Modding Questions

Bowlingballhead · #1 January 29th, 2004, 03:42 AM

Modding looks pretty simple. In fact, it looks extremely simple! However, there are many things I'd like to do that I can't find commands for. So...

First, do commands from the .map files work? Such as naming selected monster? Important for editing heroes.

Come to that, is it possible to make new heroes at all, or do I have to stick with modifying the old ones?

Is this the full list of powers/traits I can stick on a monster? Say for example I'd like to make one automatically diseased. Or give it a forging bonus. Or nonhealing. Are these commands not listed in the mod instructions, or are they completely unprovided for in the modding program itself?

All this said, let me commend Illwinter on the most amazingly smooth, simple, understandable, and streamlined modding and mapping systems I've ever seen. I've modded some other games, and you can do almost as much with far less trouble on Dominions 2.

void · #2 January 29th, 2004, 01:15 PM

check your dominions2/docs/ directory.
a MODDING.PDF can be found there.

Tune · #3 January 29th, 2004, 03:30 PM

If you want to edit a hero, that is impossible in the present ver 2.06.
And, it thinks that it is impossible that a monster in map is edited, too.

Graeme Dice · #4 January 29th, 2004, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tune:
If you want to edit a hero, that is impossible in the present ver 2.06.
And, it thinks that it is impossible that a monster in map is edited, too.

Heroes can be edited, they just can't have all of their equipment removed through the #clear command. This is done in the Hoburg Special Alliance mod. Monsters can also be edited, the Trollheim mod, Hoburg mod from Illwinter show how this can be done, as does the Devil's Lair mod.

Bowlingballhead · #5 January 29th, 2004, 06:22 PM

Yes, I have read the modding instructions. Thoroughly. However, I want to do things (mainly fairly basic monster/hero edits) that are neither included in the instructions, nor do the instructions say they are impossible.

That is why I am asking if the modding engine accepts any commands that were not included in the instructions, or if for the moment this is the complete limit of what we have to work with.

Don't get me wrong. It's a great basic package, and very flexible. But there are traits the game can (and does) recognize in units that I have not been told how to set, and I was hoping to play with some of them.

Gandalf Parker · #6 January 29th, 2004, 07:02 PM

Its the first run of a modding set. And we Users did push pretty hard for it to hurry up and be released. Already a few things have been spotted that the devs have said "oops, left that out. next patch". I dont remember what ones but its nice that the devs acknowledge an oops and then fix it.

The terminology might need some work. The game isnt really written in english (literally). As I understand it.. You cant "edit" the heros but you can replace them. So you could make a copy of one to a new number, make a few small changes, then tell the game to replace the old hero with the new Version.

[ January 29, 2004, 17:03: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

Tune · #7 January 29th, 2004, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bowlingballhead:
That is why I am asking if the modding engine accepts any commands that were not included in the instructions, or if for the moment this is the complete limit of what we have to work with.

I apologizes for having been short of words. Sorry.

I wanted to say, Name and parameter of the hero who comes to the Gate can't be edited.
It seems that I was in haste.

PvK · #8 January 30th, 2004, 01:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gandalf Parker:
...
As I understand it.. You cant "edit" the heros but you can replace them. So you could make a copy of one to a new number, make a few small changes, then tell the game to replace the old hero with the new Version.

Seems to me you could edit them the same way you can edit pretenders and other units. Get their number. Apply changes to that number. #clear won't work, but you can overwrite anything you can change, including equipment. If they have unique abilities though, you probably can't get rid of those until the next patch.

PvK

void · #9 January 30th, 2004, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bowlingballhead:
That is why I am asking if the modding engine accepts any commands that were not included in the instructions, or if for the moment this is the complete limit of what we have to work with.

all cmds that the engine would accept listed in the instruction.
had splited the exe file to shards, and found that there is nothing more.

*But there are something not listed in sunray-be' sites.xls

*

[ January 30, 2004, 06:13: Message edited by: void ]

LordArioch · #10 January 30th, 2004, 08:21 AM

Actually I had an issue where I believe #clear left a shield on my troops, leading to some confusion when I gave them another shield and they had two. But I think it is intended to clear all items and special attributes, so between that and name/sprite replacement the only thing you can't do is add more heroes...you can edit the old ones completely, I think.