Submod creation guide

**Bowmaster** · August 13, 2012, 07:29 AM

Hey guys, can someone give me a website or maybe give an own personal guide to: how I create a submod? I'm not sure am I truly gonna do a submod someday(though I have few ideas), but I want to learn how to make submods. I tried looking it from the Internet but- fail!

I am sorry if this should be asked in the Official Ask Questions About TATW 1.0-3.2 Here-Thread, but I felt like that is a question that should not be asked there.

**Mhaedros** · August 13, 2012, 07:36 AM

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=272

Here is all info you'll get on M2TW modding from TWC. Just so you know, this was the wrong place to ask it in though, but I only have powers over this part of TWC, so I can't really do anything about it

**Ngugi** · August 13, 2012, 07:39 AM

Here you have the Mod Workshop, the place to hang out as a modder or modder to be

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=272
And you want the Tutorial subsection http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=273
As you can see there's further 5 divisions here, like coding or graphics or sound etc, to ease up the searching.

My best advice to you is to decide upon something small to begin with, to learn some basics and then get more advanced and ambitious step by step; to many intend to begin with grand projects while learning from scratch and run into the wall, ending up nowhere

best of luck

Edit: ninjad by M' ^^
Edit 2: and an addition to Goofy's post: always back up files before editing

**Goofy** · August 13, 2012, 07:40 AM

A fellow Finn!

Well, creating a submod is technically very simple - you'll just have to edit those TATW files you want to in order to create your own submod.

1. Open your TATW directory (by default this is .../.../SEGA/Medieval II Total War/mods/Third_Age_3/data).
2. Open the file(s) you want.
3. Modify the file(s) the way you want.
4. Save the file(s) - remember not to change the file name, and definitely make a backup of everything you touch!
5. Create a new folder and copy the modified file there.
6. Download a program for file packing and extracting - I recommend WinRAR.
7. Right-click on the folder you created and select "Add to *.rar". WinRAR will then pack it to a .rar file which can contain multiple files which are packed to save bandwidth when uploaded. Thus you naturally don't need to pack the folder if your mod consists of only one file, but I recommend adding at least a "ReadMe" file into the mod folder so usually it's necessary to pack it (unless you add multiple attachments to your mod thread - that is quite dumb though).
8. Create a thread for your mod and add the .rar file as an attachment. If your mod is of a very big size, however, you should upload it to another site, such like MediaFire or FileFactory.

That's it basically - I hope this helped! And someone please correct me if I forgot something.

EDIT: And oh yeah, in the beginning definitely go and hang out in the Mod Workshop - there are a lot of fellow modders there who will help you out.

**Mhaedros** · August 13, 2012, 08:05 AM

Whoa, 3 Finns and a Swede in one thread.

**ElvenKind** · August 13, 2012, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by Mhaedros

Whoa, 3 Finns and a Swede in one thread.

Hm, rename it to a Scandinavian Thread perhapse

**Bowmaster** · August 13, 2012, 08:53 AM

Thanks to all of you! I tried giving rep but I've given too much in the last 24 hours(if you get rep and you don't who gave it to you, you know I was there).

I might should tell what I'm thinking about: Some people have kept Sauron easy, so I decided to make Sauron truly great! The submod would decrease the unit stats of Mordor greatly, but increases all units numbers by fifty, and tighten their lines. You may know LOTR BFME (2)(ROTWK). It's so called "Heroes"(like Boromir, Aragorn, Elrond Mouth of Sauron and other guys) have special abilities. I've been thinking about adding special abilities to Sauron, removing modes Guard, Fire at Will and Skirmish, and replacing them with Sauron's Ring's abilities. The creators of the movies might have thought that the Power of The Ring means becoming invisible and throwing people around. But Tolkien surely thought other. Here are some abilities I've been thinking to give to Sauron:

The Clouds of The Ring: Call the dark clouds of The Ring to Sauron's aid, and rain destruction on the Enemy!

This ability causes dark clouds to appear on the battlefield. It makes the battlefield dark, causes enemy units to scare and increases the morale of allied units. Sometimes a lightning strikes from the clouds, making damage to enemy units. The size of the damage is as big as a catapults damage. This power can only be used once.

The Power of The Ring: Show the Enemy why the Dark Lord is to be scared! Unleash the full might of The Ring!

This ability is simple: A HUGE strike to one direction! Anything that stands in it's path will be destroyed, even you're own units. This power can only be used once.

The Flames of The Ring: Burn the Enemy with the Flames! Give them a painful Death!

One, short but wide, fire strike to enemy units from Sauron's hand. This power does not kill units with eleven defense stat. This power can be used three times.

The Call of The Ring: Summon all the evil creatures nearby to you're aid! Dark Lord is not alone!

This power summons one unit of Orc Band, one unit of Scouts, and one unit of Mountain Trolls to Sauron. I came up with idea while writing this post. This power can be used twice.

So, any idea's how to do that? Or is it even possible? I've been thinking about giving abilities to Balrog, too, but they will not be as great as Sauron's. But I'm not sure about Balrog abilities, because I've only come up with one ability idea:

The Whip of Balrog: The great Whip of the Balrog of Morgoth! Use it to bring death to you're enemy leader!

This ability kills enemy's army's leader, if he is reachable. If not, it kills some other general, or if there's no general nearby, it kills ONE SINGLE MAN.

I'm not sure can this be done, 'cause... well, I just think it may not be possible.

**Ngugi** · August 13, 2012, 08:40 AM

TWC - Sons of the North, assemble!

(Close thread?)

**Ngugi** · August 13, 2012, 09:14 AM

Ah, the merry entusiasm of a green modder. Welcome to the world of challenges

(which in no way is just about restrictions but solutions just as well, to be fair

)

The Clouds of The Ring - can't be done without hard coding (illegal). Engine limitations.

The Power of The Ring - can't be done without hard coding (illegal). Engine limitations.

The Flames of The Ring - you may add the greek fire too him. Never attempted to give such to any unit but assume there's no problem, beisde possibly a lack of animation?
See here: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...ght=greek+fire

The Call of The Ring - you can't spawn units on the battlefield like that.

The Whip of Balrog - can't be done without hard coding (illegal). Engine limitations.

**Bowmaster** · August 13, 2012, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by Ngugi

Ah, the merry entusiasm of a green modder. Welcome to the world of challenges

(which in no way is just about restrictions but solutions just as well, to be fair

)

The Clouds of The Ring - can't be done without hard coding (illegal). Engine limitations.

The Power of The Ring - can't be done without hard coding (illegal). Engine limitations.

The Flames of The Ring - you may add the greek fire too him. Never attempted to give such to any unit but assume there's no problem, beisde possibly a lack of animation?
See here: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...ght=greek+fire

The Call of The Ring - you can't spawn units on the battlefield like that.

The Whip of Balrog - can't be done without hard coding (illegal). Engine limitations.

Of course. Nothing that good can't exist.