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Topic Subject:

3D banners

anonimous8543
Legionary

posted 26 November 2020 16:15 EDT (US)

Hello kind stranger,
I have created Epirus as a faction (replacing Dacia), and modded everything that was needed (cities, units, etc). The only thing I have left is the banners. Now, I already have the symbol I want to put in them, and I have done all the 2D symbols and banners needed. However, I am unable to make 3D models which are needed for the in-battle banners and the strat map ones. I am therefore here to ask for your help, kind stranger, on this matter.

Note: I am aware that there is a rule against asking people to make mods. However, I wouldn't consider this in that category as I have modded everything else myself and am only asking for help for this little part. The only thing I am asking for is for someone who maybe has a bit of free time and is willing to help. I am sorry if this post offends you in any way.

Author

Replies:

Terikel Grayhair
Imperator
(id: Terikel706)

posted 27 November 2020 12:53 EDT (US) 1 / 17

The post is fine, and asking for help is why we are here. No apologies necessary.

This tutorial shows you how to make faction symbols.

While this one shows you how to change all instances of the faction symbol to a new one.

You will need some third-party programs to do this. They were not included on the game disk.

Good luck, and we will be happy to host your mod once you have the bugs worked out. See our Downloads Submission Form for how to submit a file.

Don't forget to let us know.

You might find some interesting mods and modding tools here.

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anonimous8543
Legionary

posted 27 November 2020 14:45 EDT (US) 2 / 17

Hey Terikel,
Well actually will be unable to post the mod as I made it directly on the game folders (didn't even know mod:switch was a thing when I started). In the future I may work on making it with the mod:switch but as of right now I don't really have the time to do that.
About the images: my problem is with finding a program that enables the 3D edition of the files. I use Photoshop for all 2D images, but I haven't found any programs to edit the DDS files that are both free and secure to download. Do you have any in mind?
Thanks!

[This message has been edited by anonimous8543 (edited 11-27-2020 @ 04:29 PM).]

Terikel Grayhair
Imperator
(id: Terikel706)

posted 28 November 2020 11:45 EDT (US) 3 / 17

Back in the day a lot of folks used GIMP.

There was another one that also allowed DDS editing, but I have since forgotten it. never used it myself, tried GIMP once, and went over to Photoshop.

Doesn't Photoshop have a DDS add-on package? DDS is not a new thing, and Photoshop is always improving its product. Maybe they have one now.

Mod:Switch is handy, but not required as far as I can recall. Just a few words to let any potential users know to make a back up of their game before installing this is sufficient.

[This message has been edited by Terikel Grayhair (edited 11-28-2020 @ 11:51 AM).]

anonimous8543
Legionary

posted 29 November 2020 12:37 EDT (US) 4 / 17

I think there is a plugin for photoshop, but I am not sure whether it is free or not, and the thing is I don't want to be dependant on my father's computer for this. I've got Paint.net on mine that I started using since the last post, but to edit dds I don't really know...

As for the mod:switch, I will probably be able to do it after all. I'm trying to set up a new campaign type (a provincial campaign) for which I have used mod:switch. This means all the files I have edited previously will be there too, so it's kind of a 2 in 1.

I'm struggling a bit though because it keeps crashing to desktop and not giving an error message so I don't know what's wrong...

Terikel Grayhair
Imperator
(id: Terikel706)

posted 30 November 2020 12:54 EDT (US) 5 / 17

When you start your game, do you use the -show_err tag on your starter icon?

The target should look like this: "C:\Programs\Games\Rome - Total War\RomeTW.exe" -show_err

That should tell you what happened when it crashed.

anonimous8543
Legionary

posted 30 November 2020 13:04 EDT (US) 6 / 17

I do use show_err, but that only seems to work with CTMs. CTDs leave me with no explanation. However, I have tried to go back from square 1, and have been able to at least get the map working. I still have to add all the extra settlements, change character names and armies etc, but at least in that department -show_err works pretty well.

I would like to add faction and campaign descriptions, do you have any idea on how to do that? The files in campaign folder have the descriptions for the roman factions but they apparently don't do anything, I have deleted them with no consequences.

Terikel Grayhair
Imperator
(id: Terikel706)

posted 01 December 2020 11:46 EDT (US) 7 / 17

The max number of settlements is hardcoded and cannot be exceeded. I do not recall it that was 100 or 199. You will have to look that up.

The max number of units is also hardcoded- but sacrificing some can open slots for yours. There is some room in the vanilla list for about 30 or 40 new units, I believe.

The campaign descriptions can be found on your computer using this path:
...\Rome Total War\data\world\maps\campaign\imperial_campaign

There are only ones for the Roman factions. The other playable factions don't get an intro.

Be careful editing names. There are like three lists that need to be changed and updated otherwise it won't work. There is a thread around here somewhere with the details.

Make sure you make a back-up of everything you change!

anonimous8543
Legionary

posted 01 December 2020 13:19 EDT (US) 8 / 17

Yeah I knew about those limits and I'm definitely not exceeding them. Anyways, it's working now. Only a few things I need to change for it to be ready. Found out that paint.NET also let's me edit the tga.dds files so there's that.

As for the intro, I didn't mean the video. I meant the text that shows up when you select a faction (before starting the campaign) in the middle of the screen. It's not crucial, but it would be cool to be able to add it. Same for the map that shows above it what regions the faction starts with.

The only other thing I don't really know how to do and can't seem to find on the web is how to enable the marian reforms since turn 1 (as the campaign starts in 58 BCE, way after the real reforms date).

Edit: found out how to do that. Now the only thing that I don't know how to do at all is changing the descriptions, everything else is time consuming to do but relatively easy.

[This message has been edited by anonimous8543 (edited 12-01-2020 @ 04:26 PM).]

General Sajaru
Tribunus Laticlavius

posted 01 December 2020 19:56 EDT (US) 9 / 17

I poked around a bit for the descriptions last night and I couldn't find anything. There wasn't a single file for it, and I can't find even individual files for each faction (beyond the ones that you did that don't matter). The maps are in the same folder as the descr_strat file and should be able to be edited with the proper software.

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anonimous8543
Legionary

posted 02 December 2020 05:57 EDT (US) 10 / 17

General Sajaru,
I think I actually found it. It's the data\text\campaign_descriptions.txt . But it doesn't seem to be consistent: I added an entry that signaled it to be my campaign's Julii description and it didn't work at first but now after I changed whatever else (did this like 2 days ago, have since changed a lot of files) I just noticed it now does.

What I still haven't found is the description for the campaign itself - when you select Provincial Campaign in the menu, it let's you choose what campaign you want to play (I currently only have 1). It's like the Historical Battles menu: it has the names to the left and a description spot on the right, and that's still a mystery to me.

General Sajaru
Tribunus Laticlavius

posted 02 December 2020 18:29 EDT (US) 11 / 17

That does indeed seem to be it- good spotting. When you were changing the description, were you changing the one under {CAESAR_IN_GAUL_JULII_DESCR}, the one under {SON_OF_MARS_JULII_DESCR}, or the one under {IMPERIAL_CAMPAIGN_JULII_DESCR}?

Each of those would affect a different one of the campaigns that you can play- the tutorial campaign and the imperial campaign.

anonimous8543
Legionary

posted 02 December 2020 18:48 EDT (US) 12 / 17

I didn't change anything, I've only added more like this:
{MY_CAMPAIGN_FACTION_DESCR}text

It worked for the factions and for the name ({MY_CAMPAIGN_TITLE}My Campaign) that appears on the left side box in the provincial campaign selection screen. However, I can't find a way to put a description of the campaign in that screen (as in a general one like the historical battles menu, not a faction specific one).

I know this is a little detail that hardly makes any difference but after all I have done it's just not right to ignore it.

Terikel Grayhair
Imperator
(id: Terikel706)

posted 03 December 2020 11:59 EDT (US) 13 / 17

Have you tried making a Provincial Campaign folder in the Campaign folder and putting your text file in that?

I recall seeing a Provincial folder somewhere, but now for the life of me (and that is a big life) cannot recall where I have seen that. Thus the above suggestion.

anonimous8543
Legionary

posted 03 December 2020 12:09 EDT (US) 14 / 17

Well I hadn't but now I tried that and the campaign just stops appearing in the provincial campaign menu.
Not only that, but there seems to be no file at all with provincial in its name besides the tga file for the image that shows up on the provincial campaign menu (at least that's what the file search got me).
I'm leaning over to think it should be a text file, and that it should be campaign_descriptions.txt as it's the one that actually made the title work. It wouldn't make sense to put those two things in different files...
By the way, after a solution is found, is there any way I could submit the mod to this site, for others to be able to play it?
Thanks!

General Sajaru
Tribunus Laticlavius

posted 03 December 2020 21:32 EDT (US) 15 / 17

I wonder if you went to the data\world\maps\campaign folder and put in a new provincial campaign folder, if that might work.

Once you finish your mod and want to share it, you can go to our downloads center here and submit your mod.

anonimous8543
Legionary

posted 04 December 2020 05:22 EDT (US) 16 / 17

Yeah I tried that, but what happens is the game stops recognizing the campaign (as in the campaign stops appearing on the provincial campaign menu.).

Thanks for the link, I'll definitely look to submitting it there! Just to make sure I should put it in the modpacks right?

General Sajaru
Tribunus Laticlavius

posted 04 December 2020 20:11 EDT (US) 17 / 17

Yes, the modpack section would be the place to submit it.

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