KOTF mod

[econ21]

According to the guide Rowan linked to, the key files needed are:

1.) descr_names.txt – located in MTW2/data

2.) names.txt.strings.bin – located in MTW2/data/text

If you haven't got them (like me), you haven't unpacked.

[Zim]

I think I've looked in those folders before...

Ah well, I'll run the unpacker right now.

[Zim]

Done, getting in contact with Tristan now about the best way to get those files to him...

[AussieGiant]

Just a point.

Once all this mod action is set, TC did a very good step by step guide with link to patches and mod.

As a control point, there was an in game check you could do to determine if you had installed everything correctly.

At one time the check was to going into the game and go to Arnold's avatar card and determine some specific value. I have forgotten exactly, but it would be a very good idea to do the same.

You've got 20 plus players having to install about 5 to 6 different things from scratch.

We need a baseline control mechanism.

[TinCow]

I very much believe that keeping all important information (such as rules and installation instructions) in a single stickied thread is very helpful to the game. Feel free to copy the format of the LotR info thread, as I think that one worked pretty well.

[econ21]

Tristan, how is the names mini-mod coming on?

If you are still stuck, I would be happy to take a look at it over the weekend. If you have hit a brick wall, just zip and upload what you have (original files, modded files, word file specifying any new names you want to add or old names to delete), then I could have a go. Uploading might even entice a modder to help us out.

[_Tristan_]

In fact, everything should be working but it is not...

The game laucnhes itself but none of the avatars in game have names... Other factions work fine (they were left untouched)...

The problem may lie in the fact that I have deleted the names used by LTC and Vanilla (such as Gassou or Michiel) and inserted new ones. That must cause a conflict with the descr_strat file...

Today, if I can take some time I will try and re-instate the Vanilla names and see if it works... If that fail, I'll upload the excel spreadsheet with the revised French names to see if someone can get it to work.

[econ21]

OK, thanks, good luck.

... If that fail, I'll upload the excel spreadsheet with the revised French names to see if someone can get it to work.

If you do, please can you zip it and include the original names txt files that Zim sent you?

[_Tristan_]

I'll make everything available...

[_Tristan_]

I finally gave up... What galls me the most is that I managed to make it work up to a point and then it went astray (follish me for not making a backup...)

So here are the files needed for the work to be finished. I hope someone with better modding abilities can give a shot at it...

Sorry to have kept you waitng so long for such a result...

[TinCow]

I feel relatively confident that I can do the modding required, since I was the one who did most of the editing for LotR, however I cannot do it until I get Kingdoms. Apparently it has already shipped and was in Las Vegas yesterday, so hopefully I will get it early next week. If no one is able to do the work before then, I will do it.

[Zim]

In thta case I'm going to start working on some of the other elements of the mod in the meantime to avoid holding things up too much. Assuming everything works quickly, we can expect to start regruiting rgbs within the day after the mod is finished (with some testing to make sure it doesn't crash, I'll play a couple games and just hit end turn again and again...).

[econ21]

In thta case I'm going to start working on some of the other elements of the mod in the meantime to avoid holding things up too much.

OK, I will look at modding the names this weekend.

..I'll play a couple games and just hit end turn again and again...).

Good idea. One thing to consider is hitting end turn for, say, 10 turns and just seeing the state of AI expansion.

It may be that you decide it is better for us to start the game on turn 10, having given the AI a chance to build up, rather than on turn 2.

Of course, if the English hold Paris by turn 10, you can forget that idea. But it would intriguing to find out.

[If you want to try this, I would only spawn the RGBs on turn 9 and use the console to remove any traits the starter generals get from inactivity.]

[econ21]

The bottom line

Like Tristan, I have tried to mod the names but without much success. I can only change the starter character names to others already recognised by LTC. I cannot introduce new names (and don't want to drop names given that constraint). The gory details follow after the first half of this post.

Personally, I do not think we should let a naming mod hold up this PBM. No offence to anyone, but I fear only Tristan and maybe TheFlax would notice much whether or not we use it. Unless someone with modding skills can do what we want in the next few days, my recommendation would be to let Zim make his other modifications and then spawn the RBGs, so the game can start.

The very little I have done is:

- Changed King Philip to Philippe
- Changed the heirs' names : Henry to Henri and Michiel to Charles
- Renamed Guillemont de Lyon as Raymond de Provence
- Renamed Raoulet poitevin as Hugues de Champagne
- Renamed Perrin Gassou as Alan le Gris [1]

The descr_strat and descr_names with this changes for Zim are in KotF_v0.1.zip:

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/local...id=199&id=4911

[1]With Perrin Gassou, neither Alain nor de Rohan - Tristan's preferred names - are in the game. I have made Alan available (it's a female name for one faction already) but am not sure which if any existing surname is better than Gassou. I plumped for Alan le Gris, as grey is suitably ambiguous that it should not hinder role-playing. However, Tristan could easily pick another surname from the descr_names and we could use that.

Rheims to Reims is something we can do in game.


----

The gory details

It is straightforward to change King Philip to King Philippe in the descr_names.txt and descr_strat.txt but I think that is because Philippe is already present in the existing names.txt.strings.bin, so that bin file does not need to be recompiled.

However, I can't change Bertrada to Bertrade. I think this is because Bertrade is a "new" name and so not in the existing names.txt.strings.bin.

From what I understand, if you want new names, you need to add them to the names.txt and then the game recompiles a new names.txt.strings.bin.

But LTC lacks a names.txt.

So I back up - keep all references to Bertrada and just see if I can add a new names.txt in order for the game to compile a new names.txt.strings.bin. I take the names.txt that was linked to at the beginning of this thread (by Rowan, IIRC) and delete the existing names.txt.strings.bin. But then starting a new campaign does not work. I select france press start and get kicked back to the menu for selecting an era. I notice that the names.txt.string.bin generated is a very different size (581 kb) from the one that comes with the mod (381 kb).

If I have understood everything, my conclusion is that the names.txt file linked to by Rowan is not the LTC names.txt file. And using the vanilla names.txt file is not going to work because:

... Lusted's descr_strat.txt uses custom names now.

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...42#post1795642

So I am a little stuck. We can switch around names already listed in LTC's files - like Philippe - but we can't introduce new ones like Bertrade.

[ULC]

Hehehhe...I can help with this, and as I mentioned before, it's fairly easy.

LTC comes with the names.tx.string.bin, correct? If so, download python 2.5, then use Alpacas .strings.bin converter to turn that file into a normal .txt file - this will allow the editing of it with ease.

I have no real modding talent though

[econ21]

LTC comes with the names.tx.string.bin, correct? If so, download python 2.5, then use Alpacas .strings.bin converter to turn that file into a normal .txt file - this will allow the editing of it with ease.

Thanks. I will give it another go tonight.

[_Tristan_]

YLC, if you can submit to me the names.txt file that you managed to extract from the strings.bin file, I'm sure I can everything to work just fine...

[econ21]

YLC, if you can submit to me the names.txt file that you managed to extract from the strings.bin file, I'm sure I can everything to work just fine...

Tristan, this is the unmodded LTC names.txt file I extracted following YLCs tip:

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/local...id=199&id=4913

Good luck with it. I suggest you start small - just change Bertrada to Bertrade[1] and see if you can start a campaign. Then make small incremental changes.

If you get stuck, I will go back to it.

Good hunting!



[1]In names.txt, descr_names.txt and descr_strat.txt

[_Tristan_]

Good luck with it. I suggest you start small - just change Bertrada to Bertrade[1] and see if you can start a campaign. Then make small incremental changes.


[1]In names.txt, descr_names.txt and descr_strat.txt

This is how I went with it when I saw that all else failed but not having the right file for the job was possibly the reason for failure...

[econ21]

...not having the right file for the job was possibly the reason for failure...

Fingers crossed - the file I extracted is a different size from the one I tried to work with before, so maybe it will work.

[_Tristan_]

MOD IS UP AND RUNNING !!

Big thanks to Zim for his trust

Many thanks to Econ21 and YLC for their help in achieving that result..

Hereunder is the new changelog to the different files :

1.0 :

Descr_strat.txt :

- Changed King Philip to Philippe
- Changed Bertrada de Montfort to Bertrade de Montfort
- Changed the heirs' names : Henry to Henri and Michiel to Charles
- Changed the order of the heirs (historically exact)
- Renamed Perrin Gassou as Alain de Rohan (Rennes)
- Renamed Guillemont de Lyon as Raymond de Provence (Dijon)
- Renamed Raoulet poitevin as Hugues de Champagne (Reims)

- Changed the king's purse for all AI factions (per Zim's request)

The three last were contemporaries of King Philippe and could be considered Duke in their own rights (particularly the first two)

Descr_names.txt :

- Deleted all surnames that didn't sound French enough
- Added some real French nobles and bourgeois surnames from the XIIth up to XVth century.
- Revised the firstnames list
- Added more than 170 references (first- and surnames)

2.0 :

Descr_strat.txt :

- Changed the king's purse for all AI factions (per Zim's request)

3.0 : working edition

- made all changes appear ingame

Descr_strat.txt :

- Modded the ages of King Philippe' s children per GM request : Louis (unchanged, 21), Constance (now 16, not 19), Henri (now 12 not 2), Charles (now 8 not 1).

I played a few turns and everything seems to be working fine.


All that remains is modding the part about the age of avatars that Cecil proposed and maybe have someone put all into some kind of installer like LotR or the KotRfix of FH.

[Northnovas]

So how does this work we download LTC Mod and then there will be a file add on to get what Tristan changed?

[TheFlax]

So how does this work we download LTC Mod and then there will be a file add on to get what Tristan changed?

That's pretty much it.

[TinCow]

We also need to make the changes to have the RBGs be recruitable. This is done by making RBGs recruitable from all levels of walls, since even the lowest level settlement has the most basic walls. The RBGs also need to have their recruitment cost and upkeep set to 1 florin each, and the wages need to be set to 100 instead of 200. This is required because otherwise the expense of running ~30 RBGs from turn 1 will bankrupt the faction immediately. As in LotR, wages can be restored to full once we have expanded enough to afford it (probably after two terms have passed).

To add RBGs to all walls, open this file: export_descr_buildings.txt
And add this line:
recruit_pool "NE Bodyguard" 3 3.00 1 0 requires factions { france, }

After the line:
recruitment_slots X

In ALL of the building core_building sections.

To adjust RBG hiring costs, open this file: export_descr_unit.txt
Scroll down to the section for NE Bodyguard, and change the stat_cost line to:

stat_cost 1, 1, 1, 120, 95, 1060, 1, 200

To adjust wages, open this file: descr_character.txt
Scroll down to wage_base (close to the top) and change the 200 to 100.

[Ibn-Khaldun]

I would propose adding a french bodyguard unit into the game. Just using "NE Bodyguard" unit as the basis.

Just copy-paste it's entry in edu file. Rename this new unit as French Bodyguard(or what ever you like) and remove france from the NE Bodyguard ownership line.

In LotR it was easy to change this since Byzantine bodyguards were used by one faction alone but here you need to change things a bit more.

EDIT: I think LTC does not change Vanilla M2TW edu entries... So, you'll have to create a unit like this(changes in bold):

type French Bodyguard
dictionary NE_Bodyguard ; General's Bodyguard
category cavalry
class heavy
voice_type General
banner faction main_cavalry
banner holy crusade_cavalry
soldier NE_Bodyguard, 16, 0, 1
mount barded horse
mount_effect elephant -4, camel -4
attributes sea_faring, hide_forest, very_hardy, can_withdraw, general_unit
formation 2, 4.4, 3, 6, 2, square
stat_health 2, 0
stat_pri 13, 8, no, 0, 0, melee, melee_blade, piercing, spear, 25, 1
;stat_pri_ex 0, 0, 0
stat_pri_attr no
stat_sec 14, 4, no, 0, 0, melee, melee_blade, piercing, sword, 25, 1
;stat_sec_ex 0, 0, 0
stat_sec_attr no
stat_pri_armour 7, 5, 4, metal
;stat_armour_ex 7, 8, 0, 0, 5, 4, 4, metal
stat_sec_armour 0, 0, flesh
stat_heat 5
stat_ground 0, -2, -4, 0
stat_mental 11, normal, trained
stat_charge_dist 45
stat_fire_delay 0
stat_food 60, 300
stat_cost 1, 1, 1, 120, 95, 820, 1, 200
armour_ug_levels 3, 4
armour_ug_models NE_Bodyguard, NE_Bodyguard_ug1
ownership france
era 0 france
era 1 france
;unit_info 13, 0, 32

And in export_descr_buildings.txt you have to add this new unit just like TC suggested above.
Also, don't forget to chance starting general units in descr_strat.txt file!

New unit is necessary because(as someone explained it before IIRC) otherwise AI factions can use these changes as well.

[_Tristan_]

I can make all the changes necessary in the above listed files once I get home and add them to the directory of files I have already compiled but not before tonight (working on a Sunday )

[_Tristan_]

Updated changelog to the different files :

1.0 :

Descr_strat.txt :

- Changed King Philip to Philippe
- Changed Bertrada de Montfort to Bertrade de Montfort
- Changed the heirs' names : Henry to Henri and Michiel to Charles
- Changed the order of the heirs (historically exact)
- Renamed Perrin Gassou as Alain de Rohan (Rennes)
- Renamed Guillemont de Lyon as Raymond de Provence (Dijon)
- Renamed Raoulet poitevin as Hugues de Champagne (Reims)

- Changed the king's purse for all AI factions (per Zim's request)

The three last were contemporaries of King Philippe and could be considered Duke in their own rights (particularly the first two)

Descr_names.txt :

- Deleted all surnames that didn't sound French enough
- Added some real French nobles and bourgeois surnames from the XIIth up to XVth century.
- Revised the firstnames list
- Added more than 170 references (first- and surnames)

2.0 :

Descr_strat.txt :

- Changed the king's purse for all AI factions (per Zim's request)

3.0 : working edition

- made all changes appear ingame

Descr_strat.txt :

- Modded the ages of King Philippe' s children per GM request : Louis (unchanged, 21), Constance (now 16, not 19), Henri (now 12 not 2), Charles (now 8 not 1).

I played a few turns and everything seems to be working fine.


All that remains is modding the part about the age of avatars that Cecil proposed and maybe have someone put all into some kind of installer like LotR or the KotRfix of FH.

4.0 : RGB modding

-created the French Bodyguard unit in edu file as well as French Late Bodyguard and Dismounted French Bodyguard like this :

type             French Bodyguard
dictionary       NE_Bodyguard      ; General's Bodyguard
category         cavalry
class            heavy
voice_type       General
banner faction   main_cavalry
banner holy      crusade_cavalry
soldier          NE_Bodyguard, 16, 0, 0.5
mount            barded horse
mount_effect     elephant -4, camel -4
attributes       sea_faring, hide_forest, can_withdraw, general_unit
move_speed_mod   1.1
formation        2, 4.4, 3, 6, 2, square
stat_health      2, 0
stat_pri         11, 7, no, 0, 0, melee, melee_blade, piercing, spear, 25, 1
;stat_pri_ex      0, 0, 0
stat_pri_attr    no
stat_sec         12, 3, no, 0, 0, melee, melee_blade, piercing, sword, 25, 1
;stat_sec_ex      0, 0, 0
stat_sec_attr    no
stat_pri_armour  5, 5, 6, metal
;stat_armour_ex   5, 6, 0, 0, 5, 6, 6, metal
stat_sec_armour  0, 0, flesh
stat_heat        7
stat_ground      0, 0, 0, 2
stat_mental      11, normal, trained
stat_charge_dist 30
stat_fire_delay  0
stat_food        60, 300
stat_cost        1, 1, 1, 95, 225, 960, 1, 280
armour_ug_levels 3, 4
armour_ug_models NE_Bodyguard, NE_Bodyguard_ug1
ownership        france
era 0            france
era 1            france
;unit_info        11, 0, 32
recruit_priority_offset    20
 
 
type             French Late Bodyguard
dictionary       NE_Late_Bodyguard      ; General's Bodyguard
category         cavalry
class            heavy
voice_type       General
banner faction   main_cavalry
banner holy      crusade_cavalry
soldier          NE_Late_Bodyguard, 16, 0, 0.5
mount            armoured horse
mount_effect     elephant -4, camel -4
attributes       sea_faring, hide_forest, can_withdraw, general_unit, general_unit_upgrade
move_speed_mod   1.1
formation        2, 4.4, 3, 6, 2, square
stat_health      2, 0
stat_pri         11, 7, no, 0, 0, melee, melee_blade, piercing, spear, 25, 1
;stat_pri_ex      0, 0, 0
stat_pri_attr    no
stat_sec         12, 3, no, 0, 0, melee, melee_blade, piercing, sword, 25, 1
;stat_sec_ex      0, 0, 0
stat_sec_attr    no
stat_pri_armour  7, 5, 5, metal
;stat_armour_ex   7, 8, 0, 0, 5, 5, 5, metal
stat_sec_armour  0, 0, flesh
stat_heat        8
stat_ground      0, 0, 0, 2
stat_mental      11, normal, trained
stat_charge_dist 30
stat_fire_delay  0
stat_food        60, 300
stat_cost        1, 1, 1, 95, 225, 960, 1, 280
armour_ug_levels 5, 6
armour_ug_models NE_Late_Bodyguard, NE_Late_Bodyguard_ug1
ownership        france
era 2            france
;unit_info        11, 0, 34
recruit_priority_offset    20
 
type             Dismounted French Bodyguard
dictionary       Dismounted_NE_Bodyguard      ; Bodyguard
category         infantry
class            heavy
voice_type       Heavy
banner faction   main_infantry
banner holy      crusade
soldier          Dismounted_NE_Late_Bodyguard, 16, 0, 0.7
attributes       sea_faring, hide_forest, very_hardy, can_withdraw, general_unit
formation        1.2, 1.2, 2.4, 2.4, 3, square
stat_health      2, 0
stat_pri         14, 3, no, 0, 0, melee, melee_blade, piercing, sword, 25, 1
;stat_pri_ex      0, 0, 0
stat_pri_attr    no
stat_sec         0, 0, no, 0, 0, no, melee_simple, blunt, none, 25, 1
;stat_sec_ex      0, 0, 0
stat_sec_attr    no
stat_pri_armour  7, 5, 5, metal
;stat_armour_ex   7, 0, 0, 0, 5, 5, 5, metal
stat_sec_armour  0, 0, flesh
stat_heat        8
stat_ground      1, -2, 3, 4
stat_mental      11, disciplined, trained
stat_charge_dist 15
stat_fire_delay  0
stat_food        60, 300
stat_cost        1, 1, 1, 55, 125, 510, 1, 150
armour_ug_levels 5
armour_ug_models Dismounted_NE_Late_Bodyguard
ownership        france
;unit_info        14, 0, 34
recruit_priority_offset    15

- Removed France from NE Bodyguard, NE Late Bodyguard and NE Dismounted Bodyguard (edu file)
- Added French Bodyguard to all building_core buildings and made other BG types available where NE ones where (edb file)
- reduced wages of character to 100 in the descr_character file
- Edited descr_strat file to take changes into account

Will have to playtest the changes.


What about the Age mod that Cecil submitted. Should we add it in ?

[TinCow]

New unit is necessary because(as someone explained it before IIRC) otherwise AI factions can use these changes as well.

That's a lot of work for no reason. The "requires factions { france, }" bit of the recruitment lines prevents any faction except for France from getting NE Bodyguards from those structures.

[_Tristan_]

That's a lot of work for no reason. The "requires factions { france, }" bit of the recruitment lines prevents any faction except for France from getting NE Bodyguards from those structures.

In fact, it wasn't so time-consuming... if it works...

Plus, wouldn't the AI get a discount to its BG due to the modding of the edu file ?

[TinCow]

Plus, wouldn't the AI get a discount to its BG due to the modding of the edu file ?

Yes, that is true, and something I had forgotten about. Go ahead with the French Bodyguards instead of the NE Bodyguards.