Adding "new" tech tree

**Hasefrexx** · June 09, 2012, 12:38 PM

Hi,

First time moding ETF. After spending quite a lot of time, I've finally been able to successfully mod units. Now, I would like to give the ability to native americans to have a navy, through introducing a navy tech tree. So far, I've noticed that AI has the standart tech tree, so I believe that they don't have any naval releated stuff because they just can't build standart ports (so including ports and probably adding related CAI behaviour would allow them to have it)... Is it?

Now, the hard part: I would like the player to have access to that tech tree, too. Is there any easy way to implement this without tweaking the UI? I have absolutely no knowledge on making graphic stuff, so I can only work with already existing graphics (well, I can make squares and circles on paint, that's it ^^). Maybe I could just add it to another already existing tech tree; I would loose the building requirements, and would need to rework the tree (there are too many branches in the naval tech tree already)? Any other possibility maybe?

Last:
What would be modder's must have programs? I'm using DBEditor 1.8 for now; I've gotten Pack manager 1.5.9; though it seems that DBEditor alone can do the Pack manager's work and looks more convenient to me... Unless I'm missing something. Gotten EasyEsf too and ModManager 1.5. Anything else usefull?

**Hasefrexx** · June 13, 2012, 02:34 AM

Any idea?

**DelaRey** · June 16, 2012, 12:01 PM

Have a look at technology_faction_junction table. It is where the technologies are enabled for certain factions. You should be able to enable the techs for naval there for the native americans. Then in building_units_allowed table you can assign certain naval units to be built at the tribal fishing port for example. You will have to enable all relevant technologies for them to be able to build certain type of units. But it all should be possible I guess.

You only need DBEditor. You need Pack manager to edit the language files if you want to edit building descriptions for different culture variations. But you can do it all in the db files without changing any graphics.

Hope it helps.

**Hasefrexx** · June 17, 2012, 05:17 AM

Thanks. After experimenting with technology-related tables, I'll sum up what I've understood, and maybe you could fill in the blanks...:

1. There are two factions for each playable native: hurons, and hurons_playable (huron_pl in short), for exemple.

2. I assume that hurons is the faction that AI uses in the grand campaign, and I can say that huron_pl is the one used in warpath campaign

3. I tried searching in factions_table to find out some differences beetween the two factions, but only ID 2 and ID 3 differ. Any idea on what it does?

4. huron faction already have military_navy tech tree, and mostly all usual techs. This, I assume, is to allow tech trade with native factions, which would not be possible with the tech tree of huron_pl.

5. huron_pl don't have the usual tech tree, and this is one of my main problem: I tried adding them some navy technologies, but they don't appear in the tree. Maybe are they somehow ingame, but I just can't pick them because there is no tab to switch beetween trees like you would is you were some european faction, and I have no idea on how to tweak it.

6. Adding these technologies into an already existing tech tree works though, so I guess this is how I will handle it. However, there were no "screen names" or description for these technologies (is this done through pack file manager?? I don't understand what I can do with it, that I can't with DBEditor)

7. A technology seems to only be attached to a tech tree according to the building required to research it (there is a technology_required_building_levels_junctions_table but it is empty).

8. technology_threads_table... does exists, but I fail to see its use, since it does not looks to be used elsewhere.

**wangrin** · June 17, 2012, 06:36 AM

First of all, tools :

DBEditor 1.8.5 ;
ESF editor ;
Taw converter tools (db to xml and xml to db) ;

Then, you can download files provided by CA : Complete XML and XSD files for ETW by CA
Open the xml file corresponding to the db tables you're working on to see what ID you're searching for mean.

About Techtree (technology tree) :

You can allow a maximum of 8 technologies per building ;
You will have to modify faction available technologies in starpos.esf too, if not, AI will not be able to research them ;
building_level_requirement_technology_junctions and building_research_thread_junctions define technology position in the techtree

**Hasefrexx** · June 17, 2012, 09:15 AM

Thanks a lot, I have had loads of troubles to find up to date programs / check there is no newer version. Didn't knew about startpos.esf; I was just trying to find out how to / what I could do with it by now.

Though, you've sent me again in the quest of up to dates stuff (the sticky links to quite a load of outdated topics, plus links to other threads in topics...), and I'm getting quite lost. DBE is 1.8, not 1.8.5. I've just updated 1.8 with additionnal tables. I believe there are newer versions on taw's etwng but can't find how to update my files. I tried clicking on DB.xsd, opened mine with note pad, and copy-pasted (replacing old text). Then, I get an error message.

Don't understand much either with all formats. .pack, .esf and .xml are fine, but the rest (.tsv, .lua, .loc and likely more I don't have in mind right now) mean little to me.

I don't know where to get xml/db converter. I found out that topic though there's no attachements. Other topics in the list are about .esf/xml. I didn't find a relevant entry in taw's etwng, though there's an .esf/.xml converter that I, anyway, don't know how I could download/get to use.

A few hints on this would definately be of great help.

**DelaRey** · June 17, 2012, 01:12 PM

Names and descriptions for your new technologies will have to be added to the localisation.loc file. You open and edit the file with Packfile Manager, not with DBEditor. Open local_en.pack and you will find it under text. Once opened in PFM, sort the Tag column alphabetically and scroll down to technologies_onscreen_name_*** and you will get an idea of how it works. The naming correspond to the db entries. You can clone an entry and edit it to match your new technology. Just make sure to make a backup of your local_en.pack file before you edit. There can only be one localisation.loc file in the data folder.

The XML and XSD files by CA as mentioned by wangrin is not a neccessity, but looking over the xml file of the db table you are working with, as he mentioned, might give you a better idea about the meaning of the fields in that particular table.

So you only need DBEditor, ESF Editor and PackFile Manager for what you want to do.