BI formations in RTW?

[ahmed5]

How do i add BI formations in RTW? I know Borsooks mod lets you do it. i installed it into a dummy folder but i cant seem to find the file that does it, just adding "shield_wall" and stuff doesnt work.

Thanks

[makanyane]

Don't know if it is possible to do under rtw.exe (not familiar with Borsooks mod), we've done it by using -mod:my_mod
on bi.exe shortcut which then refers to rtw data for units etc. Sorry can't remember which files you need to put into my_mod folder to get basics working but i think instructions are around on forums.

To then get the BI specific bits working you need the
options bi line in your descr_strat file and you need to use the BI versions of at least battle3.rsd file in my_mod\data\ui and battlepage_03.tga in my_mod\data\ui\culture\interface,

There might be more than that we've done quite wholesale conversion so can't track down specifics. You could try changing these in rtw/data and see if that works.

If Borsooks mod works on similar principle to -mod:my_mod it might be that redirecting it to a 'dummy folder' has meant that shortcut is not refering to the right folder?!

[ahmed5]

I cant seem to find a good thread explaining this my_mod thing. So do i basically make a my_mod folder with a bunch of files in it from BI, then add the -mod:my_mod command in the rtw shortcut and it will link to the data? i'm confused.

[ahmed5]

I tried making spear warband to be the same as the unit in BI but i couldn't get the schiltrom ability. I made a mod folder in activision/rometotalwar and added the two files you mentioned above in the ui folder, but didn't understand what you meant by "options bi line" and couldn't find the instructions for the other required files. Please help.

[makanyane]

Pretty please, if any one else knows if you can add BI attributes under RTW.exe please answer as that would be quicker way of doing it. Otherwise.....

I cant seem to find a good thread explaining this my_mod thing. So do i basically make a my_mod folder with a bunch of files in it from BI, then add the -mod:my_mod command in the rtw shortcut and it will link to the data? i'm confused.

To get the base my_mod set up. i.e. to run RTW Imperial Campaign under BI.exe.

Add -mod:my_mod after the quotes at the end of a BI.exe desktop shortcut target line ie.
"L:\Program Files\Activision\Rome - Total War\RomeTW-BI.exe" -mod:my_mod
run this shortcut, select, provincial campaign, imperial campaign and it will generate you my_mod folders including preferences and saves folders.

Then create the following sub folders
rome-total war\my_mod\data\text
rome-total war\my_mod\data\world\maps\campaign\my_mod

copy 'imperial_campaign_regions_and_settlement_names.txt'
from rome-total war\data\text
into rome-total war\my_mod\data\text
and rename it 'my_mod_regions_and_settlement_names.txt'

copy the entire contents from rome-total war\data\world\maps\base
into: rome-total war\my_mod\data\world\maps\campaign\my_mod
(at this stage probably safest to delete map.rwm, it will regenerate when re-run)
copy the entire contents from rome-total war\data\world\maps\campaign\imperial_campaign
into: rome-total war\my_mod\data\world\maps\campaign\my_mod

Now when you launch from your modified shortcut, select, provincial campaign, my_mod and you should be playing the RTW imperial campaign under bi.exe (test this worked before trying editing!)

didn't understand what you meant by "options bi line"

open the descr_strat in the my_mod folder change the start to read:
campaign my_mod
options bi

playable
romans_julii etc..

Now 99% of the files you want to change you just copy down from the rtw/data folder into the same relative positions under your my-mod data folder (I think there are a couple that don't work but the basics, descr-units etc work fine so you can add the shield_wall criteria in descr_units at the my_mod level. Instructions I gave earlier are for getting the BI files you need to give you the BI specific icons, for the shield wall etc.

If you need the swimming, beserk or hording functions to work with appropriate icons that's a bit more complicated as you need the bi versions of the strat_page and shared_page tga's and .rsd's, the tga's then have to have the faction icons over-written to get back to the rtw ones.

EDIT: I've only tried this on rtw patched to 1.5 so that could also be issue.

[ahmed5]

thanks a lot for that info

[Mored]

You can't change the formations in RTW if you don't have BI. Because the formations are hardcoded in the .exe-file

[ahmed5]

I do have BI. Also, what i realised is that Borsooks mod doesn't use the -mod command, it uses a converter that does some workaround with the hardcodes.

[zezim]

I already did this but, when i try to play in custom battles the game take me back to the menu. What can i do to solve this?