Modding Questions and Help Thread

[Sigur Rós]

My Legolas died in a battle against Mordor orcs, what about now? Will I get another Legolas later in the game or it's gone? Elves generals are immortal (unless they're killed in battles) like in LOTR? As in, they live longer than a human/orc general? I have Thranduil as faction leader since the beginning of my campain, I'm at 70th turn now, so I guess the answer is yes?

[Withwnar]

No more Legolas and Elves don't live longer than anybody else.

By the way, this is a "Questions and Help about Modding" thread, not a "Help Thread and Modding Questions" one. The title is ambiguous. There's another thread somewhere for general questions.

[Ngugi]

No more Legolas and Elves don't live longer than anybody else.

As Withwnar says. A dead general stays dead, unless you have a submod that allows certain characters to "respawn", which is simply for the fun of it (Nazgul being an arguable exception, due to lore).
The age matter is due to engine limitation. Life span of all factions is the same, not optional. Characters start to die around 120 years old.

By the way, this is a "Questions and Help about Modding" thread, not a "Help Thread and Modding Questions" one. The title is ambiguous. There's another thread somewhere for general questions.

Correct, this thread is for peole who mod or intend to mod; this is the right thread: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...-Answer-Thread

[bushmonster951]

Does anyone know how to remove the haze effect in Minas Morgul battle map?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Heiliq]

Bit of a modding question but i'm using GIMP 2.6 to edit the custom portraits of my Umbarim generals. I successfully replaced them with transparent backgrounds, but when I enter the game the backgrounds of all but one of the portraits are pitch black. Just wondering if there's a file that I need to edit so that the portraits retain their original backgrounds, or if I made a mistake somewhere when editing the pictures? Thanks in advance!

[alreadyded]

Bit of a modding question but i'm using GIMP 2.6 to edit the custom portraits of my Umbarim generals. I successfully replaced them with transparent backgrounds, but when I enter the game the backgrounds of all but one of the portraits are pitch black. Just wondering if there's a file that I need to edit so that the portraits retain their original backgrounds, or if I made a mistake somewhere when editing the pictures? Thanks in advance!

Make sure they still have their 'Alpha Channel' which gives the invisible background. Do not flatten the images, that removes the alpha channel and makes it black.

[b.jones85]

Help!! Im more than likely not in the right forum, but i need help with the RealBadAI install, its doing my head in!!! ive tried installing it into various different folders and tried different ways of trying to get it to work etc but still no success, and yes i have followed all the instructions, but obviously not correctly!! I am using the Steam version of Medieval Total War 2 Kingdoms. Would really appreciate if some could walk me through it or give me some easy to follow instructions??? PLEASE!! im really keen to try the mod out and also fix my Stainless Steel crashes!!

[Ngugi]

Hello b.jones85,

this is a thread for Third Age, not Stainless Steel; that thread is this: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...8#post15089958
but suggest you check the thread for SS in RBAI's own forum first, if there's any heads up: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...tainless-Steel

[Ngugi]

Hey Ngugi I love your work for DCI and various other things and I was wondering if you could help with something. I know your very skilled modder so I was wondering if you could me with this model as I am trying to replace some of the Dale units in DAC with this model based from the movies.
Im very much a noob at modding so this may sound stupid but could you help me add joints to this model and make sure it doesnt appear huge in-game as this was happening to me?
Also, do you know how I could consolidate these three texture files at the bottom into one so the unit could be put into DAC with its textures, and how would I make sure the unit uses the new textures without taking the old texture off from other units using it? Thanks

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Byh...ew?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Byh...ew?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Byh...ew?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Byh...ew?usp=sharing

Hello Lord of The Woodland Realm, thank you.
However, I am not a modeller at all (ask my team mates if they would dare to let me make the models and I fear they say no, hehe), so if the model is not actually completed, check the Mod Workshop for tutorials (see the OP of this thread).


If it is completed already, to be able to implement a unit from one mod to another you'll need three things:

* the .mesh-file(s),
* the .texture-file(s) [those are what I see you show in the links]
* and the battle_models.modeldb (or at least the model entry from the battle_models.modeldb)

Preferably you should also get the sprite-files, but that can be worked around.

You need to copy paste the unit entry from the source battle_models.modeldb into DaC's battle_models.modeldb (use Notepad++, it's a freeware).
The modeldb-entry will tell you where to place the other files.
Make sure the faction entries match the faction you intend to use the model for (Dale = scotland, as a note). The number at the beginning of each row is the amount of symbols that follow. So for scotland you would have to have it "8 scotland".

Example on an entry, from another mod (the top line is the model name, btw):

11 haradeguard 
1 1 
46 unit_models/_units/harad/haradeguard_lod0.mesh 6400 
2 
6 venice 
52 unit_models/_units/harad/textures/umbarguard.texture 
57 unit_models/_units/harad/textures/umbarguard_norm.texture 
41 unit_sprites/spain_haradeguard_sprite.spr 
5 spain 
52 unit_models/_units/harad/textures/umbarguard.texture 
57 unit_models/_units/harad/textures/umbarguard_norm.texture 
41 unit_sprites/spain_haradeguard_sprite.spr 
2 
6 venice 
57 unit_models/_units/harad/textures/umbarguard_diff.texture 
62 unit_models/_units/harad/textures/umbarguard_diff_norm.texture 0 
5 spain 
57 unit_models/_units/harad/textures/umbarguard_diff.texture 
62 unit_models/_units/harad/textures/umbarguard_diff_norm.texture 0 
1 
4 None 
14 MTW2_Swordsman 0 
2 
18 MTW2_Sword_Primary 
14 fs_test_shield 0 
16 -0.090000004 0 0 -0.34999999 0.80000001 0.60000002

Increase the number on the serialization-line (at the very top of the .modeldb) with responding amounts of models you pasted in.
If you add one model, make it +1.
If you also added an upgrade-version, make it +2 etc.
Example if adding one model), from:

22 serialization::archive 3 0 0 0 0 1481 0 0

to:

22 serialization::archive 3 0 0 0 0 1482 0 0

Then go to export_descr_unit.txt and find the unit you intended to edit (use Notepad++).
As per the example, replace the model(s) in the armour_ug_models-entry with your new model:

armour_ug_models haradeguard, haradeguard

With that done, it should be ready to play.

This is a tutorial on the same matter that perhaps describes it better: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...om-another-mod

[bushmonster951]

Is it possible to change the conditions in battle so the victory is heroic, clear, ... For example, is it possible to make every victory a heroic one?

[♔atthias♔]

Is it possible to change the conditions in battle so the victory is heroic, clear, ... For example, is it possible to make every victory a heroic one?

AFAIK no

[Ngugi]

Never heard anything about that (never ever even heard someone wanting to though, to be honest hehe)

[aetiusaetius]

I'm desperate, can anybody tell me how the **** can I make two river crossings in MOS map, in dunlands river? Thankyou in advanced, I tried many times but still nothing

[delPHius]

Hello. Regarding the "Overviews" menu accessed from a factions Shield, and specifically with regard to the "Diplomacy" sub-menu, does anyone know where the file is that controls latter said menu's diplomatic relations pop-up displays that are displayed with each corresponding national shield listing your faction's relations, including trade, alliance, war etc?

[delPHius]

... of course I meant to point out that my question pertains to M2TW

[Withwnar]

If you mean the text that is in them then try data\text\strat.txt and data\text\diplomacy.txt.

[Mhaedros]

I'm desperate, can anybody tell me how the **** can I make two river crossings in MOS map, in dunlands river? Thankyou in advanced, I tried many times but still nothing

If you haven't got Photoshop or an equivalent, download a program called GIMP. Then go to your main medieval 2 folder/mods/Third_Age_3/data/world/maps/base and find a file called map_features.tga. Copy it and save an unedited version in case something goes wrong, and then open the original in GIMP.

Here you'll see a mostly black version of the games map, with some blue lines running through it and some wehite and teal around the blues. The blues are rivers, the whites are where the rivers start and the teals are crossings. To make your own crossing in a river in Dunland, just set the brush type to a pencil with a 1 pixel (the smallest) size, and change the colour to teal with the RGB values 0, 255, 255. Add your crossing on the river of your choosing (so that two blue pixels are next to it, you can't if the next pixel over is diagonal to your new crossing) and then save and close the program.

Before you launch the game you must delete map.rwm from the "base" folder, then you can open the game and hopefully everything will be fine. And if you're interested in mapping, have a look at this

[delPHius]

If you mean the text that is in them then try data\text\strat.txt and data\text\diplomacy.txt.

no, actually I was referring to the drop-down/pop-up information that appears when you place your cursor over your own or another faction's shield. somehow, that information display itself is there, but it's missing the information past faction name, with no mention of good, reasonable, so-so, terrible relations, etc. and no mention of trade with trading nations, allies, enemies etc. also, in M2TW vanilla, there's no text-file. Thank you

[delPHius]

... (afterthought) I suppose said anomaly could b due to presence of a malformed file in referenced text file .txt files?

[Withwnar]

For M2TW you will need to unpack the files. See the Workshop.

It's normal for only faction name to be shown when hovering over the small faction icons. If the full details aren't displayed for the large icons then something's wrong but I don't know what.