Empire Mod Architecture Primer

[MrThib]

Thanks a lot, that's very helpfull indeed !!!

.... last but not least I also tried adding a new binary piece to the trait levels effects table but none of the three worked.

I've actually add a new binarie in a custom patch file wich add new battle personalities and it work in game (I've put it in the DB\battle_personalities_table\ but gave it an other name like My_personalities and just put in the new rows).

[JeromeGrasdyke]

I hate to be a party pooper but Jerome, this doesn't work as you say. The mod packs are not read at all.

Ok, it looks like I will need to go into a bit more detail about declaring mod packs to the game. You currently do need to tell the game which mod packs you want to have active. You do this by passing the game a script command for each mod you want to have active.

Here's a step-by-step guide:

- find your preferences.empire_script.txt file (in Application Data on an XP machine)
- create a new text file next to it called user.empire_script.txt
- inside there, list your mods like this, one line per mod:
mod my_pack.pack;

The user script gets processed on load, and will tell the game to load your mods in that order. There are a whole bunch of other commands that can be used from there, including dependency definitions and so on, but we'll leave those for now. As I said, this is a quick preview of mechanisms that will be properly documented in the mod dev package.

So, about running 'unpacked'. Yes, the game currently will run unpacked, but doing that will alter the way in which the data precedence works in some cases, which means that as we add more patches it's not guaranteed to keep working. It may be convenient to work that way while tinkering with a mod, and that's fine, it's exactly why the feature exists, but I'd strongly recommend against giving other people mods which work like that. One last note - LtChambers is actually correct when he's seperating the released packs by CA into 'boot' and 'release' categories, but it's a minor distinction which has no real practical value from your point of view - for a modder, the two might as well be identical

[Björneborgs regemente]

[Takeda Shingen]

Hi Jerome,

sorry for asking this here, but can you estimate, just ruffly, when you are planning to release this tool? Or at least a guess

Or is this confidential?

And again....
A lot of

[Aldgarkalaughskel]

Jerome, thanks again for the tips and the clarification.

Just a quick question, will we receive an importer for 3ds Max (most likely an maxscript) to import the model files? And then, of course and we'd need an exporter created by CA to re-export the models back into the game. Thanks for the answer in advance.

[OTZ]

Very cool way to add mods. Thanks for the info.

[RodeoX]

Thanks for the info. Glad to see that modding will be so supported. I can't say that I have heard that from another official source.

[The Phenom]

Thanks for all the info, now that I know about the mod order... time to make mods for myself... lol.

[XiombargDei]

though i'm not a modder i have to say i really appreciate the fact that you are delivering info

I have to say it's great seeing you guys making headway so quickly.

nothing can be more understandable seeing the great potential of this game
as well as its numerous flaws, bugs and missing features.

[Captian Barbossa]

Jerome, thanks again for the tips and the clarification.

Just a quick question, will we receive an importer for 3ds Max (most likely an maxscript) to import the model files? And then, of course and we'd need an exporter created by CA to re-export the models back into the game. Thanks for the answer in advance.

What he said.

I too am a 3ds Max user (Hobby, not professional though), and I too would like to see an exporter that's compatible with versions of 3ds 7 through 9, since I have 8, and if it's not possible for us to have binary .dlu or .dle files, could we please have the maxscript equivalents in the dev kit?

Thank you in advance and for the great clarification. Rep to you sir.

Oh, and one last thing, you guys should really consider hiring LtChambers.

[freekyjason]

i love CA's support for the modding community with the total war series. build a game and, knowing its going to be pulled apart and reassembled by the players, help facilitate modding

thanks for the info jerome, great to have an update

[Augustus Lucifer]

Sounds interesting, a bit like the system used for Oblivion. I'll wait for the dev package to be released before commenting, since it's clear a lot of the information needed for mods that aren't mini-mods is not yet present.

[Magnus72]

Creative Assembly is awesome talk about supporting their fans through modding. You have made a great game. Gotta love CA

[Ketchup]

Well for one thing, it will cut out all the "I DONT KNOW HOW TO INSTALL THIS MOD!!!!!!!" threads! It seems that it will be as simple as moving one file in and/or out. Excellent architecture CA

[LtChambers]

Oh, and one last thing, you guys should really consider hiring LtChambers.

I was considering apply for a CA job in their Australia branch a few years ago but decided I didn't want to move. I have a cushy grant funded job now, hehe.

[alpaca]

Ok, it looks like I will need to go into a bit more detail about declaring mod packs to the game. You currently do need to tell the game which mod packs you want to have active. You do this by passing the game a script command for each mod you want to have active.

Here's a step-by-step guide:

- find your preferences.empire_script.txt file (in Application Data on an XP machine)
- create a new text file next to it called user.empire_script.txt
- inside there, list your mods like this, one line per mod:
mod my_pack.pack;

The user script gets processed on load, and will tell the game to load your mods in that order. There are a whole bunch of other commands that can be used from there, including dependency definitions and so on, but we'll leave those for now. As I said, this is a quick preview of mechanisms that will be properly documented in the mod dev package.

Ok, this worked. Thanks a lot So will a launcher be included to make sure players don't have to edit these files manually?

Well for one thing, it will cut out all the "I DONT KNOW HOW TO INSTALL THIS MOD!!!!!!!" threads! It seems that it will be as simple as moving one file in and/or out. Excellent architecture CA

I'm not quite so confident because mod enabling will apparently have to be done through those config files but it's a similar process as the mod folder architecture from M2TW or EU3

Edit: Besides, is the same "stitch together" approach that happens for the DB files also working with the localisation files?

[ColdFire]

Dam, CA have now got more awesome points than God. This could cause a holy war. God's angels VS CA's Samurai, Medieval Swordsmen, Roman Infantry, Shinier Medieval Swordsmen, and Line Infantry. Sucks to be God.

[Jack Lusted]

Ok, this worked. Thanks a lot So will a launcher be included to make sure players don't have to edit these files manually?

You can use mod my_mod.pack as a command line for shortcuts etc.

[l33tl4m3r]

You can use mod my_mod.pack as a command line for shortcuts etc.

So either a custom batch file or direct editing of the icon command will do this?

Will this work for loading multiple mods? If so, what seperates them in the list?

i.e.

mod mymods1.pack mymod2.pack

or

mods mymods1.pack mods mymods2.pack

or what?

[priam11]

He had me at Hi All...........