now maximize-able (for debugging purposes)
- All files are saved in correct Encodings (ANSI or Unicode), so they don't cause a crash anymore
- Dozens of flaws in replacement code fixed
- Most amusing replacement fails fixed (replacing parthia with huns -> white_huns -> white_parthia....)
- Copying UI cards is now optional and disabled by default

Here are some screenshot of the beast in action: (v0.7)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Here's the link:
>>> DOWNLOAD FACTION SWAPPER v1.0 <<<

I hope it makes your life tons easier

[Killerbee]

Amazing ! This really is perfect !

Especially for mods who need to be taken to BI

[Squid]

Looks really good. My only suggestion is to change it so that more than one can be done at the same time.

[CaesarVincens]

Excellent, I'm sure you'll get some testing from us at Extended Cultures.

[Salvor Hardin]

Amazing new tool, Redfox. I am extensively using your Zeus program with excellent results. Thanks a lot!

[RedFox]

Zarax from XC reported that the game crashes on faction selection screen. I'll be improving the code to include a debug window and not mess up like it does right now.

Nevertheless, it's a nice proof-of-concept. Culture swap, anyone?

Squid: What do you mean? If you mean if it could change more than two factions in one iteration, then that would just mess up the code and I would have to update the methods quite a bit. The selection list would be a nightmare too - which faction is swapped with which? It does it quite fast, so I don't think it's that much of a nuissance to select two factions, start, select another two factions, repeat until done and then exit program and copy your new files with all factions perfectly swapped.

P.S. - Ignore the "perfectly swapped" part, since it does make it crash at the moment. I will be updating it though. If anyone wants to take a peek at parts of the source then don't be afraid to ask.

[RedFox]

After some rigorous testing, improving and adding a few more useless features, I was finally able to provide a version that 'actually' works.

>>> DOWNLOAD FACTION SWAPPER v0.9 <<<


Changelog:
v0.9 Beta
- Added a debug window
- Window is now maximize-able (for debugging purposes)
- All files are saved in correct Encodings (ANSI or Unicode), so they don't cause a crash anymore
- Dozens of flaws in replacement code fixed
- Most amusing replacement fails fixed (replacing parthia with huns -> white_huns -> white_parthia....)
- Copying UI cards is now optional and disabled by default

[RedFox]

>>> DOWNLOAD FACTION SWAPPER v1.0 <<<

v1.0 Working
- Fixed all the bugs - swapped factions without a crash in mod "Extended Cultures"
- Now copies menu/symbols/, if the files exist

[Pat89]

Excellent work!

[Aradan]

Very nice!

[Caligula Caesar]

When I try to use this, it tells me "error parsing files!"

Could not find a part of the path '../menu/symbols/FE_buttons_24/symbol24_bactrian.tga' (I was trying to swap the Thracians to Bactria on ExRM. .../symbol24_thrace.tga is there.)

It then proceeds to show some very weird things. I would post a screenshot, but the print screen button is the only one on my keyboard which doesn't work

Also, I am not sure if this is because of this, but it doesn't copy over the factional minimaps at the campaign selection screen. More importantly however, it doesn't change Export_Buildings.

Edit: I forgot to mention that it does run up, but without the faction symbol on the starting screen and on the first loading bar (but it appears after that). The major issue is export_buildings, since ExRM has different building names for different factions (for instance I end up with "Temple of Battle")

Edit 2: When I load the tool up, it says OK before some things, CMP before others, BTL before others, and SCR before the last one.

[Squid]

I know this is probably because the tool is designed for mod foldered mods but I got the error from the attached screenshot. The images in question were in the data folder that was in the same directory as the exe.

The tool exe was located at d:\Creative Assembly\RS1.5 and the image in question is located at d:\Creative Assembly\data\menu\symbols

EDIT:
In addition as pointed out above it doesn't change export_buildings.txt.
It also doesn't change campaign_descriptions.txt

[RedFox]

It doesn't edit export_buildings indeed. I guess I forgot about that. It does edit campaign_descriptions.txt though.

It shouldn't crash when it doesn't find the file.. Are you sure you have the latest version?

[Squid]

Downloaded it yesterday. And it didn't change campaign_descriptions.txt when I changed the romans_scipii into syracusae, mainly I think because in campaign_descriptions.txt the roman factions can be successfully referred to by just scipii, julii, brutii.

I think it was looking for the file in what would have been the main data folder prior to checking in the mod data folder.

[RedFox]

It only checks the direct folder under it. It doesn't grab any files from vanilla itself.

All in all, it copies the files it edits into "data_swapped". If campaign_descriptions.txt is in there, then it edited it, but somehow failed in the process. It might also be that I forgot to even edit it after copying..

Are you sure replacing it with syracusae will work? Regarding hardcoded stuff and all..

[florin80]

Are you sure replacing it with syracusae will work? Regarding hardcoded stuff and all..

You mean replacing the internal faction names? Yes, it works fine it seems. EB has the senate changed into saba iirc and rtr 7 is doing the same thing with all roman factions(TIC already had this implemented).

[Caligula Caesar]

I get the same error message, but the game seems to work otherwise with it, with the exception of some faction icons.

[Squid]

Are you sure replacing it with syracusae will work? Regarding hardcoded stuff and all..

Well I won't say it works perfectly, I was experimenting with changing two of the roman faction names to try and get the senate to not give titles to non-roman factions, but this doesn't appear to have to worked and in fact caused a new CTD when clicking on the senate floor tab. Aside from that the change worked fine, once I'd manually renamed the icons and changed campaign_description.txt and exort_buildings.txt.

[Pat89]

You can completely remove the senate tab. I think it has been done already in TIC.

If I'm not mistaken there is a reference to the tab in the "Data\menu\Rome.LNT" file which then would need to be removed (don't shoot me if I'm wrong ).

Perhaps you could try it with simply using the TIC Rome.LNT?

[Squid]

Removing the senate tab is easy, just completely remove (or rename) the romans_senate faction, but the faction has been kept and I was just trying to get it so they didn't put people from the old romans_julii, romans_scipii into the offices.