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?

----

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.

[Epistolary Richard]

Talking about cultures people also have to remember that there are special attributes of a couple of cultures: barbarian infantry have a warcry and the Roman culture share line of sight, for example.
.

[Dol Guldur]

Yep, and barbarians don't have triggers for settlement growth past the third level.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Thanks for the help, guys!

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Got a new question:

I've been trying to add a new unit for the Greek culture - "Greek militia." I only care about it for the Greek Cities, so I haven't bothered fixing different skins and unit cards for the other Greek culture factions.

I want them to be (for now) exactly the same as Greek Peltasts except have different text and a different texture. I've figured out how to do unit cards, but not the new skin and text. For the text, I get the "unlocalized placement text" message for the hover-over description (not the actual unit description, that works). For the skin, I get the old Peltast skin no matter what I do. I've modified the descr_model_battle and export_descr_unit files, to no avail.

[snevets]

Got a new question:

I've been trying to add a new unit for the Greek culture - "Greek militia." I only care about it for the Greek Cities, so I haven't bothered fixing different skins and unit cards for the other Greek culture factions.

I want them to be (for now) exactly the same as Greek Peltasts except have different text and a different texture. I've figured out how to do unit cards, but not the new skin and text. For the text, I get the "unlocalized placement text" message for the hover-over description (not the actual unit description, that works). For the skin, I get the old Peltast skin no matter what I do. I've modified the descr_model_battle and export_descr_unit files, to no avail.

Check the scriptorium for loads of tutorials on this sort of thing. Otherwise, the basic pattern for copying a unit and changing its texture is: 1. Copy the descr model battle entry for peltasts and change the dictionary entry to your_unit (whatever it is (but it must be the same from now on) ). Then put in the file path for your new unit's texture next to the texture entry. Save obviously.
2. In export descr unit copy the peltast entry and rename the greek peltast entry next to unit name to your unit, and the greek_peltast entry next to dictionary to your_unit (it is now referenced in descr model battle). Now monkey with attack values to your hearts content. save.
3. In descr unit enums.txt, find
greek_peltast
greek_peltast_descr
greek_peltast_descr_short
- and replace with -
your_unit
your_unit_descr
your_unit_descr_short
Im assuming you had troubles with descriptions because of this file.
4. Make entries in text/export_units.txt to match the files referenced in unit enums.txt, look at the peltasts' entry for the format.
5. Save your unit cards as #your_unit.tga, or dont, the game will use the peasant card by default. Done. Hope this wasn't untimely, that is, after you'd already figured this out.