Empire Mac Mod Guide

[SWB]

Sorry image did not work

[The_Athenian]

Hey SWB,

Couple questions which Darthmod version are you using?

Is this Darthmod for Napoleon?

I got very close awhile back with Darthmod for Empire. One of the issues I had with it was that unit cards were coming up as just white (which I now know usually means there is a conflict somewhere), and really funky graphics errors where units were really dark, or artillery fire moving through the air looked like big fiery cubes. I tried again recently and couldn't even get the darn thing to launch. But that was the closest I ever got.

Getting a list of what .packs to use for Darthmod
We need an accurate list of what .packs to manually install to get the desired effect. I came close once, I found that in the download there was a text file, I think maybe labeled "script" or "script preferences", or it could have been in a "read me", it just listed the mod "blah blah blah.pack" information for putting in the scripts_preferences file. I found all the physical .packs it listed and tried loading just those, but again, crash.

What we really need is for someone to run it on windows, and tell us what .packs load, when they use the launcher for a standard set-up. I will PM Darth right now and see if he can give us that list.

[SWB]

Hi Athenian, I used the Darthmod in NTW, I found a list of the packs to use
on the Total War Forum. I got it all to work (I think).
I will look this evening and post them, as I am at work today.

[SWB]

Hi Athenian,
it was from this site at http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...talling-on-OSX
from:FierceBadRabbit post

DarthMod_Napoleon_v2.65_Epic_Edition

I put all packs in the data folder, and placed this in Advanced Launcher settings
mod "DMN_Alb23Modified_Deployment_Zones.pack"; mod "DMN_aum_nap_mod.pack"; mod "DMN_Brigadiers_Drum_roll_cadence_v5.pack"; mod "DMN_Darth_Effects_Napoleon.pack"; mod "DMN_DarthMod_Napoleon.pack"; campaign_unit_multiplier 2; mod "DMN_Diamat_Saxon_Units.pack"; mod "DMN_JustDOit_It_Fr_mod.pack"; mod "DMN_maum_nap_lme.pack"; mod "DMN_maum.pack"; mod "DMN_MOD_BATAVIAN.pack"; mod "DMN_MOD_BAVARIAN.pack"; mod "DMN_MOD_DENMARK.pack"; mod "DMN_Mod_NTFlags.pack"; mod "DMN_MOD_OTTOMANS.pack"; mod "DMN_MOD_PORTUGAL.pack"; mod "DMN_MOD_SPAIN.pack"; mod "DMN_PDGuru_All_Units.pack"; mod "DMN_Projectiles_Trails_ON.pack"; mod "DMN_TEST.pack"; mod "DMN_UltimateSoundMod_V3.pack"; mod "DMN_UPC_napoleon_v3_3.pack"; mod "DMNC_Coalition.pack";

with Hyphenation this time

then as KeinPferd told me, I created a user.script.txt and placed this in:
mod "DMN_Alb23Modified_Deployment_Zones.pack";
mod "DMN_aum_nap_mod.pack";
mod "DMN_Brigadiers_Drum_roll_cadence_v5.pack";
mod "DMN_Darth_Effects_Napoleon.pack";
mod "DMN_DarthMod_Napoleon.pack"; campaign_unit_multiplier 2;
mod "DMN_Diamat_Saxon_Units.pack";
mod "DMN_JustDOit_It_Fr_mod.pack";
mod "DMN_maum_nap_lme.pack";
mod "DMN_maum.pack";
mod "DMN_MOD_BATAVIAN.pack";
mod "DMN_MOD_BAVARIAN.pack";
mod "DMN_MOD_DENMARK.pack";
mod "DMN_Mod_NTFlags.pack";
mod "DMN_MOD_OTTOMANS.pack";
mod "DMN_MOD_PORTUGAL.pack";
mod "DMN_MOD_SPAIN.pack";
mod "DMN_PDGuru_All_Units.pack";
mod "DMN_Projectiles_Trails_ON.pack";
mod "DMN_TEST.pack";
mod "DMN_UltimateSoundMod_V3.pack";
mod "DMN_UPC_napoleon_v3_3.pack";
mod "DMNC_Coalition.pack";

[SWB]

Sorry to keep posting but I used:
DarthMod_Napoleon_v2.65_Epic_Edition

[cath517cart]

I downloaded TROM and have added the .pack files to the data folder and the startpos files to the campaign->main folder. As far as I can tell, the mod mostly works, there is new loading screens, graphics, and units when i set up a battle, but the Grand campaign does not work. I get the same black setup screen that was pictured earlier in the thread on page 8. Every flag is the default French flag, all three maps are white, there is no writing and I am unable to move off Great Britain. When i attempt to start a campaign, the game crashes. I have attempted this with both the startpos files you included in the download link (2typ and 6typ) and neither worked. I have also added the scripting.lua file that is in the download, to no avail. I even saw you calling it a "startpos.lua" instead of "scripting.lua" (which is how it comes in the folder) and renamed the file and it still does not work. I have also redownloaded the startpos files folder and retired everything i had mentioned previously and still the problem remains. Does anyone have any insight on how I can fix this?

[Hengest]

I have no idea where to install the mod packs, or how to list them in the advanced options. I follow the OP directions but it just CTDs or doesn't start or has no effect. Do I write mod and then the name of the file in inverted commas, or the name of the mod folder and no inverted commas? Do I make a new folder called ´data´and a subfolder called ´data´ and put the DLed packs in that...? I'm clueless

Generally I'd be happy if I can fix the major 'broken' bit of the game- a way to stop the non-colonial nations taking over the world, can't I just remove Mughal and Maratha ship recruitment?

[Keinpferd]

@Hengest: Press and hold the cmd button while double clicking the ETW application icon, as you would normally do to launch the game. That gives you the advanced options panel. When you got that, go back to The Athenian's instructions, and I'm sure they will make more sense to you. Look for the location of the .pack files in the unmodded game "data" folder to have a feeling for where the .pack files of any mod need to go.

I think, most of the mods, that The Athenian tested and recommended, remove the "Maratha craziness", at least all mods I've seen so far, so the fuss with semicolons and install instructions is rewarding in the end, turns ETW from f up and unplayable into maybe the best of all TW games.

[Hengest]

Thanks Keinpferd, I have got as far as the advanced options but I don't understand how I should folder the mod, under Resources there is no data folder so I assume I have to make one, I did this and several variants of it just in case but I get an instant CTD
This is how my escapade looks
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2iubukcdl5...41.09.png?dl=0

[SWB]

High Hengst, your Contents/Resources folder does not look right to me, there should be much more in there than what I see from your drobbox image.
I only have NTW on my Mac, but when I right click on NTW from the application folder and select show package contents,
I see more files than what you are seeing.

Also don't forget to add a user.script.txt with all your mods to the scripts folder in the Preferences Folder, go to About from the Launcher Window.

Sorry if I am wrong or going over old ground, I'm sure Keinpferd or someone else will put it right.

Regards

SWB

[Keinpferd]

I pass that one to The Athenian.

But the dropbox screenshot shows one thing: that the .pack files are in …Resources/Data, not in …Resources/Data/data, as they should. Also, the mod_Fix_Maratha.pack looks misplaced there. If the other files are Empire Realism, I'd say, you don't need another mod to deal with the Maratha thing, since that mod addresses it on its own. I would try to keep it simple and only use one mod at a time or only combinations of mods, when it's confirmed that they work with each other.

[The_Athenian]

Hengest,
Yeah, SWB & Keinpferd nailed it, that is the issue. You had your .packs in the Data folder, they need to be in the lower case data folder. You will know it is the correct folder because there will be other "vanilla" .packs in there as well.

Everything looks like it is listed correctly in the Advanced options. So you should be all set. Assuming you got the startpos file, and placed it in the correct folder. But lets just get Empire up and running before we start worrying about that.



cath517cart

I downloaded TROM and have added the .pack files to the data folder and the startpos files to the campaign->main folder. As far as I can tell, the mod mostly works, there is new loading screens, graphics, and units when i set up a battle, but the Grand campaign does not work. I get the same black setup screen that was pictured earlier in the thread on page 8. Every flag is the default French flag, all three maps are white, there is no writing and I am unable to move off Great Britain. When i attempt to start a campaign, the game crashes. I have attempted this with both the startpos files you included in the download link (2typ and 6typ) and neither worked. I have also added the scripting.lua file that is in the download, to no avail. I even saw you calling it a "startpos.lua" instead of "scripting.lua" (which is how it comes in the folder) and renamed the file and it still does not work. I have also redownloaded the startpos files folder and retired everything i had mentioned previously and still the problem remains. Does anyone have any insight on how I can fix this?

Your issues are a little more of a concern to me. First you are correct, the file is called scripting.lua not startpos.lua. I always write startpos, I should probably fix that in my previous posts. So no need for you to re-label it.



Now the reason your issue concerns me, is that my computer recently crashed. I re-installed Empire, this time on an external hard drive, (hopefully I don't lose everything again). But every mod I load I get the same damn thing, all blank, french flag for every faction, and cannot move past the British.

My temp work around for this was to remove all my mod files and run Vanilla Empire. I started about 4 campaigns with Factions I may want to play as, every time the campaign starts I immediately save. When you run empire with the mod you want you can just load up one of those previously saved games. There are a lot of flaws to this, vanilla units all over the map, and it can be pretty crash-ey. But I managed to get a game going on Imperial Destroyer and that's what really counts.



Now I went over every possible reason for why this is happening and I cannot figure it out. Usually it is an issue with scripting or with the startpos files. But I had it happen with TROM, Imperial Destroyer & Imperial Splendour. It's gotta be something really obvious that I am missing.

I tried re-installing the game, but no with no change. I may just give it a try again for the hell of it. The only thing I am doing differently is running Empire off of a hard drive instead of from the Applications folder, but I don't see how that could be causing this. I will keep at it. Let me know if you have any luck on your end. (The third possibility is that the startpos files are corrupt. But unlikely that that would happen across multiple mods).

[Hengest]

Thanks for the support guys, but I just get CTD again.

I admit that the thought crossed my mind why the ETW folders were so bare, but my process is this: I search for ETW app in applications on the system drive and find it in the list with all my other apps, right click on contents and then I've had to make new folders called "data", I put the packs in there and I've added the user txt file, and I removed the maratha fix. So I just don't understand, could it be that the Empire Realism 4.5 doesn't work with mac? I see now that the one in the OP is version 4.4?

[Hengest]

ps I even tried the TROM links and that didn't work either

[The_Athenian]

Hey Hengest,

I'm a little confused, but we should be able to sort this out. Every problem can be solved with enough thought.

Thanks for the support guys, but I just get CTD again.

I admit that the thought crossed my mind why the ETW folders were so bare, but my process is this: I search for ETW app in applications on the system drive and find it in the list with all my other apps, right click on contents and then I've had to make new folders called "data", I put the packs in there and I've added the user txt file, and I removed the maratha fix. So I just don't understand, could it be that the Empire Realism 4.5 doesn't work with mac? I see now that the one in the OP is version 4.4?

Why are you making new folders called data?

There is already a data folder in the empire total war app. It contains all the vanilla .packs, you should place your modded .packs in the data folder, side by side with the vanilla .packs.


Here is the file path:

contents -> resources -> Data -> data

Creating your own data folder will not work. The app won't know which data folder to run, and it will just crash.


Steps you need to take:
So step 1 for you is CLEAN UP yourData folder. This is the capital "D" Data folder. It should not have multiple data folders, it should not have ER folders, it should not have any icons or packs. Below is a screen grab of my Resources folder (These files & folders should all be present after a standard installation):




Image Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/3ox5xtnti1...older.png?dl=0

Now your Resources folder does not look like this. It may be because you downloaded from a different service than I did. Mine is an Amazon Digital Download. Is yours from the App store, gamers gate, or Steam? That could explain you having a different looking resources folder, maybe. However, I would suggest erasing the current instal and reinstalling, just to make sure you have the correct files and folders in place.

Step 2

Check your big "D" Data folder. It should contain only three folders:
"data"
"fx_cache"
"languages"

Step 3

Open the small "d" data folder.
Below is a screen grab of my data folder with some modded .packs in it. (Notice how I highlighted the mod .packs, that is so I can easily remove them later)


Image Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/z1sxj44ysa...older.png?dl=0


Step 4

In the above image of my data folder you can see a folder called "campaigns"

Open this folder, inside is another folder called "main". Put your startpos.esf and scripting.lua in this folder.
(Also, when you update to Empire 1.1.1 sometimes a new folder is created in your Resources folder, call "override_data", you will find another "campaigns" folder in here, it will also contain a "main" folder. If you find this, put your modded .esf and .lua files in here. They will override the files in your data folder, hence the name of the folder.)

Step 5

Let me know if it works.

[SWB]

Hi Athenian, if downloaded from the App Store it should exactly look like your dropbox image.
Could it be that Hengest files in the Resources Folder are hidden?

[Hengest]

i had to make "data" folders because there was nothing in "Resources", so SWB might be onto something

[SWB]

Hi Hengest, where did you download ETW from?

Something is definitely wrong if you have nothing in your Resources Folder.
I can only think that that you should uninstall ETW and reinstall it.
I know this sounds stupid but could you play the vanilla ETW?

[Hengest]

Steam, yeah I can play it fine. I know, it seems strange. All I have is "shortcut.icns" -does that shine any light on it?

[SWB]

Hengest, I found this on another thread by MorganH:

Mods need to be installed in a Steam folder called: Drive\steam\steamapps\common\empire total war\data or other folders somewhere from within that string.

Also youll need to be able to access the Creative Assembly folder when you install Mods but note that the Creative Assembly folder is often hidden, which means that you have to enable hidden folders through the Windows Control Panel when you perform your ''search''.


I know it says enable hidden folders through the Windows Control Panel

On a Mac you enable hidden folders by clicking on your Home User directory, then in the Finder Window click View, click Show View Options
and down the bottom you will see Show Library Folder tick the box.
Now your User Library Folder will be seen when you double click your HD and double click on your Home User directory.

I hope this has helped