Modding RUSE for Dummies

Modding through the use of the Wargame Modding Suite to access NDF bins in game files, in order to be able to mod units, buildings, and maps.

Introduction to Modding

You cannot add new units. You can, however, change prices, speeds, damage, accessibility, range, and many other values of units, and similar values for buildings.

To get started, you will require the Modding Suite below.
Enohka's Modding Suite[github.com]

Download the latest version. If it does not work, then try an older version! It is not very stable software and may not be compatible with ever version of Windows, especially Win8. You will want to try other versions or try Rugnir's fork[github.com] which is meant specifically for RUSE modding and includes fixes.

Do not modify any files without backing them up first, see below.

Backing up files

You will need to make backups of the default vanilla game and backups of the mod in case if it (inevitably) breaks. Most likely you will find your RUSE folder in
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\R.U.S.E
Go into
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\R.U.S.E\Data\PC\99
and open ZZ_GladPatchableWin.dat with the modding suite. But how do you do that? Simple, open your modding suite, then just click Open (under file) and click on the specified file.

Make sure you are modding the one in PC/99 that says patchable, this is where most modding happens regarding units and buildings.

I implore you to take your own time and explore these files once you get the hang of navigating and modifying values.

Modding the Game Files

Selecting the appropriate bin

You will first of all want to look for the file named
[genglad\patchable\gfx\everything.cpp.gladndfbin]
and open it. In this location, you will find everything to mod. From units to buildings to factions.

From that location, look for a file with the ID of 309, or the name of TUniteAuSolDescriptor which should say it has 204 instances, unless the game was updated from the time of this guide.

Here, you will find units. Aircraft are found in the "Avion" descriptor, buildings and bunkers are found in the "Batiment" descriptor.

Modding the files

Look for the instance you want to mod. If you look to the right of ID 2702 inside of an instance, you will see its name. At instance 60013, ID 2702 will say M8_Greyhound, the American recon tank. You can look through and find many things in this instance file.

Some fun things can be found in here. For example, ID 2689, or Scale, will be set to 1. You can make units visually larger or smaller by increasing or decreasing this value.

At IDs 2693 and 2694, you will find MaxAcceleration and MaxDeceleration. Modify these values and your units will reach top speed and brake accordingly.

This is how modding units and buildings works, from there you can figure out the rest. If you need to find something specific, add me or one of the other authors on Steam and we can help you out.

Again, I implore you to explore through these lists on your own time. Much of it will be in French, so make sure you have a translator on hand if you do not speak it.

Exporting and Importing modded files

You will now want to export the file and the mod itself. Simply hit the Save Changes Button in the top left of the program. Exit the Modding Suite, go to
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\R.U.S.E\Data\PC\99
and copy the ZZ_GladPatchableWin.dat file into a folder to zip and distribute.

Importing

Simply replace your current ZZ_GladPatchableWin.dat file in PC/99 with the modded one and then you've installed the mod!

Remember to back up the vanilla one or you will have to delete that file and verify game files to return to vanilla.

Map importing and modifying

Campaign Maps into Multiplayer!

Credit to SuperCrumpets for accomplishing this task and writing this entire section.


Adding maps to the menu:

1.
Open zzgladpatchablewin.dat/ndfwin.dat and scroll down and open
patchable\misc\globals.cpp.gladndfbin and
patchable\misc\mapinfo.cpp.gladndfbin


2.
Go to tmultimapinfo in globals and create a new instance for the map you want to add and fill in the properties, most of them are self explanatory.
The most important one is the GUID which determines what map will be used for it, so go to mapinfo > Tmaploadinfo.

Find the map you want to add and copy paste its Guid to the new instance in globals.

It may require a description as well, I never tested without one. If you need one, just go to Tchaptermapinfo find the same map you want to add and copy paste its description from there. the description is what appears as the map name in the map menu.

3.
Go to tmultipack and tmultipackmanager and add the new instance to the lists there. I'm not exactly sure how it works since after the new map didn't appear in the menus. I just went there and added the new instance to the same list as the vanilla maps and then added the maps individually to the list in Tmultipackmanager.

You should end up with something like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaMCak-l6K0


The maps in this state are perfectly loadable and technically we're in it and playing. the only problem is there arent any HQ spawns to actually start building units and buildings.

This is the hard part.
100% of credit for this goes to hob_gadling

We're going to need to mod the scenario files for the campaign maps however the scenario editor from the mod tools cant open Ruses scenario files and the files themselves dont have the class that contains instances for HQ spawns.

1.
First, we're going to need to get some tools.
HxD a hex editor and winmd5 to calculate the checksum.



2.
Next, we need to choose a good map to use as the campaign maps scenario file. I'm using the map Strategists as the base for all the maps since it
already supports 8 players and all gamemodes (2teams 3 teams 4 teams and FFA).

Now open datamap_win.dat in Ruse/data/pc/1360.


3.
Now find the map you want to use. it might have different names in the files, a good clue is to look at Tmaploadinfo in mapinfo, there should be
the name of everymap with its name in the files eg strategists has the name "(8) 8 strateges" and path&rootdatapackname "compassrose"

extract that maps .scenario file with the export button of the mod tools, it should look something like test\map\compassrose\leveldesign.scenario
make sure to change its name so its easily identifiable since we'll be making a few more files later and it could get abit hard to keep track of


4
Now we need to make it possible to edit the .scenario files.
first we open up the maps .scenario file with HxD then CTRL F and search for EUG0 then delete everything before that and save as a different new file as a .dat. now we can edit it with the mod tools but not save so we need to replace this over a file in the datamap_win.dat (might as well replace over the campaign maps .scenario) now we can make changes to the .dat file and save them, then export them again as a new scenario file.

we dont really need to do this bit yet if were only gonna replace the campaign maps file with a normal maps but its for later on when we want to make changes and still deserves to be number4


5
now we extract the scenario file from the campaign map and open it up in Hxd as well as the .dat mp map we chose earlier then scroll to the bottom of the originals file and click right after the very last 0 to get its total byte count in the bottomleft as "offset" this part is VERY IMPORTANT we need to make a note of exactly how many bytes are in the file. modding the maps currently only works if the size is exactly the same.

6
next we select and copy everything from the mp maps .dat (which is just eug0 and everything after) then paste it over eug0 and everything after from the campaign map replacing everything from eug0 and after and leaving everything before intact. now we go to the end and see how big it is and go to edit then insert bytes and insert bytes of 00 until its EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE ORIGINAL WAS.


7
now we need to recalculate the checksum, go to the very top and after the first 10 bytes that on the right side say scenario..
we delete the next 18 (16 for the checksum and 2 trailing 00's that we need to delete for it to be calculated correctly)

now we save as a new file and drag it into winmd5 which calculates the checksum, copy paste that new value into the same place we deleted and then reinsert the 2 bytes of 00 now save it and replace this new file over the campaign maps .scenario file in datamap_win.dat and start the game and test.

Make sure you paste the new checksum over the bytes themselves on the left side, if you paste it in the text part on the right it will come out wrong and bigger than it should be.

the map should now be fully playable, just with odd start placements and almost def very imbalanced. from now on all that should be left is repeating step4 and after and editing the .dat file from there, changing coordinates of HQ spawns and supply dumps until the map is balanced well.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwidJJb5AYI

Most Important Step:

Praise Hob_gadling for being a hex wizard and making this possible.
http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198003685458/

Good luck, and thanks to SuperCrumpets for achieving this!

[weblars]

@sadpan i can't save the files ,,Saving Interrupted did you start Wargame before i was ready ?'' any ideas how to fix that problem ?

[lostsocrat]

anyone knows how I can change the supply depot values to have them more money for longer matches without switching to admins?

[KuchenEsser]

Oh, nevermind, didn't notice the reddit guide post.

[KuchenEsser]

Do you have any idea where I can find the values for how much money there is in depots? I want to increase that significantly so battles last longer.

[Jiroun]

Not very clear where I should change/add values, guess this editor is unfriendly for non-coders, videos would be quite useful.

[Prolution]

@SmalecCzarnobyl

https://www.reddit.com/r/rusegame/comments/ni5oi5/ruse_master_guide_by_prolution_how_to_get_the/

Go to Unit Damage in the modding section

[SmalecCzarnobyl]

Hello, i have a problem. I know how to change the price ,price of the upgrade , and armor and implement it to the game.

But.

I can't find where i will be able to change etc. range of fire of the unit, damage,

[Prolution]

This is my custom operations guide and is based off this guide in large part: https://www.reddit.com/r/rusegame/comments/rlqtiz/guide_how_to_make_a_custom_operation_for_ruse/

[.]

@Pizzamovies
Yes you can, but u need to use atomique ver. of Chaffe (and it would work only in Nuclear mode) but u need to change Chaffe class (i dunno how) becaue if you just give Chaffe a Wolverine firepower it will shoot invisible projectiles to the infantry

[Pizzamovies]

Say i wanted to add the Hellcat into the game. Could i Duplicate the Chaffee and give it the firepower of a Wolverine?