Tutorial: Adding new units for beginners

[I am The Stig]

Yesterday I downloaded the 1.5 patch for Rome: Total War, and when I decided to use the new Spartan Royal guard I found that they had vanished, and so had the British archers. I have checked all the data files and the things you have to change/add to add the units to the game are still there, but not in-game. Why is this?

[Ibrahim]

Yesterday I downloaded the 1.5 patch for Rome: Total War, and when I decided to use the new Spartan Royal guard I found that they had vanished, and so had the British archers. I have checked all the data files and the things you have to change/add to add the units to the game are still there, but not in-game. Why is this?

the EDU files are effected by the 1.5 patch (remember, spear bonu is no longer hardcoaded in 1.3 or 1.5 which one i don't remember). same applies to some other files. the EDU will be as if the unit never existed.

[I am The Stig]

So there is no way to fix this?

[Aradan]

What exactly is missing? Are they listed as available in the barracks? Do they appear on the recruitment tab/custom-battle selection panel?

[Spartan198]

I don't see anything about making a new unit use an existing DMB entry. Can someone elaborate please?

What I want to do is create a copy of an existing unit, then change the texture and such so that, in-game, it appears as a completely different unit.

[Aradan]

Just copy the DMB entry, rename it and assign the new entry to your new unit's entry in EDU. Then work on the new DMB entry/texture.

[Alexzander]

Great article for a beginner like me. One problem though i have been trying to download the Spartan Royal Guard from the link here but it seems to be broken.

Can somebody give me the correct link for the guard unit or tell me where i can find these files.

Thanks

[Alexzander]

I found the file. Now to have fun trying to get it to work

[Jin]

When I go into my folders and I look into models_unit, it was the only one that didn't have a texture file, so what do I do? I made one, but that didn't work.

[Jin]

Oh, I just found the texturs file in it...... That makes me upset and happy at he same time.

[Jin]

Wait, that's for barbarian invasion..... Would someone like to help again?

[I am The Stig]

What happens with mine is that they are completely non-existant in-game, they're not in the barracks, not in the recruitment tab, not in custum battles either.

[Aradan]

Are you sure you are modding the proper files (ie you don't edit the files of another installation than the one you're running or you're running a mod and you've edited the files in a modfolder etc)?

If yes, then maybe you've exceeded the unit limit (500 entries in the EDU, the rest are ignored).

[Sir_Lysander]

Do you think export_descr_sounds_unit_voice.txt should be added to this?

Superb guide btw ER, this is a great starting point for any potential and new modders alike.

It probabaly should but whole process needs of adding voices to new units needs to be explained properly as it is not just adding lines to export_descr_sounds_unit_voice.txt

I agree - EXCELLENT guide, ER.

Has anyone made a guide for EDSUV, or any of the other voice text files? I have the vast majority of my unit mods done, but they're "lifeless" without the battle-screen selection announcement.

[Aradan]

Shigawire has made a voice-mod set up guide (it's a tad complicated for beginners maybe), search a bit, you'll find it.

[The great Alex]

Very good tutorial ER but i have a problem:

I downloaded a pack of carthaginians in TWcenter. I have the African phalanx skin and i tried to create that unit, but my RTW crashes when the image of The Creative Assembly appears. I don´t know what i did wrong. Please


The codes i´ve written are these:

In the DMB text:

type carthaginian_african_phalanx
skeleton fs_slow_spearman, fs_slow_swordsman
indiv_range 40
texture carthage, data/models_unit/texture/African_Phalanx.tga
model_flexi data/models_unit/African_Phalanx.cas, 15
model_flexi data/models_unit/African_Phalanx.cas, 30
model_flexi data/models_unit/African_Phalanx.cas, 40
model_flexi data/models_unit/African_Phalanx.cas, max
model_sprite carthage, 60.0, data/sprites/macedon_greek_levy_pikeman_sprite.spr
model_tri 400, 0.5f, 0.5f, 0.5f

In the EDU text:

type african phalanx
dictionary african_phalanx ; African Phalanx
category infantry
class spearmen
voice_type Heavy_1
soldier carthaginian_african_phalanx, 40, 0, 1.3
attributes sea_faring, hide_forest, can_sap, hardy
formation 1, 1, 2, 2, 5, square, phalanx
stat_health 1, 0
stat_pri 13, 3, no, 0, 0, melee, simple, piercing, spear, 25 ,1
stat_pri_attr spear, long_pike, spear_bonus_9
stat_sec 8, 3, no, 0, 0,melee, simple, piercing, sword, 25 ,1
stat_sec_attr no
stat_pri_armour 10, 7, 7, metal
stat_sec_armour 0, 0, flesh
stat_heat 0
stat_ground 2, 1, 0, -1
stat_mental 10, disciplined, highly_trained
stat_charge_dist 30
stat_fire_delay 0
stat_food 60, 300
stat_cost 2, 810, 270, 80, 110, 810
ownership carthage


In the EDUE text:

african_phalanx
african_phalanx_descr
african_phalanx_descr_short

In the EU text:

¬----------------

{african_phalanx} African Phalanx

{african_phalanx_descr}
Elite\nDisciplined\nSapping Ability\nCan Form Phalanx\n\nThe African Phalanx is the elite infantry of any Carthaginian army and can be relied upon to do their duty to the end. They are equipped and organised in the same fashion as Greek hoplites, with long spears, large shields, breastplates and helmets, and they can use phalanx tactics. This is a style of warmaking that has proved its worth over the centuries.\n\nThey are drawn from the social elite of Carthage, men of noble and wealthy birth and their loyalty is exemplary. The original purpose of the African Phalanx was to act as an officer corps for the Carthaginian army and an elite force, and to put Carthage above any local loyalties. Opponents have learned that these men are formidable in battle, a linchpin for the entire Carthaginian army!

{african_phalanx_descr_short}
The African Phalanx is the elite infantry of any Carthaginian army and can be relied upon to do their duty to the end.

¬----------------

In the EDB text:

recruit "african phalanx" 0 requires factions { carthage, }


I don´t know what i did wrong.

[Aradan]

Add " -show_err" at the end of your RTW shortcut's target line, it will give you an error message on exit, if you haven't done already.

[The great Alex]

And where an how do I do that ?

[Aradan]

Right-click on your shortcut and select Proprties. In the "target" line edit to text to appear thus:

"C:\Program Files\The Creative Assembly\Rome - Total War\RomeTW.exe" -show_err

The path may vary according to where you have installed RTW, but it's what after the quotation marks that matters.

[The great Alex]

Thank you Aradan.

[I am The Stig]

They must be the right files I modded as before I downloaded the patch it all worked fine.

[lololol]

Great article for a beginner like me. One problem though i have been trying to download the Spartan Royal Guard from the link here but it seems to be broken.

Can somebody give me the correct link for the guard unit or tell me where i can find these files.

Thanks

Same problem!!! PLS help help help. or add a new link for the files.

[Jin]

I did everything that you said to do with the briton archers, but when I start it up it crashes at the "Creative Assembly" part. I read what was said about that before, but I don't understand. Can someone help?

[samsa]

Could someone possibly send me export_descr_buildings.txt file since I probably messed it up when I was adding a new unit. Keeps giving me an error message "Script error in data/export_descr_buildings.txt at line 415, column 65. Unexpected" when starting up the game

[samsa]

And I was just wondering that, is it possible to make an officer unit and then put it to a certain unit?

[Aradan]

Uploading unaltered game files is illegal, I believe. Just re-install the game somewhere else and get the file from there.

Yes, icreating an officer requires a model, a skin and a new model entry in DMB. Then you just add it as an officer in the officer line of a unit's EDU entry.

[Greek_Prince]

Okay new member firstly here to say i love your tutorial! This has helped so much to kick off my modding career and scored me 2 cool new units! Secondly i'd like to point out that if you don't mind a cheap substitute the brittania slinger skin works great. (and scores you a cool composite looking bow.)

[asfcommander1989]

thanks for the guide however i have a problem i have have text editor but whenever i attempt to save the changes for the new characters my computer tells it cant make the changes and the i have to make sure the path a file are correct. please help i think these mods are awesome and id love to be able to give this game a bit of my flavor.

[Makanyane]

Hi asfcommander1989, welcome to the forum.

Are you using Vista? If you are then I think you need to disable its User Account Control (UAC) and/or install the game somewhere other than in /program_files folder - it tries to protect you from yourself by locking any files it thinks are important....

if you're not using Vista have you checked the folder/file properties? If 'read only' is ticked you need to untick that....

[asfcommander1989]

Thanks for the help and thanks for the welcome. I do have vista so that may be my problem. Im really computer challenged so in case i fail at turning off the UAC how exactly do i do that? thanks for the help makanyane i greatly appreciate it.