How to change a character's name in a save game or at campaign start

**Dresden** · October 21, 2013, 06:31 PM

1. Download and extract EditSF - http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...-Array-Editing

2. Download and extract PFM editor - http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...ESF-save-issue

3. Use EditSF to open your save file or startpos file. In Windows 7, the save games are found under c:\Users\YourLoginName\AppData\Roaming\The Creative Assembly\Rome2\save_games\. The AppData folder is usually hidden, so make sure you have Show Hidden Folders on. The startpos is under Total War Rome II/data/campaigns/main_rome

4. Expand out the following trees in the file: CAMPAIGN_STARTPOS - COMPRESSED_DATA - CAMPAIGN_ENV - CAMPAIGN_MODEL - WORLD - FACTION ARRAY - FACTION_ARRAY-# - FACTION - CHARACTER_ARRAY. The FACTION_ARRAY-# will depend on which faction you are editing.

5. Under CHARACTER_ARRAY will be listed various CHARACTER_ARRAY-# entries. Choose one and expand it. Select the CHARACTER table. In the second row it will say either general, agent or colonel. This is the first indication of which character you are looking at. Each character has their own CHARACTER_ARRAY table.

6. In order to find the character you want to edit, you need to expand the tables: CHARACTER_ARRAY-# - CHARACTER - CHARACTER_DETAILS - CHARACTER_NAME - NAMES_BLOCK. There should be multiple NAMES_BLOCK-# entries. These are the character's names. Romans will have 3 names, others maybe just the first name. Under NAMES_BLOCK-# - CAMPAIGN_LOCALISATION look at the number listed after names_name. That number will correspond to an entry in the local_en_rome2.pack file.

7. Use PFM to open the local_en_rome2.pack file. The file is located in your Total War Rome II/data directory.

8. Expand out the tables text - db - names.loc. In names.loc will be a long list of numbers (names_name_#) next to the names themselves. Sort by the left column ("Tag") to make it easier to find the right number. Now, take the number you found in step 6 and find it on this table.

9. By finding the different names from the CHARACTER_NAME - NAMES_BLOCK entries, you can figure out which character you are looking at. Use this method to go through the different characters and find the one you want to change. Like I said above, another way to identify the characters is by the agent, general or colonel tag.

10. Once you find the character you want to change, find the name you want to use in the names.loc file from local_en_rome2.pack. Then, edit their number in CHARACTER_NAME - NAMES_BLOCK - NAMES_BLOCK-# - CAMPAIGN_LOCALISATION. Change the number following names_name_ to the new number you found in the pack file.

11. Save your save or startpos file in ESF, it will take a short time to save.

**sirameth** · November 24, 2013, 11:24 PM

thks

**seawolf77** · December 06, 2013, 07:13 PM

YO Dresden,
im releasing a mod for beter generals name with yout 4tpy mod on steam, because i was too lazy to make my own, so i edited the exiting ones, and it happens to be 1 of your mods.

dang it, i was GHAPPY, because i thought im the one who figured out how to change the names. But after found this threath, i felt like im sooo naked right now lol.
people asking how i do it, and sinds i just found your post in here, i just copy pasted this link passed for them.

What i made i change the generals names, and change their Age all of 3 of them back to 15. Julia, Junia Cornelia Leader.

just want you to know m8. |

luv ya bro. still afer this years lol

**ithrian** · December 13, 2013, 09:21 AM

I'm too dumb to understand you guide

. Can't even find the save_games even when i've opened for hidden folders.
Two questions tho, is it possible to just simply change the name in names.loc with PFM on your mod dresden? And save it with overwriting the old? And second, how do i change the age of a general?

**ithrian** · December 14, 2013, 07:05 AM

Damn, cant delete old posts. Anyways, i found the save_games. Im playing your mod Dresden as Maximus Daia Augustus faction. When i opened the save game i cant seem to find my faction on faction array(ive gone trough every singel one). I found rome and hoped that was the faction, but i dont find any of my generals there who correspond with the ones in the pack file. Theres also no CAMPAIGN_STARTPOS tree, but i supose thats because its a saved game? The question about changing the age is still on tho

**AztlanW** · January 09, 2014, 11:46 AM

Is it possible to create your own names, if you code them the same way?
I'm kind of addicted to roleplaying and would like to name one of my generals Aztlan ... ..., but I don't know if that's possible.

Also, is it possible to edit the names of generals you haven't recruited yet?

**RoninX2807** · January 18, 2014, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by AztlanW

Is it possible to create your own names, if you code them the same way?
I'm kind of addicted to roleplaying and would like to name one of my generals Aztlan ... ..., but I don't know if that's possible.

Also, is it possible to edit the names of generals you haven't recruited yet?

just entering a name like for armies seems not to work. You have to create a new entry in the local_en_rome2.pack like
'names_name_mynames01' and then refer in the savegame to that key.

**kirayui21** · March 03, 2014, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by RoninX2807

just entering a name like for armies seems not to work. You have to create a new entry in the local_en_rome2.pack like
'names_name_mynames01' and then refer in the savegame to that key.

please can u tell me how to create new entry custom 'names_name_.....' in local_en_rome2.pack, im sorry im newbie i just want to play general in campaign with my own name hehe, when i try to save it 'it only can save with mod or non CA movie with current setting. so i must create my own mod to change it? sry for the bad english. hope u can help me. thank you in advance.

**dbX7** · August 10, 2014, 02:26 PM

Thank Yoy Dresden, great thread

**Jin&Juice** · September 20, 2014, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by seawolf77

YO Dresden,
im releasing a mod for beter generals name with yout 4tpy mod on steam, because i was too lazy to make my own, so i edited the exiting ones, and it happens to be 1 of your mods.

dang it, i was GHAPPY, because i thought im the one who figured out how to change the names. But after found this threath, i felt like im sooo naked right now lol.
people asking how i do it, and sinds i just found your post in here, i just copy pasted this link passed for them.

What i made i change the generals names, and change their Age all of 3 of them back to 15. Julia, Junia Cornelia Leader.

just want you to know m8. |

luv ya bro. still afer this years lol

wow, seawolf copy/pasting other peoples work, then just letting them know after the fact.

you didnt find anything first, all you do is copy/paste other peoples work and try pass it off as your own.

why dont you pull your thumb out of your fat face and make your own mods? too lazy?

**CIaagent11** · September 04, 2017, 11:46 AM

Can I change the way the game builds names? Specifically, I want Romans with only two names, because three confuses me. Where in the files would I find that option?