How to make your very own mod for XCOM:EU

[Kodiak Ghost]

Modding XCOM is limited, but what we can do is very easy to do. I know there are some programs on XCOM Nexus[xcom.nexusmods.com] that automate a lot of this, but I personally like to mess around with things myself. There are a few caveats, but I'll go over everything I can remember below. Someone who is more concise could probably boil this down to 500 characters, but you have me, and I ramble and repeat myself. A lot. Sorry.

Here's a link to the guide in the Guides Section. If you like it give it a vote or whatever to increase visibility.
link.

First off, you're going to need a few things. First is a copy of XCOM, second is your favorite notepad program, and lastly, a program to explore the .exe. Links below to my preferences, although I'm sure there are a myriad of others that work just as well or better.

• Windows Notepad works perfectly, but I happen to like this one[notepad-plus-plus.org] a lot more. Any basic text editor will work though.
  
  
• Resource Hacker[www.angusj.com] is a very simple, lightweight, and free program that will let you explore the .exe.

Here's a breakdown of how to make your own mod, I apologize for the long wall of text. I'm sure I'll repeat myself, but make backups of everything. Make backups of the original files you edit, make backups of your modded files in case you want to edit them slightly, make backups of everything!

• Step 1: Install Resource Hacker and the Notepad program if you don't want to use Window's Notepad.
  
  
• Step 2: Make sure XCOM:EU is fully up to date, then use Steam to Verify Integrity. (Right click on the XCOM: Enemy Unknown in your game library, select Properties, then Local Files, then Verify Integrity of Game Cache.) Once it is done, open the game up to the main menu, then exit it. Some say to start a new game and play the first mission, but I've never had to do that. This is all very important, do not skip any part of this step!
  
  
• Step 3: Locate where ever you installed XCOM EU. Mine is under (Computer > D: > Games > Steam > steamapps > common > XCom-Enemy-Unkown) but yours will vary. If you can't find it, keep looking.
  
  
• Step 4: Once in the XCOM directory, go to Binaries > Win32 and locate "XCOMGame.exe" make a few backup copies of this. (Copy - Paste)
  
  
• Step 5: Open Resource Hacker, click File, then Open, then navigate to the "XCOMGame.exe" again and select it.
  
  
• Step 6: In Resource Hacker, expand RCDATA, then 1020. The only file under 1020 should be a text file called 1033. In the right panel, the top should say "[XComGame.XGTacticalGameCore]." Right click on 1033, and select "Save [RCDATA : 1020 : 1033] ..." and save that .txt file somewhere you will be able to find it easily.
  
  
• Step 7: Open the extracted 1033 in your text editor of preference. This file holds most of the easy to edit items for XCOM modding. There is A LOT to change here, and I'll go over a few examples later, but if you read through you should pick up 99% of it easily.
  
  
• Step 8: Make all of the changes that you want, beware that you can make the game incredibly easy or hard, which will ruin the fun of the game entirely.
  
  
• Step 9: Once you have made all of your edits, save the file, and go back to Resource Hacker. You can either copy all of the text from your modded 1033.txt and paste it into the right window, then click "compile script" or right click on "1033" in the left window and select Replace Resource, then
  Open File with New Resource, then navigate to wherever your modded "1033" is located. Once done, click File, then Save.

Now assuming you didn't make any egregious typos, you're almost ready to go. Why almost? Because Firaxis decided to make modding harder than necessary. Why? Ask them, since they said they were going to be pro-mods.

Every single time you start XCOM, it phones home and downloads some data packets that will update your game, making some or all of your edits invalid. I've read that some edits still work but I have no idea which do and don't since I've never tested. The excuse was to limit cheating and make MP fair. I'm no expert, but there are better, more user friendly ways to do this without screwing me over in a game I have zero interest in ever playing online.

So how do you get around these call home updates? You have three options. From worst to best:

• Disconnect from the internet. It can't call home if there's no dial tone.
  
  
• Boot up steam in offline mode , which has the same effect as above.
  
  
• (What I've done) Modify your hosts file to block the firaxis call home. Very easy to do, easy to undo, and doesn't take away any part of the game important to me. Details below.

What do I lose by doing this? You probably lose the ability to play a MP match, I haven't tested it, but if you want to play MP just edit the host file back and forth as needed. You lose the ability to send your high scores to the Firaxis database. It wouldn't be fair to send in your modded scores anyway, since you could've made each UFO give you 10,000 Lyrium and each soldier have 50 HP, 500 Aim, and each Assault Rifle do 50 damage.

What do I gain by doing #3 instead of turning steam off? Well you don't lose your internet access, or steam's features, but you also don't lose the ability to get the achievements. This is a bit cheesy, since you can make the game easy to get them, but if you want the game easy just play it on easy and get them anyway. It admittedly means you can change the rules for Impossible and Classic to play just like easy and get those achievements, so those internet points won't mean as much to the purists, but I care for e-peen contests even less than I do about MP.

How do I edit my host file? This is how on Windows 7. If you have something different then hopefully google or someone helpful below will chime in. If they do, I'll edit this post to clarify. But on Windows 7:

• Open up notepad (regular old notepad) and click File, then Open, then past this

    %systemroot%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts 

and click open. If it didn't work, you pasted it wrong, or I typed it wrong and it's still your fault. Deal with it. :)

• Now paste this at the bottom of the file:

    
        # Prevent XCOM Phone Home
        127.0.0.1 prod.xcom.firaxis.com
        127.0.0.1 65.118.245.165

Save the file, then exit. I rebooted, but I don't actually think you have to on Windows 7. You can make a backup copy of your host file and replace it if you want to edit it back, or just delete the above code and save it again. You're now ready to play your very own XCOM MOD! Load up the game and hope you didn't break it with a typo, or make it too easy or hard to ruin the enjoyment.

Now, I've heard various reports that that doesn't work anymore either, so I also have the XCOM.exe blocked at my firewall, just to be safe. Again, this prevents me from having the MP function work properly, but I don't care about that. Cheating and trying to play a modded game in MP is a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ thing to do anyway, so please don't try.

To reset the game back to normal, either Verify the game Integrity again, or just replace your modded files with your backups. Be aware that any game updates, patches, new DLC, etc, WILL break your mod and override the files. If it updates, you'll have to make all of your edits again. I keep a spare file where I jot down all of the changes I've made, and my thoughts on them (too much, too little, etc) so when I go back to edit or remake a mod I'm not starting from scratch and forget something.


If you're having problems post below and I or someone else will try to help you out. By reading and experimenting you should be able to do quite a lot. Just keep in mind that every line (left to right) is an item. A quick example: the very first few lines start with "armors=". These are all of the armor types in game. If you scroll to the right the names will be there, under "iType=eItem_ArmorXXX, where XXX is Kevlar, Carapace, Skeleton, Titan, Archangel, Ghost, Psi, ShivDeck_I, II, and III. You can change the armors HP Bonus, Abilities, Defense Bonuses, Flight Fuel, Will Bonus, Mobility Bonus, etc. The same goes for editing all of the enemies, weapons, characters, research costs and time, mission bonuses and rewards, chance that off screen Chryssalid kills spawn a Zombie, etc etc etc. You just have to read a little bit.

Note that not all of the options work, just most of them. Many options are hard coded, or can't be handled by the GUI. IE Making your character have 200 health, move 50 spaces, and his Kevlar armor holds 8 small items.

And AGAIN, do not make the game super easy. You will lose interest and it will be boring. I've personally made the game harder in some areas (More expensive, time consuming), easier in others (made all enemies and troops have even hit percentages, no artificial bonuses) and played around with the Health to be more challenging since I'm no longer at a large disadvantage for aiming. I want the enemies to be tough to kill, not tough for a military veteran to shoot from two feet away. It boils down to editing a Single Player game to be the most fun to you.

Have fun, and Good Luck Commanders. [/corny]

[Drunk-Side Jedi]

Wow, Thanks! There's was a text line part of the code that I saw in a random snippet on a forum that suggested it would be easy to mod executioner to apply to all wounded targets instead of just ones under 50% and I was wondering how to get at it to edit it. I also wished that Shredder Rockets rounded the increase up instead of down.

I'm going to start fiddling around with this next time I get a chance.

[Iejir Isk]

an idea for your guide... Examples of what you can do to actually mod. This gives the barebones, but there can be so much more. Plan to browse, at least, though. Thanks

[Kodiak Ghost]

This could easily be a 200 page guide if I went into great detail about everything possible, which is something I have zero plans of. Some may find it helpful, but I'm a firm believer of "...teach a man to fish." I listed some very broad examples of what is possible, hoping for people to do the steps and explore for themselves.

90% of what is possible is very clear for anyone that can be bothered to read the text file; it is very well commented with notes, making everything very obvious. If someone doesn't have the time or patience to do that, then they probably aren't ready to get into the world of modding anyway, and are not the personality type I'm seeking to help out here. I'm happy to help anyone who is having trouble getting something to work, but don't feel that I need to explain changing:

; Country Funding Amounts
FundingAmounts=180 ;USA
FundingAmounts=150 ;Russia
FundingAmounts=100 ;China
FundingAmounts=100 ;UK
FundingAmounts=100 ;Germany
FundingAmounts=80 ;France
FundingAmounts=100 ;Japan
FundingAmounts=60 ;India
FundingAmounts=60 ;Australia

to

; Country Funding Amounts
FundingAmounts=360 ;USA
FundingAmounts=300 ;Russia
FundingAmounts=200 ;China
FundingAmounts=200 ;UK
FundingAmounts=200 ;Germany
FundingAmounts=160 ;France
FundingAmounts=200 ;Japan
FundingAmounts=120 ;India
FundingAmounts=120 ;Australia

doubles the funding for those countries. Most of the contents are that self explanatory, and explaining it in detail would be extremely tedious and insulting to the intelligence of any reader.

[Iejir Isk]

Sorry, havent seen, due to no program/sleep. Did not realize how simple this one was.

[charles_wipman]

I've been looking for a Mod that transform or give the FNG/Noob units the same shape (3D and 2D) than one of those soldiers that you've to rescue in one of the VIP S&R missions; it would be great if someone knows if it exists. As texturer... i could change or add different textures (camos and shapes) to the textures of those soldiers, MARPAT... Woodland... a wasted shape ala Wasteland or Fallout and things like that; will be great, i wouldn't buy 'en new armors if they had those soldier models and textures as FNGs. I repeat, if someone knows about something in that short... PM me about it. Thanks

[charles_wipman]

I was talking about this soldier, to change the Xcom Rookies models for this one:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v330/wipman/xcom-gi.jpg

With few job their shape could be changed, i.e:

1St: PASGT helmet & Eliminator III vest (as seen on the pic).
2Nd: MICH 2000 & IOTV.
3Rd: MICH 2002 & Plate Carrier (SOCOM look alike).

Of course letting we choose heads, faces, haircuts and the rest of the stuff; i think that will be great and an improvement, along with change the basic weapons for a G36K, a FNP-45, a Mossberg 500 Bullbup, an AWP, a Mk.48 as LMG/GPMG and a M136 AT4 as RPG. I would love to make the Rookies and starting equipment to look like that.

[FruitSyrup]

For some reason, this just doesn't work for me. At all. I do all the steps, boot up the game, and try out the first mission. I've set my soldiers' starting stats to 70 aim, 60 will, but it still comes up with 65 aim, 40 will. I've disconnected from the internet, too. What am I doing wrong?

[owensd]

What are you editing for the soldier stats? There are two place with stats for soldiers, one of them is not for your rookie soldiers though.

[Mouse Lover]

Mind if I ask how can I get more aliens on the battlefield?
I wish to keep playing normal, but the lack of aliens is what makes the game boring, but I also don't want to break my head and neck with the unfail Rng of Classic, and Impossible... just no.

[P-47 Thunderbolt]

Originally posted by Mr.CoachWildRide:

:sectoid: Mind if I ask how can I get more aliens on the battlefield?
I wish to keep playing normal, but the lack of aliens is what makes the game boring, but I also don't want to break my head and neck with the unfail Rng of Classic, and Impossible... just no.

Just look on the XCOM nexus for mods the take away the alien stat bonuses on the higher difficulties. There are a lot of them since people cannot cope with getting beat apparently.

[Kodiak Ghost]

If you look in directed file you can select how many alien pods are active at once. The lower difficulties limit the max number, but it's an easy fix to allow more at once.

Originally posted by Mr.CoachWildRide:

:sectoid: Mind if I ask how can I get more aliens on the battlefield?
I wish to keep playing normal, but the lack of aliens is what makes the game boring, but I also don't want to break my head and neck with the unfail Rng of Classic, and Impossible... just no.

[Mouse Lover]

Originally posted by Kodiak Ghost:

If you look in directed file you can select how many alien pods are active at once. The lower difficulties limit the max number, but it's an easy fix to allow more at once.

Thanks matey.

Originally posted by P51H Mustang:

Just look on the XCOM nexus for mods the take away the alien stat bonuses on the higher difficulties. There are a lot of them since people cannot cope with getting beat apparently.

I have checked the mod nexus and they don't have what I needed. I also don't get defeated in the game (even if I lose over 20 men on classic at most), it's the unrealistic rng what gets in my nerves (flanked alien with 90% chance a miss is more likely on classic than on normal), I don't mind beefed/deadly aliens and I do love the sectopod update making rockets useless against it.

But calling miss shots (unfair rng) higher difficulty it's lazy.
They could have just make longer weapon/armor research like marathon + the usual less health for our troops + the usual beefed aliens + usual deadly aliens + maybe less rewards from dlc's / special missions for that harder difficulty without making my troops feel like toddlers with guns (I am the commander that always equip my troops with scopes, because armor wont save you if your men can't shot an alien a feet away from them).

I have punch the Uber Ethereal for my 4 man achievement.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=196094562

[Brain Williams]

Hi! Thanks for the guide, haven't tried it yet but I have a quick question. Prior to EW, I would just straight up edit 1033 using Resource Hacker itself and the changes worked. On release of EW, I did the same and it worked as well. This method no longer works for me as everytime I edit the .exe, the game now gives me a 'finishing installation' message everytime i try to run the game. This process seems to replace my editted .exe with the 'default' one.

Your given method can bypass this ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, can't it? Thanks in advance. Gonna start my modding using your method now. :)

[sebabb]

I was interested in getting an editor for a very specific purpose and wondered if anyone could suggest one. I am playing the latest version of X Com Enemy Within and I want to edit the soldiers on the final mission. I am playing in iron man mode (normal difficulty) and after selecting and equipping my 6 soldiers for the final mission, I found that 4 of the selected soldiers were not on the mission!?! They has been replaced with several subpar squaddies with very inadequate equipment. I am sure that I had correctly selected the soldiers and reviewed their equipment prior to going on the mission but irregardless of whether it is a glitch or my own mistake I'd like to edit the soldiers on the mission to choose those I had originally selected. I was wondering if anyone knew of a save game editor that would work in iron man mode for the final mission? Thanks for any suggestions.

[Zippy]

couldn't you just edit some .ini files instead?