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All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [World War II] >> Time of Fury >> Design and Modding >> Modding Tools Page: [1] 2   next >   >>
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Modding Tools - 1/11/2012 6:23:55 AM   
mgarnett

 

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Hi All,

I designed a series of integrated moddig tools for another Matrix game, Panzer Corps, which allows various aspects of the game to be more easily modded, such as units and attributes, various unit effects (graphics/sond) and campaign structures. I'm also in the process of creating an OOB editor for HPS's Napoleonic Campaigns series so anybody who has played these games (PzC and HPS:NC) know of the types of tools that I'm talking about.

Another forum member who has used the PzC tool asked me to post here to see if there is a need for a similar type to tool set for this game. I own Time of Fury, but I'm not a game modder but I appreciate the work that modders do, so if there is anything I can do to help their work easier, I'm more than happy to try.

If there is a need for modding toold/utilities, please post your thoughts here and I will look into designing/coding them for Time of Fury.

Cheers

Mark
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RE: Modding Tools - 1/11/2012 6:48:14 AM   
Magpius


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YES!



< Message edited by Agent S -- 1/14/2012 9:40:00 PM >


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RE: Modding Tools - 1/11/2012 6:51:40 AM   
Magpius


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anything that can intuitively update the .csv files in a small number of overview screens would be just brilliant.


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RE: Modding Tools - 1/11/2012 7:03:25 AM   
mgarnett

 

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At least CSV files are easier to deal with than those mishmash text files in PzC!  I'll start going through the DATA directory looking at what's stored there and how it's all put together.

In the meantime, please feel free to put forward any ideas on what would make life easier for you.

Cheers

Mark

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RE: Modding Tools - 1/11/2012 7:53:01 AM   
Hairog


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That would be fantastic and much appreciated.

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RE: Modding Tools - 1/11/2012 8:44:22 AM   
slaytanic

 

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An event editor. A nice interface to add/change events. Events are in xml. There's also event manual with all the options/effects

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RE: Modding Tools - 1/11/2012 8:53:12 AM   
doomtrader


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Hi mgarnett,

If you would have any questions, please just ask, I'll try to answer as good as possible.

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RE: Modding Tools - 1/11/2012 8:54:14 AM   
doomtrader


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I just made this thread sticky, as it is probably in the interest of all modders

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RE: Modding Tools - 1/12/2012 7:42:34 AM   
mgarnett

 

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Thanks heaps. It will take me a few days to get across the data files, there's certainly quite a bit of information there!

I'll be sure to post any questions and thanks again for the help.

Cheers

Mark

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RE: Modding Tools - 1/13/2012 7:06:52 AM   
Magpius


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I'm very excited your onboard with this mark. Will help out anyway I can to get this running.
The Wastelands editor works fine for map creation. (although sea zone linkages escape me at the moment).
But unit modification and linking to fleets and placement is still very beta. (broken).
Focusing on the non-map areas to begin with would be most welcome.


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RE: Modding Tools - 1/13/2012 10:45:16 AM   
doomtrader


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The hardest part of the editor is to properly linking various files.
What we are trying to avoid is the possibility to add units for countries which are not included in the game.
Another issues is that every time you are adding or deleting new country, more than one file is involved into the process.

Also, for example the land unit has got over 40 values, which must filled, and some of them are done automatically.

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RE: Modding Tools - 1/14/2012 8:09:06 AM   
Magpius


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The naval units are problematic for me at the moment.
For as you say a lot of interlinked files...
Naval unit ---> Fleets
Fleets. ---->. Sea zones
Sea Zones ----> Countries
Etc etc etc.
Doom, if you could please just post screenshots of each editor panel outlining what each value range is, that would go a long way with building scenarios. Like you did for the country database page.

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RE: Modding Tools - 1/14/2012 8:20:13 AM   
mgarnett

 

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Hi Guys,

I've been going through the ToF editor looking at what it is doing.  It seems as though this is going to be a pretty comprehensive tool with a myriad of options for editing units and other aspects of the game. 

Are you guys able to let me know what aspect the game requires the introduction of an additional tool addressing something that the current editor does not.  I want to be sure that I'm not just reproducing something that's already been done.  To date there has been a suggestion for an event editor, which seems reasonable as I couldn't find any way to modify these files in the current editor.

There has also been mention made of the naval units -> fleets -> placement editor but this looks like it already exists in the current editor.  Apologies for the dumb questions in advance!

Cheers

Mark

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RE: Modding Tools - 1/14/2012 9:40:08 PM   
Magpius


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Mark, the current editor is far from fully functional. So even though you would not want to build redundancies into your work, anything would be beneficial.

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RE: Modding Tools - 1/14/2012 11:24:35 PM   
mgarnett

 

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Is work continuing on the current editor or is it a dead project?

Cheers

Mark

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RE: Modding Tools - 1/15/2012 1:18:20 AM   
doomtrader


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Current editor is still WIP and is going to be improved to gain full functionality.

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RE: Modding Tools - 1/15/2012 3:05:11 AM   
mgarnett

 

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Thanks for that. I can see that the current editor is going to be pretty full featured when complete. I can't help thinking that I'll be reinventing the wheel here, it would take me some time to catch up to where the current editor is at the moment for no real gain that I can see considering that it is going through continuous improvement.

Are you able to let me know what thoughts you have on additional modding tools covering areas that aren't going to be addressed with the current editor.

As I've said, I don't mod the game so I'm sure that there are useful tools people want but it's difficult for me to guage the need when I don't have modding experience with this game.

Cheers

Mark


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RE: Modding Tools - 1/15/2012 7:39:52 PM   
gwgardner

 

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here's a tool that would be incredibly useful: an event 'editor' or viewer, showing event triggers, parameters, possible results, with the ability to change any of those, delete events, etc.

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RE: Modding Tools - 1/16/2012 7:55:12 AM   
Magpius


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Yes, once the editor is working, as GW has said, an events editor would open the game to a much wider TOE.
So +1 from me.

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RE: Modding Tools - 1/16/2012 8:37:54 AM   
mgarnett

 

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OK, an event editor it is then.  I'll get started on that and post my progress.

Cheers

Mark

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RE: Modding Tools - 1/16/2012 9:08:51 AM   
Hairog


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quote:

ORIGINAL: mgarnett

OK, an event editor it is then.  I'll get started on that and post my progress.

Cheers

Mark



Great! An event editor is very much needed. A very worthy project. It will be used heavily.


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RE: Modding Tools - 1/16/2012 1:05:46 PM   
gwgardner

 

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So kewl.  Please note that in association with the event files is a text string file, which contains the text for the various events and results.  I'm sure Doomtrader would be happy to give info on the relationship between the event files and the text file. 

I believe it is lang_ENG.db or lang_ENG.csv in the root folder of the game. Which of those is the base file, I don't know (ie, the .csv file may be a derivative of the .db file?).

< Message edited by gwgardner -- 1/16/2012 1:08:45 PM >

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RE: Modding Tools - 1/16/2012 1:40:09 PM   
doomtrader


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There is no straight connection between those two files.
The game just reads the events, checks what is between the title, description etc, and is looking for such text/string in the database. If it will be found, then the game replaces the text using the one in second column.
You have to edit .csv file, and later use StringBaseEditor to convert the file into db format.

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RE: Modding Tools - 1/17/2012 11:14:19 AM   
mgarnett

 

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Thanks guys, I'm just going through the XML files at the moment looking at how they are structured and what the information appears to mean.  I'm sure I'll have a hundred questions before too long.

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RE: Modding Tools - 1/17/2012 11:26:54 AM   
slaytanic

 

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There's a file called EVENT_ENGINE_MANUAL in one folder which helps out a lot

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RE: Modding Tools - 1/17/2012 11:50:27 AM   
mgarnett

 

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Hi Guys,

I've been going the ToF data and have come across the following files that appear to relate to the implementation of events and/or the contents of events.

a) lang_ENG.csv (located in the ToF root directory)

b) lang_ENG.db (a database file that appears to contain the same sort of data in the above CSV but in some sort of database format also in the root of ToF)

c) Numerous XML files in the data\events directory

d) A comprehensive "EVENT_ENGINE_MANUAL.txt" file outlining the nature and use of the event methods I assume are contained in the XML files in the events directory

e) An "events_list.csv" file in the same directory containing numbered events, various flags and some other data

f) A file called "Lisa nazw constow do eventow.txt" contaning data (not sure what this relates to)

g) An "events.xsd" file in the data\scenarios directory, which appears to be a schema file

Each scenario then appears to have files relating to the implementation of events as follows:

a) A file called "event_files.txt" cotaining the names of existing XML event files which I assume are those files that contain data for the events relevant to that scenario only

b) A file called "events.xml" containing event data which appears to relate to the event files contained in the data directory.  I assume the data contained in this file sets out the conditions applicable to that scenario under which the event will "fire"

My question relates more the requirements of the modders in terms what event editing capability they need and what access to what data is required.  I imagine that events can be added into the data\events directory in the form of XML files but then how does the game know that these event files exist, do entries for these new events need to be written into the overarchng DB file and if so, what's the format of that file?

Or is it the case that modders only require the ability to use pre-existing events and be able to add those pre-existing events into the event files for a specific scenario?  Assuming it's the latter, it appears that the "scenario level" events are required to have an entry relating to the event in the "events.xml" file for that particular scenario and a series of conditions setting out when the event will occur.

Again, if it's the latter, I assume any required tool will need to parse the game level events located in the events directory and allow the modder to choose those events that they want to add to a scenario, the conditions for the event and then allow the event to be selected and automatically added into the scenario level data.

As more of a techical question for editing events at a scenario level, rather than game level, I am assumng that no additional entries will need to be made into any other data files other than those contained in the directory for each particular scenario (therefore, no need to edit data contained in the DB file).

I'm sure some of my assumptions here are incorrect so any additional information is appreciated.

Cheers

Mark

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RE: Modding Tools - 1/17/2012 12:30:44 PM   
slaytanic

 

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Speaking from my point of view, it would be nice to have an event table for each scenario, sortable by country involved, title and start date, a nice drop down list for methods, options, effects, inputting names of countries/alliances instead of IDs and corresponding event description and tool tips all present

Of course creating a new event would also be great as I don't think pre-existing one cover all the possibilities but that's only if it's not too much work

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RE: Modding Tools - 1/23/2012 8:15:16 AM   
mgarnett

 

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Hi Guys,

I'm off tow New York tomorrow for a couple of weeks on a work trip, so work on this will continue when I return.

Cheers

Mark

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RE: Modding Tools - 3/4/2012 1:29:50 PM   
Magpius


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Mark, any updates?
regards
A

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RE: Modding Tools - 3/27/2012 11:22:34 AM   
Magpius


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bump

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