Adding New Perks

[Ogre]

Since I finished the 3 Campaigns I thought I would work on modding the game. I got a new perk added into the game The only thing I cannot find is how to add a friendly name a description for the perk. Anyone know where this info is stored. I have identified teh current files so far;

1. UnitPerks.xml - contains available perks for each unit by level
2. Perks.xml - Initial Perk definition but does not contain friendly name or description
3. texture_units.ini - definition file for icons including perk icons
4. gui_icons48.tuv - icon locations in dds file
5. gui_icons48.dds - icon images.

[Daystar]

I'm not sure, but can you search inside the documents? If so search for the name of a perk and go to that file.

[Ogre]

Tried that and came up empty. I have lterally opened every file and cannot find it. Was hpoing someone here may have stumbled across it.

[bman654]

At a guess I would say it is in LocData\PackedLoctable.dat. Unfortunately, as the name suggests, it is packed. A quick glance of the file and I can see how to unpack alot of it, but not all of it, and unpacked, most of it is still hexadecimal strings even when unpacked and I'm not sure how *they* get unpacked. Hopefully a dev can give you more info.

[Ogre]

That is the same conclusion I came to. It baffles me that the Devs leave so much open then hard code or compile so many resources. It is in a state where we can tweak things but not create new things. Personnally, I was looking to make a Chronicles of Thomas Covenant mod but unless the ability to edit content is there, that won't happen.

This game could be GREAT and see a much longer life if they made it more mod friendly. I know they want to sell expansions and may feel the need to limit the moddability (real word?) of the game but I will buy the expansion anyway (As long as they release the promised Editor, that is) as would anyone who has played this game.

[bman654]

It's unfortunate. I'd love to play a Thomas Covenant mod, I'm currently listening to the series on audiobook.

I've parsed most of the file and pulled out some of the text. It is stuff like:

ACF2FCFFF3FBB0F1FCF9F7FEADB2C4D1DCCFDCD5D6C4B2B0F9 FEF4F5FEE4ADB2A2A0B2AEACF6FFFEE4B0F6F1F3F5ADB2FDF5 F4F9E5FDB2B0F3FFFCFFE2B0ADB0B2E3E4E9FCF5CFF8F5F1F4 F5E2CFF3FFFCFFE5E2B2AED4F5E3F3E2F9E0E4F9FFFEAAACBF F6FFFEE4AEACBFF2FCFFF3FBAEACF2FCFFF3FBB0F1FCF9F7FE ADB2C4D1DCCFDCD5D6C4B2B0F9FEF4F5FEE4ADB2A2A0B2B0F2 FFE4E4FFFDDDF1E2F7F9FEADB2A1A4B2AEACF6FFFEE4B0F6F1 F3F5ADB2FDF5F4F9E5FDB2B0F3FFFCFFE2B0ADB0B2E3E4E9FC F5CFF8F5F1F4F5E2CFF3FFFCFFE5E2B2AEC3E5FDFDF5E2B0FF F6B0A6A3A2B0F1BEB0DDBEB0E6BEACBFF6FFFEE4AEACBFF2FC FFF3FBAEACF2FCFFF3FBB0F1FCF9F7FEADB2C4D1DCCFC7D9D4 C4D8B2B0F2FFE4E4FFFDDDF1E2F7F9FEADB2A1A0B2B0F9FEF4 F5FEE4ADB2A2A0B2AEACF6FFFEE4B0F6F1F3F5ADB2FDF5F4F9 E5FDB2B0F3FFFCFFE2ADB2E3E4E9FCF5CFE0F1E2F1F7E2F1E0 F8CFF3FFFCFFE5E2B2AEC4F8F5B0FFE2F3F9E3F8B0F8FFE2F4 F5B0FCF5F1E6F5E3B0F2F5F8F9FEF4B0FFFEFCE9B0F2E5E2FE E4BDFFE5E4B0E6F9FCFCF1F7F5E3B0F1FEF4B0E2F1E6F1F7F5 F4B0F3F9E4F9F5E3BEB0C4F8F5B0FFE2F3E3B0FDE5E3E4B0F2 F5B0E3E4FFE0E0F5F4B0FFE2B0D4F5E2F5FEF8F1FCFCF5B0E7 F9FCFCB0F2F5F3FFFDF5B0F1B0E7F1E3E4F5FCF1FEF4BEB0D4 F5E2E2F9F3FBB0C0F6F5F9FCB0FCF5F1F4E3B0F8F9E3B0F1E2 FDE9B0E4FFB0E4F8F5B0F3F1E0F9E4F1FCB0FFF6B0E4F8F5B0 FBF9FEF7F4FFFDBEB0D6E2F5F9F2E5E2F7B0F9E3B0F1B0E0FF E7F5E2F6E5FCB0F6FFE2E4E2F5E3E3BCB0F1FEF4B0E4F8F5B0 F8FFE2F4F5B0E7F9FCFCB0F2F5B0FBF5E0E4B0F2E5E3E9B0F6 FFE2B0E1E5F9E4F5B0F1B0E7F8F9FCF5B0E4E2E9F9FEF7B0E4 FFB0E3E4FFE2FDB0F9E4E3B0E7F1FCFCE3BEB0D9E4B0FDF1E9 B0F2F5B0E0FFE3E3F9F2FCF5B0E4FFB0F6FFE2FDB0F1B0E5FE F9E4F5F4B0F6E2FFFEE4B0E7F9E4F8B0E4F8F5B0F4F5F6F5FE F4F5E2E3B0FFF6B0D6E2F5F9F2E5E2F7B0F1F7F1F9FEE3E4B0 E4F8F5B0FFE2F3E3BEACBFF6FFFEE4AEACBFF2FCFFF3FBAEE1

or

B59D8B8B999F9D89

Unfortunately I've not figured out how it is encoded. I've tried base64 and uuencode but that isn't it. For all I know, it is encrypted as part of copy protection. Maybe a developer can pop in and give a hint.

[Skelos]

Unfortunately I do not know any way to add new text without encoding for new perks, but I'll talk with our programmers about it. Anyway, there is always an opportunity to send those texts to us for encoding.

[bman654]

If you can tell us what encoding method is used, we might also be able to do it ourselves. I've written a program to decode most of the file already.

Thanks