Hi There!

My name is Inviktys17, creator of the Regiments mods and I wanted to create a guide for how to create and implement new formation objects into the game.

I am a first time modder and these mods were created days after reading the (introduction of the) official modding guide. That being said there was some headache and general pain that I'd like to warn others about!

I love this game and want to see it continue to prosper by the hands of wonderful modders!

How this guide is organized

1. Crash Couse for modifying AOW 3: Will discuss how to create a pack file, explore the mod editor,load packs, change values, and more. NOT NEEDED FOR VETERAN MODDERS
   
   
2. How to create and implement a new formation object
   
   
3. Tips, Tricks, and Lessons learned.

1. Launch the AOW 3 Launcher. click on the User Content tab. Click on the Package Manager Button.
   
   
2. This new window is the Package manager, the place where you will create, name, tag, and upload your mod.
   
   
3. Go to File and click New, the dialogue box that appears will be the name of your package file. enter your file name
   
   
4. Once completed, click Launch Mod Editor button in the lower part of the window. This opens the mod editor window.
   
   
5. In this window is the grid which will be used to view models, formations, and effects.
   
   
6. Go to File and click Open Resource Pack
   
   
7. This should open you up inside the Content folder of AOW3 if not, the pseudo-path is wherever your executable AOW3 is stored. AOW3/Content/Title/Packs
   
   
8. Here are all of the packs for the main game, the base stats are in this folder, PFX is physical effects, Anims animations, TC are buildings.
   
   
9. Open the AOW_UnitHumans.rpk
   
   
10. There should now be Seven sections
    
    1. The Pack Tabs ribbon: This allows you to switch to packs you have opened, you can open a large amount but be warned, they will be part of your mod unless you go to FILE, REMOVE RESOURCE PACK
       
       
    2. The Pack Divider ribbon: This divides the data into more manageable types , notice there are two tabs ENTITIES and SETTINGS
       
       
    3. The Category Drop Down Menu: This is will allow you to navigate the specific data of an object and is defined. If you click it while the ENTITIES divider tab is selected you should see HUMAN FIGURE and HUMAN UNIT, HUMAN UNIT
       
       
    4. The Pack Contents Column: This lists all objects within the pack,the white space in between objects can be used to define a new object and is only left blank for arbitrary grouping purposes.Click the IRREGULAR cell
       
       
    5. The Main Menu: Ultimately this allows you to select what type of object you are defining, and nameing the object. However for this there is no need to change the type of object
       
       
    6. The Content Properties Menu: This allows you to modify the property values of the object, there are three tabs in this menu PROPERTIES,COMPONENTS,SCRIPTS.
       
       
    7. The Preview Menu: This allows one to view the graphical nature of the object. Following the past steps through the menus you should see a Human irregular in a T-pose.
       

1. Open the AOW_UnitProperties.rpk pack.
   
   
2. Click on the Category Drop Down Menu
   
   
3. Scroll down to Formations
   
   
4. This will show all Unit Formation types in the Pack Contents Column
   
   
5. Click on an empty cell, go to the Main Menu and click the Create button.
   
   
6. Give your formation a name (I like also listing the number of troops in the unit, but that's your call)
   
   
7. in the Properties Menu go down to the property listed as Positions, in the box to it's right click the small square button
   
   
8. This opens the Settings Editor, This is the list where you will create and define a new position object.
   
   
9. The left most side is the Position List, this is wher you will add positions. To add one right click in this field and click add, or type Ctrl + A
   
   
10. Select the newly created position and look in the center field this is the Position Settings Editor this is where you can rename the position and define it's x and y cooridnates in the position drop down list
    
    
11. Note that the created position is now at 0,0 I suggest moving the editor screen to the left to see your positions. They update when you click on another box in the Editor menu.
    
    
12. The Square grid is 2 x 2. You can define a position beyond this though, just no that there will be spillage into another hex.
    
    
13. Create some more positions, or use just the one. Then go to File and click
    Save this will save the data, but will not show until you close and reopen the pack file.
    
    
14. With your pack file reloaded, open pack file AOW_UnitHumans.rpk, in the Pack Divider Ribbon ensure ENTITIES is clicked.
    
    
15. Select Human Units from the Categories Drop Down Menu
    
    
16. In the Pack Contents Column click the IRREGULAR cell
    
    
17. Scroll down to the drop down cell Formation Link and go to the sub property Resource. This is an alphabatized list of all formation objects available. Select yours then Save the game
    
    
18. Go to the User Content tab in the AOW3 Launcher and ensure your mod is selected, start the game and test and see if Human Irregular has your new formation!

1. The average Humanoid model of an infantry person needs about .8 spaces (on the grid) to avoid clipping
   
   
2. When Testing load a small map, 2 Players. This allows fast turns and fast load times
   
   
3. The game can not handle too many units, I did units of 81 (shrunk to about 2.5 times their size) and in a small battle had bad lag
   
   
4. Cavalry units always need more space than you think...always!
   
   
5. The halflings unit pack is weird the Pack Divider Ribbon is backwards with Settings selected not Entities, make sure to select this first
   
   
6. If you are doing an orderly formation (like military looking ranks) copy and paste. Start at a corner and then work up then down. You can copy and paste the Position object and only have to change one value. Example (-3.2,1.6) (-3.2,0.8) (-3.2,0) (-3.2,-0.8) (-3.2,-1.6) (-2.4,-1.6) (-2.4,-0.8)
   
   
7. Unit Scale is in the Human Figures category, and allows you to make your models smaller if you want them to fit in the hex.
   
   
8. Make sure you did not select the Preview Formation value because that is the formation of units when you double click on their icon. This may crash the game if you change it.