Changing Subtitles?

[ Dovahbear ]

I am currently trying to figure out how to change subtitles, specifically removing ellis's story lines so they don't cover like 40% of the screen. I am NOT completely silencing ellis nor am I trying to remove all captions. I don't want a nuclear option.
There is a problem, as I don't know if I have to decompile the .dat files or individually edit the subtitles_english.txt files in the pak01_dir.vpk files. If it's the former, how can I decompile .dat files? If I can do the latter, how would I go about creating a workshop addon for it if multiple lines are in the DLC folders?

[Evil]

This process is a bit tricky. You edit whatever you want to change in the subtitles_language.txt file, then save that (preferably as a new file, for clarity). Now move the file to your resource folder (where the .dat files are) and move the subtitles_language.dat file to your desktop (or save it somewhere else if you want to change them back). Next open a second windows browser and find steam/steamapps/common/left 4 dead 2/bin and scroll to an exe called captioncompiler. Now drag your modified subtitles file onto this file, it will create a new dat file.

Now either delete the .txt file or move it from the folder in case you want to change more stuff.

Also, this process only works in this order. If you try to compile your captions from any other location, nothing will happen. Also also, this only functions when integrated with the actual game folders, it doesn't seem to work when used as an addon for whatever reason.

[ Dovahbear ]

Is there a way to turn this into a mod for the workshop though?

[Evil]

As far as I can tell there isn't a way to do that but I haven't exhausted all possible test parameters to say with certainty honestly. Most of the files (if not all) in the resource folder won't work when put in the workshop folder, but they do work from the addons folder. I'd suggest making a temp vpk with that file in it and putting it in the addons folder to see if it works. This route is usually the main backup option when this sort of thing happens.

I'm still convinced there's a way around this but haven't actually taken the time to fully test it. Wouldn't be a bad idea to try to test this further if you're motivated but I wouldn't dump too much time into it since there's no proof this will actually ever work 'properly'.

[PöpThèséFøøls]

How does custom captions in custom maps work? I coundn't find any raw text or script files for them in vpk neither packed in bsp, is there an other program required?

Edit: Not for L4D1&2 characters.
I.E.: captions of CJ/CEDA agents from Dead Before Dawn, RedemptionII

[Evil]

I'm not familiar with those campaigns but it certainly seems to indicate that closed captions can function in an addon.

It is curious that there seems to be no physical files or anything embedded in the bsp, the file does need to be present in some manner to function. Are the captions actual closed captions or is there some sort of work around happening?

It's possible they used a script to print messages to the chatbox to simulate captions, this method wouldn't require any extra files.

This would look something like this:

Function OnGameEvent_round_start_post_nav( params )
{
local player = GetPlayerFromUserID( params["userid"] );

if(player.GetZombieType() == 9 && player.IsValid())
{
ClientPrint(player, DirectorScript.HUD_PRINTTALK, "\x04" + "CEDA:" + "\x01" + " 'We need help' " )
}
}

This is untested but in theory it should print - CEDA: (orange color) 'We Need Help' (default color).

[R󠀡F]

Originally posted by PopTheseFools:

I.E.: captions of CJ/CEDA agents from Dead Before Dawn, RedemptionII

Those are found in update/pak01_dir file.
In resource/subtitles_language.txt at very bottom.