help with newbie modding

[JPSeraph]

Hi, I've recently purchased Dom 2 (couldn't wait until Oct 2 to play past Turn 40) and naturally want to tweak with it.

Since my favorite SP Pretender got nerfed, I want to return the VQ back to her original glory. After breezing through the mod manual and checking all the "god mod" posts, I haven't found a command to set the Pretender's startup cost. How do I set the VQ back to her rightful 110 points?

Any help would be appreciated.

I guess another question I have is if I want to create a new unit, but use the graphics from an existing unit, how do I accomplish this? I read that someone has all of the unit graphics type one (non-attack pose) on a convenient map file, but how about the attack pose? Is there a way to simply use the graphics from within the game without taking screen shots, converting to TGA, etc?
(I am VERY inept with graphics)

Lastly, if I want to remove one unit from a nation's recruitable list, do I have to clear the entire list and then add everything back except the one I am removing or is there a more efficient way?

Thank you in advance for reading/replying!

[Agrajag]

If you define a Gold Cost for a pretender, it will act as design points instead.
So IIRC you need to pick the VQ and change #gcost 110
IIRC, Copying the graphics of another unit isn't possible with mode commands, you will have to capture pictures and add them. It will, however, be possible to do in Dom3.

[JPSeraph]

goldcost, why didn't I think of that? Thanks!

And I'm looking forward to modding in Dominions 3 as well; looks like it will be much more in-depth.

[Endoperez]

There will be few more options, but there aren't that many changes at release. Illwinter has mentioned at least few mod ideas of their own in the huge Dom3 Wishlist thread, so new features might come in later on. However, the very basics of moddable starting sites and few other often-requested features are in.

[JPSeraph]

One more question: if I want to change a regular unit's leadership stats for when I use Gift of Reason, does simply adding the three #leaderships accomplish this or will that cause any problems ingame? (I guess it would mean every regular unit has hidden #leadership stats?)

"Lastly, if I want to remove one unit from a nation's recruitable list, do I have to clear the entire list and then add everything back except the one I am removing or is there a more efficient way?"

If someone could answer the last one as well, I'd be very grateful. Thanks!

[Agrajag]

IIRC, the answer to the 1st question is that you should do as you guessed, define some leadership for regular troops in case they are GoRed, this follows the logic of defining body types for none commanders.
The answer to the 2nd question is (again, IIRC) that there isn't a better way.

[JPSeraph]

Agrajag, Endoperez - Thanks for helping me out. Now the modding is going pretty smoothly overall. Time to test it out!

[JPSeraph]

Okay, rather than start a new thread, I'll just ask here:

I tweaked around with the Knights of the Stone and after running about 300 turns in a test game (with luck 3, turmoil 3), I have Bernlad, Rhianne and Brangwen, but no Knight of the Stone.

Is there any way of knowing if I accidently messed something up? There were no error messages and everything else I modded seems to be working just fine.

For those who might want to see the changes, here goes:
#selectmonster 58
#ap 30
#mapmove 3
#hp 20
#str 14
#att 18
#def 17
#mr 15
#mor 18
#heal
#reinvigoration 3
#standard 20
#weapon 330
#weapon 998
#armor "Mithril Mail"
#armor "Mithril Helmet"
#armor "Mithril Kite Shield"
#end

The Mithril armor all seems good to go based on other armor I have created which did work, same with the #998 weapon.

The #330 weapon is "Alicorn". I was trying to switch the mount from a regular horse to an Alicorn. Could this be the problem?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[Endoperez]

I don't know why that doesn't work, but it seems that it doesn't.

Dominions 3 has a new mod command for adding a hero similar to the Knights of the Stone, though, so if you are getting it or making a version of your mod to work with it, you have a workaround.

#multihero1 <monster nbr>
Gives a multihero to the modded nation. Use multihero1
or multihero2 for up to two different multiheroes. A
multihero is a hero that never runs out, i.e. there is an
infinite supply of that type of hero.

[JPSeraph]

At the moment, I'm trying my best *not* to play the Dom 3 demo, since I can't stand 40 turn limits and won't be able to purchase the full game for a few months...but it sounds very tempting!

Go figure, I decide to test out some new mods for Ulm (with the Knights of the Stone mod still running), and on about turn 5 the AI Man declares some Knight of the Stone their new prophet.

As an aside, don't you hate it when a 'quick test game' turns into an all-nighter?