Question: DLC, Gempei and Boshin units - What exactly keeps them exclusive?

[rob-a-dogg]

What keeps these units exclusive in the game? Is it something in the db which I can set myself? I would like to start fiddling with the resources from these campaigns and the DLC in my mods. I would like to release these here for everyone to share once Im done but im not exactly sure what we can get away with.

I would like to make variants of the DLC units available, so that not only Oda has access to long spears, not only Tokugawa has mounted gunners and that the new clans that can access them have their own special variants.

How would something like giving all Matchlock Samurai an officer that used a Shimazu Heavy Gunner rifle be seen? Or adding attendant torso armor to ashugaru units?

Either way I will be making these for my own use but id like to understand how the game keeps this stuff exclusive from people who dont own the game.

I own the lot and will post screenshots from steam proving it if necessary.

[BullGod]

I think that if there are unit parts exclusive to DLC in a mod, like unit parts from RotS for example, you'll not be able to use them until you buy the DLC, because they're encrypted in some way.

[scope2007]

The code protecting DLC units is likely within steam account permissions, rather than the game code itself, as DLC files (and FOTS), files are completely visible within the pack files to keep compatibility when playing online. If what you are trying to say is that you want to make DLC units all faction - but keep them only available for those who own the DLC - then it should be possible by making a packfile which only changes unit faction permissions to japan (or in some cases default).

This would get around the problem of making DLC units available to those who should not have them.

If you mean actually creating the DLC units for general release for everyone then that is a different ball park...

Hypothetically, you could clone the units with PFM - give them a different unit ID etc and they would work for EVERYONE who doesn't own the DLC. However this practice would be illegal and would not see general release.

You could create similar units with similar characteristics if you don't own the DLC, by copying and altering stats slightly and giving them a different name - this would probably be ok as I have seen similar things done on these forums with no repercussions.

But any blatent attempt to make DLC free would break the ToS of this forum and would likely lead to the removal of the mod.

The use of DLC models is a bit of a grey area too it seems as it can fall either way. Exclusive model files are NOT encrypted, not ROTS, FOTS or Sengoklu DLC - Wako pirates for instance, use pre-existing model parts which are set in the unit.variant file - so copying this look should be legit.
However exclusive models like the warrior nuns might fall in the opposite direction - as these models were specifically made for
the DLC and did not exist prior to the ikko DLC.

It depends on what you are trying to accomplish with your mod, it can go either way.

I have a mod which changes the ninja officer unit in the Vanilla armies into that of the FOTS model. It works even if you don't own FOTS as the files are present to allow you play against FOTS armies online. As no porting of files from FOTS to non FOTS players occurs, and I am only changing a single unit model - not making a DLC unit available - this is legitimate and I have not been asked to take it down.

[Ishan]

Thread moved out of the tutorial section and moved to Text Editing and Scripting section. Don't make threads there unless you're submitting a tutorial, resource or a tool.

And thread closed, meddling with DLC is illegal, though you can mod them and then release them only if they work for people who have bought it. Any other scenarios are illegal.