Empire Mod Architecture Primer

[Ketzerfreund]

Got the method working now, but only by using the txt file in MrThib's tutorial, which is far bigger than it should be - normally, a txt file is a txt file is a txt file. It's size in byte is usually the same as the number of characters in it.

That only MrThib's txt file works with it's size overhead doesn't make the slightest bit of a sense.

[Ketzerfreund]

Umm... You actually didn't say anything regarding my actual problem at all.
But maybe I expressed myself a bit awkwardly.

I've narrowed the problem down to the user script txt file now.
Using notepad to write a new one doesn't work for me, the whole thing is ignored by Empire then. Only using MrThib's txt file as offered in his tutorial works. And it's far larger than it should be for a plain text file. So I've just taken a look at his file in a hex editor.

Lo and behold:


That's what it contains when I replace his mod's name by mine in his txt file.
Making a new one through the context menu opened when right clicking in the folder produces a file that really only has the characters in it that you write into it using notepad - a true pure text file.

So, what exactly is his text file? How was it created?

[l33tl4m3r]

Aah!

I see, no I have no idea what Thib has done, but I have seen several people with the same issue you have.

What it was for me; I actually put .txt on the end of the file when I created it, so my file came out as user.empire_script.txt.txt (I forgot that creating a new txt by right-clicking and creating it from the new menu automatically makes it a txt file by default.)

Once I edited my user.empire_script.txt.txt to actually be user.empire_script.txt, it worked like a charm.

[Ketzerfreund]

And it's exactly the right-click-context-menu-creation of a text file that doesn't work for me...

Wait a second... Do you use Vista? I use XP. Maybe there's a diference between what both regard as a text file...

[l33tl4m3r]

I do use vista.

Have you tried opening notepad, i.e. from the start menu, then opening a new file, adding the lines you need, saving it as the proper name (-the txt in the name, just to be safe LOL?) Then dragging it and dropping it or saving it directly to the scripts folder?

Let me know.

[Ketzerfreund]

Nope, XP's notepad keeps creating truly pure text files, whichever way it's started.

By the way, the thing about the .txt extension only has to do with whether you've got the option to have file extension displayed in Windows' folder options on or off. Mine is on, so I always see the file extensions, thus something like *.txt.txt can't happen to me.

[l33tl4m3r]

Should have seen me struggle with that for like two days LOL!

[waronmars]

TO MAKE YOUR user.empire_script.txt WORK:

When you save your text file, go to SAVE AS and select UNICODE under encoding. The reason it wasn't working before is that Windows defaults text files to ANSI, which empire doesn't like.

[l33tl4m3r]

Thanks waronmars!

A nice bit of information to know.

[Iaius Statius Laurentius]

Unicode did the trick. Thanks waronmars.

[DaVinci]

Good to see the close interaction and support from CA's Jerome
Empire obviously sets free a lot of new modding-talents showing up publicly on TWC

And all the infos here and in the already very active mod workshop will help me to make some custom changes on my ETW, for my personal use (as i intend to retire from the active modding front soon).


On making the needed user-script txt file: ... lol, that was good

...normally, a txt file is a txt file is a txt file...

People could also make a copy of the existing preferences.txt, delete the entire content of it, then add the needed mod command line, and change the file name ... just in case somebody has an issue with changing it to the right unicode format, should work as well to get noticed by the engine.

[moisesjns]

wtf is this JUST NOT wanting to work for me no matter what! seriously i did everything correct this time i made txt file saved as unicode it says just like this "mod moises_mod.pack;" but that cant be problem then i made my own .pack and exported all files i want to edit and imported them i edit the fergusion riflemen accuracy no luck i made sure pack is on mod it is so i try adding the command line still NO luck please help me i have been trying to get this to work since mr thibs first released his tutorial

[MrThib]

I've posted help for you in the other thread...

[DaVinci]

wtf is this JUST NOT wanting to work for me no matter what! seriously i did everything correct this time i made txt file saved as unicode it says just like this "mod moises_mod.pack;" but that cant be problem then i made my own .pack and exported all files i want to edit and imported them i edit the fergusion riflemen accuracy no luck i made sure pack is on mod it is so i try adding the command line still NO luck please help me i have been trying to get this to work since mr thibs first released his tutorial

If you have no luck with this change, then perhaps try something else, just to check if it is this particular change, or if it is just the process you are applying (obviously wrong), just a thought.

[moisesjns]

tried manyprocess lol it's increasingly frustrating but ill eventually get it and if new patch comes out i dont care i already copid my patch.pack so im good

[moisesjns]

nvm i got it it is working perfectly tursn out i had 2 db folders lol thats 2 hrs i have been trying to ge tthis to work and now i have

[alpaca]

I have a problem: I can't get localisation files to be recognised when I put them in a mod pack. I can neither overwrite the existing localisation.loc nor does adding a new file to the text directory work (the latter doesn't work in patch.pack either so it's probably not supposed to work the same way as the db files).

So, what's the supposed way of creating new string entries, and what happens if I don't want to add strings for all languages?

Thanks

[juniroxors]

I have a problem: I can't get localisation files to be recognised when I put them in a mod pack. I can neither overwrite the existing localisation.loc nor does adding a new file to the text directory work (the latter doesn't work in patch.pack either so it's probably not supposed to work the same way as the db files).

So, what's the supposed way of creating new string entries, and what happens if I don't want to add strings for all languages?

Thanks

My solution has been to create a new pack exclusively for a localisation.loc - eg. my_loc.pack and this is saved as patch type NOT mod. Add your localisation.loc to it (making sure it's default name) with the default text plus your added entries and that should work. It means you don't have to mess with any game files as well. Be careful with naming the pack as certain alphabetic places will stop it from working but as far as I can tell, calling it m.....pack seems to work fine.

....Oh and this is just based on the loc from patch_en.pack

[alpaca]

My solution has been to create a new pack exclusively for a localisation.loc - eg. my_loc.pack and this is saved as patch type NOT mod. Add your localisation.loc to it (making sure it's default name) with the default text plus your added entries and that should work. It means you don't have to mess with any game files as well. Be careful with naming the pack as certain alphabetic places will stop it from working but as far as I can tell, calling it m.....pack seems to work fine.

I know that this works (mine is a movie pack ) but that way we can't have multiple mods with different localisations.

[juniroxors]

I know that this works (mine is a movie pack ) but that way we can't have multiple mods with different localisations.

Yeah I know we are at a bit of an impasse - but there are ppl out there still importing the text back and other stuff into the game files which is a bit daft and whilst this isn't true "mod" patching it's the closest thing we have - It's a mess on because packs can't be shared properly due to the text issue (and probably others we are unaware of yet) but at this stage I think until a proper dev pack comes out the mod format is really beta - if that