El Monstero's Definitive Guide to Modding Med 2's Music

**El Monstero29** · January 27, 2018, 08:15 AM

Hello fellow Med 2 modders!

The aim of this tutorial is to gather together all available information on the subject of adding and modifying Med 2's music. Currently, there is no single guide one can follow to learn how to do everything that is possible. As it stands, finding all the relevant information that's out there can be quite frustrating and time consuming. I aim to change that

I intend to make this guide as easy to follow, clear, and concise as possible. I will start from the most basic steps on up to the more advanced stuff. Feel free to skip ahead to sections you find relevant to your needs.

Before we start I will thank all those that have come before me and shared their knowledge and findings on these matters such as Trajan, Gigantus, and Space_Ed. Without them this guide would not exist. I will link to all my sources at the end. Credit where credit is due.

This stuff can get pretty complicated so in order to hopefully make it a little bit less confusing to someone coming into this with no prior knowledge of Med 2 modding I have created a legend for the various meanings behind the differently colored text used throughout this guide:

Legend

Green text - refers to text files
Red text - refers to .dat and .idx files
Dark blue text - refers to music_type
White text - refers to region names
Courier New font- refers to file paths and names
Bolded/underlined text - refers to example factions

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Section 1: Finding the appropriate files

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

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Section 2: Extracting the music

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

I suggest you use Withwnar's "Sound Extractor v1.2" to extract the music. It is very easy to use and is a welcome upgrade to the original XIDX tool. I will copy and paste his instructions on how to use this tool below. However, you will need to download the tool itself from his page. You may want to throw some rep his way while you're there

Instructions
These instructions use the Third Age mod as an example only:

TATW mod folder = something like C:\Programs\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\mods\Third_Age

Use the appropriate folder for the mod you are running this for. Or the root installation folder if you are running this for vanilla (e.g. C:\Programs\SEGA\Medieval II Total War).

NOTE: you will need a fair amount of free hard drive space! Go to the mod's sounds folder (e.g. C:\Programs\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\mods\Third_Age\data\sounds) and get the sum total of all of the *.dat and *.idx files (select them all, right click > Properties). You will need about twice that amount of free space. e.g. If the total is 400MB then you will need 800MB of free space: probably a bit more.

Instructions:

Download the attachment and extract it to the mod folder:
- NOTE: Extract it such that it extracts directly into the folder (e.g. "Extract Here") rather than into a new subfolder (e.g. "Extract to SoundExtractor...")
- There should now be a SoundExtractor folder under the mod folder. e.g. C:\Programs\SEGA\Medieval II Total War\mods\Third_Age\SoundExtractor
- i.e. SoundExtractor.bat should be located here: {mod folder}\SoundExtractor\SoundExtractor.bat, not here: {mod folder}\SoundExtractor\SoundExtractor\SoundExtractor.bat
Run (double-click) SoundExtractor.bat
- NOTE: For Vista/Windows7/later users you might need to run it as an administrator: right click > Run as administrator
A command window opens and shows you the progress: it will tell you when it has finished
Now you may install the files for the submod that this SoundExtractor is being used for. Do not start the game until the submod is installed.

After it has finished you should see this in the sounds folder:

Music, SFX and Voice subfolders
A "backup" subfolder with today's date: inside that are dat/idx files
No dat/idx files in this sounds folder

Once you have finished installing the submod (not this SoundExtractor: the submod that this SoundExtractor is being used for) start the campaign. This will rebuild the dat/idx files in the sounds folder - this is what the game uses. The other folders are now no longer needed so you may delete them (freeing up a lot of hard drive space). i.e. You may delete the Music, SFX and Voice subfolders and the "backup" subfolder. NOTE: if you are merging multiple submods then read below before deleting anything: you might still need them.

For our purposes you may as well just copy and paste the backup copies of SFX.dat/SFX.idx and Voice.dat/Voice.idx from the backup folder that was created in the sounds folder and put them back. You can delete the extracted version of these files as they are not relevant to what we're doing. You can also choose to ignore them for now. They will be taken care of the first time you load the game up as mentioned in Withwnar's instructions.

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Section 3: Adding your own music into the game

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

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Section 4: Creating faction specific music

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

You know how to add music into the game, but what if you want to split up the various music_types? What if you want every faction to have their own separate playlist? Can these things be achieved? Absolutely!

You will need all of the files that have been mentioned thus far for this process: the extracted Music file, descr_sounds_music.txt, descr_sounds.txt, descr_sounds_music_types.txt, and descr_strat.txt. If you need help locating these files refer to section one of the guide.

You will need to know the internal file name of the faction in question. This can be found in the descr_strat.txt file. For detailed instructions on this refer back to Section 3 of the guide.

With the true name of the faction in hand you must now refer to descr_sounds_music_types.txt. You want to first remove that faction from whatever music_type it is currently a part of. I will use Mordor(with the internal file name of england) from the Divide and Conquer submod as my example once again.

Code:

music_type eastern_european

    regions Gorgoroth_Province Gorgoroth_South_Province East_Gorgoroth_Province Carnen_Province Udun_Province
    regions Morgul_Vale_Province Morgai_Province Cirith_Province Orc_Province Nan_Curunir_Province Angsul_Province
    regions High_Pass_Province Central_Mountains_Province East_Deep_Mirkwood_Province Brethil_Province
    regions Grey_Mountains_Province Carn_Dum_Province Mt_Gram_Province Mt_Gundabad_Province Ettenmoors_Province
    regions Litash_Province Grey_Foothills_Province Arthedain_Rammas_Province Isenmouthe_Province Rhudaur_Province

    factions england poland france hre portugal

So, I will remove england from that list but I also need to remove the regions associated with Mordor from that section. These regions are marked in white in the above example You will need to refer to descr_strat.txt once again for this information. So after I finish that the entry will look like this:

Code:

music_type eastern_european

    regions Nan_Curunir_Province Angsul_Province
    regions High_Pass_Province Central_Mountains_Province East_Deep_Mirkwood_Province Brethil_Province
    regions Grey_Mountains_Province Carn_Dum_Province Mt_Gram_Province Mt_Gundabad_Province Ettenmoors_Province
    regions Litash_Province Grey_Foothills_Province Arthedain_Rammas_Province Rhudaur_Province

    factions poland france hre portugal

I will now create a totally new section at the bottom of descr_sounds_music_types.txt for Mordor. We need to create a new music_type, which I will very creatively name mordor. We also need to re-add all those regions we just deleted from the old entry. Finally, don't forget to add the "factions" section at the bottom of your new entry. It should look something like this:
Code:
```
music_type mordor

    regions Gorgoroth_Province Gorgoroth_South_Province East_Gorgoroth_Province Carnen_Province Udun_Province
    regions Morgul_Vale_Province Morgai_Province Cirith_Province Orc_Province Isenmouthe_Province
    
    factions england
```
Next you need to open up descr_sounds.txt and add the new music_type to the list. Control+f is the easiest way to find it although you can just scroll down too, it's quite close to the top. This is what it should look like after you're done:
Code:
```
;################################
;##### SOUNDS - MUSIC TYPES #####
;################################

music_types_enum northern_european eastern_european southern_european middle_eastern mesoamerican greek gondor milan mordor
```

Almost done! Next you need to create a new section in descr_sounds_music.txt. In this case, I will simply use the music_type eastern_european as a template and copy/paste that entry into the bottom of the document. I must simply remember to swap out music_type eastern_european with music_type mordor. Like so:

Code:

 music_type mordor
        state MUSIC_BATTLE_BATTLE
            event
                folder data/sounds/Music
                orcs_battle_01.mp3
                orcs_battle_02.mp3
                orcs_battle_03.mp3    
                orcs_battle_04.mp3
                orcs_battle_05.mp3
                orcs_battle_06.mp3
                orcs_battle_07.mp3
                orcs_battle_08.mp3
                orcs_battle_09.mp3
                orcs_battle_10.mp3
                orcs_battle_11.mp3
                neutral_battle_01.mp3
                neutral_battle_02.mp3
                neutral_battle_03.mp3
                neutral_battle_04.mp3
                neutral_battle_05.mp3
                neutral_battle_06.mp3
                neutral_battle_07.mp3
            end
     etc...

Now all that's left is to add your music to this new faction like we did in Section 3. That's it!

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Section 5: Known limitations and (not so) frequently asked questions

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

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Section 6: Resources and credits

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

That's all she wrote! Hopefully this guide will still be useful even if the game is closing in on 12 years old.... At least now you won't have to read through several different threads and page after page of comments to get answers to your questions.

Enjoy and good luck out there!

**Ngugi** · January 27, 2018, 08:43 AM

Good job

A note, I'd propse you switch pink for dark blue, green or purple or something, so its not so hard to read.

**El Monstero29** · January 27, 2018, 09:20 AM

Done

**Araval** · January 27, 2018, 11:57 AM

Good work with gathering all that information together!

Some things I noticed:
1) sections 1-4 are called stections in headlines;
2) in section 4 point 4. Mordor's internal name england should be used in your example;
3) I don't think it's necessary to use font size 1 in section 1 point 5. and in section 3 points 10.-12.

**El Monstero29** · January 27, 2018, 01:41 PM

Fixed those dumb typos.

I also took to heart your other suggestions. I changed my example to match the internal name as you suggest. The only reason I used the font was consistency more than anything else

I'll leave it for now, but I may come back and change it later.

Thanks for the feedback guys

**Araval** · January 28, 2018, 12:38 PM

You're welcome!

I meant this way:

Code:

music_type englandmordor

    regions Gorgoroth_Province Gorgoroth_South_Province East_Gorgoroth_Province Carnen_Province Udun_Province
    regions Morgul_Vale_Province Morgai_Province Cirith_Province Orc_Province Isenmouthe_Province
    
    factions mordorengland

**El Monstero29** · January 29, 2018, 01:51 AM

Ok I see what you mean. I changed it as you suggest, but I don't know, I think that might make it a little more confusing. Oh well, I'll leave it as is now.

**Araval** · January 29, 2018, 03:46 PM

I didn't mean you should use the red crossed out text, I just used it to make my point clearer. I'm sorry if I have been confusing.

**El Monstero29** · January 29, 2018, 08:00 PM

Ahh, ok. It could just be me being dense too. Fixed!

**Withwnar** · February 03, 2018, 11:07 PM

Nice tutorial, thanks.

2. Another limitation is that faction specific battle music will actually play for all factions in the regions you allocate to it in the descr_sounds_music_types.txt. Meaning that in my Mordor example above, any battle songs that I set aside as specific to the regions that Mordor starts with will play for any faction that fights in those regions. This is a weird little quirk of Med 2's engine. Something to keep in mind. I don't know of anyway around this.

The "regions" lines are optional. As I understand it: if the battle's region is present in this file then the music_type it is assigned to is used, otherwise the player faction's music_type is used. I haven't tested that but there's some discussion here: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...1#post14568785

i.e. It's an override. By default use the player faction's music_type BUT for any specific region(s) you can say "regardless of who is fighting who here, play music of this music_type instead". I suppose it's for a bit of variety and atmosphere, a different feel as you fight in different parts of the world.

Defining those regions lists based on the starting owners is a logical way to do it but it does not need to be that way. e.g. You could make it so that any region in or around the Mordor area plays that music, to reflect the creepiness of the general location, even if the Mordor faction does not own it at campaign start.

**El Monstero29** · February 04, 2018, 03:37 AM

Originally Posted by Withwnar

Nice tutorial, thanks.

The "regions" lines are optional. As I understand it: if the battle's region is present in this file then the music_type it is assigned to is used, otherwise the player faction's music_type is used. I haven't tested that but there's some discussion here: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...1#post14568785

i.e. It's an override. By default use the player faction's music_type BUT for any specific region(s) you can say "regardless of who is fighting who here, play music of this music_type instead". I suppose it's for a bit of variety and atmosphere, a different feel as you fight in different parts of the world.

Defining those regions lists based on the starting owners is a logical way to do it but it does not need to be that way. e.g. You could make it so that any region in or around the Mordor area plays that music, to reflect the creepiness of the general location, even if the Mordor faction does not own it at campaign start.

That is extremely interesting! I will test that right away! Let's see if we can't get a definitive answer one way or the other.

**El Monstero29** · February 04, 2018, 05:43 AM

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have any effect when I delete the region entries from descr_sounds_music_type and rebuild everything. I just did a test with a faction that I've given totally unique battle music. I started a campaign as them, gathered together my starting troops and moved them via console command to go fight in another faction's starting domain. The battle music that played in the battles I initiated were all that other faction's music_type.

My guess is that it selects the battle music for each region based on their entries in descr_strat unless overridden in the DSMT. I think this is why slave needs to be given a music_type. Otherwise, I assume, nothing would play in the regions that start off as slave-held.

**Withwnar** · February 04, 2018, 08:04 PM

My guess is that it selects the battle music for each region based on their entries in descr_strat unless overridden in the DSMT.

Or who currently owns it perhaps.

Yeah, that it uses the player's own faction's music_type was guesswork on my part too. It wouldn't be a difficult thing to find out for sure, just time consuming, and the answer probably doesn't make any difference to anyone's plans. If a region is missing from this file then music still plays - that's the main thing.

**El Monstero29** · February 05, 2018, 03:11 AM

I tested a little bit further and it seems you can actually just put every region into every music_type's entry in the DSMT and thus allow your current faction's battle music to play anywhere! Or you can exclude some regions and thus allow the original music to play instead.

I just made a quick and dirty copy/paste of all the regions into Khand's entry in the DSMT:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

Code:

music_type khand

    regions Harad_Province Far_Khand_Province West_Khand_Province Khand_Province Near_Harad_Province
    regions Harondor_Province
    regions Rhawburg_Province Scorched_Province Erech_Province
    regions Adorn_Province Gap_of_Rohan_Province Suduri_Province
    regions Weather_Hills_Province Pukel_Province
    regions Cardolan_Province Arthedain_Province Lake_Evendim_Province Staddle_Province Emyn_Beraid_Province
    regions Minhiriath_Province Druwaith_Iaur_Province Lond_Angren_Province Borderlands_Province Wrakyaburg_Province
    regions Wold_Province Border_Province Evendim_Province East_Cardolan_Province Far_Low_Anduin_Province Celduin_Far_East_Province
    regions Rhovanion_Province North_Rhovanion_Province 
    regions Mitheithel_Province Wilderland_Province West_Wold_Province Dagorlad_Province
    regions Lone_lands_Province Tirith_Thoron_Province Lonehills_Province Athilin_Province
    regions Forodwaith_Province Wildlands_Province Oiolad_Province Celduin_Far_Province Far_Rhovanion_Province Angle_Province Far_Arthedain_Province
    regions Nurunk_Province Logathavuld_Province Metraith_Province Wilishar_Province Girithlin_Province
    regions Wintirion_Province Faerdor_Province Rhaglaw_Province Forochel_Province Lune_Province Tharbad_Province
    regions Celduin_North_Province Centre_Rhovanion_Province Central_Minhiriath_Province Fortriu_Province
    regions Far_Harad_Province Haradwaith_Province Southern_Rhun_Province
    regions Amrun_Province Gobel_Ancalimon_Province Shafra_Province Northern_Harondor_Province Southharondor_Province
    regions Mistrand_Province Morad_Province Rhun_Province Kelepar_Province Eastrhun_Province North_Khand_Province
    regions Near_Rhun_Province North_Rhun_Province Far_Desert
    regions Chelkar_Province South_Logathavuld_Province Pezarsan_Province Farest_Rhun_Province
    regions Bree_Province Bywater_Province Eastfarthing_Province Shire_Province Southfarthing_Province 
    regions Dunland_Province Dunland_Hills_Province Duneard_Province Enedwaith_Province Talsir_Province North_Enedwaith_Province South_Enedwaith_Province
    regions Lower_Anduin_Vale_Province Anduin_Vale_Province Gladden_Fields_Province Lowest_Anduin_Vale_Province North_Gladden_Fields_Province West_Anduin_Province
    regions Central_Vale_Province Woodsmen_Province
    regions Umbar_Province South_Umbar_Province Erelond_Province
    regions Dale_Province Celduin_Province Celduin_East_Province Esgaroth_Province
    regions South_Dorwinion_Province Dorwinion_Province Uldonavan_Province
    regions Kings_Land_Province Helms_Deep_Province East_Emnet_Province West_Emnet_Province Eastfold_Province
    regions Westfold_Province
    regions Anorien_Province Lossarnach_Province Belfalas_Province Lebennin_Province West_Lebennin_Province Methrast_Province
    regions Anfalas_Province Lamedon_Province Tarnost_Province Pinnath_Gelin_Province Fanuilond_Province
    regions Ethring_Province Harondor_Province Cair_Andros_Province West_Osgiliath_Province East_Osgiliath_Province
    regions Andrast_Province Ithilien_Province South_Ithilien_Province North_Ithilien_Province Tolfalas_Province Anorien_Fields_Province
    regions Barad_Harn_Province Amon_Eithel_Province Anduin_Straits_Province Andrast_Cape_Province Pukel_Gap_Province
    regions Imladris_Province Harlindon_Province Mithlond_Province Forlindon_Province Edhellond_Province Lune_land_Province
    regions Elven_Mirkwood_Province Lothlorien_Province Celebrant_Province Central_Mirkwood_Province West_Mirkwood_Province
    regions New_Mirkwood_Province Eregion_Province South_Mithlond_Province
    regions East_Mirkwood_Province South_Elven_Mirkwood_Province Lune_North_Province Hollin_Province Middle_Mirkwood_Province
    regions Erebor_Province Iron_Hills_Province Ered_Luin_Province Nan_i_Naugrim_Province South_Ered_Luin_Province
    regions East_Moria_Province West_Moria_Province
    regions Gorgoroth_Province Gorgoroth_South_Province East_Gorgoroth_Province Carnen_Province Udun_Province
    regions Morgul_Vale_Province Morgai_Province Cirith_Province Orc_Province Nan_Curunir_Province Angsul_Province
    regions High_Pass_Province Central_Mountains_Province East_Deep_Mirkwood_Province Brethil_Province
    regions Grey_Mountains_Province Carn_Dum_Province Mt_Gram_Province Mt_Gundabad_Province Ettenmoors_Province
    regions Litash_Province Grey_Foothills_Province Arthedain_Rammas_Province Isenmouthe_Province Rhudaur_Province
    
    factions khand

It worked! Thank you for the lead, Withwnar. I'll edit the OP.

**Withwnar** · February 05, 2018, 09:41 PM

If another faction - some other music_type - also has one of those regions then do they get their own music there too, or do they get the khand music?

**El Monstero29** · February 06, 2018, 03:38 AM

Hmm, it would seem that Khand's music is now playing for everyone. Damn. Thought I was onto something there.

**Withwnar** · February 06, 2018, 11:05 PM

Yeah, I reckon the game is simply scanning through this file until it finds the region and bases its music_type on that - faction doesn't enter into it here. If the region is in this file multiple times then it's a question of which one does it use. I don't know but would hazard a guess that it's either the first or last one. It doesn't matter though because clearly having it in there more than once serves no purpose other than to confuse ourselves, e.g. region X is under music_type Y so why is that music not playing? (Answer: because it's also under music_type Z.)