Traits and Ancilliaries Coding...Help!

**Xystophoroi** · January 31, 2010, 01:58 PM

Hi,

Originally I was going to PM this but thought that by making this more public some others may get up the courage to give it a try. I have no experience coding whatsoever but I have been going through some basic tutorials on this very site and am looking to help the team with the trait coding which they've said is their biggest gap in current progress.

I've been going through the tutorials but am still somewhat in the dark about which files I need to edit, where to find the list of vices and virtues (export_descr_vnvs doesn't seem to list what the vices/virtues are or what the effects are). I know HOW to do it, how to format, how to name, write, etc but not which files to do it to or how to get them to be picked up by the game Mod file (except for triggers, I don't know those)

so if one of the more experienced guys could give us a step by step of how THEY would go about making a new trait/ancilliary/trigger that would be awesome!

What files to edit (all the instances of them), where to save them, where to find the list of effects, names of files, etc

Some of the files tell me to NOT edit them directly but to edit the spreadsheets and re-export them...where are these spreadsheets and how do I re-export them?

I have a Mod folder built (unpack_all.bat etc)

Thanks.

**novatech0** · January 31, 2010, 09:03 PM

HMMM I GOT A QUESTION DOMINION. u guys said this project would be finished xmas, now this month now next month, and u guys keep saying ohh yee its gonna be done soon, and 7 or 9 months latter after hearing deadlines u guys arnt close to finish. PLEASE GIVE US A EXACT DEADLINE. and i have stop checking domominions fouroms cause its been to long. and i was wondering if u needded help from me to do some modding for u guys i have no experiance but i can lend a hand

**sumskilz** · January 31, 2010, 10:49 PM

Originally Posted by novatech0

HMMM I GOT A QUESTION DOMINION. u guys said this project would be finished xmas, now this month now next month, and u guys keep saying ohh yee its gonna be done soon, and 7 or 9 months latter after hearing deadlines u guys arnt close to finish. PLEASE GIVE US A EXACT DEADLINE. and i have stop checking domominions fouroms cause its been to long. and i was wondering if u needded help from me to do some modding for u guys i have no experiance but i can lend a hand

Relax guy, maybe you need a girlfriend or some other hobbies to pass the time.

**Monthy** · February 01, 2010, 03:31 AM

Hahhah very good, very goooood. I suggest girlfriend

**Achilla** · February 02, 2010, 08:38 AM

Originally Posted by novatech0

HMMM I GOT A QUESTION DOMINION. u guys said this project would be finished xmas, now this month now next month, and u guys keep saying ohh yee its gonna be done soon, and 7 or 9 months latter after hearing deadlines u guys arnt close to finish. PLEASE GIVE US A EXACT DEADLINE. and i have stop checking domominions fouroms cause its been to long. and i was wondering if u needded help from me to do some modding for u guys i have no experiance but i can lend a hand

No one said it will be done before, by or after Xmas.

There were only overly optimistic guesses indicating there might be 'something' released once the map is finished, in form of an early beta or alpha, perhaps even not released openly yet (but to chosen testers).

If anything, you give too much significance to insignificant information or simply over-interpret things.

You want a 'good' estimate? Some map previews Feb/March, something of substance being released in late summer/early autumn, moderately stable public release around December. And yet again, it's a funny estimate based upon a wish and not detailed information I simply have no access to.

If even devs don't give you a 'deadline', then it simply means there is too much work ahead and the entire development might evolve in the process. Some old things might be changed to appropriate standard, some things left out, new things being worked on.

Desperate attempts of trying to get attention don't help to get your point across.

To quote Blizzard: 'It's done when it's done'.

Come here back in a year and post your claims, just stop spamming random topics like that.

**G-Megas-Doux** · February 01, 2010, 03:25 PM

I feel sorry for Xystophoroi, no one answered Xystophoroi's post.

I'm not affiliated with Dots, however the answer should be to highlight and copy everything in the txt file, ctrl a, then copy ctrl c, then open spreadsheet, then paste (ctrl v). Once you have edited each txt file on the spreadsheet (and made a back up copy of the origional files saved elsewhere) copy the whole contense of each spreadsheet and past over the mod txt files that you are editing then save it. Then test the results of your edit and see if they work. The warnings about not editing are just warnings you can edit directly into the txt files but finding errors are not easy. I uses to edit the strat file for Rome when moding senarios for myself and one typo would ruin it yet I would still continue with the modding.

**Xystophoroi** · February 01, 2010, 04:40 PM

So I:-
1. find export_descr_character_traits.txt
2. copy the contents to an excel (BioBook/ChemBook are better! [/shameless plug]) spreadsheet
3. following the format for the traits (single tier, 2 tier, etc) I create my trait (how/when do I set triggers? And where do I find the effects?)
4. export the contents to my Mod folder as the same name.txt replacing the older one
5. find descr_strat.txt and change one of the starting characters to have my trait to check it appears and functions correctly

**sumskilz** · February 01, 2010, 06:46 PM

I feel sorry for Xystophoroi, no one answered Xystophoroi's post.

Sorry, I guess Xystophoroi just got lost after that epic post by novatech0.

**Spider1110** · February 04, 2010, 02:12 AM

well i haven't done any editing beyond some personal tinkering on the trait file. but i found some useful information in the ultimate docudemons. like conditions and VnVs.

for adding the traits you could also use the console command in game or create trigger trigger which always adds it after a turn.

**Xystophoroi** · February 04, 2010, 06:35 AM

Awesome, I'll go through that and see if i can't find what I need.

Thanks.

**Subuatai de Bodemloze** · February 04, 2010, 05:15 PM

To directly answer you mate. It's not that we do not know how to code the traits and VnV's But it is the amount that has to be coded. When I started with DOtS I was the only traits coder w/ help from Azim. At that Time I think I had about 500 traits. Then we added blood the bloodlines, that if mixed right trigger special "historical bloodlines" then we have a bizillion PSF hereditary titles both secular and non secular and the same for the Settlements in there national language. As well we have about a dozen High ranking position traits. As well we also have regional ethnicity trait modifiers. So there is a

load of work there.. I have had to step down from the Traits coding positon as I just do not have the time nor energy.. funny how 3 kids and a more than full time job can do that to you, eh? Thankfully Elphir has taken up the torch for the traits dept but both him and our other 2 coders are full time students.

**Xystophoroi** · February 05, 2010, 01:45 AM

Ta'

I knew you knew how to do it.

Well I'm feeling confident, should be able to write a few practice traits this evening/weekend and start looking at setting up some triggers then I should be set to help...at least a bit. Should have a bit more free time the week ahead, buggered my back after a crap breakfall from a Kata Guruma/Firemans Drop so wont be wrestling for the week...

**Subuatai de Bodemloze** · February 05, 2010, 01:14 PM

Well sir, if your willing to put some time in not just for a week I am sure we would welcome you to the ranks.

**Xystophoroi** · February 06, 2010, 07:56 AM

Right

I've uploaded my test trait and trigger and assigned them to a character (Richard the English Spy)

I am having two problems

1. I cannot get the game to pick up the new trait - can you see an error?
(trait is in export_descr_character_traits.txt along with the trigger and the character is under imperial_campaign>descr_strat.txt)

2. I cannot create my own descriptions - hence using descriptions for other traits - could this overlap be causing a problem with picking up the trait in game?
When I open export_vnvs.txt from data>text I get an absolute mess with a variety of random characters - How do I get around this, is it possible to convert this to a legible format? - excel data import doesn't seem to have enough delimiters to make this readable

If I correct all of these problems will I be able to use this trait or will I need to edit other files as well - for example: export_descr_vnvs_enums.txt from the data folder?

Sorry for being a bother...

Subuatai: If I can get these to start working I'd be very willing to spend a few hours a week coding some traits/ancilliaries.