Unpacking Files Step-By-Step

[Awari Ang Ikil]

There is no folder data/UI ...???

[denthegodking]

Vercingetorex's "xpak" program allows us to change many of the 2D aspects of RTW which we normally could not. While there are instructions included in his readme, I have seen enough people post asking for directions in this process that it warrants a walkthrough. And now, we begin:

1) Download XPAK.

2) Extract these files (Right Click, extract).

3) Open extracted files


4) Create a New Folder here


5) Go to your C:\Program Files\Activision\Rome - Total War\Data\Packs folder. Find the file that is titled "ui_1.pak" and copy it.

6) Paste this file into the New Folder which you created earlier.


7) Copy the two files shown below

and paste them into the New Folder you created before


8) Double click on the icon shown below

When this is complete a folder "DATA" should appear. Copy this and paste it into C:\Program Files\Activision\Rome - Total War. Click "Yes to All" If it asks you to overwrite.

9) Return to the C:\Program Files\Activision\Rome - Total War\Data\Packs folder. Create a new text file (right-click, new, text document) and name it "ui_1.pak" Leave it empty

10) Find the file named ui_1.pak here and delete it (Always remember to back-up files!!!). Now you should be left with just a text file (highlighted) which has the same name as the original .pak file


11) You have successfully unpacked files! Go to C:\Program Files\Activision\Rome - Total War\Data\UI and you will see all of the files now available for you to change. In the folder entitled "Unit_Info" you will find the larger unit information cards for each faction. In the "Units" file you will find the smaller unit cards for each faction.


Enjoy!

Hello I would really like how to do this however because the images are no longer available to view this is impossible to follow, eg what 2 files in step 7??

[TheHolyRoman]

Hello I would really like how to do this however because the images are no longer available to view this is impossible to follow, eg what 2 files in step 7??

For anyone wondering how to unpack, just

Copy the xpak files (except the readme and samplePak -- doesn't really matter though) into ...\Rome - Total War\data\packs.

Open the xpak batch file.

Done.

[Gigantus]

nvm, didn't see the previous post before responding.

[Unvers]

Vercingetorex's "xpak" program allows us to change many of the 2D aspects of RTW which we normally could not. While there are instructions included in his readme, I have seen enough people post asking for directions in this process that it warrants a walkthrough. And now, we begin:

1) Download XPAK.

2) Extract these files (Right Click, extract).

3) Open extracted files


4) Create a New Folder here


5) Go to your C:\Program Files\Activision\Rome - Total War\Data\Packs folder. Find the file that is titled "ui_1.pak" and copy it.

6) Paste this file into the New Folder which you created earlier.


7) Copy the two files shown below

and paste them into the New Folder you created before


8) Double click on the icon shown below

When this is complete a folder "DATA" should appear. Copy this and paste it into C:\Program Files\Activision\Rome - Total War. Click "Yes to All" If it asks you to overwrite.

9) Return to the C:\Program Files\Activision\Rome - Total War\Data\Packs folder. Create a new text file (right-click, new, text document) and name it "ui_1.pak" Leave it empty

10) Find the file named ui_1.pak here and delete it (Always remember to back-up files!!!). Now you should be left with just a text file (highlighted) which has the same name as the original .pak file


11) You have successfully unpacked files! Go to C:\Program Files\Activision\Rome - Total War\Data\UI and you will see all of the files now available for you to change. In the folder entitled "Unit_Info" you will find the larger unit information cards for each faction. In the "Units" file you will find the smaller unit cards for each faction.


Enjoy!

Something is wrong, the post talks about images shown below but nothing can be seen, I know that the links have expired, I try to follow the guide but still I can't.

[Gigantus]

The instructions in the quote are a bit confusing and long winded, proceed as follows:

1. Download XPAK.
2. Place the XPAK.zip file into your ...\Rome - Total War\data\packs folder
3. Extract the XPAK.zip file (7Zip is freeware)
4. Run xpack.bat (windows batch file)
5. end of story, just as TheHolyRoman posted over 4 years ago just a little further up.

[Unvers]

The instructions in the quote are a bit confusing and long winded, proceed as follows:

1. Download XPAK.
2. Place the XPAK.zip file into your ...\Rome - Total War\data\packs folder
3. Extract the XPAK.zip file (7Zip is freeware)
4. Run xpack.bat (windows batch file)
5. end of story

Ok thanks, I had actually tried to extract the .pak of the Total Realism mod assuming it worked like the .pak of RTW while it seems that it does not and I think I managed to extract two .pak of RTW vanilla, the Total Realism mo would be interesting for me to try but I think I have to go very cautious in replacing the files, once I tried to install it and even if I did everything perfectly the game did not pass the initial screen, I do not know if it has to do with the fact that I have the Steam version.

[Gigantus]

Total Realism may have used a more recent version of the PAK tool, best to ask in their forum about it. There is however no need to unpack files if you simply want to play the game or a mod.
Some mods are actually not mod foldered which means that unpacking the original PAK files may overwrite edited files and thereby cause the mod to crash. If you are into modding then I would suggest to copy the pack file folder somewhere else and unpack there - then copy back the files you want to edit.
That way you have a backup of original files and can remove all unpacked once you have no more need of them.

Similar reason to why I wrote this unpack tutorial for M2TW.

[Unvers]

Total Realism may have used a more recent version of the PAK tool, best to ask in their forum about it. There is however no need to unpack files if you simply want to play the game or a mod.
Some mods are actually not mod foldered which means that unpacking the original PAK files may overwrite edited files and thereby cause the mod to crash. If you are into modding then I would suggest to copy the pack file folder somewhere else and unpack there - then copy back the files you want to edit.
That way you have a backup of original files and can remove all unpacked once you have no more need of them.

Similar reason to why I wrote this unpack tutorial for M2TW.

Ok thanks, the reason for the game not going over the main screen happened months ago anyway when I was less interested in modding so I hadn't messed up with the .pak but for some strange reason it didn't start the same, I'll try to implement the mod slowly in the original game, I don't plan to do for now the total replacement.

[trueman11]

Vercingetorex's "xpak" program allows us to change many of the 2D aspects of RTW which we normally could not. While there are instructions included in his readme, I have seen enough people post asking for directions in this process that it warrants a walkthrough. And now, we begin:

1) Download XPAK.

2) Extract these files (Right Click, extract).

3) Open extracted files


4) Create a New Folder here


5) Go to your C:\Program Files\Activision\Rome - Total War\Data\Packs folder. Find the file that is titled "ui_1.pak" and copy it.

6) Paste this file into the New Folder which you created earlier.


7) Copy the two files shown below

and paste them into the New Folder you created before


8) Double click on the icon shown below

When this is complete a folder "DATA" should appear. Copy this and paste it into C:\Program Files\Activision\Rome - Total War. Click "Yes to All" If it asks you to overwrite.

9) Return to the C:\Program Files\Activision\Rome - Total War\Data\Packs folder. Create a new text file (right-click, new, text document) and name it "ui_1.pak" Leave it empty

10) Find the file named ui_1.pak here and delete it (Always remember to back-up files!!!). Now you should be left with just a text file (highlighted) which has the same name as the original .pak file


11) You have successfully unpacked files! Go to C:\Program Files\Activision\Rome - Total War\Data\UI and you will see all of the files now available for you to change. In the folder entitled "Unit_Info" you will find the larger unit information cards for each faction. In the "Units" file you will find the smaller unit cards for each faction.


Enjoy!

A very confusing tutorial..."files shown below", "icon shown below" - where are they shown??..what files, what icon??.. Does "Open extracted files" mean opening the folder they are extracted to??...

It feels like this tutorial could much more simple...

[Leonardo]

A very confusing tutorial..."files shown below", "icon shown below" - where are they shown??..what files, what icon??..

It feels like this tutorial could much more simple...

I think "files shown below" or "icon shown below" is about the XPAK progam.

For example, what files is these files.

2) Extract these files (Right Click, extract).

3) Open extracted files

Does "Open extracted files" mean opening the folder they are extracted to??...

No, it means to open the extracted files. That's how I read it.