Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: hardcoregamer

I am trying to create my own custom race, but the game would not load my mod because it complained about there being no bias file. And thus I created a bias file for my mod, but after I added it to my mod folder the game won't start anymore. Removing it seems to fix my problem. Can you tell me how to properly edit/make a biases file in order to add a working custom race?

EDIT: now the game runs but when I load the mod I get an error "warning more bias values then races in line 12". What does that mean? I keep getting this error over and over

quote:

Two words: Reverse Engineer.

Have no idea of what you have installed so I will presume DW, ROTS and Legends.
(In future try to be a little more forthcoming on what version of the game you have installed and your OS)

First thing backup your broken mod folder, the one your posting about here, and put it somewhere safe. Delete it from the 'Customization' folder, you can restore and fix it when you have a better grasp of how things work.
Have a look in the 'Customization' folder and you will find a folder labeled 'Distant Worlds Original'
That has the absolute bare minimum of what you need to make a working mod. Its a very common mistake to throw everything you want into a folder in 10 minutes and then load DW and find that it doesn't work, copy the 'Distant Worlds Original' folder, rename it to your mod's name and take it from there. Replace one race, learn the structure of that mod folder regarding where race names are used,

biases.txt
Policy/JacksterGamersNewRace.txt
races/JacksterGamersNewRace.txt

I would suggest taking a race you are familiar with, one you have played the game with, and start with copying that races file in the races folder and renaming it to your new races name. Make a backup of that file once you have renamed it and then edit that file to your liking using the 'Distant Worlds Legends - Modding Guide.pdf' as a guide to what all the various sections are, as your just starting to learn the modding process don't over complicate things, leave the original race ship choice and only make small changes to the race file so you can remember what you have altered in case things go wonky. Once that is done do the same for a policy file, choose the same race as you did in the races folder, rename it to your races name, make a backup and edit the new race policy file. Now onto the last one and it is easily the worst of the three, the biases text file, this is what causes most mods to malfunction, only experience and time will help with this one, I suggest making a backup of the file, open it for editing and copy the line that has the race you selected in the race / policy folder and copy that, move to the bottom of the file, one line below Mechanoid (*note that there is a blank line below Mechanoid, make sure you put that blank line back once you have finished) now paste your line and renumber that line to 22 and change the race name to JacksterGamersNewRace, make sure that there is a blank line below it (see previous * comment) and save the file. As tjhkkr pointed out, you have to be very careful when you change any of the text in the previously mentioned files, worst one is the biases.txt. Always ensure to use Notepad or Textpad to make sure that when the file is saved it is compatible with DW. Make a new folder in your mod folder and name it 'raceImages' you will then need to put your race image in that folder, race_22.png and race_22a.png. Now make another new folder in you mod folder and call it 'troopImages' copy one of the DW troop images and paste it in there and rename it Troop_22.png.

Load DW and change the theme to your new mod /theme, it should work unless I've missed something which is nothing unusual as I'm blonde and large, there are much more talented folk on here than me at this sort of thing, but that should be the bare basics to get a mod /theme working. Once you know its working backup the whole mod / theme folder and name it mod_ver_00, that way you have a base to work from, if things go wonky, and they will, you can just delete the broken mod /theme folder and drop the most recent backup into the 'Customization' folder. Just remember to edit, test and if it works backup the folder and increase the revision number, mod_ver_01, mod_ver_02, mod_ver_03 etc.
Make a cup of tea and read the 'Distant Worlds Legends - Modding Guide.pdf', page 5 has the full breakdown of the mod folder structure. With the guide open download Igards Star Trek Mod or Haree78's Distant Worlds Extended mod and have a look at the way they have put things together, reference the modding guide and just get a feel for what does what and what goes where, hence the term Reverse Engineer. Once you can alter the theme with confidence go back to your original Mod that did not work, the one your posting about here, restore it in the 'Customization' folder and you should have a facepalm moment as to why it would not work.

quote:

ORIGINAL: hardcoregamer

I am trying to create my own custom race, but the game would not load my mod because it complained about there being no bias file. And thus I created a bias file for my mod, but after I added it to my mod folder the game won't start anymore. Removing it seems to fix my problem. Can you tell me how to properly edit/make a biases file in order to add a working custom race?

EDIT: now the game runs but when I load the mod I get an error "warning more bias values then races in line 12". What does that mean? I keep getting this error over and over