How to Create a Mod

[erasmus777]

The short version:

How to make a mod:

1. Download the Pack File Manager for NTW.
2. Create a new folder called "My Mod Folder"
3. Open PFM and click File>Open
4. Navigate to C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\[napoleon total war?--guessing cuz I don't own the game]\data
5. Find the .pack that contains the tables you want to edit and open it. Check the most recent patch[version].pack first. If the table isn't there, go to the previous patch.pack, and if you still haven't found it, work your way to the original .pack, e.g. data.pack. This will ensure you have the most recent version of the tables you'd like to edit.
6. Right-click on the tables you want and select "Extract..." or press Cntrl-X. Extract the table to the folder you created in Step 2.
7. Repeat #6 as many times as you need.
8. To create your new mod .pack, click File>New.
9. When PFM asks you what folder you want things to be relative to, select the folder you created in Step 2.
10. Right-click in the left window and select "Change pack type>Mod".
11. Press the "Insert" key or right-click in the left window to add the desired tables to your new .pack.
12. Save.
13. Click "Options" above the right window and uncheck "Use first column as row header".
14. Shift-click the empty cells in the first column to select the blocks of rows that you don't want to edit and press "Delete". If you're not sure, you can do this step later.
15. Go through and rename all your tables by right-clicking and selecting "Rename". It doesn't matter what you name them, just rename them. Note: Do not rename the folder. E.g., change "units" to "best_mod_ever_units", but do not rename "units_tables". See the screen shot in this post.
16. Edit your tables.
17. Save often.

Getting your mod to load in the game:
[Many thanks to alpaca for providing the following.]

The ETW/NTW engine has a built-in mod loading method that allows you to switch packs on and off. This doesn't really have an interface but the switching is done by creating a file called user.script.txt in your scripts directory and entering the mod packs you want to load into them.

So, first set your mod type to "mod pack" by right-clicking in PFM, go to "Change Mod Type" and select mod pack, then edit something and save. Be sure to copy the name of your pack file, including the extension, for example I have a file for testing purposes called "alpaca_1.pack".

Then navigate to your scripts directory, in ETW it's in "C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\The Creative Assembly\Napoleon\scripts" (I forgot where it's in 7/Vista). Then copy preferences.script.txt and rename the copy to user.script.txt.*

Open the file in Notepad or another text editor, remove all lines and add a line like this:

mod "alpaca_1.pack";

Save and your mod pack will be loaded by the game. For each additional pack, add another line. I always use quotes and you have to supply the semi-colon ";" at the end of each line.

If you add another pack further down, any files in that pack which have the same name as a file in a pack above that, or a vanilla pack, will override the copy from the above pack, i.e. the file in the last pack that contains it will be used.

Additional info: you can put any settings you have in the preferences.script.txt into the user.script.txt which can be useful because the user script is not overridden when you save options in the game. I have a user script for testing that has windowed mode enabled and uses a lower resolution, and a user script for playing which doesn't have these settings. You'll have to rename the one you want to use to user.script.txt when you start the game.


* Copying preferences.script.txt will automatically make sure the new file is saved with unicode encoding, rather than ANSI which is the default when you create a new text file. So it's the easiest method to create a user script.

NOTE: If your mod is loading fine, but you're not seeing your changes in-game, read husserlTW's note below--

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

... I've seen many reports about mod.packs that do not work as "mod" type and you have to make them "movie". Until now I have not any such problem working with factions, units and custom units for my mods. Avoid to make "movie" mod.packs (exceptspecial occasions like _loc files, videos, etc.) because later you might have problem as happened many times in Empire. Movie packs do not need activation through user.script or Mod Manager (if later is updated for Napoleon) and are easy to be forgotten. These remaining "movie" packs can cause conflicts with future mods you are going to use or with vanilla. Conflicts will be responsible for disabling expected elements of a mod or vanilla and sometimes for unexplained CTD's.

[alhoon]

Thanks!

[Krydon80]

erasmus777 if you ran for president, I would vote for you all the way!

[Invictus XII]

Excellent, I have been looking for a simple to understand tutorial on pack file moding!

Does it all work the same when packing in new textures for units or what?

[husserlTW]

Excellent, I have been looking for a simple to understand tutorial on pack file moding!

Does it all work the same when packing in new textures for units or what?

It works always like this what ever the new pack is about.

[PanzerHue]

first of all, thanx erasmus for this great tutorial.

I have tried making some changes in costs of french units for the NAP EUR campaign. I have followed your great tutorial, but the changes I have made doesnt show when i restart the game (no CTD).
I was wondering if you could help poiting out where I did wrong.

I made a folder (MyMod) where I created a pack-file, containing (MyMod - db - units_tables - MyMod.pack + another file called "units"). This folder I have placed in DATA-folder.
I have followed the steps in your tutorial; and created a txt. file (user.script.txt) with:
"mod "MyMod.pack";", and put it in C:\Users\User Name\AppData\Roaming\The Creative Assembly\Napoleon\scripts (there are another txt file; preferences.script.txt).

...and some where in between I have made a smaal error, but I cant figure out where.

Best regards...

Edit: I use the ModWeakerSpys too, if that can have anything to do with it?

[GingerFish]

yes i have same problem i followed this guide exatly but it still does not load i even changed the pack type to Mod which is does not say to do here. so i tryed again and i made a pack file with just unit_stats_land and all i changed was the unit sizes. i then made the correct script file and tryed to load, but it didnt work. it loads up but all the units are the same old sizes.

any help would be great.

all i want is a mod pack with the following tables in it:
faction_rebellion_units_junctions_tables
factions_tables
projectiles_tables
unit_movement_modifiers_tables
unit_stats_land_tables
unit_stats_naval_tables
units_tables

i have done this but i cant get the changes to show ingame, yet i know i have the pack set to Mod and the script file is correct. HELP PLEASE!!!

many thanks

[dephil]

Did you try to set the pack type to movie? For some reason packs that are set to mod were sometimes not recognized by the game even if the script file is written correct.
Pack files that are set to movie will always be loaded by the game without a script file.

[PanzerHue]

Did you try to set the pack type to movie? For some reason packs that are set to mod were sometimes not recognized by the game even if the script file is written correct.
Pack files that are set to movie will always be loaded by the game without a script file.

hi dephil,
thanx for your fast reply.
i tried searching for how to change from pack to movie:

"click on pack name and open a menu, last option is change pack type, choose the movie pack and voila..."

But as a noob I need some more explanation, please

[dephil]

In PFM open your mod.pack and click on "choose a pack action". The last type you can choose is "movie". (You mentioned that you changed the type of your pack file to mod so I thought you know what I mean )

[PanzerHue]

In PFM open your mod.pack and click on "choose a pack action". The last type you can choose is "movie". (You mentioned that you changed the type of your pack file to mod so I thought you know what I mean )

hehe.... as I mentioned; im a noob and these earthquakes here in chile seems to have shaken some of my neurons.
thanx for your help dephil.

best regards...

[erasmus777]

hehe.... as I mentioned; im a noob and these earthquakes here in chile seems to have shaken some of my neurons.
thanx for your help dephil.

best regards...

Sorry that wasn't clear. I'll add it to Step 10. Glad you got it sorted, though.

[GingerFish]

got mine stored to because it was set a Mod file i thought i changed it but didnt. thanks for the guide really helped out.

[adamsleath]

Thanks for this guide; a few questions/clarifications:

1. do i need to leave the "Unit ID Ref" names as they are? ie the ones i am editing the stats for?
2. do i delete all 'unchanged' rows from the new mod file i have created?
3. I have renamed the db filename (under unit_stats_land_tables - which i left as is) from "unit_stats_land" to 'unit_stats_land_AMMO' - will this be alright?

just wanting to check that i am reading your guide right (or not?)...

thanks i.a. for any help

adam.

[erasmus777]

Thanks for this guide; a few questions/clarifications:

1. do i need to leave the "Unit ID Ref" names as they are? ie the ones i am editing the stats for?
2. do i delete all 'unchanged' rows from the new mod file i have created?
3. I have renamed the db filename (under unit_stats_land_tables - which i left as is) from "unit_stats_land" to 'unit_stats_land_AMMO' - will this be alright?

just wanting to check that i am reading your guide right (or not?)...

thanks i.a. for any help

adam.

1. If you leave the unit id ref names the same, they will overwrite the vanilla units. It sounds like that's what you want to do, so you're on the right track.

2. You're best off deleting any rows you're not changing. I won't bore you with all the reasons, but amongst them is the fact is that it will minimize your mod interfering with others mods and patches.

3. If you don't rename the db table, NTW will completely replace the vanilla table with yours. That's why it doesn't matter what you rename your table, as long as it's renamed. So, yes, your change will be perfect.

[adamsleath]

thanks for quick reply.

edit:
ok, i'll post this hoping for more help (patience...)

i believe i followed the steps...obviously ive got something wrong, i'll describe what i have now:

1. i have unit_stat_land inserted into mod_ammo_1ART.pack
2. i have "change pack type" to "mod"
3. i deleted all non-ammo using unit types from the "unit_stat_land_AMMO" 'database table' (or whatever you call it), renamed from the unit_stat_land extracted from data.pack
(i have left all unit id names the same)

4. question. in PFM, "Pack paths are relative to: c:\program files(x86)\steam\steamapps\common\empire total war\data" is shown in the left window - is this at all relevant?

below this in the left window i have:

-Mod_ammo_ART1.pack
-db
-unit_stats_land_tables
--unit_stats_land_AMMO

im assuming this 'directory-like' structure is contained within the pack ???

5. so i tried putting this modded pack file into the data directory, added it to the script (which i know is working as i have other mods in the user.script.txt file running from it successfully) so the problem doesnt seem to be the script

6. i tried choosing pack action "patch", saving, adding to "data" directory - nope.
7. tried the same for a movie type...nope.

8. i tried to change artillery pieces to 6 (from the default 4) ...is there some other trick to get this to work?

...

If you don't rename the db table, NTW will completely replace the vanilla table with yours.

perhaps i shouldnt rename the table then....maybe that would work...

edit: no luck there...
edit2: i believe im getting conflicts; ill try to edit to retain only ammo column in the mod ...see where that gets me
edit3:
teehee; is it possible to delete entire columns, if so how? i can delete rows...but what about columns?

edit4:
i have a "musketry" mod (which i now know has been set by the author as a "movie" type) ; i edited my copy of this file and presto i now have artillery with 6 pieces

i read somewhere that movie files were loaded last....if so perhaps this was conflicting with my attempted mod files?

in any event i have a temporary fix to my desire to make tweaks. im editing the musketry mod as i like now.

[♔Dignan♔]

I'm trying to create a mod that I always made in ETW.

1. Change all grenadier unit size to same size as line
2. Remove grenade ability from Grenadiers.

For the life of me I can't figure out why I'm getting CTDs when trying set up a battle with my grenadier mod activated. I looked at your tutorial and figured out that I wasn't changing the name of the db file. Would this be causing my CTD? I never had to do this with ETW so I'm not sure. Thanks.

[erasmus777]

I'm trying to create a mod that I always made in ETW.

1. Change all grenadier unit size to same size as line
2. Remove grenade ability from Grenadiers.

For the life of me I can't figure out why I'm getting CTDs when trying set up a battle with my grenadier mod activated. I looked at your tutorial and figured out that I wasn't changing the name of the db file. Would this be causing my CTD? I never had to do this with ETW so I'm not sure. Thanks.

Yes, that can cause CTDs. If you don't rename the table, then it completely overwrites the vanilla files. Say, for example, that you have the new DLC units in your vanilla units table, but you overwrite unit_stats_land with a modded table that doesn't have the new DLC units, then you'll get a CTD. However, if you rename your table, you only overwrite the entries that are included in your mod--in this case, ideally you'll only have the grenadiers that you've changed listed in your .pack file.

[♔Dignan♔]

Yes, that can cause CTDs. If you don't rename the table, then it completely overwrites the vanilla files. Say, for example, that you have the new DLC units in your vanilla units table, but you overwrite unit_stats_land with a modded table that doesn't have the new DLC units, then you'll get a CTD. However, if you rename your table, you only overwrite the entries that are included in your mod--in this case, ideally you'll only have the grenadiers that you've changed listed in your .pack file.

Thanks Erasmus. I'll give it a shot.

[♔Dignan♔]

Well, I just can't seem to get this to work.

Here is what I am doing

1. I open units_stats_land in PFM.
2. I extract JUST this database to my desktop.
3. Go back into PFM and open units_stats_land file I created on my desktop
4. I delete all rows except grenadiers
5. I change their unit size from 120 to 160 and I change "can throw grenades" from "true" to "false" for all grenadier units.
6. I make the file a "mod" type
7. I rename units_stats_land db name by ONE character "Wunits_stats_land"
8. I save to my desktop
9. I put the saved mod file in my data folder and add the name of the mod to my script file.

I seem to have no problems with this kind of thing in ETW and I also have no problems with any of the other mods I'm running for NTW. But I can't get this simple fix to work. When I go into a custom battle all grenadiers are still size 90 (on large unit size) and they still have the ability to throw grenades. Sometimes the game just CTDs at this point but either way it isn't working. Anyone have any suggestions? Am I missing a step?