Modding Empire At War

[NitrogenGolf120]

Tips, questions, anything really. I got EaW just last week and started modding it already.

[NitrogenGolf120]

Anyone know how to mod units for Skirmish?

[WOEaintME]

You'll need the MEG extractor in order to get the game's XML files out of their MEG files

http://www.petrolution.net/item-223?addview

After that it's all a matter of what units you're looking to modify in what ways. For example, the Victory Star Destroyer is located in Space_Units_Frigates.xml while its weapons are located in Hardpoints.xml. In the unit file you can change price, build time, shield strength, speed, squadron loadout and more. The hardpoint has weapon firing angles, weapon type, hardpoint health and possibly damage (this may be inherited from the weapon type or explicitly defined in the hardpoint).

Without knowing specificly what you want to do then it's difficult to provide any valuable assistance.

[NitrogenGolf120]

Sorry. I want to change the price and build time of units, as well as the Starbase level required. Modding the unit or starbases.xml only seems to affect Campaign and not skirmish.

[WOEaintME]

Ok for space units in skirmish you'll need to open Starbases.xml. There are special skirmish starbases which have all the units as purchase options (These are near the bottom of the file), thus allowing you to change which starbase level the units can be bought at.

As for the unit price for skirmish, at the bottom of each unit XML there are special values for multiplayer cost and build time (multiplayer meaning skirmish).

I recently had to reformat my computer so I don't have the XML files available and therefore may be wrong but I believe in the Starbases.xml you are looking for (CTRL + F) "Skirmish_Starbase" and for the units you are looking for "Multiplayer_Build_Cost_Credits"

[NitrogenGolf120]

If it helps, I'm using the Starbases.xml in the Republic at War mod. There is no "Multiplayer_Build" at all.

[WOEaintME]

I must have forgotten the exact name of the parameter and I unfortunately can't speak to what's in the RaW Starbases.xml. In the vanilla game the multiplayer values for units (not Starbases) have an XML comment that is something like:

<!--<Multiplayer skirmish values begin>-->

Assuming RaW kept handy comments like that then the individual skirmish cost and build time should be around those comments.

If you're still having issues I'll give RaW a download this weekend and try to assist further, I apologize that my "help" is essentially useless without RaW.

[NitrogenGolf120]

Does anyone know where the population limits for ground and space battles is located?

[WOEaintME]

Factions.xml controls space battles (also Expansion_Factions.xml). For ground battles it's linked to control points if I recall correctly. In the Factions.xml you're looking for:

Space_Tactical_Unit_Cap

[RecruitMonsterHouse]

yeah im trying to mod the game and try to make it kind of in a halo mod,just the thing is I dont know anything about modding and honestly i want tomake a carrer out of it and i thought starting on this game might be good.

so any tips on modding, programs for making custom designed units, sound effects and lighting and ect. please help for a noob wanting to make mods