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Thread: [SUBMOD] Recoloured KH general for Hellenistic factions

  1. #1

    Default [SUBMOD] Recoloured KH general for Hellenistic factions


    This submod will be officially included in EBII as of version 2.3!



    As Roma_Victrix suggested in a thread, having the (non-KH) Hellenistic factions use the Koinon Hellenon general model instead of the standard bearer model makes for a very nice improvement:
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    However, while I think the red colour scheme looks great for KH and Bosporous, I feel like it doesn't quite fit the visual style of the Macedonian successor factions. So I made a recoloured version with variations of purple and green:
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 




    My texturing skills are pretty basic but i think it turned out nicely! So I'll upload the the textures as a submod in case anyone wants to use them! You will have to edit the text files yourself. You can do it as decribed below or like Roma_Victrix describes further down in the linked thread and then apply step 4 below to the pasted lines.

    I don't think my method is savegame compatible, but it feels a bit less drastic than Roma_Victrix's method which entirely replaces the hellenistic general with the KH general while I change the factions that I want to use the KH general instead of the hellenistic one. It's up to you how you want to do it!

    How to use:
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    1.
    Download the attached file and unzip it into your Medieval II Total War/mods/ebii folder. Nothing will be overwritten (as long as you haven't added your own files with the same names as mine).

    2. (IMPORTANT!!)
    Make backup copies of the files ebii/data/descr_character.txt and ebii/data/unit_models/battle_models.modeldb.

    3.
    Open descr_character.txt and find the following line:
    Code:
    type            named character
    Below it, there will be an entry for named characters (FMs, generals) for each faction, looking like this:
    Code:
    faction         f_makedonia
    dictionary      2
    strat_model     ebstrat_makedonia_general
    battle_model    hellenic_general
    battle_equip    gladius, chainmail shirt helmet and rectangular shield
    For each hellenistic faction that you want to edit, change the line marked bold like this:
    Code:
    faction         f_makedonia
    dictionary      2
    strat_model     ebstrat_makedonia_general
    battle_model    KH_general
    battle_equip    gladius, chainmail shirt helmet and rectangular shield
    Save and exit.

    Now, all factions that you've edited will use the KH general for family members and generals. If you want captains (including custom battle generals) to use it too you have to do the same thing for the entries below the line type general as well.

    4.
    To choose which faction should have the recoloured textures, open battle_models.modeldb and find the line:
    Code:
    10 KH_general
    Below it, each faction has an entry for which textures to use for the KH general model, looking like this:
    Code:
    11 f_makedonia 
    42 unit_models/off/KH/textures/KH_fig.texture 
    47 unit_models/off/KH/textures/KH_fig_norm.texture 
    67 unit_sprites/f_makedonia_officer_hellenic_standardbearer_sprite.spr
    For the factions that you want to change, edit the line:
    Code:
    42 unit_models/off/KH/textures/KH_fig.texture
    to
    Code:
    43 unit_models/off/KH/textures/KH_fig2.texture
    That is, you change "42" to "43" and add "2" after "KH_fig". It is vital that you do both of these or the game will crash at startup.
    Then, go down a bit to the end of those entries to the entries looking like this:
    Code:
    11 f_makedonia 
    37 unit_models/att/KoinonGeneral.texture 
    39 unit_models/att/KoinonGeneral_n.texture
    and for each faction that you changed above, edit the line
    Code:
    37 unit_models/att/KoinonGeneral.texture
    to
    Code:
    38 unit_models/att/KoinonGeneral2.texture
    ...i.e. you change "37" to "38" and add "2" after "KoinonGeneral"

    Save and exit.

    5.

    Play!
    Attached Files Attached Files
    Last edited by Paltmull; September 26, 2017 at 10:33 AM.

  2. #2
    Cohors_Evocata's Avatar Centenarius
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    Default Re: [SUBMOD] Recoloured KH general for Hellenistic factions

    Wow, that looks awesome!
    I tend to edit my posts once or several times after writing and uploading them. Please keep this in mind when reading a recent post of mine. Also, should someone, for some unimaginable reason, wish to rep me, please add your username in the process, so I can at least know whom to be grateful towards.

    My thanks in advance.

  3. #3
    Civis
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    Default Re: [SUBMOD] Recoloured KH general for Hellenistic factions

    It works like a charm! Thank you very much Paltmull!

  4. #4
    Roma_Victrix's Avatar Call me Ishmael
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    Default Re: [SUBMOD] Recoloured KH general for Hellenistic factions

    Excellent stuff! Great job, Paltmull. Have some obligatory rep for your retexturing work, too.

  5. #5
    Campidoctor
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    Default Re: [SUBMOD] Recoloured KH general for Hellenistic factions

    This is really cool, thanks. Is there any simple way to change shields to regular Makedonian general shield?

  6. #6

    Default Re: [SUBMOD] Recoloured KH general for Hellenistic factions

    Thanks all!

    Quote Originally Posted by Dooz View Post
    This is really cool, thanks. Is there any simple way to change shields to regular Makedonian general shield?
    Well, you'll have to edit the textures, copying shields from ebii/data/unit_models/att/offstand_mak.texture to KoinonGeneral2.texture, resizing them and putting them on top of the KH general shields. You'll probably also have to tweak light, shadows, color and so on to make it look good.

    You will need a program to convert between .texture and .dds file formats and an image editing program, like Gimp (free) or Photoshop (not free). Gimp needs a plugin to manage .dds files. I don't know about Photoshop. When saving to .dds in the image editing program, you should use BC3/DXT5 compression (I think. That's what I did) and generate mipmaps.

    Some caveats:
    - The Koinon general only has two shields, while the Macedonian one has six, so you'll have to choose two.
    - The Macedonian general textures are much lower resoultion than the KH general so the shields may not look as good.
    - The normalmaps (i.e. the files ending with "_n.texture") may be different for the two. So the light on the replaced shield will look like the light on the original KH shield. Don't know if that will be noticeable though.

  7. #7

    Default Re: [SUBMOD] Recoloured KH general for Hellenistic factions

    There's a sprite generation tool on TWC that has a texture to DDS converter in it.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: [SUBMOD] Recoloured KH general for Hellenistic factions

    Thanks for that info Paltmull, and Quintus.

    Trying to figure out a save-compatible way to exchange the FM/generals for Makedonia and Pergamon with yours, but leave all the other standard bearer and captain and everything else the old way. Is this possible?

  9. #9

    Default Re: [SUBMOD] Recoloured KH general for Hellenistic factions

    Quote Originally Posted by Dooz View Post
    Thanks for that info Paltmull, and Quintus.

    Trying to figure out a save-compatible way to exchange the FM/generals for Makedonia and Pergamon with yours, but leave all the other standard bearer and captain and everything else the old way. Is this possible?
    I don't think so. Using Roma_Victrix's approach by making the hellenic_general use the KH_general's model will change general and captains for all factions using hellenic_general for those. It won't change standard bearers and unit officers though.
    Last edited by Paltmull; May 05, 2017 at 01:39 PM.

  10. #10
    z3n's Avatar State of Mind
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    Default Re: [SUBMOD] Recoloured KH general for Hellenistic factions

    That looks pretty good.
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  11. #11

    Default Re: [SUBMOD] Recoloured KH general for Hellenistic factions

    To make it save compatible, will it work if I paste the KH General part over the hellenic general part in battle_models, as Roma_Victrix did, and then simply edit this part with the 4th step of your tutorial ? Because it's the editing of descr_character that will provoke a crash on loading, not editing battle_models right ? Please correct me if I'm wrong before I wreck havok on my data folder once again

  12. #12
    Roma_Victrix's Avatar Call me Ishmael
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    Default Re: [SUBMOD] Recoloured KH general for Hellenistic factions

    If you edit the battle_models folder, so long as you're not making any mistakes, it will play just fine. Can't say the same for descr_character, though. That would make it crash if you try to load an older campaign instead of a brand new one.

  13. #13

    Default Re: [SUBMOD] Recoloured KH general for Hellenistic factions

    Quote Originally Posted by Roma_Victrix View Post
    If you edit the battle_models folder, so long as you're not making any mistakes, it will play just fine. Can't say the same for descr_character, though. That would make it crash if you try to load an older campaign instead of a brand new one.
    Yeah that's what I thought. I ended up doing as you did, and simply edit the successor factions lines in battle_models for the recouloured version, works just fine without having to edit descr_character and restart a campaign.
    Thanks !

  14. #14
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    Default Re: [SUBMOD] Recoloured KH general for Hellenistic factions

    Yay! Thanks, Sayn. Worked nicely for me too.

  15. #15
    Roma_Victrix's Avatar Call me Ishmael
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    Default Re: [SUBMOD] Recoloured KH general for Hellenistic factions

    Quote Originally Posted by Sayn1911 View Post
    Yeah that's what I thought. I ended up doing as you did, and simply edit the successor factions lines in battle_models for the recouloured version, works just fine without having to edit descr_character and restart a campaign.
    Thanks !
    No problem.

  16. #16
    Roma_Victrix's Avatar Call me Ishmael
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    Default Re: [SUBMOD] Recoloured KH general for Hellenistic factions

    Bump!!!

    I'm glad that I inspired you to create this submod, Paltmull, because EB II has decided to implement your work into the official release. For anyone who didn't see their Twitter message from last August:

    https://twitter.com/EBTeam/status/902311064561491968

  17. #17

    Default Re: [SUBMOD] Recoloured KH general for Hellenistic factions

    It also prompted me to find genuine captain models for every faction, for 2.3. Though you can't see them unless you've altered your descr_character.txt.

  18. #18
    Roma_Victrix's Avatar Call me Ishmael
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    Default Re: [SUBMOD] Recoloured KH general for Hellenistic factions

    Quote Originally Posted by QuintusSertorius View Post
    It also prompted me to find genuine captain models for every faction, for 2.3. Though you can't see them unless you've altered your descr_character.txt.
    Excellent! I'll have to do that.

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