n00b questions

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

I'm starting a small modding project - my first - involving some reskinnings, and some major campaign changes. I've read over some of the "How To" threads and browsed around, but I'm still left with some questions.

1) Campaign Map
Myrddraal's thread here described how to make a campaign map. However, I want to know if there is an editor for modifying the physical strategy map. Myrddraal's thread discusses manipulations of text files and .tgas, but doesn't mention anything on changing appearences like trees and so on. Some, is there something to do that?

2) Units Question
How would I change the secondary weapon of, say, a [Greek] Heavy Peltast? In vanilla RTW it is a sword. What if I want it to be a spear? Do I need a new model?

3) Culture/Building Question
Can I change the building portraits and icons from one culture to another? Specifically, I want my Armenian faction (Eastern culture) to have buildings identical to the Greek Cities faction (Greek culture). I suspect this is just a matter of changing file names, but I don't know where to do it.

4) Faction Question
I only want to use 9 (10 counting rebels) of the available factions. Can I make the others go away without the annoying "Faction Eliminated!" stuff at the beginning of the campaign?

5) Model/Skinning Question
I know the way textures for shields work is that there is a quarter of the shield in the .tga.dds file and that it is repeated. Is there a way to have a non-symmetrical shield design? Does this require playing with the unit model?

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I think that's all. For now.

[wlesmana]

1. There's a Map Editor. Try TWC in their download section. I don't know how effective it is yet since I just got it myself and haven't tried making anything with it. However, CA did say it's already good enough that they don't need to release an official campaign map maker.

2. Yes. In every model weapons are named as "primary weapon" or "secondary weapon". The engine look for these names to show the weapon in-game.

3. Yes. I don't remember the exact file names (not at home puter atm) but they're in the Data/UI folder.

4. I don't think so. I haven't seen any mod that could have less than 10 factions from the start without the "Faction destroyed" message.

5. Yes. It requires you to edit the model in 3DSMax. Either you unfold the UVW or just swap the shield with one that's not quartered.

[Laridus Konivaich]

4) Faction Question
I only want to use 9 (10 counting rebels) of the available factions. Can I make the others go away without the annoying "Faction Eliminated!" stuff at the beginning of the campaign?

Yes, you can make the others go away without any "faction eliminated" messages. To do this you just remove the entire faction from descr_strat, both in the playable/nonplayable section, and their main entry down below. Just be sure to give all of their provinces to another faction!

[Mahrabals apprentice]

Well i am an Ubernoob, i have read thru some of the threasd in the modding forums and been left with a head ache


Could some one explain to me, slowly, simply and with diagrams (well slowly and simply will do ) how i can make all the roman temples available to each roamn faction, including the senate.

[Epistolary Richard]

Go to the file in the Data folder called export_descr_buildings (make a copy of this file and rename the copy van_export_descr_buildings so you have a back-up), in there you will see an entry for each type of building, including the temples, for example:

building temple_of_naval
{
    levels temple_of_naval_shrine temple_of_naval_temple temple_of_naval_large_temple temple_of_naval_awesome_temple temple_of_naval_pantheon 
    {
        temple_of_naval_shrine requires factions { romans_scipii, }  and building_present_min_level port_buildings port
        {
            capability
            {
                happiness_bonus bonus 1
            }
            construction  1 
            cost  400 
            settlement_min town
            upgrades
            {
                temple_of_naval_temple
            }
        }
        temple_of_naval_temple requires factions { romans_scipii, } 
        {
            capability
            {
                happiness_bonus bonus 2
            }
            construction  2 
            cost  800 
            settlement_min large_town
            upgrades
            {
                temple_of_naval_large_temple
            }
        }
        temple_of_naval_large_temple requires factions { romans_scipii, } 
        {
            capability
            {
                happiness_bonus bonus 3
            }
            construction  3 
            cost  1600 
            settlement_min city
            upgrades
            {
                temple_of_naval_awesome_temple
            }
        }
        temple_of_naval_awesome_temple requires factions { romans_scipii, } 
        {
            capability
            {
                recruit "naval corvus quinquireme"  0  requires factions { roman, } 
                happiness_bonus bonus 4
            }
            construction  5 
            cost  3200 
            settlement_min large_city
            upgrades
            {
                temple_of_naval_pantheon
            }
        }
        temple_of_naval_pantheon requires factions { romans_scipii, } 
        {
            capability
            {
                recruit "naval deceres"  0  requires factions { roman, } 
                recruit "naval corvus quinquireme"  0  requires factions { roman, } 
                happiness_bonus bonus 5
                law_bonus bonus 2
                weapon_simple bonus 1
                weapon_bladed bonus 1
                armour bonus 1
            }
            construction  6 
            cost  6400 
            settlement_min huge_city
            upgrades
            {
            }
        }
    }
    plugins 
    {
    }
}

Each place you see romans_scipii replace it with roman (remember to keep the comma afterwards). Do the same for the other temples you want to make available to the other romans. Save the file and load the game.
.

[Jimmytwohand]

Great! Temple of Mars for my Julli campaign. And you thought you had problems before, eh Gaul? That works like a charm.

[Dol Guldur]

3) Culture/Building Question
Can I change the building portraits and icons from one culture to another? Specifically, I want my Armenian faction (Eastern culture) to have buildings identical to the Greek Cities faction (Greek culture). I suspect this is just a matter of changing file names, but I don't know where to do it.

The game only recognises cultural groupings when it comes to graphics and models associated with buildings and the named character portraits.

So, yes your Armenians can have Greek buildings by copying the Greek buildings into the Eastern buildings folder BUT both Parthia and Pontus will also get them!

Selecting your culture slots is very important. List down your desired factions and see if they can all be fit into 6 or less distinct cultures. If they cannot you will have problems.