How to make a custom unit with PFM

[BrutalViking22]

Ok I want to make a freakin' praetorian guard with round shields, amoured legionarie armour and the other parts remain the same how do I do that???????

[Balfour]

Hey everyone,

At first: Sorry for my bad english. Isn't my native language. I'm german.
the second one: I'm new in Modding and a totaly noob.

My Question: can anybody help me? I'm really frustrated. Everytime when i want to edit a row at the land_units_Table the PFM says: Column does not allow nulls.
Can you help me, please?

[tediichan]

I'm not sure what your error is but I'm a noob too but I got it working somehow.

All I did was make a new .pack file on PFM.
Then go to the 'files' tab at the top, and select "add" --> then "from pack...".
Select the parts you need as listed in the guide.
Then you should be able to edit however you like including copying rows to make new units etc...


Anyway I'd like to know if someone can help me.
So I got everything working, but I can't seem to make a new key for the unit I'd like to make. When I click on that field, I just get the drop-down box from which I can select any other unit. So I can't add the name to be like "tediis_awesome_unit"

Secondly, I assign a numerical key to the unit but I can't find how to sort the "land units" table by unit key.

Any help from the pro's would be nice.
Cheers.

[tediichan]

Also, I want to know how to add a shield to units that don't have shields. I've seen other people do it (i.e adding a round shield to parthian royal cataphracts).

When I enter a shield into that particular field in the "land units" table, then run the game, my cats just seem to hold up an invisible shield when under fire from arrows. I just want the shield to show up. Any help would be nice.

[zeroFreeze]

Also, I want to know how to add a shield to units that don't have shields. I've seen other people do it (i.e adding a round shield to parthian royal cataphracts).

When I enter a shield into that particular field in the "land units" table, then run the game, my cats just seem to hold up an invisible shield when under fire from arrows. I just want the shield to show up. Any help would be nice.

You need to add the variantmeshdefinition for the shield to the variantmeshdefinition of the unit you want to have the shield; check out Jack Lusteds' guide on it - I believe it is stickied

[tediichan]

Can anyone help me please?
I've got an issue with regards to the changing of the unit key (not the number but the name key thing)
When I click on that field, I just get the drop-down box from which I can select any other unit. So I can't add the name to be like "tediis_awesome_unit" but I just get a selection.

Secondly, I assign a numerical key to the unit but I can't find how to sort the "land units" table by unit key.

Any help would be nice.

[SgtHatred]

Which table are you trying to type your custom key in? Main_units and land_units both allow you to type in your entry. If you are talking about building_units_allowed then you should enter your new unit name in the other two tables first. I've even had to save and restart the pmf to get my custom units to show up in the drop down selection boxes after entering them in the main and land unit tables.

As for the second part- click the "key" button at the top of the column.

[antares24]

hi, i wanted to ask how to make the triarii recruitable even after the marian reforms. I tried to mod "unit_required_technology_junction_tables" adding the triari to the last roman technology but it has no effect. What i should do? Thanks!

[Balfour]

Hello,

Can anyone help me please with my mod? it crashes the game and i to blind to see the error. Would be really nice, if anyone can help me.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tuolan3vq0...nspearmen.pack

Thank you.

[Logan509thSPS]

Hello, I have followed your tut to make my own army unit and everything seems right but when I enter the battle screen it partially loads and then crashes and I cant figure what is causing this to happen, any idea what could be the culprit to this action.

[AngryTitusPullo]

Just a question, probably has been asked before but if I want to create a new duplicate unit do I have to edit all the files as in the OP ? Just for example I want to create a duplicate of Hastati unit which will have a different name, but same in others (skins/textures) as in vanilla but the different is maybe this can only be recruited in Italy.

Do I need to edit all files listed here ?

[blackheartz]

hi, i wanted to ask how to make the triarii recruitable even after the marian reforms. I tried to mod "unit_required_technology_junction_tables" adding the triari to the last roman technology but it has no effect. What i should do? Thanks!

I am not 100% sure about that but you will need to change the technology_unit_upgrades table probably. Remove the lines that change Hastati to Leggionary_Cohort

Hello,

Can anyone help me please with my mod? it crashes the game and i to blind to see the error. Would be really nice, if anyone can help me.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tuolan3vq0...nspearmen.pack

Thank you.

I took a quick look in this.
You have included a custom short description but you have not added it to the unit_description_short_texts.
Also I am not sure if you have a unique_index_entry and key in main_units and building_units allowed.

NOTICE: I have not corrected and run your pack so there might be other things wrong besides the ones I mentioned. Double check spelling and stuff.

Just a question, probably has been asked before but if I want to create a new duplicate unit do I have to edit all the files as in the OP ? Just for example I want to create a duplicate of Hastati unit which will have a different name, but same in others (skins/textures) as in vanilla but the different is maybe this can only be recruited in Italy.

Do I need to edit all files listed here ?

Hmm, it depends. If the unit will replace Hastati then no. Just change their name in units.loc and make changes only in the db tables that interest you. If the unit is based of hastati but does not replace them, you will need to add every table, clone the hastati lines and just change their unit key (Rom_Hastati).
EDIT: In this case be careful in the unit_variants table as your new unit will have its own key but it will use Rom_Hastati icons & meshes.

[Roemerboy]

Hello,
I have a question.
I just started with modding and creating a new unit will be my first work.
Now, you wrote that I must write the key of my new unit in the db table "buildings_units_allowed". But I can't write there. I only have a drop down menu.
So I created my troop at "land_units" first. But it does not appear in the dropdown field of "buildings_units_allowed".
What did I wrong? Do I need to edit another db table first?

[crawe1]

Hello,
I have a question.
I just started with modding and creating a new unit will be my first work.
Now, you wrote that I must write the key of my new unit in the db table "buildings_units_allowed". But I can't write there. I only have a drop down menu.
So I created my troop at "land_units" first. But it does not appear in the dropdown field of "buildings_units_allowed".
What did I wrong? Do I need to edit another db table first?

I had the same problem. I think you have to add to the land_units AND the main_units tables first. Then maybe save and reopening. That worked for me.

[AngryTitusPullo]

I manage to create my first (duplicate unit). When I add the second one (same thing I did with the first) the game got stuck in the splash screen and I need to CRTL+ALT+DEL to close it. It shows 'the game is not responding'. It does not crash to desktop whatsoever unlike my earlier attempts.

What can be the possible cause ? I can upload the stuff I did in case someone is willing to check.

[blackheartz]

I manage to create my first (duplicate unit). When I add the second one (same thing I did with the first) the game got stuck in the splash screen and I need to CRTL+ALT+DEL to close it. It shows 'the game is not responding'. It does not crash to desktop whatsoever unlike my earlier attempts.

What can be the possible cause ? I can upload the stuff I did in case someone is willing to check.

Well most things done wrong result in a freeze. The most common errors are spelling mistakes, lack of unique index and key numbers (in buildings_allowed & main_units), use of custom variants or unit texts without their inclusion in the appropriate db tables, not renaming the files. It can be any of these and more . You can upload your pack if you want and I will check it out as soon as I can.

[AngryTitusPullo]

Well most things done wrong result in a freeze. The most common errors are spelling mistakes, lack of unique index and key numbers (in buildings_allowed & main_units), use of custom variants or unit texts without their inclusion in the appropriate db tables, not renaming the files. It can be any of these and more . You can upload your pack if you want and I will check it out as soon as I can.

Any other tips why it didn't work. I manage to add my second unit which is also a duplicate of the vanilla units. My method is copying from vanilla entry )different pfm) and paste it in my mod (different pfm).

As far as I'm aware I get all things right. I also use the clone line method from the same mod pack but it still freeze on splashscreen.

If only there's a way to check the log why it freezes.

[blackheartz]

Any other tips why it didn't work. I manage to add my second unit which is also a duplicate of the vanilla units. My method is copying from vanilla entry )different pfm) and paste it in my mod (different pfm).

As far as I'm aware I get all things right. I also use the clone line method from the same mod pack but it still freeze on splashscreen.

If only there's a way to check the log why it freezes.

Are you sure you changes the numbers in index_number and key fields?? If all you do is copying vanilla entries then, most probably, it is either this or you made some spelling mistake in the unit_key fields. Or it could be something else entirely .

[AngryTitusPullo]

Figured it out where I did it wrong. It's always when copying stuff from land_units or main_units some column is not copied (not sure how it happened). Guess I didn't read the error stated before saving the file. Finally been able to add few more units, though it's very slow progress though.

Thanks again.

[Mithridates VI]

Sometimes it has happened also to me and always the reason to it has been that I have made typo or other mistake. Sometimes it is hard to find the mistake. I recommend to check the unit details.