Mod Switch for Dummies

[severdhope]

The best thread I have seen for the Mod switch, and indeed the one I used to create it is here. I encourage you to visit it. If you are still having trouble with the modswitch, then this thread is for you!

I noticed a large number of people having trouble with the modswitch so I decided to post it here.

I have uploaded v1.05
changes
-added menus and loading screens
-no longer have to copy the whole data folder
-added readme
v1.0
-added .bat and .cfg files and mod folder
-enabled battle editor

After downloading the file you must:
1. Unzip in your M2TW folder.
2. copy your fmv folder from data to mymod\data to enable assassin videos
2. Make sure you make a shortcut of MyMod.bat and put that on your desktop.

**With version 1.05 you no longer need to copy the whole data folder, only fmvs and modified files.
That should be all.


Battle Editor is enabled in this version of the .cfg, it is not supported by Sega or CA.

Leave any questions/concerns and I will address them. or even just +rep

download v1.05 here:
ModSwitchEasy1.05


This is my first public file, so please leave me your thoughts and criticism. Let me know what you think!

This thread has been merged with Horsearcher's in-depth FAQ on mod switch troubleshooting. Check out post 25, it should answer a lot of questions. Thanks HA!

[Hadrian]

Thanks man. There are alot of us software challenged oldgamers out here...

[TenkiSoratoti]

There isn't a file out that changes the size of unit banners is there? There is no way, other than to extract everything, to change the size of the overly large blobbing banners?

[severdhope]

You can extract just texture files with the unpacker. run it from the command prompt with the line

unpacker --source=..\packs\*.pack --destination=c:\packs\ --filter=*.texture

this will unpack only the texture files to the c:\packs folder. You can then convert these to .dds and edit them with a neat little tool here: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=74453

alternatively, you can remove them. Read this http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=70942

Other than that, you can try searching the forums to see if anyone else has worked with them.

[Naja]

Problem. I followed all the steps (I uploaded those 3 files to my Medieval 2: Total War folder; I copied and pasted the Data folder to the MyMod folder; I made a shortcut of the Batch file for my desktop, its title is "Shortcut to Launch_MyMod.BAT").

Problem is, when I try to run the shortcut batch file, M2:TW doesn't load up. The screen goes black as if it is going to load up, and for a split second I see the "hour glass" loading cursor image. But then it immediately reverts back to my desktop. Did I miss a step?

[vikrant]

Sticky:

[TenkiSoratoti]

You can extract just texture files with the unpacker. run it from the command prompt with the line

this will unpack only the texture files to the c:\packs folder. You can then convert these to .dds and edit them with a neat little tool here: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=74453

alternatively, you can remove them. Read this http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=70942

Other than that, you can try searching the forums to see if anyone else has worked with them.

How exactly does that go in the command prompt? It keeps saying 'FAILED' to ,me.

[severdhope]

How exactly does that go in the command prompt? It keeps saying 'FAILED' to ,me.

type

cd c:\program files\sega\medieval ii total war\tools\unpacker

(this is the default file tree, change if necessary)
then type

unpacker --source=..\..\packs\*.pack --destination=c:\packs\ --filter=*.texture

Edit: I just editted this last line for the unpacker, I originally used the one out of the readme which does not work (they forgot the second parent directory) this line should work if your unpacker is in '..\medieval ii total war\tools\unpacker'

Problem. I followed all the steps (I uploaded those 3 files to my Medieval 2: Total War folder; I copied and pasted the Data folder to the MyMod folder; I made a shortcut of the Batch file for my desktop, its title is "Shortcut to Launch_MyMod.BAT").

Problem is, when I try to run the shortcut batch file, M2:TW doesn't load up. The screen goes black as if it is going to load up, and for a split second I see the "hour glass" loading cursor image. But then it immediately reverts back to my desktop. Did I miss a step?

I just double checked all the files I uploaded, and just made sure it was done right. I'm not sure what is wrong?

[rc5924]

Yeah I used this thing as the directions said. The game works and it seems like Shabas mod is working also, however the loading screens with the quotes are now missing their pictures, also the advisor speech is gone, its kind of weird, like I have to click on her and her text comes up with no voice. And there are no speeches from the generals at the beginning of battles. The battle basically starts as if he just finished, you know showing your units and what not. Any fix for this?

[deRougemont]

This thread doesn't teach folks how to make the mod switch, it just does it for them from the look of it. This got stickied, yet a post that hoped to show people how to do it themselves doesn't...?

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=74662

This issue of the bad .cfg files still needs to be posted (in revised form) in the sticky area inside posts dealing with the making of mod switches... If it was, we wouldn't need threads like this one. Making the switch is not hard unless your info is incomplete.

[Averroës]

Yeah I used this thing as the directions said. The game works and it seems like Shabas mod is working also, however the loading screens with the quotes are now missing their pictures, also the advisor speech is gone, its kind of weird, like I have to click on her and her text comes up with no voice. And there are no speeches from the generals at the beginning of battles. The battle basically starts as if he just finished, you know showing your units and what not. Any fix for this?

You need to copy the sounds folder from the main data folder into the data folder in your mod section. Technically you only need to copy over events.idx and events.dat from sounds; but since you need to make a new sounds folder anyway, I think it's just easier to copy and paste the entire sounds folder from one data folder to the next.

If you want the movies, like the assassin scenes, then you also need to copy the fmv folder from the main data folder into the new data folder.

The splash screens is a more complex problem. I'm not sure how you go about fixing that, without unpacking the data files and copying over the loading_screen and menu folders from the main data to the mod data.

[severdhope]

This thread doesn't teach folks how to make the mod switch, it just does it for them from the look of it. This got stickied, yet a post that hoped to show people how to do it themselves doesn't...?

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=74662

This issue of the bad .cfg files still needs to be posted (in revised form) in the sticky area inside posts dealing with the making of mod switches... If it was, we wouldn't need threads like this one. Making the switch is not hard unless your info is incomplete.

you should PM Duke Godfrey and ask him to update his tutorial maybe?

I just did this to be as simple and user-friendly as possible.
Copying the whole data folder is not necessary, but it can't hurt and will eliminate problems with not having required files.

Note: I am going to make a v1.05 that includes the splash screens that are obtained through the unpacker and eliminate the need to copy your whole data folder. Update in ~5 minutes, thanks for the heads up on that problem, I forgot that I had to solve that one seperately!

Edit, sorry the update is going so slowly, the file is kind of big. It's uploading as I am typing.

It's up!!!

[Pachinko]

Great idea! I put all other mods Land of conquer, Titles, Bishops, Princesses, Privy Council v1.2c plus the AD mod.. it works!!

[severdhope]

Is anyone still having problems? The new upload should fix the menu/loading screens problem. They were files that needed to be unpacked, but I included them now so you don't have to mess with it

[TenkiSoratoti]

Ok that worked a charm.

But I want to be able to get hold of the XML file (where I can alter the size of the banner) but I have no idea where it is.

[severdhope]

use this line for the unpacker then

unpacker --source=..\..\packs\*.pack --destination=c:\packs\ --filter=*.xml

or, you could just unpack everything.

[TenkiSoratoti]

use this line for the unpacker then
or, you could just unpack everything.

Common sense eluded me.

[Methoz]

you say in another topiuc - i add to modswitch my units and buildings .txt and game works fine?

[King_Leonidas]

changing the unit stats has worked, but when i try to play a game on the battle map it locks and wont work...any suggestions?


\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
ive found the problem, all i had to do was add the 'world' folder into MyMod/data

[severdhope]

When you add files, put them in the same way they came from, only in mymod.

For example:

C:\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\data\world\maps\campaign\imperial_campaign\descr_strat.txt

gets moved to

C:\Program Files\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\MyMod\data\world\maps\campaign\imperial_campaign\descr_strat.txt

when modified.

P.S. any ctd's occuring are most likely in all cases due to misplaced files or a typo in the file. If you want help with ctd's you would have to show a past of your error log, and even then I'm not sure I would know what it means, but it might help someone else help you.