Wanted: Help/Guide on how to begin modding units in BA2

[Big Lou]

Hello

I find the weapon rules of some of the units in BA2 to be not to my liking. I can here me cry about it here: viewtopic.php?f=221&t=53163

I decided that if I want to play the game the way I want it to be I should fix it myself. I intend to share my mods here as I make them. But here is the clutch; I never modded anything. Installed sure but made. What tools/programs do I need and where are the files located from a steam downloaded game. Thank you.

[pipfromslitherine]

You don't need any special tools I would check out the BA1 modding wiki for a good starting guide (99% of it is still true for BA2, by design).

http://www.slitherinebravo.net/GameWiki ... dding_main

Or download someone elses mod and have a rummage around

Cheers

Pip

[Stechkin]

It seems to me that the first and easiest thing to do is to modify the attributes in SQUADS-file. Where do I find the attribute descriptions and what is the relationship between SQUADS-MASTER and SQUADS? If I modify the master, is the SQUADS automatically updated?

[jcb989]

after the wiki, its trial and error my friend, plus some help on specific questions here in the forum. Often a search of keyword finds what you are looking for, that is, if you know the correct keyword to use! =)

[bapotts]

I'm at a loss as to why the random scenario generator always wants to go with KV-2s, flame throwers and SU122. How do I mod the generator parameters to give a more realistic unit mix (T34s and riflemen)?
Thanks

[pipfromslitherine]

Unfortunately it is not simple to mod the scripting for the random scenario generator. We found a workaround for this, but it doesn't work currently for BA2. We will be opening up the skirmish script in the next update.

Cheers

Pip

[Stechkin]

Hi, BAPotts. That much I could guess too. Having, however, wrestled with excel for a number of years I know modifying complex functions without documentation is like walking through a minefield. It would have been so easy to add comments to headings explaining what the attribute does and what the values mean.

Pip, can you help? If, for example, I want an AT-gun to fire both AP- and HE-shells or allow tanks to carry infantry, how do I do it? Surely there must be documentation on the attributes somewhere.

[pipfromslitherine]

To some extent the documentation is the code as the scripts are all accessible and easy to tinker with in your own campaigns. After checking out the BA and BA2 wikis you should hopefully have a reasonable idea of how the systems hang together. Unfortunately documenting every attrib and item would be prohibitive because we tweak and tinker so much

As to your specific questions, and answering from memory as we are out of the office for Xmas, for allowing HE and AP you just need to set up values for the ranges/effectiveness/damage on the appropriate unit and the ability should turn on (a good approach is to look at the values for a unit with dual firing like a tank). For transporting, the key attribs are CanBeCarried and Transport.

Cheers

Pip