Here you can find three guides on the editor tool going from "easy to do" to "very advanced"!
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If there are any more questions on it, feel free to ask on the forum as we should be answer most of what you're wondering.
Awesome! I have a few immediate questions:
1) What is 'world level'? It is referenced as a requirement for things. Does that mean the 'stage' of the shard you are in?
2) There is mentioned something about lairs spawning faster than their turn timers indicate as the game turn goes on. What's the calculation here? Is there a min/max on that increased spawn rate?
3) Didn't quite see how campaigns are made. I was assuming a campaign would be multiple linked sets of maps where you attain 'victory' in one and then move on to the next, and need to get 'victory' there.
4) We seem to have a good lot of control over the entities of the game, but what about just some of the global hard codes? For example, the effects of unrest, the amount of XP needed to level up, movement cost of certain terrains.
5) In fact, I don't recall seeing a terrain editor in there. Did I just miss it?
6) For abilities that have duration, such as the 'summoned' perk or the magic sight perk, is there a way that we can modify or read those values in? Say, a summoned unit that increases its duration every time it gets a kill.
Could you guys maybe do some specific tutorials for how some of the odder effects work? The Planestrider's Krypta temple unit, for instance, that gains a perk when a unit dies, or the spirit of death for the Arethi Elves that summons a temporary unit that was killed?
If a map is in 'exiled' mode, what is different from that and sandbox? I mean, the terrain can be set up however we want, and maps linked how we want, and I assume that the 4 lieutenants' quests are all just normal quests, right? I don't think there is anything special about the exiled mode in terms of the editor, you could make it completely in sandbox mode.
1) What is 'world level'? It is referenced as a requirement for things. Does that mean the 'stage' of the shard you are in?
2) There is mentioned something about lairs spawning faster than their turn timers indicate as the game turn goes on. What's the calculation here? Is there a min/max on that increased spawn rate?
3) Didn't quite see how campaigns are made. I was assuming a campaign would be multiple linked sets of maps where you attain 'victory' in one and then move on to the next, and need to get 'victory' there.
4) We seem to have a good lot of control over the entities of the game, but what about just some of the global hard codes? For example, the effects of unrest, the amount of XP needed to level up, movement cost of certain terrains.
5) In fact, I don't recall seeing a terrain editor in there. Did I just miss it?
6) For abilities that have duration, such as the 'summoned' perk or the magic sight perk, is there a way that we can modify or read those values in? Say, a summoned unit that increases its duration every time it gets a kill.
Could you guys maybe do some specific tutorials for how some of the odder effects work? The Planestrider's Krypta temple unit, for instance, that gains a perk when a unit dies, or the spirit of death for the Arethi Elves that summons a temporary unit that was killed?
If a map is in 'exiled' mode, what is different from that and sandbox? I mean, the terrain can be set up however we want, and maps linked how we want, and I assume that the 4 lieutenants' quests are all just normal quests, right? I don't think there is anything special about the exiled mode in terms of the editor, you could make it completely in sandbox mode.
4 and 5, are in the XML. You'll need to delve there not in the GUI editor, to change terrain, level up tables, etc.
I second some of the special effect tutorial request. Like the 'escape artist' I see what it can potentially do but nowhere of what triggers it.. I think some of these may have some additional hard coded stuff?
Here's the top-level xml nodes and description for a few of the biggies.
<gods>
<buildings> (buildings data)
<difficultyLevels>
<logictiles>
<landstatuses>
<subtiles>
<subtilepresets>
<subtilepatches>
<subtileexcludes>
<spellsubtiles>
<heightlogicgroupes>
<logicheightuptables>
<heightsubtilesgroupes>
<unitexps> (level rates per unit class)
<unitclasses>
<units>
<actions> (creature activatable abilities)
<randomevents>
<terraformingevents>
<artifacttypecosts>
<artifactelements>
<artifacts> (artifacts)
<resources> (also includes probability per map type and stage (assuming stage is how long the game goes before the world is discovered)
<researchgroups>
<spells> (spells list)
<combos> (spell combos)
<eventactions>
<glyphs> (spell glyphs)
<fractions> (pre-defined leaders)
<fractionimprovements> (chooseable leader perks)
<races> (minimal race data including ui graphic and upkeep type)
<buildingtrees> (dependencies/pre-req's for buildings. every building a given race can build is listed per race, not inherited from building node)
<cities> (random cities probabilities, also where starting armies per race is set)
<locations> (monster lairs)
<quests>
<armypresets>
<debuffgroups>
<logicparams>
<modaiparams>
<modlocnumbers> (number of random names available for lords, shards, cities)
<levelups> (levelup promotions for units)
<perks> (unit perks)
<emblems>
<logichextemplates>
<hextemplatemaxcounts>
<uniquehextemplates>
<modaidata>
<achievements>
<mapsizepresets>
<scriptfiles>
<scriptfns>
<landpresets>
<questoptions>
<inbuiltperks>
I second some of the special effect tutorial request. Like the 'escape artist' I see what it can potentially do but nowhere of what triggers it.. I think some of these may have some additional hard coded stuff?
Here's the top-level xml nodes and description for a few of the biggies.
<gods>
<buildings> (buildings data)
<difficultyLevels>
<logictiles>
<landstatuses>
<subtiles>
<subtilepresets>
<subtilepatches>
<subtileexcludes>
<spellsubtiles>
<heightlogicgroupes>
<logicheightuptables>
<heightsubtilesgroupes>
<unitexps> (level rates per unit class)
<unitclasses>
<units>
<actions> (creature activatable abilities)
<randomevents>
<terraformingevents>
<artifacttypecosts>
<artifactelements>
<artifacts> (artifacts)
<resources> (also includes probability per map type and stage (assuming stage is how long the game goes before the world is discovered)
<researchgroups>
<spells> (spells list)
<combos> (spell combos)
<eventactions>
<glyphs> (spell glyphs)
<fractions> (pre-defined leaders)
<fractionimprovements> (chooseable leader perks)
<races> (minimal race data including ui graphic and upkeep type)
<buildingtrees> (dependencies/pre-req's for buildings. every building a given race can build is listed per race, not inherited from building node)
<cities> (random cities probabilities, also where starting armies per race is set)
<locations> (monster lairs)
<quests>
<armypresets>
<debuffgroups>
<logicparams>
<modaiparams>
<modlocnumbers> (number of random names available for lords, shards, cities)
<levelups> (levelup promotions for units)
<perks> (unit perks)
<emblems>
<logichextemplates>
<hextemplatemaxcounts>
<uniquehextemplates>
<modaidata>
<achievements>
<mapsizepresets>
<scriptfiles>
<scriptfns>
<landpresets>
<questoptions>
<inbuiltperks>
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As far as I can tell, we really cannot create our own maps, but edit maps the editor presents to us, correct? Editing XML is all well and good, but surely there's more to map creation than just this. We have no control over the shape of the shards, the size of the shards, gaps and chasms within a shard, etc... I've got the three documents from the OP, but they're certainly not very detailed at all. I sure hope Paradox provides better docs and better examples to be sure.
I'm hoping we can get a modding forum up so I can pepper you guys with questions in an appropriate place, but here goes: I am trying to make a spell to temporarily change flying movement type back down to walker type. I have tried various things with it:
<Effects><s_movementType><s_value>Walker</s_value></s_movementType></Effects> ;
<Effects> <SetUnitStatus><s_movementType>Walker</s_movementType></SetUnitStatus></Effects> ;
<Effects><SetUnitStatus><s_statusName>block_flight</s_statusName></SetUnitStatus></Effects>
(as well as some things I crashed my game with that I won't bother listing :laugh: )
Is there actually any way to change a movement type like that? Flight and Waterwalking seem to be specific Effects <flight/> <waterwalking/> ... I'm assuming the code is made so that waterwalking always supercedes walking, and flight always supercedes waterwalking? I have b_isChangeMoveType true of course.
edit: also, can a perk be given an <s_effectSubFilter> like a spell? Such as an aura with additional parameters of who it'll affect like a unit Status?
can a perk aura have an AOE type, like ring/halo that excludes itself? Can a perk aura effect be another perk effect?
<Effects><s_movementType><s_value>Walker</s_value></s_movementType></Effects> ;
<Effects> <SetUnitStatus><s_movementType>Walker</s_movementType></SetUnitStatus></Effects> ;
<Effects><SetUnitStatus><s_statusName>block_flight</s_statusName></SetUnitStatus></Effects>
(as well as some things I crashed my game with that I won't bother listing :laugh: )
Is there actually any way to change a movement type like that? Flight and Waterwalking seem to be specific Effects <flight/> <waterwalking/> ... I'm assuming the code is made so that waterwalking always supercedes walking, and flight always supercedes waterwalking? I have b_isChangeMoveType true of course.
edit: also, can a perk be given an <s_effectSubFilter> like a spell? Such as an aura with additional parameters of who it'll affect like a unit Status?
can a perk aura have an AOE type, like ring/halo that excludes itself? Can a perk aura effect be another perk effect?
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You can pretty easily add/remove new shards using the editor. Y'know the in game screen where you see the shards, and the linkages between them? Use that screen, and click 'create' or 'delete' to remove shards.
Chasm is a terrain type, and can be modified with the terrain editing palette.
The only thing that is a bit weird is that we have to generate the random starting map before getting into edit mode. Kinda wish a flat grey waste option existed.
Alright, Question time! Been working on making a new race:
1. How do I instruct the game to know which units and buildings to start the capital with? How do I manage the upgrade from one city type to the next greater type? What about city names? Is that all bundled the TODO in the city editor part of race design?
2. Not a question, but man trying to figure out how to design a settler for the new race was a pain. Trying to figure out which 'build city' to use was just guess and check. Maybe include a pre-defined 'build city' action when you make a new race?
3. I'd like to use the Sacrifice perk template to give a unit a different ability than Death Sacrifice. How to? I assume copy something into one of the 4 mod-provided status' in the xml? A few tips would be nice.
4. Not seeing a way to generate, view, or modify, the level up grids. If I wanted to make a new one, or modify an existing one, I guess I'm out of luck at the moment. On the todo list? Maybe I missed it?
5. When you generate a new world, I'm not seeing a way to specify which mages are in it. You can choose Player1's mage, but no one elses, not even using the normal UI during map creation.
6. How is pollution determined? If I wanted an ability, let's call it 'rampant growth' that healed a unit, and possibly turned the tile into a forest, or maybe just lands of life, what would I do?
7. Glyph editing?
8. Can spells have more than one effect? Such as deal damage in an area, and summon a unit at the center? I am thinking 'no' based on what is currently there.
9. Any way to make units that are stunned be auto-skipped by the unit incrementer?
10. Shards appear to have templates that are unmodifiable, and a stage is attached to it. I realize this is just for generation purposes, but it's sorta annoying. Is it on the todo list to allow us to modify those templates? I realize modifying the terrain generation algorithm is a bit out of scope, I just want to be able to plop down a 'dead world' that is set at stage 4 instead of 1 or 2. (Or vice versa have stage 1 elemental planes).
11. There appears to be no direct way of figuring out which portal on a map links to which other portal. Like, if I've got 3, and am trying to remember if the first one goes to plane A or B, I don't see any way of figuring it out.
12. Can portals link to another portal in the same shard? If not could this be added? It shouldn't be terribly complicated, and would allow some cool same-map shenanigans.
1. How do I instruct the game to know which units and buildings to start the capital with? How do I manage the upgrade from one city type to the next greater type? What about city names? Is that all bundled the TODO in the city editor part of race design?
2. Not a question, but man trying to figure out how to design a settler for the new race was a pain. Trying to figure out which 'build city' to use was just guess and check. Maybe include a pre-defined 'build city' action when you make a new race?
3. I'd like to use the Sacrifice perk template to give a unit a different ability than Death Sacrifice. How to? I assume copy something into one of the 4 mod-provided status' in the xml? A few tips would be nice.
4. Not seeing a way to generate, view, or modify, the level up grids. If I wanted to make a new one, or modify an existing one, I guess I'm out of luck at the moment. On the todo list? Maybe I missed it?
5. When you generate a new world, I'm not seeing a way to specify which mages are in it. You can choose Player1's mage, but no one elses, not even using the normal UI during map creation.
6. How is pollution determined? If I wanted an ability, let's call it 'rampant growth' that healed a unit, and possibly turned the tile into a forest, or maybe just lands of life, what would I do?
7. Glyph editing?
8. Can spells have more than one effect? Such as deal damage in an area, and summon a unit at the center? I am thinking 'no' based on what is currently there.
9. Any way to make units that are stunned be auto-skipped by the unit incrementer?
10. Shards appear to have templates that are unmodifiable, and a stage is attached to it. I realize this is just for generation purposes, but it's sorta annoying. Is it on the todo list to allow us to modify those templates? I realize modifying the terrain generation algorithm is a bit out of scope, I just want to be able to plop down a 'dead world' that is set at stage 4 instead of 1 or 2. (Or vice versa have stage 1 elemental planes).
11. There appears to be no direct way of figuring out which portal on a map links to which other portal. Like, if I've got 3, and am trying to remember if the first one goes to plane A or B, I don't see any way of figuring it out.
12. Can portals link to another portal in the same shard? If not could this be added? It shouldn't be terribly complicated, and would allow some cool same-map shenanigans.
Thanx for this. Unfortunately, every time I try to delete a shard I crash to desktop. Most of the time when selecting (double click) a shard in this same screen also crashes to desktop. I tried creating a shard, but there were so many in there initially, I dunno which one it created.
I have a fairly simple question. I made a map and saved it. When I play the map it has no fog of war so I can see everything on the map. How can I change that? I also tried to include the map in a campaign but that doesn’t work at all.
Edit:
I started the game again and now it works, I don't know why but now I have the fog of war.
Edit:
I started the game again and now it works, I don't know why but now I have the fog of war.
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It's a known issue that should be fixed soon. Basically, going into the map editor toggles the fog of war off, and it's not being properly toggled back on again after exiting it and returning to the game. Restarting the game will fix it, as you noticed.
Hi to everyone.
By the way - why...just why at any purpose (even after all others AI enemies) level 4 hero always is super-mega-witch. I'm almost sell to slavers my own brain, but even now dunno to understand how exactly top-heroes emerging from lairs (one more time - always great witches for 4 tier and elven archer for 3 tier, what exactly i missed?).
By the way - why...just why at any purpose (even after all others AI enemies) level 4 hero always is super-mega-witch. I'm almost sell to slavers my own brain, but even now dunno to understand how exactly top-heroes emerging from lairs (one more time - always great witches for 4 tier and elven archer for 3 tier, what exactly i missed?).
Those are random. I've gotten other tier 3 and 4 heroes out of lairs. I've had entire games where neither of them showed up at all. You're just lucky!
There is a 'battle tower' selector in the Location Editor. The manual doesn't say anything about it, and I can't seem to ever get it to be selectable. Is this an unfinished feature?
So i am trying to make a custom map with custom mages so that i can get some challenge out of it. The problem is that i cant link the rival mages together so i figured i would put their capitals in a mystic portal. this does not work i cant get the capital to set up right as a rival mage in the portal how do i go about doing this. It is sandbox mode fyi i had a problem with the rival mages killing each other so this is the only way i can see this happening.
I also am creating a new race and have many of the same questions, and I definitely have the wrong 'build city' for my new settlers. Generating new level up grids would be very useful indeed, and I fervently hope that this becomes possible, along with glyph editing and a method of naming or labeling portals for easy identification. I haven't played with the editor enough to be able to answer any of your questions, but you certainly have me thinking of new possibilities for my own mods.
If anyone could tell me how to make a spell that initiates one of the random quests, that would be appreciated, as there seems to be no way to trigger one in any spell, perk or action. I could of course just be missing something obvious.
So question 5 of Zechnophobe needs to be addressed if we are to make a challenging mod i have also made a new race and cannot implement it into a custom game this is just plain stupid please fix this and address it as soon as possible like hey guys we see that you are frustrated and working hard but we are working to fix this as well. I see not one response in regards to our posts and this is were we are supposed to ask the questions please let us in
And to be fair the reason that I want a new race is so that i can actually have a challenge when i play instead of just rolling over everything I paid the 50 bucks not cause i thought it was worth it but because i support what you do now please support us
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