How to change your spy operative portraits (and name, sex, traits, nationality, skill level etc...)

[mikwarleo]

EDIT: update:

To change spy portraits you can either, edit your save file or change the relevant portrait images at this location:

...Hearts of Iron IV\dlc\dlc028_la_resistance\dlc028.zip\gfx\leaders\Europe

The save file editing allows you change all aspects of your operative (not just the portrait) but is not iron man compatible.

Thanks to @Mousetick for pointing the file location.

I've left my below original post.

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Call me crazy but I hate ending up with a Spy Agency manned by goofy looking operatives (especially the grandmas).
If you'd also prefer to have a Abwehr/KGB/SOE/OSS etc that's not run by grannys and goobers...



Here's one way to change the operative portraits (and name, traits, nationality, skill level etc).

Forgive me if this has been discussed elsewhere.
I did some googling and didn't find anything other than an unanswered post from someone asking how to do this.

There might be an easier way but for now I achieved this by save-editing.
Open your save in notepad+ (you need to enable editable HoI4 saves first).
Run a find (CTRL+F) on the agent's name to get to the relevant code.

To change portrait, you're looking for the code I've highlighted in green:

operative={
id={ id=3103 type=4713 }
name="Jessica Brendel"
portrait_path="gfx/leaders/Europe/portrait_europe_generic_operative_female_4.dds"

Here's Jessica, she's the latest granny-operative from my current game in progress...

I looked up the code from another operative who's portrait I prefer and made a very minor edit as follows (changed the 4 to a 7)

operative={
id={ id=3103 type=4713 }
name="Jessica Brendel"
portrait_path="gfx/leaders/Europe/portrait_europe_generic_operative_female_7.dds"

This is Jessica now...

To make other changes:
Look at the associated code (you'll find it adjacent to the above quoted code in the save file)...
It's fairly intuitive, if you're not sure have a look at the code from an operative with the features you want and copy that code.
And obviously back up your saves before editing.
You can easily easy to change everything: your operative name, sex, traits, nationality, skill level, etc...

I did some minor tests by dismissing and re-hiring an edited spy (after the 30-day wait), in that case I changed Jessica to a male, changed his/her name and portrait as well, 'they' retained their new identity ... sex, portrait and name ... when I was able to re-hire after the 30-day wait. I haven't tested any further so can't be sure this will 'stick'/work in all cases but I imagine it does.

ASIDE:
I did a lot of graphics modding in HoI2 and still know my way around but I couldn't find the specific portrait files even though I found the exact path and reference above. My first approach to this issue was to change the portrait files rather than save edit. While the leader portraits are easy to find in the gfx folder, and edit, PDX seems to have handled Spy portraits very differently. I couldn't locate the files reference above. I presume the .dds files are compendiums of lots of different portraits. I did find some .dds files but couldn't open them or convert them (using online dds converters) to things I could open. For mine, the above solution is simple enough, but it's not iron-man compatible and is a little cumbersome... so if anyone knows an easier way to change portraits please chime in.

 

[Mousetick]

I couldn't find the specific portrait files even though I found the exact path and reference above.

Spies are DLC content (from La Resistance), so they are not present in the vanilla game. You need to look for the referenced files within the corresponding DLC package.

I don't have that specific DLC so I can't tell you exactly where to look, but taking the Anniversary Pack DLC (free and included by default) as an example:
- Look into [HOI 4 folder] > dlc > dlc021_anniversary_pack
- WIthin that folder there is .zip file named dlc021.zip
- Open that .zip file, you can see the extra portraits are located in gfx/leaders

For mine, the above solution is simple enough, but it's not iron-man compatible and is a little cumbersome... so if anyone knows an easier way to change portraits please chime in.

The proper way to modify cosmetic content that is Ironman mode compatible, without messing with save games or the original game files, is to make a mod.
You can find modding resources on the Wiki and in this subforum.

 

[mikwarleo]

Look into [HOI 4 folder] > dlc > dlc021_anniversary_pack

Found them, thanks.

he proper way to modify cosmetic content that is Ironman mode compatible, without messing with save games or the original game files, is to make a mod.

I imagine changing the portrait file names would be enough, for example, in the above case swapping the image for female 7 and 4.

 

[Mousetick]

I imagine changing the portrait file names would be enough, for example, in the above case swapping the image for female 7 and 4.

Right, I guess so. If you look into the DLC zip file, you should find several .gfx files within the gfx directory that contain "spriteTypes" definitions, mapping graphic IDs to their corresponding .dds texture file. Find the one that contains the spy portraits mappings. If you change the file names to use your preferred portrait, that should do the trick.

Can't be any more specific, sorry, since I don't have the La Resistance DLC.