HowTo: Set up MTW2 for modding

[NorseFury]

I'm new to modding, I was wondering if you can unpack with v 1.3, or do I have to have 1.1?

[Iñnsomñni]

When you install the mod folder, i have a few questions:
1. Where do you save it????
2. What do you save it as, a rar???
3. How do you open it, do you need python???

[alpaca]

It's an installer software. Where you save it is up to you, you need to save it as a .rar archive, unarchive the contents to another location, then run the executable and follow the instructions on the screen and in the readme file which is also inside the archive.

[Iñnsomñni]

How do you unarchive the contents??? I understand the rest of it, just not that part...

[Makanyane]

unarchive = extract
same as unzip for .zip files

you need to have a compression utility that handles .rar files
such as 7zip or WinRar

[gareth3]

This is Awesome! But I'm stuck, I dont know how to make that mymod.bat file thing. All I made was some notepad file. Ive never done anything like this so I have know clue what im doing. If anyone could tell me how to get to make that file I'd be thrilled.

[Ashtart]

In your tut there is a link to see the limits of a Mymod folder and I can't access to it (I don't really know why , they say me I'm not an enought good member )

So my question is simple: what textures can't we modify in a mymod folder???
Or can you give me an accessible link to know this?
Thanx for your tuts man, fortunately there are men like you


Is there anybody here???

[Speedy]

Dose this still apply to 1.3 which is what you get when you install kingdoms? I managed to get it to run without convertimg the string.bin files but the UI and settlements were just large blank white squares, also the loading_screens and the text/imperial_campaign_regions_and_settlement_names.txt files were already in the mymod folder?? If I need to use the sting.bin converter how do I use it?

I'm having the same problem... has anyone found an answer for this... This is a lot more technical... and frustrating than the "uuh... like... do I like... have to follow the directions?" idiot questions or that "uuh... I figured it out. I needed to follow the directions" idiot responses.


Thanks

[irishron2004]

I'm having the same problem... has anyone found an answer for this... This is a lot more technical... and frustrating than the "uuh... like... do I like... have to follow the directions?" idiot questions or that "uuh... I figured it out. I needed to follow the directions" idiot responses.


Thanks

Form an old man that has no fear of new technologies including unpackers, string-bin-convertors, the name of the game is to have fun and learning something new is always fun. The worst thing you can do is foul it up to the point you have to reinstall it and start over. It's called learning from your mistakes.

The tools that alpaca wrote for us to use come with a readme for each one. You read that, maybe even print it for reference, and follow the directions, they do work very well. Jump in and try it. It may take three or four tries but it is well worth the experience.

[alpaca]

I'm having the same problem... has anyone found an answer for this... This is a lot more technical... and frustrating than the "uuh... like... do I like... have to follow the directions?" idiot questions or that "uuh... I figured it out. I needed to follow the directions" idiot responses.


Thanks

The general process should be the same if you go with the manual configuration. The installer is potentially not compatible with 1.3 - I didn't test it. The tutorial isn't really up-to-date anymore but I don't feel like going over it again right now.

[irishron2004]

The general process should be the same if you go with the manual configuration. The installer is potentially not compatible with 1.3 - I didn't test it. The tutorial isn't really up-to-date anymore but I don't feel like going over it again right now.

Alpaca,

I have used it on 1.3 and 1.5 and it works fine.

[m_1512]

hey i did as u said about unpacking the files

but it shows an error at the end and there are no folders as ui etc

i only know this bcoz one of the mods bout adding nw religion required this folder.there must be a lot of other folders which have not been unpacked

[m_1512]

plz can u tell me what i can do???????

[irishron2004]

Since I just got home from work and here it is almost 2am, first question is are you using Vista?

[MxTach]

Hi lads,

Look, im head over heels about being able to mod this game, Im a modder for Oblivion, but i really cant seem to cut the mustard on this io file_first business.


I can get all my changes to work using the mod folder technique, but my mod includes textures. So im forces to create an io file_first mod right?

Well, I was wondering if you could clarify that process because its doing my head in.

So far,

1) i have unpacked the files twice, once into the regular data folder, and twice into a backup folder away from the medieval II directory (as recommended)

2) Deleted the files i was told too.

3) Experimented with the brilliant mod folder installer and used the strings bin converter to change placenames. (worked fine)

4) deleted all traces of that mod folder so i could prepare an io file_first mod.

5) Copied medieval 2 preference and created "mymod.cfg" as recommended with the necessary coding

6) created a batch file sourced to mymod.cfg

7) **various approaches**

I) used the strings.bin converter, changed names, deleted Bins, left .txts, loaded = no result
II) used the mod folder installer but modified codes to create an io_first, changed names, deleted bins, loaded = no result
III) used the direct editor for .bins without using the converter, no txt files just bins, changed names, loaded no result.

Anyone who passes this post by and has had sucess with the i.o file_first please give me some valuable help?

*NOTE*

Those of you who have gotten themselves stuck and gone "PLZPLZPLZPLZPLZ HELP", but worked their way out of it, FFS stop posting to say "yay, i can do it now thanks" - instead, tell us how you sodding well fixed it ¬_¬

Tara,

[JimCanuck]

I'm stuck.

I can't edit the BAT file.

I've tried just clicking the edit button after right clicking on the BAT file as Alpaca instructed but it comes back with:

"Cannot create the blah blah blah file.

Make sure the path and file name are correct"

Can anyone help?

[Upcore]

hi, im new to modding and i just wanted to fix a few things i didnt like in the game. ur guide was extremely helpful and I thank you for that. I followed what you said for the method of
[io]
file_first = 1

[log]
to = logs/system.log.txt
level = * error

I then created the bat file with medieval2.exe @mymod.cfg inside.
I then double clicked it and it started up and I got excited but then it crashed. It gets to the first screen for 3 seconds before it closes down and I can't figure out what is going on. I deleted those files with geography so I know that's not the problem also when you add
[io]
file_first = 1

[log]
to = logs/system.log.txt
level = * error

Do you need to hit enter after it to leave a blank space between that and [audio]

I just wanted to add musketeers to the English and the French and the Sicilians and cut the upkeep down a little bit.

[budokwai]

Hello I downloaded your M2TW Mod Folder 1.2.1 but when I click on the Medieval2 - mymod.exe a window appears with nothing written on it except a yelow triangle with a ! in it and when i close that windownothing else happens.

[TineMelk]

Hi first of all I want to say thx for a great tutorial it was pretty easy to follow. I have done everything correct and everything works, there is just one little problem I was hoping someone can help me with. When I start the game with mymod, the game starts but it starts in a little window, and if I enlarge the game to full screen It just crashes.

What could the problem be?

Thx again for a great tutorial

[TineMelk]

Yes

[TineMelk]

Hi first of all I want to say thx for a great tutorial it was pretty easy to follow. I have done everything correct and everything works, there is just one little problem I was hoping someone can help me with. When I start the game with mymod, the game starts but it starts in a little window, and if I enlarge the game to full screen It just crashes.

What could the problem be?

Thx again for a great tutorial

Yes I do use Vista, will I not be able to make the game work then?

[Averde]

I'm new to this forum and new to modding and this guide helped me a lot!

Thank you for this great guide!

[aylak]

i am noob in modding.
i used unpacker to start some modding. i saw that 36000 files will be extracted. i became a bit patient and when it came to 2200 or sth it stopped. then i look if all files were unpacked, but it is not easy to reailise cos i dont know all th files. anyway, i found descr_geography files and deleted them. i just wanted to make small try and changed a units' stat_health to 10 in export_descr_unit used io.file_first. i configured cfg file to left system error log. and launched game. it seemed normal, the unite i edited seemed to have 10 hit points. then i arranged a custom battle. when it loaded ui was creaky, there squares, start deployment satrt battle didn't show advisor was interesting......anyway what may be the cause? the system log is as following.

1:08:07.150 [system.rpt] [always] CPU: SSE2
01:08:07.152 [system.rpt] [always] ==== system log start, build date: Apr 23 2007 version bld-medieval2-update2-84 (37970) ===
01:08:07.160 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/data_0.pack
01:08:07.161 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/data_1.pack
01:08:07.164 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/data_2.pack
01:08:07.166 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/data_3.pack
01:08:07.167 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/data_4.pack
01:08:07.168 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/localized.pack
01:08:13.834 [data.missing] [error] TR/data/ui/shared.sdfile not found
01:08:13.835 [data.missing] [error] TR/data/ui/battle.sdfile not found

i checked the files "shared.sd, battle.sd " they were there in the specified directory. i mean they werent missing. can anyone help me?
thanks,

[aylak]

not 2200 files 22000 files.
i couldnt find where to edit post in this forum?

[doby162]

hi iv been at this for a while now but a ran into a problem. wenever I run th bat file the computer beeps and the loading screen stays. i think iv located a erer mesege under the screen and two options (frome randum clicking) one leavs the screen up and freezes while playing music the other closes it

[doby162]

could sombady pleas anser

[Critical Bill]

I'm stuck.

I can't edit the BAT file.

I've tried just clicking the edit button after right clicking on the BAT file as Alpaca instructed but it comes back with:

"Cannot create the blah blah blah file.

Make sure the path and file name are correct"

Can anyone help?

I had this too. Did anyone ever work it out?

EDIT : Worked it out now!

[Polish Paul]

In order to be able to start your game using this config, create a new text file inside your MTW2 directory called mymod.bat
Open it (right-click, edit) and write this into it:

medieval2.exe @mymod.cfg

Congratulations. If everything worked, you should now be able to run the game with your unpacked files by starting mymod.bat

I used the Mod Folder Installer, which worked fine. It also seemed to create the mymod.bat with that text in it, so I skipped that step.
So it should work... but it doesn't. Here's what happens:

- If I try to open mymod.bat directly, a blank window appears for an instant and then closes.

- When I open the shortcut Medieval II - mymod, it runs the game, but London is still London (even though I changed it as the tutorial suggested).

- I tried to change the launch options (yes, I'm using Steam), but I just get an error "Medieval II suffered a fatal error and will now exit". (If this is the solution, I am probably just typing the wrong launch options, since I was really just guessing).

My comp runs on Windows XP and I am using Steam to play.
I did use the method of running the game that required me to delete one file and change the name of another to Launcher... or something like that. I forget off hand. Could that be the problem?

Does anyone know what the problem is? Thank you.

[Polish Paul]

I edited the mymod.bat so that it "launcher.exe @mymod.cfg" instead of "medieval2.exe @mymod.cfg"
Now when I open it, it actually runs the game, but my changes still aren't showing up.

Looking forward to modding. This tutorial is very good! Excellent!

[camren shea]

ok i loaded the thing that changes the the files to txt files but this guild said directions for the for the download are supposed to be on the readme I can't find that readme can someone please tell where that is.