Where to begin?

[HeinzHonokaPepperoni]

Hello all,

I would like to try my hand at modding this game, but I'm a bit of a loss of where to begin, since resources and tutorials seem to be a bit sparse and vague. I'm not entirely new to modding in general, been modding other games for well over a decade, just having some troubles getting over the cold start.

How would I go on to add a new 3d unit to the game? What are the requirements? Where would I find an original model to steal the rig from?
What about the minimum amount of files needed to add unit capabilities and types?
Is there some sort of modding hub I haven't been able to find yet?

Thanks for your time if you choose to respond.

[Paul59]

Hello all,

I would like to try my hand at modding this game, but I'm a bit of a loss of where to begin, since resources and tutorials seem to be a bit sparse and vague. I'm not entirely new to modding in general, been modding other games for well over a decade, just having some troubles getting over the cold start.

How would I go on to add a new 3d unit to the game? What are the requirements? Where would I find an original model to steal the rig from?
What about the minimum amount of files needed to add unit capabilities and types?
Is there some sort of modding hub I haven't been able to find yet?

Thanks for your time if you choose to respond.

The best place to start is by reading through the sticky section of the Field of Glory 2 Ancients Modding forum:

https://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=104

Yes, it's a different game, but it uses the same engine and modding the two games is identical.

The old Battle Academy Modding forum might also be useful:

https://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=104

There is more information on creating 3d models in that forum. Although the game engine is similar to FOG2, Battle Academy is much older so there might be some differences in 3d creation.

[rbodleyscott]

It is probably somewhere in Paul's FOG2 guides, but see also:

https://archonwiki.slitherine.com/index.php/Modding

[HeinzHonokaPepperoni]

The best place to start is by reading through the sticky section of the Field of Glory 2 Ancients Modding forum:

https://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=104

Yes, it's a different game, but it uses the same engine and modding the two games is identical.

The old Battle Academy Modding forum might also be useful:

https://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=104

There is more information on creating 3d models in that forum. Although the game engine is similar to FOG2, Battle Academy is much older so there might be some differences in 3d creation.

It is probably somewhere in Paul's FOG2 guides, but see also:

https://archonwiki.slitherine.com/index.php/Modding

I had read somewhere in these forums that the engine was changed into a brand new one for FoG, unlike its predecessors Pike and Shot and Sengoku Jidai. So I take it that the 3d exporter and blender utility, as well as the info on that wiki will both work for FoG as well? Awesome. Might have just been the info I was looking for. Thanks for your answers.

[rbodleyscott]

I had read somewhere in these forums that the engine was changed into a brand new one for FoG, unlike its predecessors Pike and Shot and Sengoku Jidai. So I take it that the 3d exporter and blender utility, as well as the info on that wiki will both work for FoG as well?

I don't think so. I will ask Pat, the artist who creates the models.

[Patrick Ward]

I had read somewhere in these forums that the engine was changed into a brand new one for FoG, unlike its predecessors Pike and Shot and Sengoku Jidai. So I take it that the 3d exporter and blender utility, as well as the info on that wiki will both work for FoG as well? Awesome. Might have just been the info I was looking for. Thanks for your answers.

P&S and SJ used the Stub engine. At the time FoG 2 was released this was re-worked into Archon.
Its not a totally new engine in that many old scripts still work and much of the new stuff is very similar, but there's a lot of new functionality and a new file format so they're not going to be compatible.

We stopped supporting the Blender utility as we're, as much as possible, software agnostic. Instead we focused on the 3D tool. So long as you can export an ( I think ) 2014 format FBX you can use the tool to convert to the engines native .s4f.

There IS a new tool available but I'm not personally at liberty to pass it out. I'll ask and see what can be done.

Pat

[Paul59]

I have found that you can use 3d objects from the older games (P&S, SJ, BA and BA2) in FOG2, see my Panormus scenario where I have used walls from Battle Academy. But you can't use FOG2 3d objects in the older games.

[Patrick Ward]

I had read somewhere in these forums that the engine was changed into a brand new one for FoG, unlike its predecessors Pike and Shot and Sengoku Jidai. So I take it that the 3d exporter and blender utility, as well as the info on that wiki will both work for FoG as well? Awesome. Might have just been the info I was looking for. Thanks for your answers.

P&S and SJ used the Stub engine. At the time FoG 2 was released this was re-worked into Archon.
Its not a totally new engine in that many old scripts still work and much of the new stuff is very similar, but there's a lot of new functionality and a new file format so they're not going to be compatible.

We stopped supporting the Blender utility as we're, as much as possible, software agnostic. Instead we focused on the 3D tool. So long as you can export an ( I think ) 2014 format FBX you can use the tool to convert to the engines native .s4f.

There IS a new tool available but I'm not personally at liberty to pass it out. I'll ask and see what can be done.

Pat

So its just been pointed out to me that I've already posted a link to the tool but in my seemingly inexorable march towards dotage, I forgot. So here it is.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pjqoal5fapolr ... 3.zip?dl=0

And consider yourself really lucky becasue Pip's given me permission to link to the instructions..

https://archonwiki.slitherine.com/index ... erter_Tool

Pat

[HeinzHonokaPepperoni]

I had read somewhere in these forums that the engine was changed into a brand new one for FoG, unlike its predecessors Pike and Shot and Sengoku Jidai. So I take it that the 3d exporter and blender utility, as well as the info on that wiki will both work for FoG as well? Awesome. Might have just been the info I was looking for. Thanks for your answers.

P&S and SJ used the Stub engine. At the time FoG 2 was released this was re-worked into Archon.
Its not a totally new engine in that many old scripts still work and much of the new stuff is very similar, but there's a lot of new functionality and a new file format so they're not going to be compatible.

We stopped supporting the Blender utility as we're, as much as possible, software agnostic. Instead we focused on the 3D tool. So long as you can export an ( I think ) 2014 format FBX you can use the tool to convert to the engines native .s4f.

There IS a new tool available but I'm not personally at liberty to pass it out. I'll ask and see what can be done.

Pat

So its just been pointed out to me that I've already posted a link to the tool but in my seemingly inexorable march towards dotage, I forgot. So here it is.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pjqoal5fapolr ... 3.zip?dl=0

And consider yourself really lucky becasue Pip's given me permission to link to the instructions..

https://archonwiki.slitherine.com/index ... erter_Tool

Pat

Wow, thank you very much then for the support. I'm still messing about with text files so I hadn't tried any 3d stuff yet but this comes as the right excuse to begin experimenting there as well. Thank you!

[kronenblatt]

...

@Pat: I'm modding the DIFFUSE files in Medieval. But I would like to only use that one modded DIFFUSE file (and no variations to it) for each unit, and above all also not have to use multiple folders (as e.g. below), filled with my modded DIFFUSE files, to prevent base game DIFFUSE versions from 'creeping in' with such variations:



What's the best and simplest way to avoid that?

[Paul59]

...

@Pat: I'm modding the DIFFUSE files in Medieval. But I would like to only use that one modded DIFFUSE file (and no variations to it) for each unit, and above all also not have to use multiple folders (as e.g. below), filled with my modded DIFFUSE files, to prevent base game DIFFUSE versions from 'creeping in' with such variations:



What's the best and simplest way to avoid that?

I am sure you have already worked this out for yourself, but for the benefit of anyone else: if you have already created a new .s4f file (or cloned a vanilla one) and set it to use a new distinctly named texture, then you just add as many alternative textures to the folders as you like. If you just want to use one texture don't add any others to the sub folders.

[kronenblatt]

...

@Pat: I'm modding the DIFFUSE files in Medieval. But I would like to only use that one modded DIFFUSE file (and no variations to it) for each unit, and above all also not have to use multiple folders (as e.g. below), filled with my modded DIFFUSE files, to prevent base game DIFFUSE versions from 'creeping in' with such variations:



What's the best and simplest way to avoid that?

I am sure you have already worked this out for yourself, but for the benefit of anyone else: if you have already created a new .s4f file (or cloned a vanilla one) and set it to use a new distinctly named texture, then you just add as many alternative textures to the folders as you like. If you just want to use one texture don't add any others to the sub folders.

Thanks! Yes, that seems to be at least the best and most size efficient way. Is there a simpler way?

[Paul59]

@Pat: I'm modding the DIFFUSE files in Medieval. But I would like to only use that one modded DIFFUSE file (and no variations to it) for each unit, and above all also not have to use multiple folders (as e.g. below), filled with my modded DIFFUSE files, to prevent base game DIFFUSE versions from 'creeping in' with such variations:



What's the best and simplest way to avoid that?

I am sure you have already worked this out for yourself, but for the benefit of anyone else: if you have already created a new .s4f file (or cloned a vanilla one) and set it to use a new distinctly named texture, then you just add as many alternative textures to the folders as you like. If you just want to use one texture don't add any others to the sub folders.

Thanks! Yes, that seems to be at least the best and most size efficient way. Is there a simpler way?

No, not if you want to use new textures.

[Patrick Ward]

...

@Pat: I'm modding the DIFFUSE files in Medieval. But I would like to only use that one modded DIFFUSE file (and no variations to it) for each unit, and above all also not have to use multiple folders (as e.g. below), filled with my modded DIFFUSE files, to prevent base game DIFFUSE versions from 'creeping in' with such variations:



What's the best and simplest way to avoid that?

Sorry I was away and didn't see the question.

Paul is right but some extra details -

If you only want one texture to ever be used, only have it in the root texture folder. So effectively texture0.
That texture will be used by all units used by both factions. side0 and side1.

If however you want side0 to be red and side1 blue, then put a red texture in the root and the blue texture in texture1. The game looks at the total number of texture folders you use and divides them in half. (It probably doesn't but thats the end result)

So if you use all the texture folders, the diffuse textures in root through to texture6 will be used by side0.
texture7 to texture11 by side1

Theres no simpler way. Thats just how it works.

Pat