Various name changes

[Maleficus]

Hi all.

No doubt my questions have been asked and answered before at some point, but I can't find them anywhere, so I shall ask here. I wish to bring about various changes, which I shall outline below in the hopes of making this all simpler to understand, and therefore to answer.

With regards to each question, I need to know the full process for each. That is to say how many files need changing, which files they afre, where they can be found, and what needs to be changed within them.

Here are the changes I wish to make:


1. Province names.

I want to change province names to the correct ones, so that rather than Vienna Region, Palermo Region and Nottingham Region, I get Austria, Sicily and Mercia (or even Österreich, Sicilia and Mercia).

2. Faction names

I want to change the names of a few of the factions to be more accurate / native. For example, Byzantine Empire to Basileum ton Rhomaion, and Hungary to Magyar Királyság.

3. Character names

Not so much the names of existing characters, as possible names for emerging characters. That is to say, to add and remove certain names availability to certain factions.

I also wonder if it is possible to have 2 characters from the same faction with the same name. After all, France had more than one Louis born to it's royal family over the years, right?

4. Starting family trees

I want to make starting family trees more accurate. A couple of examples: Rodrigo el Valiente, heir to the spanish throne at the start of the game, didn't actually exist as far as I can tell. On the other hand, William the conqueror's second son, Richard, has been completely left out.


Any help or guidance would be appreciated.

[konny]

Most of your questions are answered in the Tutorial Forum.

1. Province names.

I want to change province names to the correct ones, so that rather than Vienna Region, Palermo Region and Nottingham Region, I get Austria, Sicily and Mercia (or even Österreich, Sicilia and Mercia).

Folder data\text\ file imperial_campaign_regions_and_settlement_names.txt

change
{Novgorod_Province}Novgorod
{Novgorod}Novgorod

to
{Novgorod_Province}Novgorod
{Novgorod}Naugarden

The city of Novgorod is now displayed as Naugarden. Do not change anything inside the { }.

2. Faction names

I want to change the names of a few of the factions to be more accurate / native. For example, Byzantine Empire to Basileum ton Rhomaion, and Hungary to Magyar Királyság.

Same folder, file expanded.txt

change
{BYZANTIUM}Byzantium

to
{BYZANTIUM}Basileia ton Romaion

This faction is now displayed as Basileia ton Romaion. You also need to change all other references in this file to make it accurate, for example:

{EMT_HUNGARY_ADMIRAL}Navy of Magyar Királyság
{EMT_HUNGARY_ASSASSIN}Assassin of Magyar Királyság
{EMT_HUNGARY_CAPITAL}Magyar Királyság Capital
{EMT_HUNGARY_CASTLE}Magyar Királyság Castle
{EMT_HUNGARY_CITY}Magyar Királyság City
{EMT_HUNGARY_DIPLOMAT}Diplomat of Magyar Királyság
{EMT_HUNGARY_DOCK}Magyar Királyság Docks
{EMT_HUNGARY_FACTION_HEIR}Faction Heir of Magyar Királyság
{EMT_HUNGARY_FACTION_HEIR_NAME}Prince %S
{EMT_HUNGARY_FACTION_HEIR_TITLE}Faction Heir
{EMT_HUNGARY_FACTION_LEADER}Faction Leader of Magyar Királyság
{EMT_HUNGARY_FACTION_LEADER_NAME}King %S
{EMT_HUNGARY_FACTION_LEADER_TITLE}Faction Leader
{EMT_HUNGARY_FISHING_VILLAGE}Magyar Királyság Fishing Village
{EMT_HUNGARY_FORMER_FACTION_LEADER_TITLE}King
{EMT_HUNGARY_FORT}Magyar Királyság Fort
{EMT_HUNGARY_FORTRESS}Magyar Királyság Citadel
{EMT_HUNGARY_GENERAL}Army of Magyar Királyság
{EMT_HUNGARY_HUGE_CITY}Magyar Királyság Huge City
{EMT_HUNGARY_LARGE_CASTLE}Magyar Királyság Fortress
{EMT_HUNGARY_LARGE_CITY}Magyar Királyság Large City
{EMT_HUNGARY_LARGE_TOWN}Magyar Királyság Large Town
{EMT_HUNGARY_MERCHANT}Merchant from Magyar Királyság
{EMT_HUNGARY_NAMED_CHARACTER}Family Member of Magyar Királyság
{EMT_HUNGARY_NAMED_CHARACTER_5}Bishop of Magyar Királyság
{EMT_HUNGARY_NAMED_GENERAL}General of Magyar Királyság
{EMT_HUNGARY_NAMED_GENERAL_5}Bishop of Magyar Királyság
{EMT_HUNGARY_PORT}Magyar Királyság Port
{EMT_HUNGARY_PRIEST}Priest from Magyar Királyság
{EMT_HUNGARY_PRIEST_1}Bishop of Magyar Királyság
{EMT_HUNGARY_PRIEST_2}Cardinal of Magyar Királyság
{EMT_HUNGARY_PRINCESS}Princess of Magyar Királyság
{EMT_HUNGARY_SPY}Spy of Magyar Királyság
{EMT_HUNGARY_STAR_FORT}Magyar Királyság Star Fort
{EMT_HUNGARY_STONE_KEEP}Magyar Királyság Wooden Castle
{EMT_HUNGARY_TOWN}Magyar Királyság Town
{EMT_HUNGARY_VILLAGE}Magyar Királyság Village
{EMT_HUNGARY_WATCHTOWER}Magyar Királyság Watchtower
{EMT_HUNGARY_WOODEN_CASTLE}Magyar Királyság Motte and Bailey

Do not change anything inside the { }.

3. Character names

Not so much the names of existing characters, as possible names for emerging characters. That is to say, to add and remove certain names availability to certain factions.

Same folder, file names.txt

change
{Luis}Luis
to
{Luis}Louis

Do not change anything inside the { }.

To remove names from a faction go to folder data file descr_names.txt and remove the name from the respective faction. Adding names basically works the same/other way round, but better check the tutorial.

I also wonder if it is possible to have 2 characters from the same faction with the same name. After all, France had more than one Louis born to it's royal family over the years, right?

Simple trick:

{Konrad_A}Konrad
{Konrad_B}Konrad
{Konrad_C}Konrad
{Konrad_D}Konrad
{Konrad_E}Konrad
{Konrad_F}Konrad
{Konrad_G}Konrad
{Konrad_H}Konrad
{Konrad_I}Konrad

All those characters would be displayed as "Konrad" in game.

4. Starting family trees

I want to make starting family trees more accurate. A couple of examples: Rodrigo el Valiente, heir to the spanish throne at the start of the game, didn't actually exist as far as I can tell. On the other hand, William the conqueror's second son, Richard, has been completely left out.

Check out the tutorial section.

[Maleficus]

Thanks Konny. Looks like pretty much the info I was looking for. Just 2 things.
1.

Folder data\text\ file imperial_campaign_regions_and_settlement_names.txt

change
{Novgorod_Province}Novgorod
{Novgorod}Novgorod

to
{Novgorod_Province}Novgorod
{Novgorod}Naugarden

The city of Novgorod is now displayed as Naugarden. Do not change anything inside the { }.

It's the province names I want to change, not the city names, so should I just change the line:

{Novgorod_Province}

In a similar manner to which you have shown the city line changed?

and 2.

This could be a pretty big problem, or I may just blind/stupid/both, but I don't seem to have a text folder. Here's what I do have:

Spoiler for Medieval II Folder: 

Spoiler for Data Folder: 

As you can see, no data/text/

Am I missing something here? (Other than an entire folder)


Interestingly enough, the game seems to run OK even despite missing some (presumably vital) files...

[konny]

It's the province names I want to change, not the city names, so should I just change the line:

{Novgorod_Province}

In a similar manner to which you have shown the city line changed?

Exactly.

As you can see, no data/text/

Am I missing something here? (Other than an entire folder)

Yes, I am a sadist...

.....I knew that you don't have a text folder because you didn't unpack your files. And where did I know that from? Well, I am a wizzard too....


(....or simply spent to much time in this forum)



One thing: ALWAYS BACKUP THE FILES YOU ARE GOING TO MOD

[Maleficus]

All unpacked now, but I have hit another wall:

Most of the files in the data/text/ folder seem to be BIN files, including both 'Imperial_campaign_regions_and_settlement_names.txt.strings' and 'expanded.txt.strings' which, unless I'm much mistaken (again) are the files I need to modify.

Firstly, WTF is a BIN file? Honestly, I've never heard of it....

Secondly, how do I open a BIN file?

[The_Steppenwulf]

Your files havent been unpacked they are essentially all archived in the packs folder.
To unpack them:
Go into the tools folder first and use the unpacker to unpack the aforesaid files - the instuctions for doing this should be found also in the tools folder in a Readme.

[Gigantus]

AAh, the neverending amazement of modding! Check this for the end of your trouble (for now)


STRING.BIN (STRING.Basic Information Note = my own interpretation) It is basically a database. In this case containing strings (words\letters)

[Maleficus]

AAh, the neverending amazement of modding! Check this for the end of your trouble (for now)


STRING.BIN (STRING.Basic Information Note = my own interpretation) It is basically a database. In this case containing strings (words\letters)

Great. All coverted


So now I have BIN and text files. I'm guessing I modify the text files as previously described, and leave the BIN files as they are. Right? Wrong?


Also, as konny said:

ALWAYS BACKUP THE FILES YOU ARE GOING TO MOD

Umm, probably a dumb question, but where should I back them up? I'm guessing that having two versions of a file in the text folder would mess the game up, no?

So is there anywhere in particular the backup should be (desktop, my documents, D:, burnt to disc, etc)?

[Gigantus]

So is there anywhere in particular the backup should be (desktop, my documents, D:, burnt to disc, etc)?

The easiest and fastest way, is to make copies:

highlight the file, use Ctrl+C and then Ctrl+V and you have got copies.

So now I have BIN and text files. I'm guessing I modify the text files as previously described, and leave the BIN files as they are. Right? Wrong?

[Maleficus]

This has all been a great help to me, and I have been able to make most of the changes I wanted to with confidence.

However, I wonder if it is possible to take name modifictaion a little further, and so I have two more questions. I can't honestly say I expect to be able to do either of the following things, but it doesn't hurt to check, right?

1. Is it possible to make some of a given faction's available name pool 'royal only', 'non-royal only' etc.? After all, Anselm may be a perfectly good name for a priest or a merchant, but it just seems daft for a king....

2. Having previously discussed the possibilty of having multiple people with the same name in the same faction, a troubling thought occurred to me: what if this results in my good King Henry having four sons. And calling them all Henry? (Not as far-fetched as it sounds, apparently: Henry II of France named 2 of his sons Francis )

Anyway, the question is simply, is there any way to ensure this doesn't happen?
(without the obvious option of restricting to one use of the name)

[konny]

1. Is it possible to make some of a given faction's available name pool 'royal only', 'non-royal only' etc.? After all, Anselm may be a perfectly good name for a priest or a merchant, but it just seems daft for a king....

No.

I would suggest to make the names in a way that they would be accurate for the king, his sons, someone marrying a princess etc. That way merchants and diplomats might have rather "noble" names, like a Friedrich von Staufen being a humble priest, but I could rather live with that than to have an Amseln of Canterbury as king of England.

Another thing would be multi-national factions. Sicily might for example have French-Norman and Italian family members. The problem here is that each combination of first and second name is legal for the game. So, when you use Italian and Norman first and second names you might get a Roger di Cremona as well as an Adalbero de Hautville. In this case I would suggest to use second names in both languages but first names only in the form that would be accurate for the royal family.

The same applies to the Papal States: A new pope will pick any name listed as possible male name for that faction. So, to avoid a Danish Pope Luigi you should only use accurate papal names, in the Latin form!, as male names for this faction.

2. Having previously discussed the possibilty of having multiple people with the same name in the same faction, a troubling thought occurred to me: what if this results in my good King Henry having four sons. And calling them all Henry? Anyway, the question is simply, is there any way to ensure this doesn't happen?

No.

[Maleficus]

OK. As I said, I wasn't expecting the answers to be yes, but it's good to get the clarification. I guess I'll do as you suggested and get rid of all the daft names.

Also, I've never seen a Pope Luigi, or anything of that nature occur. Mostly just 'Honorius', 'Benedict', 'Clement', etc., but I'll look into their names list too, just to be sure.

Thanks for the help