modding, getting started?
 

Alrighty, I've tried my hand at modding, and would kinda like to check it on in this game.

Are there any documents on modding I can read, or tutorials.

Secondly, are there any limitations on modding I should know i.e.

You can't add races
or
You can't add spells or something etc.

Re: modding, getting started?
 

Modding isn't done by poking around in game files (binary or txt ones), but by adding seperate mod files from which the exe reads what to change.

All those commands are listed in the modding.pdf, which comes with the full Version and is updated with every patch.

You know, there's some truth to the saying:
RTFM !

e.g. on the very first page you'll find:

1 Requirements
With the help of a simple text editor it is possible to create new weapons and units. It will also be possible to modify existing units and nations.
...

2 Mod Mechanics
All modding commands must be save in a text file with the .dm (dominions mod) extension.
...
• Mod Info
• Weapons
• Armors
• Units
• Spells
• Nations
• General

.. so if you check which commands are listed with each chapter, you'll know what's possible. If there's a command, you can do it (unless it doesn't work as expected o.c. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif ), if not, you can't, simple as that.

Re: modding, getting started?
 

I still thnk someone should do a simple modding walk-thru the way the Jotun walkk-thru does with the game. Nothing elaborate, just showing a few simple changes.

Ive been thinking of doing the same thing with map commands and adding it to my site.

Re: modding, getting started?
 

I RTFM, and was disapointed there were no indicators to adding addtional nations, just modifying existing ones.

Is it possible to mod in more nations? If it isn't as of present, will it be in the future?

Re: modding, getting started?
 

Maybe I didn't made myself clear enough, or sounded somewhat rough .. but I'm not of the diplomatic type, and english isn't my first language .. .

However, as I said, all commands are there. If there's something you can't do with them, you can't do it, simple as that.

Adding a nation is one of these things.
It would require GUI changes, and therefore could only be done by the devs. But those aren't very fond of coding GUI, so we're stuck with choosing from , what, 17?, different nations.


And I don't think a modding-walkthrough would make any sense. It's not that hard to figure it out from the docs, and than there's this forum to search for the answers to those question which remain. A step-by-step walkthrough would only result in a bunch of poor, partly finished mods by those with a short attention span http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: modding, getting started?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Its not possible and I doubt we will be seeing it. The is an 18th nation in the works and when its added it will give you one more slot, but there are too many lists and arrays that would have to be flexible to allow a mod to add a nation.

Re: modding, getting started?
 

For what it's worth, what I found the most useful in getting started on my mod was downloading other mods and looking into their guts (namely, their .dms and their .tgas) to figure out what had worked effectively for them.

I think the best example of a full nation mod, aside from what IW put out, is probably Ashikaga as it really flexed what the mod utilities can do. DL it, read the mod, and then come back with the initial questions that flow from it.

As a sidenote, does anyone have any recommendations on where to go for excellent PhotoShop FAQs and pointers? There are so many sites out there that trying to find a single, clear, comprehensive one is hard. What I'm really interested in is finding out whether there's a utility on PS that allows you to pick a single color-type for sprites and replace all instances of said color-type with another color. You can see the obvious reasons for wanting such, I'm sure.

Re: modding, getting started?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Have to agree, for a game where modding is this simple, compared to modding for some games (content creation in NWN) there is no reason for tutorials.

Re: modding, getting started?
 

Well admittedly I learned MAP commands just fine by looking at them. But then again I learned the game without a walkthru (and that was the less friendly Dom1 interface). But some people just wont look. Maybe a short step by step saying why the commands are being used would spur some people do try it.

Oh well, I dont do MODs so maybe I will just do a MAP Version and let others consider if something like that would work for MODs

Re: modding, getting started?
 

RTFMing again, and I noticed the comand
#nothemes (or something close to that)
It doesn't make any themes playable for said nation.

This command sort of implies the ability to mod themes, but I didn't see any commands to influence this. Rather peculiar to me. Is this an indicator of future additions to modability?

Re: modding, getting started?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I don't know about their future intentions, but at the moment I use that to turn off themes for when I modify a race. I recently modded Ermor into Mordor for the LotR map and turned off themes because they didn't really fit in with the flavor.

I believe it's possible to force a nation to take a particular theme, which may be handy b/c some themes have more national heroes than others. I haven't actually done that, though. However, I'm not aware of any way to actually mod a theme.

A walkthru might be nice, but I'll settle for decent documentation--updated weapon/armor/unit lists with IDs. That's been the big PITA for me. (disclaimer: I have not yet read the 2.11 modding.pdf)

As for adding new nations, I'm not sure it's necessary--that would have to be a really big game to have all 18 nations already active. It's fairly easy to turn on/off a mod.

gs

Re: modding, getting started?
 

With adding new themes though, u'd be able to essentially create entire new nations, and not have to worry about everything hard coded into the game.

Re: modding, getting started?
 

The modding manual is going through a major rewrite/edit that'll hopefully make it a bit more accessable for beginners.

It'll be maintained through new Versions as well, so suggestions from everybody on improvements will be welcome.