Highlandclansman Mod - production

[highlandclansman]

Hi, I'm kind of new here, but i've been trying out editing a few text files etc and I am going to try and start a mod which will emulate the middle ages accurately while also making the game harder and more fun. Any help would be appreciated!

I have done some research and I have come up with these maps:



for the Early Period - begins at 1000AD



for the middle period - begins at 1150ad



for the late period - begins at 1300ad

I will be posting more bits of planning and research although i might not be posting that much for the next 8 weeks or so because i'm off school for the summer.

Anyway, someone who's more experienced than i am and/or who's just willing to help, please post. Thanks!

[highlandclansman]

Oh yeah I just remembered that I was noting down a rough copy of the factions at school today. It's not very neat but here it is:

[Raz]

You have very messy handwriting...
Joking, joking. =P

OK, where to begin. First off, are you sure you know what you're doing, or more precisely, do you know what you're getting yourself into? Saying that you're going to make a mod isn't something you can say lightly (unless it's a small, little mod) - make sure you'll actually work on it, and if you note that in the first few months that you just can't work on it, say so.

Next, do you know how to modify large portions of the game at the moment, or at least, are you willing to learn how to modify the game yourself? Even if you've ten, twenty, thirty people working on your mod, the mod leader will always need to be there working on it even when others have come on gone. Remember, although you might be able to a mod a text file here and there, unless you've got a really big team working on it, you'll need to be the "Jack of all trades" sort of guy (Not only add a unit here and there but add buildings, add resources, edit the campaign, add factions etc.)

If you've answered yes to the above two questions, might I suggest trying out other mods that aim to add to the game like yours. Have you tried the XL mod? BKB's Super Mod? Wes' MedMod? They all aim for something along the lines of your mod - why you might ask? Well, if you're ever stuck on idea's "borrowing" them from a similar mod always helps.

Also, try looking through the Repository for guides (or guidelines) on modding, and if you can't find what you're looking for, don't hesitate to ask in the Alchemist's Lab. One last thing I might add, always keep in touch with the people looking forward to the release of your mod, always provide updates on your progress as often as possible or else they'll just forget about the mod and it'll disappear along with many mods before yours. Or you, yourself might disappear like many would-be modders before you.

Oh, and if you ever need someone to write up descriptions for factions or units, pick me. I'd like to help out more so, but I lack regular internet access and it'd be difficult for me to stay in touch.
Otherwise - Good Luck with your mod (And give it a name too, be imaginative here, don't just call it "highlandclansman's mod" because that would just be boring )
And remember, Raz = The guy that writes good descriptions.

[highlandclansman]

thanks for the tips - to be precise i have got mtw -xl and i know that i'll never be able to anything like that in the near future. What I'm trying to do is maybe edit text files , e.g alter faction name to make them accurate, alter startpos and region ownership, maybe create a new campaign with some new factions, something like that. And I was planning on making semi-new (cloned) units, and i'll need descriptions for that so maybe you could help with that if you like. But I do know what I'm going to do - nothing major e.g new maps etc, just a few alterations. Thanks again - i'll post when the units are ready - probably about a month or so cause i'm away on holiday. I'm only the joint team leader though - this guy from my school was in on this idea as well and for some reason he hasn't posted in this thread yet.... Anyway thanks for the help mate - in fact I was kind of hoping someone would post something like this. But I can't name it until the other team leader bothers to post in this thread!

[highlandclansman]

RIGHT. OK. THERE WILL BE A LOT OF INFO HERE.

The Mod has changed. I am doing it myself and it will be a simple campaign starting in 855 called the Dark Ages with some semi-new (cloned) units. But, i cant edit the heroes file. i just cant do it. no matter how many times i try, it just doesn't work. so, if any one would like to help me and make an accurate heroes file, please do so. Here is the link to the startpos and heroes file:

http://files.filefront.com/thedarkag.../fileinfo.html

also, do i need to ask bkb and tyberius and vikinghorde if i can use some of their maps, units and shields? i have done everything except the units.

[Tyberius]

also, do i need to ask bkb and tyberius and vikinghorde if i can use some of their maps, units and shields? i have done everything except the units.

If you have found on my stuff, something you can use on your mod, feel free to use it, change or adapt it at will. That's the idea of being a guild...

[highlandclansman]

Thanks m8!
Fortunately I have solved the problem with the hero file but know after Ive done the unit_prod11 i can't start mtw up because it says:

Too few values found in element data: column row 4, data row 303

HORSE

and I don't know how to fix it. All I need to do is fix this and I can release the mod as version 0.1 Beta. Please help me...