Sebidee's Complete Guide to Unit Creation

[AnuErebus]

Yeah, I think I'll have to attempt rebuilding the thing from the ground up. Hopefully I'll find the problem along the way. Seems really odd though, I can't for the life of me find a mistake. I might try giving them some basic unit's skin initially to see if that appears in game.

[JNC]

Thanks so much for this tutorial. I've used it pretty successfully to make a custom heavy horse archer but there are a few little details I can't figure out.

1: How do I make/use a custom uniform colour? It always defaults to whatever the factions colours are and I'd like to have it hard set to my own definition.

2:How do you change missile damage, missile range, weapon damage and armour piercing? There's no obvious value to change. I suspect it's governed by primary and secondary weapon type?

Every else works fine and I can probably just play around to figure it out but if someone can save me a little time that would be appreciated!

[JNC]

Thanks so much for this tutorial. I've used it pretty successfully to make a custom heavy horse archer but there are a few little details I can't figure out.

1: How do I make/use a custom uniform colour? It always defaults to whatever the factions colours are and I'd like to have it hard set to my own definition. EDIT: I'd settle for modding an entire factions colours - seems like it would be easier. For example in this I want to make it all black for Parthia.

2:How do you change missile damage, missile range, weapon damage and armour piercing? There's no obvious value to change. I suspect it's governed by primary and secondary weapon type? EDIT: This is how it's governed. To change it you'd have to edit or add a new weapon type definition in whatever table has them.

Every else works fine and I can probably just play around to figure it out but if someone can save me a little time that would be appreciated!

[Sebidee]

Thanks so much for this tutorial. I've used it pretty successfully to make a custom heavy horse archer but there are a few little details I can't figure out.

1: How do I make/use a custom uniform colour? It always defaults to whatever the factions colours are and I'd like to have it hard set to my own definition.

2:How do you change missile damage, missile range, weapon damage and armour piercing? There's no obvious value to change. I suspect it's governed by primary and secondary weapon type?

Every else works fine and I can probably just play around to figure it out but if someone can save me a little time that would be appreciated!

You change uniform colours by using unit_variants_colours_tables. Simply put in the name of your unit and the numerical colour values. You change weapon stuff using melee_weapons_tables and projectiles_tables

All of that is in my other tutorial on Advanced Unit Creation.

[Ronni1001]

Hey sebidee where i can downoload your template?

[Sebidee]

Hey sebidee where i can downoload your template?

It's on the workshop, but if you want a non-steam link then here it is - https://www.sendspace.com/file/alu060

[Cody38]

"main_units_tables
Because of an update to PFM the first table you will have to edit is main_units_tables.

This is a very very very very very important table which I will do in much more detail later. It basically contains all of the campaign stats of your units.

Now to get your unit into the game you need to change only 3 columns. "unit" and "land_unit" are replaced with your unit's name. "unique_index" is more important. This number needs to be utterly unique, not only in the mod or in the game but unique to any other mod that might have been made. I have a system, I put in my birthday 130793 and the number of the unit. "

Okay, so I was fine up until this point, and then I ran into an issue. In main_units_tables > (custom_unit_name)_main_units, there are 3 columns to change as you said. land_unit is a dropdown menu, and my unit doesn't show up on that dropdown menu. Trying to paste my unit's name onto the column doesn't work either, and it sais it is not a valid value because there is no matching value in column "key" of land_units_tables.

I can however see "Template" as an option for the land_unit, but unless I want my unit to be named "template" that won't work. A few other people had this issue to. Please help?

[Sebidee]

"main_units_tables
Because of an update to PFM the first table you will have to edit is main_units_tables.

This is a very very very very very important table which I will do in much more detail later. It basically contains all of the campaign stats of your units.

Now to get your unit into the game you need to change only 3 columns. "unit" and "land_unit" are replaced with your unit's name. "unique_index" is more important. This number needs to be utterly unique, not only in the mod or in the game but unique to any other mod that might have been made. I have a system, I put in my birthday 130793 and the number of the unit. "

Okay, so I was fine up until this point, and then I ran into an issue. In main_units_tables > (custom_unit_name)_main_units, there are 3 columns to change as you said. land_unit is a dropdown menu, and my unit doesn't show up on that dropdown menu. Trying to paste my unit's name onto the column doesn't work either, and it sais it is not a valid value because there is no matching value in column "key" of land_units_tables.

I can however see "Template" as an option for the land_unit, but unless I want my unit to be named "template" that won't work. A few other people had this issue to. Please help?

You've got to uncheck combo boxes.

[TheWolfKing]

When I right click to add my unit to VarientMeshDefinitions it just places it into VarientMesh

[LuckyOreo]

Hi Sebidee, I would like to say this is great tutorial and very easy to understand and I thank you for that.

The problem I am having is with the main_units_tables. I replace Template with Athen_Heroics_Hop just fine for the Unit column but when I try to do the same for the Land_Unit column it comes with with this message Error:'Athen_Heroics_Hop' is not a valid value for 'land_unit'. no matching value in column:'Key' of 'land_units_tables' tables found.

I looked through the comments for this tutorial and someone had a similar problem and I believe you told them to try loading a different mod besides zzmodding_template.pack. I tried loading a different mod and them making my changed to it, after saving it as my own mod first, but I ran into the same error in the same spot.

I also tried placing Athen_Heroics_Hop in the Key column of the land_units_tables and then reinserting Athen_Heroics_Hop back into the main_units_tables in the land_unit column but the same error came up again. Is there somewhere in a previous step that I may have messed up?

[Sebidee]

You need to uncheck 'use combo boxes' it's on that toolbar where 'add row' is.

[King Beowulf]

Hey Sebidee, when I try to edit some of the DB tables to edit the "Template" into the name of my unit it is simply a drop down menu and I don't have an option anywhere to manually type or paste it in. Could you help me please? Ta!

Edit: Never mind, I've just seen you answer the exact same question just before me :-)

[Sebidee]

Great! My head was going to explode if I had to say COMBO BOXES again

[Rendhammer]

Awesome tutorial, helped me actually get units in the game this time that had custom stats!

But nothing is ever perfect is it? I, like others, am having issues with getting the unit to have any skin at all. They are completely invisible except for the officer. They also have the "no unit card" issue as well. This is odd to me, because I didn't add ANY custom art. I simply used Royal Spartan meshes and unit cards for them. Yet I still cannot get either to work.

Any ideas?

[Rendhammer]

I must be losing my mind, I can't find an "Edit post" button anywhere on this page.

Anyway, I also can't seem to change the number of men my unit has. It seems capped at 90, when I have it set at 160 in PFM.

[Sebidee]

I must be losing my mind, I can't find an "Edit post" button anywhere on this page.

Anyway, I also can't seem to change the number of men my unit has. It seems capped at 90, when I have it set at 160 in PFM.

You need a minimum number of posts on this forum to edit. Can't remember what it is. i think it's 25.

For the unit cards, are you sure you've got it spelled exaclty like the Spartan card is in game.

For unit sizes. Remember that it scales for your unit setting in game. In PFM that size is only used for large. For small, medium and ultra it changes relatively for the value you put in.

[Rendhammer]

You need a minimum number of posts on this forum to edit. Can't remember what it is. i think it's 25.

For the unit cards, are you sure you've got it spelled exaclty like the Spartan card is in game.

For unit sizes. Remember that it scales for your unit setting in game. In PFM that size is only used for large. For small, medium and ultra it changes relatively for the value you put in.

I simply found the unit card in the data_rome2.pack and copied it over. That and the mask. Was that the incorrect way of doing it? I didn't want to edit any unit card myself, so I just wanted to use those.

[Sebidee]

Did you remember to assign the unit that card in unit variants tables?

[Rendhammer]

Did you remember to assign the unit that card in unit variants tables?

Yep, that was it. Done and done. Thanks.

[Furgon]

Hi, Sebidee!
I decided to give various Thureophoroi a chance and change them from just being some mediocre cannon fodder into a really useful hybrid unit on the battlefield. So what i did was changing their javelin_precursors and javelins (which for some reason do not work at all with melee units) with javelin_precursors_fire_at_will in land_unit_tables and adding just a couple more ammo and editing range in projectile table.
It worked just fine with various sword-bearing units, like Thorakitai, Libyan Heavy Inf and Iberian units, they all throw like there is no tomorrow. But strangely enough, spear units won't fire. The only result I get is one person in the front rank throwing everyone else's javs with huge intervals. I do not really believe there'd be a combat situation where the unit would be allowed to throw a thousand volleys (nor do I have so much patience). They do not throw at will, they do not throw in range mode, they refuse to do it on attack and even if changed their type to missile infantry...
I do not get the idea behind all of this. Two units just have almost identical entries except for swords and shields and one shoot all right, while the other is not.