See above. I want to see what the game is like starting with heavies. My theory is that it will make the early battles easier, but will make staying afloat financially harder.
Are The JSON Files Editable To Change Starting Mechs?
- Thread starter Fyrwulf
- Start date
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I think what you are looking for is found in the "SimGameConstants.json" file.
"StartingPlayerMech" : "mechdef_blackjack_BJ-1",
"StartingLance" : [
"mechdef_vindicator_VND-1R",
"mechdef_shadowhawk_SHD-2H",
"mechdef_spider_SDR-5V",
"mechdef_locust_LCT-1V"
"StartingPlayerMech" : "mechdef_blackjack_BJ-1",
"StartingLance" : [
"mechdef_vindicator_VND-1R",
"mechdef_shadowhawk_SHD-2H",
"mechdef_spider_SDR-5V",
"mechdef_locust_LCT-1V"
Also if you are worried about money look at "StartingCBills" : 980000, in the same file
Yes. The file is SimGameConstants.json in the ...\BATTLETECH\BattleTech_Data\StreamingAssets\data\simGameConstants folder. Look for the keyword StartingLance, then change the mechdef_mechname parts to the mechs you want. The mechdef files are in the \mech folder. Make sure you get the filenames exactly correct or the game will get stuck in a loading loop. You can even add a sixth battlemech to the starting lance if you wish. This will not change the player character's battlemech until the start of the first mission after the tutorial.
edit: DragonsRage showed the relevant code section in his post above.
edit: DragonsRage showed the relevant code section in his post above.
Thank you very much, guys. I was bored, which with me inevitably leads to frustration, with the silly grind of the standard game. Hopefully I will like the game better with a heavy lance to start out with.
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Yep it works, I edited my game to replace my spider with an urbanmech (I love urbies). I don't think adding heavy mechs will make staying financially stable harder, it will simply make the first half (or so) of the game far easier; which is fine if that's what you want to do.
Heavies don't really cost more to upkeep, the devs pretty much allowed heavies to be strightup upgrades to mediums. You won't have to really worry about repair bills or salvage so you can rack up a huge nestegg for the late game.
I think I would have preferred if ehavies did cost more to operate but I can see where they were coming from. Personally I lowered my starting money to help simulate a struggling merc outfit,
Heavies don't really cost more to upkeep, the devs pretty much allowed heavies to be strightup upgrades to mediums. You won't have to really worry about repair bills or salvage so you can rack up a huge nestegg for the late game.
I think I would have preferred if ehavies did cost more to operate but I can see where they were coming from. Personally I lowered my starting money to help simulate a struggling merc outfit,
Just a heads up from my limited modding experience so far. Mods do not take effect if you mod the .json file after you started the campaign. I think it's some sort of conflict where the .sav file get priority. I had to delete my save files, mod, then start a new campaign. Not sure if I could've modded, then started a new campaign and had 1 old, "vanilla" campaign and a new modded one or not.
@Canis
Yes I started a campaign with a Steiner Recon Lance and it was so so simple, I actually got bored and started over again from the beginning.
Yes I started a campaign with a Steiner Recon Lance and it was so so simple, I actually got bored and started over again from the beginning.
This is true for some things but not for others. As far as your starting mechwarriors and mechs it is true, but for other things it is not. For instance. If you modify pilot_sim_starter_dekker.json and change his name, background data data and skills it will only work if you do it before you start the game. But if you modify PortraitPreset_dekker.json after the game has started it will take effect the next time your load the saved game. Some information seems to be stored in the saved game file, but other information is still referenced from the json. I would guess that all "owned mechs" and "pilot stat data" is stored in the save file because it can be changed during the game. You can up the stats on mechwarriors and you can modify mechs in the mechbay. So that info being more dynamic is stored in the save file. So like if you modify the base mech chassis info it would most likely change when you reloaded your saved game and got a new chassis as the base chassis is not modifiable while playing the game.
I started with a fire support lance, leaving the Vindicator and the BJ but swapping the Shadowhawk out for a trebuchet and the spider for a K2. Given the nature of that lance, even early on things could get hairy.
Just for absolute fun and wanting to see what a truly OP lace could do I just did a restart and made my entire lance KingCrab. Holly cow does this make things a cake walk. Anything but heavy mechs are almost 1 shot one kill. HAHAHA.
Go to the starmap and search for 3+ skull worlds, trust me when I tell you. AI will swamp you with medium mechs and vehicles and have you sweating hard to survive.
Maybe there is way to "ballance" that by repair cost? Where to edit repairtime and, maybe, cost to make heavy with blowed side torso to cost.. near 1/4 of full mech. More motivation to avoid damage and think twice before rushing
looks like you can also change MWs in there
"StartingMechWarriors" : [
"pilot_sim_starter_glitch",
"pilot_sim_starter_behemoth",
"pilot_sim_starter_dekker",
"pilot_sim_starter_medusa"
],
"StartingMechWarriorPortraits" : [
"PortraitPreset_glitch",
"PortraitPreset_behemoth",
"PortraitPreset_dekker",
"PortraitPreset_medusa",
],
"StartingMechWarriors" : [
"pilot_sim_starter_glitch",
"pilot_sim_starter_behemoth",
"pilot_sim_starter_dekker",
"pilot_sim_starter_medusa"
],
"StartingMechWarriorPortraits" : [
"PortraitPreset_glitch",
"PortraitPreset_behemoth",
"PortraitPreset_dekker",
"PortraitPreset_medusa",
],
Q. At what point do you know if the mod worked?
I managed to mod the file, but character creation still shows Blackjack and continues into the first mission (and tutorial).
I managed to mod the file, but character creation still shows Blackjack and continues into the first mission (and tutorial).
The player mech is hardcoded for the tutorial mission for sure and I think it may also be for Magistracy Metals contract.
It's not hardcoded for the MM contract.
I changed mine last night to have my starting mech be a standard Thunderbolt without any other changes, and after the tutorial was over and the MM mission started I had it as my mech.
I'll have to play around on Thursday to see where it stores custom variants, as I'd love to mod in a custom spider and maybe restart the campaign.
... I just realized I could probably change the starting mechs to grab something I was taunted with during the campaign.
Really hope I can change the JSON to get it in
The SLDF Griffin
Really hope I can change the JSON to get it in
Hmm
Think ill may try to mod myself as "Kerensky" Offspring a SLDF Highlander as Startingmech =D
Already found how to make those lovable Beauties buyable in shops.
For all who are interested: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...-how-to-use-a-notepad-try-this.1094232/page-3
Think ill may try to mod myself as "Kerensky" Offspring a SLDF Highlander as Startingmech =D
Already found how to make those lovable Beauties buyable in shops.
For all who are interested: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...-how-to-use-a-notepad-try-this.1094232/page-3