Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

OK....I am somewhat computer challenged although I have been able to figure out how to upload a Pretender and do turns (and revised turns)in a MP game.

But I seem to be stuck on a couple of things.

You would think that the description would be enough (and I think I know the answer) But what is the difference between a 'MOD' and a 'MAP'.

I take it a map is just that...a map that you can install and use in a SP or a MP game.

A Mod is changes in the gameplay if I am correct.

Now my problem,

I have read every post where it says to put it.

But I get confused beacuse of the terminology (told ya I was 'challenged').

I have D/L (and could someone link me up with this Worthy Heroes agian please) KingMaker and Worthy heroes to desktop.

I then tried to open them and nothing (it says I needed a program to open them). I DID get worthy Heroes to extract one time and I extracted it to the dominions Mod file (where I made another file inside saying "New Mods") and then happily went to the prefrences to see my new mod and nothing was there.

So, Could someone that has the patiance to teach someone on a remidial level PLEASE explain it to me in real words so I can try and play MP that doesn't use vanalli maps and no mods.

Thanks Guys I am really getting frustrated. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Before anything else - what's your operating system? Windows? Linux? Mac?

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Windows? Mac? Linux?
I dont mean to be offensive but from your question Im guessing Windows. WinXP?

Maps go into the dominions3/maps directory (or folder depending on what OS you are using). The will usually have to be unpacked (unzipped, un-rar'd). The will usually give you an image file (.tga or .rgb) and a map info file (.map extension, ascii plain-text file). Sometimes a ReadMe.txt also

Mods go in the dominions/mods directory (or folder). They also often need unpacked. They should give you a .dm file (ascii text). They might also create a subdirectory and put other files such as small graphic files into that. The subdirectory needs to be off of dominions/mods

Maps should show up automatically on the choice list when you create a new game.

Mods should show up on the Preferences, Mod Preferences menu. Click it to set it to "enabled". Then start a new game.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

windows XP is my OS

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

OK My Kingmaker Map D/L says KingMaker_wr

RGB File

AP2.RGB

Now the problem is that when i put it in the Dom map directory and tried to 'unzip' it...it came up with it can't open and I need something to open it with.

When I hit the option that is already checked it takes me to a screen that says I can purchase this or that.

My only other option is to select my own device (yeah, right).

I created a game and went to the map selection and it is not in there.

So do I have a bad D/L or am I just not getting it?

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Ahhh. KingMaker is a game in progress?
Sorry, MP games operate under different conditions.

The AP2.RGB is the graphic image of the map. If you grab an up-to-date image viewer like IrfanView then you could click on it and view it but its not necessary.

A multiplayer game does not have to give you the .map file for that map. In fact, they often dont because it could have information in it that you could read and make use of. When you are playing the multiplayer game, the host needs the .map file when it processess all the turns. It sends you the info you need. You must have a graphic iamge to show it on but you dont need the .map file.

Without the .map file, you cant start a game on that map. Its only going to be useful for playing the KingMaker game.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

So your saying its like the TRN (for example) file for MP?

I will get it sent to me and I just have to put it in the right directory (and maybe unzip it)?

If thats true then that simplifies the heck out of that.

Now Mods...when I D/L Worthy Heroes to desktop I put it in the mods file (well actually I made a New Mods file IN the Mods directory and extracted it in there)but it does't show up in the Mod Prefrences.

Did I do it wrong or maybe extracted it at the wrong time or to the wrong place?

BTW, Thanks...I always see you on here answering the same questions for us NOOBS over and over. For all of us THANKS!!

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

About a mod zip or rar file.

You need to extract it 'with paths' to the mods subfolder of dom3.

In the end all .dm files must be in dominions3/mods or whatever the location is called. Not dominions3/mods/Newmods or anything like that. The graphic files used by the dm can be in subfolders of /mods, but not ones arbitrarily made up by you, they have to be in the correct ones defined in the dm - you get these when you unzip or unrar 'with paths' (keeping paths defined by the author of the zip/rar).

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Its not a stretch for me. Its been a part of my day job for as long as PCs have existed. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

yeah what Sombre said.
Unzip it to the mods directory. It might create a subdirectory for itself but the .dm file would still land in the mods directory where dom3 can find it, and it would have inside it some instructions to dom3 telling it to look for its special files in the subdir it created for itself.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Just to chime in here - it sounds like you are getting the NewLords folder that your premade Pretender lands in, confused with the Mod folder. Forget Newmods, it doesn't exist. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

OK, I got a map at random. It is called Warhammer ORGE KING.

I drug it into maps (as it said zipped but wouldn't open) and it broke into 3 files.

1. Is a yellow file that looks like the ones we make when asked to make a new file. It has a whole LOT of TGA files.
It is named warhammer orge kn...

2. second file is a dog ear file that just says Warhammer Orge Kingdoms dm. and when I try to open it it directs me to a place where it says I can D/L stuff to open Dm files (whatever the H*** they are).

3. A third One that doesn't do anything.


I also checked in my Maps when I tried to start a new game and its not in there.

Can I REALLY be this stupid?

I read and reread the posts you guys have sent and I honestly don't understand what to do next.

Maybe if you could direct me to one (MOD like the worthy heroes that you KNOW is up to date and tell me how to do it I could keep trying) and a MAP that is a good one that the game will take and maybe with your directions I can get it to work.

ONCE I get it to work (I take notes when doing it the first time)I will always know how to do it.

Geeeez, I have to be the only one on here that has played this game for 2 months and can't seem to understand how to do most simple things to play MP unless its Vanilla.

Sorry for the rant and thanks for the help!!

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Mmm, Warhammer Ogre Kingdoms is nation mod, you know, not a map. You must put all files and folders into "mods" folder.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

"Orge King"? Now THAT seems interesting ^^

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

ArrrrrGHHHHH I SWEAR it was in under Maps.......

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

I have to be honest, I was willing to help you and had potentially limitless patience until that post above.

I am the author of Ogre kingdoms. Even a brief glance at the very first post in the thread from which you downloaded it would have told you it's a new nation, not a map. If you're having problems getting something to work it also helps if you accurately describe what you are doing - for example giving the correct file names, in this case Ogre Kingdoms 0.7.zip. You might even consider linking to where you got it.

I feel your post implies that there is something wrong with Ogre Kingdoms, or ORGE KING/ogre kn... as you call it. Maybe there is, but the problem in this case is you. It doesn't lie with your computer illiteracy, though that is clearly hindering you, it's a more basic lack of due care and attention. You ask for a mod that 'we KNOW is up to date' and cite worthy heroes, but again a quick glance at the respective threads would tell you Ogre Kingdoms was updated far more recently than Worthy Heroes.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Man don't get all uneasy over this.

I picked that out of the Maps and Mods section and thought It was a map...

End of story.

Now for as far as not paying attention I put exactly the way it appeared in the folder down to the KN.

If I knew how to Link it I would have (see computer illiteracy), but I really didn't care if it was up to date or not.

I was just trying to get SOMETHING to work and I see a bunch of people wanting 'Worthy Heroes' so I thought I would get that one.

So don't get angry with me because you authored the Orge Kingdoms that I choose at random to use as an example because I actually liked what it looked like.

I don't care if it was updated today...it just had no relevance to what I was trying to get across.

If you have a problem with what I said you could have written a PM to me instead of a rant on here.

Now, If you would like to help me become LESS illiterate and learn how to do this so I CAN D/L your map and play it...I would thank you very much.

Sorry, I just don't understand how I offended you I guess.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

What he's saying is that because it appears that you are not taking your time, and paying attention to what it is that you are actually doing, that he is wasting his time in trying to help you, because it becomes more a process of hand-holding rather than of simply giving easy to follow advice.

Now.....

Anything with a ".dm" extension is a mod, period. That will only ever go in the Mods folder. Sometimes Mods come with their own sub-directory. You don't DO anything to that, you just put it in the Mod folder as well. Any folder that comes along with a ".dm" file, is probably the auxiliary files for that mod, just put ALL of it in the Mod folder, don't remove anything from the sub folder ever.

Anything with the ".map" extension, goes in the Maps folder. It will always be accompanied by some sort of a graphic file, but yes for specific games, sometimes you will only get the graphic file, pay attention to that closely.


Beyond that, I don't know what more can be done to help you understand what has to be done, other than to show you. But since that's not going to happen, try to retrace your steps, and see where you went wrong, and fix it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Thank you, that exactly what I needed to know.

Its just the tRN and 2h files I needed to know what to do with when I was trying to send in my first turns on my first MP game.

I'm not stupid, I am just 'old' and this technology comes a little harder to someone who grew up without it.

Its not a matter of not paying attention but being rather 'afraid' of doing something wrong that will screw up the files of the game and I will never get it right.

But Mr. Sombre seems to have taken exception thwith the fact that I used his Mod as an example (see below) and nothing was farther from the truth.

When I said " I needed a file that we KNEW was current " what I was trying to say was that I have no way of know what everything means and IF I know we have a clean version of the game then what ever I do I can be sure that it will work if I stumble on to the right sequence.

"I feel your post implies that there is something wrong with Ogre Kingdoms, or ORGE KING/ogre kn... as you call it. Maybe there is, but the problem in this case is you. It doesn't lie with your computer illiteracy, though that is clearly hindering you, it's a more basic lack of due care and attention. You ask for a mod that 'we KNOW is up to date' and cite worthy heroes, but again a quick glance at the respective threads would tell you Ogre Kingdoms was updated far more recently than Worthy Heroes"

Actually I was looking to D/L the'Worthy Heroes' mod and decided to get a map that I thought was neat to play that mod on...enter Orge Kingdoms.

I thought It WAS a map (not knowing about DM files and all)
so I wrote what I did.

If he feels I slighted his endevour then I apologize, it was not my intention.

If you look at my previous posts you will see that I do nothing but THANK the people that respond for taking thier time to help someone who is having trouble and is telling them something that they have said 100 times before to other people.

And I thank you for stepping in and explaining things.

I hope Mr. Sombre understands that it was no intended slight but if he thinks it was then there is nothing more I can do or say that will change his mind.

However, I hope he checkes in and rereads all this and decides to continue to help folks (like me for example) as he is very good at what he explains....Its folks like me that have to understand it and it might not 'take' the first time.

Again thanks to all!~!

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

No hard feelings, glad you got it working.

I would advise you to look a bit more closely at what you're doing next time. Even given you don't know about .dms and .maps, it's clear you didn't read anything in the Ogre Kingdoms thread (even the title), you just downloaded it at random and when you couldn't get it working came back here for help. To me that doesn't make any kind of sense when it has a thread several pages long in the mods and maps forum, the first post of which makes it absolutely clear what it is.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

will do....thanks http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

For others reading, in case it didnt jump out at you..
.trn = turn
.2h = to host

In other words the 2h file is what you send to the host,
and the trn file is your turn file that the host sends back.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Well, to be honest it kind of irritated me that we put Mods and Maps into the same subforum, too, when I registered and was a newbie here. Both things have a lot of threads, both have their right to exist and as there are a few similarities the target audience is probably the same. But why cram it both into one forum instead of having seperate ones?

The same applies for the other subforum, although it isn't much of an issue because there are virtually no AARs in the "MP games and AAR" subforum.

As for the problems with how to use the underlying operating system, my best advice is to wisen up and learn what you're dealing with if you don't want to post questions that will be judged as being stupid by others.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

I have not checked the actual manual for what it says about placement of mod files and map files. The new modding and mapmaking guides that will be in the next patch will directly tell you where to put the files, but I'm not certain how many new people know about what all is in the Dom3/docs folder.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Does the game create a folder in the start menu in Windows XP upon installation? Then links to the docs should be added there, too.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

That's a good idea. Let's see if we can't get Johan to add it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

I agree entirely. Maps and mods should get separate subforums. Both would be pretty active.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Oh, thanks. I could never figure out before why the ".2h" extension.

-Max

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

OK, at the risk of incurring ire agian I will explain what I did and you can tell me if I just can't understand what you are trying to say.

First I put the Orge Kingdom in the Mod folder of Dom/3..I didn't do anything to it or try to. Does not come up in the Mod Prefrence catagory.

I took a map...called LoemenDorm 1.2 (at random But it IS a map).

I put it in the Dom/3 Map file and extracted it as it said.

I got 2 new files.

1.It is a dog earred file with a square inside of it with 3 differnet colored objects (too small to identify) in it. Theu are red, blue, green in that order.
The listing under the file is Loemendor_m
ULTI.Map

2. second file (also a dog earred file) Square inside with what looks like either a barn or mailbox (To small for these old eyes to tell)but has what appears is a sunset of three differnt stripes in the colors purple, orange, yellow/orange.

It says under the file Loemendorm Mul OR MVL (sorry) Ti.TGA

As i said I unzipped it in the map file (extracted) but it did not show up when i went to start a new game and checked the map list.

If its somewhere else then PLEASE tell me where it is.

If I did it wrong agian just tell me and I will be content to play SP.

Thanks for your help and patiance...

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Its hard to troubleshoot things from this end.
You might have clicked on the zip and viewed the files in it without opening it, or some zip programs tend to automatically put things in a subdirectory named the same as the zip.

Try this. Click on this link

file:///c:/progra~1/domini~1/maps/
YOUR maps dir
and tell me if the map is there

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

And another subforum for relatively OT topics that still relate in strong ways to Dominions would also be desireable. I hardly ever visit any other forum than the Dominions ones, and it would be nice if we had a localized subforum for discussions that don't have to be strictly technical, seeing as how this game has strong cultural elements that don't always lend themselves to linear debate.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Rats that url doesnt seem to work as I wanted.
Anyway can you do a directory view and see that map there listed with other map files?

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Personally, I think the community is so small that dividing it any further would end up making it look like there is much less traffic everywhere, even if the number of posts stayed same.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

It would only be dividing it in the sense that having different threads divides it.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

I think that if you separated the maps & mods forum that you would be disappointed. Many folks would have never paid any attention to some of the great mods and maps available if they were in their own forums. Typically when I buy a game I tend to avoid things that change the core game. This is not always the case with dominions mods, but I would have missed out on some great stuff. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Why would you not visit the subforums if they were separate? I don't get it.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Gandolph Parker, I clicked on that link and it didn't take me anywhere or open.

I checked my computer by clicking on some names to see if those links worked ...they did.

Any other ideas?

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Ok, I was screwing around with these things and I hit properties.

It said I had some files blocked (this was on the Orge Kingdoms Mod and worthy heroes mod.

I had a choice to unblock these files (and after scanning) I did.

I then did NOT try to unzip/extract/ or do anything but drag them into the dom mods folder.

Niether one showed up in Mod Prefrences.

Sooooooo, any ideas or do you think it may be my computer that just isn't accepting these files?

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Exactly the opposite. You'll have two sub-forums where there'll always be very recent posts by the usual suspects (Sombre, Pashadawg, etc.), not only one. And they won't seem empty because most of the threads in those forums are in back-pages anyway.

It would just make it way easier to find what you really specifically want: A map/scenario or a mod.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Everything has its pros and cons.
If we had maps and mods seperate, then they would roll off seperately. It would allow a screenful of map discussions to stay in sight. Same with AAR and MP. It would allow the few AARs to stay readily visible.

On the downside, anytime to subforum anything you do cut down the traffic. Many people who would have clicked on it, wont know that they want to go to the subforum to see it and want to click on it.

So any split is a balancing act between too few or too many.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

But mods AND maps is already a subforum so it's already lost the traffic that comes with being a subforum. I don't understand why if split into two subforums their combined traffic wouldn't be about the same.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

I can agree on that. You'll miss accidental clicks by people, or they might skip a click on a thread title that they'd probably find interesting if they don't visit both forums, yes. But I think that being able to quickly find stuff that is really relevant to you without detours like that far outweighs the downsides. And if people really want to just browse around, they'll visit each sub-forum anyway.

I should have probably split this discussion into a separate thread. I didn't want to take over the topic in here. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

For what it's worth, I usually just check the main forum, but when I'm in the mood I may check maps/mods. If the subforum were split into two subforums I would probably still check them both.

-Max

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

I really don't care if they are split or not. I truly have no preference. It is just that when I get into a new game, the absolute last place I start to frequent are the mod forums for that game. There are hundreds of mods for Age of Empires, Kings, and Conquerors, but I have never used a single one. However, I have played with many of the user made random maps and custom AI scripts which had a tendency to be in their own separate forum from the mods. It is just how I function. Usually, by the time I am tired of the base game, I have no interest in trying mods. Dominions is an exception to this rule. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

I am just throwing myself out as one example. I certainly don't claim to be typical. As a matter of fact, I pride myself on being an odd duck. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Edit-
Ugh. My apologies to the original poster for helping to drag this thread so far off topic.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

I opened properties and saw that it said I had some files blocked...

I had the option to unblock files and did that.

I then unzipped/extracted map files into the Dom/3 Map file but they STILL are not in the map directory when I start a new game.

Am I looking in the right place?

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

GB,
Maybe try something a little different:

1. Create a folder on your desktop. Name it anything you like. I will call it 'New Folder' since that is the default.

2. When you download the zip file containing the map, save it in this folder.

3. Open new folder and you should see your zip file. Right click on it and select "Extract here" from the menu that pops up.

4. Select the ".MAP" file and the ".TGA" file by holding down the control key (CTRL) and clicking on one and then the other. This will highlight both files so that you know you have them both selected.

5. Right click on either of the selected files and select "COPY" from the menu that pops up.

6. Open your dominions3 "Maps" folder. You should see the original dominions3 map files in there. (aran.map, aran.tga, etc.)

7. Right click anywhere in that folder and select "PASTE" from the menu that pops up. You should now see your new map files in the folder.

8. If you had dominions open while you were doing this, close it and restart the game. The maps will not show up until dominions refreshes it's list.

9. With the game reopened, you should now see the new map listed in the selection of maps when you create a new game.

Hope that helps.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Wow...that sounds good (and I know how to do that too...lol) Thanks

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

worked like a charm...Thanks a million for the tip.

I have been somewhat confused on the MOD part of this equation.
I keep hearing that you only have to put the mod you want in the Dom/3 Mod file and it will work...no extracting, no messing with it.

But it doesn't work for me. Doo you think that maybe I need to reboot and reset the files (so to speak after putting the mod in there or should I do like I did with maps and open it on desk top in its own folder and then place it ion the MOD section? Thanks

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Do the same for the mods as you did for the map.

Once you have the mod files in your dominions3 mod folder, start the game and enable the mod in preferences. When you create a new game, the mod will automagically be enabled whenever you play that game in the future, even if you disabled it for another game.

For example, if you were playing 2 games and game1 was created with mod1 enabled and game2 was created with mod2 enabled, you would not need to mess with the mod preferences again. When you play game1 you would only see the changes caused by mod1. Mod2 would only be seen when you played game2.

(Glad that worked for you! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif )

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

Where do you keep hearing that? I don't think anyone has said that in this thread. It certainly isn't true. You have to extract the necessary files from an archive, usually a zip or rar.

Re: Mods? Maps? Need some help
 

That's probably because most people don't think of the zip file as the mod. The mod is the dm file contained within the zip, so it is true that you only have to put the mod in the Mod directory.