Modding Tutorial - Adding an Ability to Apply after a Unit's Attack

[MattCaspermeyer]

Originally Posted by saroumana

Hello matt,

You're the most advanced modder for KB (except may be russian one )

The only reason why that is, is because I can't ask them any questions!

Seriously, I'm sure there are quite a few good ones on the board here, but thanks!

Originally Posted by saroumana

I have a question for you : it's possible to transfert new addition for warrior of the north to armored princess ? I mean : new unit, new skill, new spell and new ability.

The big question is whether or not it uses the exact same engine. If it does, then you may be able to port whole files, but most likely not since everything is intertwined.

I'm in the throws right now of making my H3T mod for AP and CW and I wish I could easily port stuff over from my H3B mod for TL and be done, but it is much more involved than that.

I've been striving to create a common set of files between my AP and CW H3T mods and so far it is doable, but time consuming. Then the CW variant will have a superset of the files that are different, and then if I happen to still be wanting to mod this game, the WotN files would be another superset...

I'm also still working on my H3B mod for TL and have a big update coming...

The point is that you're most likely right in that it'd be really time consuming, but it is doable so long as my comment about the engine being the same is true.

Originally Posted by saroumana

Rage system of WotN is crap like his campaign.

Tell me about it - I actually started playing WotN, but then when I saw how buggy it was, I figured I'd shelve it and wait 6 months for it to be fixed.

I bet Jukeey could update the Rage Ability UI and make room for another set of abilities around the core 9 (i.e. another 16 new abilities) for a total of 25 - 4 each for the 5 Valkyries and then 5 for your hero (or something like that). Would be cool!

Anyway...

Originally Posted by saroumana

There so many change in LUA files that it's not realistic to transfert them one by one, only if we can import whole files....and what files ? LUA, .TXT, all loc_ses ok but how to integrate them into the Armored princess campaign with Amelie for Hero ?

My question is ridiculous, no one know.

Unfortunately, this may be the only way. You know, I tried to port TL to AP (or maybe it was vice versa) by simply copying the *.kfs files and it totally bombed when I launched the game. You could try this, though, and see what happens - it won't hurt anything. If it doesn't work, then you can just restore all the AP files.

You could also go the other way, and try the AP files with the WotN engine - that might be the better idea, actually, since AP should have at least everything that WotN has. You would not to have to worry about the engine being different, either. It also might be easier, then, to splice in the AP maps, quests, etc. into the WotN *.kfs files.

Most likely, though, you're in for quite a long project.

For the skills, you might be able to simply replace the SKILLS.TXT in AP with the one for WotN, but you'll have to follow a similar process as above with respect to finding all the functions used by the skills (most likely in SKILLS.LUA), the skill picture icons (they may be in a TEX*.DDS file), and then editing HERO.TXT to include the skills for each class to start with (amongst other tasks).

There are quite a few users on the forums with knowledge modding WotN (i.e. the BugFixes thread) - maybe you can get one of them to help you? Probably would be a better use of their talents since Katauri / 1C are the ones who are supposed to fixing the game (we gave them money after all), although, I whole-hearted appreciate their efforts!

/C\/C\

[saroumana]

The big question is whether or not it uses the exact same engine. If it does, then you may be able to port whole files, but most likely not since everything is intertwined.

I'm in the throws right now of making my H3T mod for AP and CW and I wish I could easily port stuff over from my H3B mod for TL and be done, but it is much more involved than that.

I've been striving to create a common set of files between my AP and CW H3T mods and so far it is doable, but time consuming. Then the CW variant will have a superset of the files that are different, and then if I happen to still be wanting to mod this game, the WotN files would be another superset...

I'm also still working on my H3B mod for TL and have a big update coming...

The point is that you're most likely right in that it'd be really time consuming, but it is doable so long as my comment about the engine being the same is true.

The engine is different, they upgraded it for steam. But i don't think they make change to script or to many LUA function (although it's possible :/).

In fact i tried to use Wotn into a new campaign for crossworld, but it don't work, also in the editor, so yeah unfortunately there are some portability problem.

Tell me about it - I actually started playing WotN, but then when I saw how buggy it was, I figured I'd shelve it and wait 6 months for it to be fixed.

I bet Jukeey could update the Rage Ability UI and make room for another set of abilities around the core 9 (i.e. another 16 new abilities) for a total of 25 - 4 each for the 5 Valkyries and then 5 for your hero (or something like that). Would be cool!

Anyway...

It's a sage decision, Wotn is actualy full of bug. When i mod my new unit, i don't always know if it's my bugs or theirs.

And yes it would be cool to have new ability for valkyries but animation and rage skill are pretty hard to mod.

Unfortunately, this may be the only way. You know, I tried to port TL to AP (or maybe it was vice versa) by simply copying the *.kfs files and it totally bombed when I launched the game. You could try this, though, and see what happens - it won't hurt anything. If it doesn't work, then you can just restore all the AP files.

You could also go the other way, and try the AP files with the WotN engine - that might be the better idea, actually, since AP should have at least everything that WotN has. You would not to have to worry about the engine being different, either. It also might be easier, then, to splice in the AP maps, quests, etc. into the WotN *.kfs files.

Most likely, though, you're in for quite a long project.

For the skills, you might be able to simply replace the SKILLS.TXT in AP with the one for WotN, but you'll have to follow a similar process as above with respect to finding all the functions used by the skills (most likely in SKILLS.LUA), the skill picture icons (they may be in a TEX*.DDS file), and then editing HERO.TXT to include the skills for each class to start with (amongst other tasks).

There are quite a few users on the forums with knowledge modding WotN (i.e. the BugFixes thread) - maybe you can get one of them to help you? Probably would be a better use of their talents since Katauri / 1C are the ones who are supposed to fixing the game (we gave them money after all), although, I whole-hearted appreciate their efforts!

They changed nearly all functions ! Most spell,skill and ability ! That why there are so many bugs in wotn.
I would prefer to grad all LUA,TXT and loc_ses and found inside how to make amelie the hero inside wotn files. After find what Armored princess engine don't like into them....hard job, yup, but may be doable.