Changing Unit Pictures

[noone23]

There is a safe way to do this and there are all the other ways, no doubt. I want to SAFELY change some of the French unit illustrations to the ones I like better, but the entire process has so far proved elusive. I suspect from what I've seen of the files that more than one of those files has to be changed in order for the whole thing to work. What must I do, in step by step order, to perform the entire operation for each desired picture change safely and successfully?

[muddymonkey77]

Tell me which units you want to change to what, and I can help you.

[noone23]

Thanks for the offer of help. Basically I want to change all French ground units to look like the infantry unit in the Unit_Infantry2_FRA.png file(except for the same unit, of course).

[muddymonkey77]

Ok... here is what you do.

Go into the GameData folder
Open the Units folder.
find all the french infantry units.
change the lines:

ArmyImgID = Army_Grenadier1_FRA.png
ImageID = Unit_Grenadier1_FRA.png

to

ArmyImgID = Army_Infantry2_FRA.png
ImageID = Unit_Infantry2_FRA.png

Next open the Models folder.
Find the French Infantry Units.
Change the line:

Portrait = mdl_infanterie1FRA.png

to

Portrait = mdl_infanterie2FRA.png

That should do it.

[noone23]

I just got done making all the changes you laid out in your last post and I started the game. It looks like everything pretty well works. At the last minute I decided to change the bateaux and naval transport units the same way as I did the others but everything for the most part seems okay. The big thing for me is that the changes didn't produce a crash or other unwanted result. Now that the looks of the units are what I wanted the next step is to boost the capabilities of those units. I have already appealed for help with that; my post on the subject was moved to the modding area of these forums, so maybe, if I'm even luckier, you can go there, see that post and offer more guidance. My main issue is to find out how much I can boost all of the French unit capabilities without making the game do something I don't want. Again, thank you very much for your most gracious assistance with my first request.

[muddymonkey77]

I have not tested this, but I think this is what you would do:

Open the GameData folder.
open the Models folder.
Find the French Infantry Units.
find the code:

OffFire = 8
DefFire = 8
Initiative = 8
Range = 3
ROF = 2
Protection = 0
TQ = 8
Assault = 8

Change those numbers to a higher number.

[noone23]

Changing the numbers is easy enough. The tricky part is doing so to maximize the abilities of the French army while at the same time not creating a bug that the game will in some way reject. Not only that, but I want to do this with all French units, not just with the infantry. I also want to create as many more French units as the game can possibly tolerate, but I don't really know how or what that magic number is. The .mdl file type contains a whole long column of data and I still don't know what everything in it means. This is where I need help from the creators of BOA. I really do want to play this game but first I want to make sure that the file editing is squared away to my total satisfaction.

[Nial]

Changing the numbers is easy enough. The tricky part is doing so to maximize the abilities of the French army while at the same time not creating a bug that the game will in some way reject. Not only that, but I want to do this with all French units, not just with the infantry. I also want to create as many more French units as the game can possibly tolerate, but I don't really know how or what that magic number is. The .mdl file type contains a whole long column of data and I still don't know what everything in it means. This is where I need help from the creators of BOA. I really do want to play this game but first I want to make sure that the file editing is squared away to my total satisfaction.

I have changed many things including unit stats and adding units to all three games without any crashes.

Get your unit titles from the Uni_Alias folder, just cut and paste where you want them into the proper events folder. Doing this you can change any unit to another that you wish in it's place.

To add units? Just the same except copy the create unit lines in the proper events folder. Making sure the top line is create unit and the last line is apply. Then paste wherever or with whomever you want them to appear. I have added as much as 5 or 6 units to each side without problems. The different games have slightly different create unit info. But basicly it's pretty much the same.

One thing I haven't done is add start up units. All my additions have been through forces that are arriving during the game. The reason for this is the game reads the events folder everytime it starts up a new scenario. While the scripts are only loaded when the game installs. ( This is a guess based on my own experience with modding units. ) In BOA I've found you have to restart the game, while in NC you only have to reload the scenario.

All this is based only on my own experience and is not a sure fire unit modding tutorial.

After all this, I would caution against adding units to one side only as it will most probably unbalance the game in a serious way.

Nial

[lightsfantastic]

The easiest way is to familiarize yourself with the .xls files that are available. I tried the cut and paste way, but one cannot add or move units to the startup of any scenario without using the .xls files. Events yes...Startup no.
it seems difficult at first but once you get it, it really is the best way to mod the game in so many ways.

If you need help Look at the last page of the Modding section for a post "Need some Help.' About halfway down Prima Spirit gives a perfect tutorial of how to add a leader. Once you remember the procedures for this game can be modded in so many different ways.
And If you get stuck...just raise your hand.

[Nial]

*nod* Yeah ...I just haven't felt the need to delve into the start up forces yet. There may come a time when I want to reproduce something specific. Then I'll give it a go. But so far I can get pretty much what I want with the events. And it is so much easier to do things on the fly with the events folder. Especialy in NC. I've added and changed units while in game, a turn before they were slated to appear. Took me awhile to understand how it all worked. But once it clicked? It was all good. Now that I bought BOA to tide me over till the new NC campaign comes out. I've been playing around with it a bit. The cool thing is. Once you have an idea how things work in one. It translates pretty well to all three titles.

Nial