BI: descr_effects.txt

[Ticu]

here is the content of descr_effects.txt in the bi folder of Rome: Total War:

descr_effects_arrow_trail.txt
descr_effects_building.txt
descr_effects_burning_building.txt
descr_effects_burning_men.txt
descr_effects_burning_oil.txt
descr_effects_engine_torch.txt
descr_effects_surface_fire.txt
descr_effects_torch_fire.txt
descr_effects_water_interaction.txt

Now what I'm wondering is, what if I were to change one of these files (such as descr_effects_arrow_trail.txt) for a BI mod, and then save it as something else...

descr_effects_arrow_trail_mymod.txt
descr_effects_building.txt
descr_effects_burning_building.txt
descr_effects_burning_men.txt
descr_effects_burning_oil.txt
descr_effects_engine_torch.txt
descr_effects_surface_fire.txt
descr_effects_torch_fire.txt
descr_effects_water_interaction.txt

Where would I put this new file - In the regular Data folder, the one in the one in the BI folder, or the new mod folder?

[bubka]

You must keep it in the same folder, and preferably with the same name, which will save you a lot of work.

I don't know what the mod switcher does yet, but ordinarily you can't keep two mods together, unless one is a very minor mod of the other.

[Ticu]

You must keep it in the same folder, and preferably with the same name, which will save you a lot of work.

I don't know what the mod switcher does yet, but ordinarily you can't keep two mods together, unless one is a very minor mod of the other.

Actually it seems to work when I simply change the name and place the new file in the base data folder. Now I can have different effects for my units without modifying the vanilla data effects file. Here's basically what I did except I made the light much brighter and less choppy

Primative? yes. but I'm new to editing effects

[bubka]

What's that?? Guns or something?
seems quite flashy though.

[Ticu]

They are supposed to be wizards that shoot out light beams , but I still need to play around with these effects.

[MasterOfNone]

You will not need to go through this process if you use a mod folder - which I would highly recommend you do. In fact I would recommend you start in a modfolder so that you do not have to convert later and waste your efforts. Of course, I am assuming you want to release this to the public at some point if not - and if you don't mind messing with your vanilla copy (and possibly messing up any mods you may install in the future) - then please ignore this

Good luck.

[Ticu]

LOL I am using a mod folder. That's why I was stressing out the "mymod" stuff.

[MasterOfNone]

You lost me...if you have a bi modfolder then all those files are already present in your modfolder so why change the name?

[Ticu]

I see what your saying. I am doing a bi mod. By default, BI looks into the original data folder (the non bi one) for the effects information. However, I wanted to create new effects without modifying the vanilla ones. So I went to my mod folder and into descr_effects, which points out which effects the mod uses. Instead of descr_effects_arrow_trail.txt I changed it to descr_effects_arrow_trail_mymod.txt. Now I can edit the effects (in the new descr_effects_arrow_trail.txt) without changing the vanilla ones. That was the whole point. I guess I should have said that descr_effects_arrow_trail.txt wasn't found in the BI folder. I hope this explained things well enough.

[MasterOfNone]

Ticu,

I see what you're saying but I think you can just copy the rtw vanilla files into the bi modfolder as, for example, with descr_mounts.txt and it will read them from there. Repathing, packing and inclusion of modded textures etc. may well be necessary but I have not modded this area (as far as I can remember) but it should work to just copy them in...no need to insert new-named files in the vanilla.

But do check.

[Ticu]

I don't really think the game will read placed files not changed by BI in the BI folder. I haven't exactly tested this, but I have tested it out with other files, such as descr_mounts.txt.

[MasterOfNone]

I think I've never had a problem with moving a rtw file into the bi modfolder, after all bi is sort of a modfolder of rtw itself. DM file is just one example of what can be moved down and which will be read from its new position. I've moved plenty down and had no problems.