Minimum amount of files needed for a Kingdoms mod folder

[Tominokar]

Has anyone experimented with this to see if they can use the least amount of space possible to get the Kingdoms exe working with a mod? That is, so the text and UI are all visible and functional. The solutions to this problem so far involve using huge amount of space, which just isn't practical if you want to upload the mod and have others download it.

[Lusted]

Well i've got it working using the same way as M2Tw, the boiling oil files, new siege rams and including the .sd files in the ui folder.

[Tominokar]

Well i've got it working using the same way as M2Tw, the boiling oil files, new siege rams and including the .sd files in the ui folder.

What files exactly? UI is still screwed when I add the .sd files to my mod folder (when using Kingdoms.exe..)

[Grand Duke Vytautas]

Just use retrofit mod as an example, you'll get a view of what files you need .
Besides it's small in size and you can just copy retrofit folder, rename it say 'mymod' (make sure you edit bat and cfg files to match the name) and from there you can add all the additional features you want which work on kingdoms.exe
Hope that makes it clear

[Lusted]

What files exactly? UI is still screwed when I add the .sd files to my mod folder (when using Kingdoms.exe..)

Try copying all of the UI and menu files to the mod folder.

[Garnier]

I can't figure out how to get my teutonic campaign changes to work. Should I copy the entire teutonic folder from the mods folder, into the main M2TW installation folder, and then run a batch file?.. Or should I copy it to another folder in the mods folder and run it like the normal kingdoms campaigns, with a shortcut?

[Grand Duke Vytautas]

I can't figure out how to get my teutonic campaign changes to work. Should I copy the entire teutonic folder from the mods folder, into the main M2TW installation folder, and then run a batch file?.. Or should I copy it to another folder in the mods folder and run it like the normal kingdoms campaigns, with a shortcut?

do you use "--io.file_first" command, i.e. ""C:\Games\Medieval 2 Total War\kingdoms.exe" --features.mod=mods/teutonic --io.file_first"

[billydilly]

OK then,

lets say I want to make a new Kingdoms Crusades mod/campaign.
I know how to use the 'io', modswitch etc.

I'll place the mod in .../mods/billydillys Crusade, so what are the basic folders and files I need in my 'billydillys Crusade' folder?

First of all I want to make a bigger Crusades map, so I need these:
- world folder
- text folder
- ui folder

But what about EDU, EDB etc.? I don't need those if I don't change any stats, do I?
Because I only want to change the map for now.

bd

[GrnEyedDvl]

Try this:

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1615

[The Border Reiver]

Maybe I'm doing something wrong with this, but I basically have to put nearly every single file from my Britannia campain with Kingdoms into this folder to get it to work....and my mod then is 1.27 GB's?

There must be another way to limit the size of a Kingdoms mod? You have to put the unit models file in which weighs in at 800MB's. From what I can see the principal of barebones does not work with a Kingdoms only mod...it only works with Medieval2 mods using Kingdoms features!

What am I missing....I appreciate any help or ideas here!

I appreciate

[GrnEyedDvl]

It works like a standard mod folder, pulls from the mod folder first then from the VANILLA data folder. Anything else you want has to be in the models folder, such as unit models (btw mine is 500 megs not 800).

If you are using everything from the Brittania campaign, when what did you mod?? What are you trying to do here?

[The Border Reiver]

It works like a standard mod folder, pulls from the mod folder first then from the VANILLA data folder. Anything else you want has to be in the models folder, such as unit models (btw mine is 500 megs not 800).

If you are using everything from the Brittania campaign, when what did you mod?? What are you trying to do here?

Yes you are right about the models folder being 500!

I think you have misunderstood what people have been asking.

What I am trying to do is create a Britannia mod for Kingdoms using Kingdoms files, the same way I created my mod for MTW2. I want to create a mod folder with only my modded files, and leave the rest to pull from the Kingdoms/Britannia Folder.

The Barebones folder method does not work for Kingdoms in the same way as it did for MTW2...because the Kingdoms campaigns are already mods!

If you have a Barebones install for your Kingdoms Campaign Mod that you are working on (not MTW2) could you please upload that so the rest of us can work out how you've done it.....because the one you uploaded only works for mods for MTW2.

[GrnEyedDvl]

I think you have misunderstood what people have been asking.

lol no I knew what you meant, I dont think its possible. And what you are asking is VERY different than what Tommyknocker asked. He wanted Kingdoms to work with a mod, he didnt ask to mod an already modded folder.

What I am trying to do is create a Britannia mod for Kingdoms using Kingdoms files, the same way I created my mod for MTW2. I want to create a mod folder with only my modded files, and leave the rest to pull from the Kingdoms/Britannia Folder.

You are trying to stack a mod on top of a mod, it wont work that way. Uou cant pulle "default" files from two locations.

The Barebones folder method does not work for Kingdoms in the same way as it did for MTW2...because the Kingdoms campaigns are already mods!

It was never intended to work the same way.

If you have a Barebones install for your Kingdoms Campaign Mod that you are working on (not MTW2) could you please upload that so the rest of us can work out how you've done it.....because the one you uploaded only works for mods for MTW2.

As I said I am not sure that can be done. The Barebones mod was intended to use Kingdoms.exe features with vanilla files. The only thing I could suggest trying would be to try and set up a mod folder within the mod folder and see if it pulls files correctly. Paths would be tricky though.

[Marcus Orentius]

Hey there,

Having some trouble with your barebones modfolder, gets to the loading screen, then crashes and i have to restart my system. any idea what it could be? And the attribute for making a system.log file in logs doesn't appear to work either.

[The Border Reiver]

Hey GrnEyedDvl

Woops ...quite right...I misunderstood even his question...

Thanks for taking the time to reply and clarify everything...at least I know that it just isn't going to work like in MTW2.

Apart from that thanks for the Barebones folder, I'll have to test it out again for my MTW2 mod:thumbsup

Marcus....I will check this and reply when I get home soon to see if I have the same problem.

[Marcus Orentius]

Cheers.

[GrnEyedDvl]

Did you change something in it? It works perfectly for me.

Also make sure your folders are in the right place.

[makanyane]

What I am trying to do is create a Britannia mod for Kingdoms using Kingdoms files, the same way I created my mod for MTW2. I want to create a mod folder with only my modded files, and leave the rest to pull from the Kingdoms/Britannia Folder.

The Barebones folder method does not work for Kingdoms in the same way as it did for MTW2...because the Kingdoms campaigns are already mods!

As a general note if you want to make a mod-foldered mod which uses mainly the Kingdoms file, ie its a mod on Kingdoms (which is already a mod of M2TW) I think you need to use same principle that is done with BI mods on RTW.

For that you copy all (or very nearly all) of the BI information into mod-folder first and then add your alterations, as has been said you can't automatically make game use mod data first - expansion data second - game data third. As it only looks from mod-folder to game data missing out content of expansion. Though anything with a path like textures could keep path back to expansion/data folder.

That does mean you will need more hard disc space for the mod - that seems unavoidable. You can prevent having to send that much data (especially as you shouldn't be sending vanilla files in bulk) by either asking user to paste copy of original files into modfolder first, which was initial method BI mods used, is prone to some confusion. Or by using a .bat file attached to the installer to copy the original files from the users hdd folders automatically to mod folder. System for doing that was developed by Dol Guldur (MasterOfNone) for Fourth Age: Total War see: http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=78406

If you DL the full version of FATW you will get copy of .bat to see how it works, latest version has an excluded files list as well. Problem with system is you can only make .bat run automatically at the end of the install program which means original files get copied over new files, unless you either have new files extracted to temp folder first and then copied back (which uses more space during install) or you use exclude list to prevent parts of original install being copied over mod.

P.S. pinning down which files out of the expansion folders are 'really' required is a pain in the rear! I've had various attempts at slimming down BI and found odd things like not having UI card for building you aren't actually using causes loading crash!