How to MOD SS2 - compiled instructions!

[dragon]

Although others - see the end have already explained all this I had to sift through a lot of posts to piece it altogether. I've just done this to make it easier for others!

 

1. Install the ms-sqlserver to have access to the editing features

2. Run the Editor in SS2 and select New

3. Give it a name like MyMod or whatever

4. It should then create a new copy of the original game data for you to modify and not worry about losing the original data!

 

5. Quit the editor

6. In XP goto start->controlpanel->computermanagment->Data-Sources (ODBC)

7. Add->SQL Server->FINISH

8. Give it a name - anything!

9. Give it a description - anything!

10. Choose local for the server to connect to.

11. NEXT

12. Windows NT authentication

13. NEXT

14. Change the default database to:

A5GAMEMOD_MyMod (MyMod being the name your created when you created a new mod.

 

15. NEXT

16. FINISH

17. Download (recommended) Blueshell data guy from www.blueshell.com

18. Install and run it.

19. Click:

File->New->OLE DB Connection

20. In "Provider" choose "Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers"

21. NEXT

22. Choose "Use data source name" select the name you gave your data source in step 8.

23. Item 3. "Enter the initial catalogue to use" choose A5GAMEMOD_MyMod

24. CLICK OK

 

DONE

 

You should now be able to edit anything you want in the game parameters. For example you could edit the Panzerkleins armour value down from say 180 (the default) to 120.

How to:

Select A5GAMEMOD_MyMod

Select Panzerkleins

You should see a table appear

To the right you should see armor ID which will be 22.

Now close that table and open:

RPGMaterials table

You should see that armour ID 22 is PKArmor currently set to 180

Change it to whatever you like - 120 for example.

Don't worry about saving the table the database should be updated once you close the table.

 

NOW---->

 

Goto your "tools" folder in the SS2 game folder.

For best results - Create this batch file then you won't have to keep doing it every time you test your new mod:

 

dataimport full-mod.db -dbserver 127.0.0.1 -database a5gamemod_MyMod

dataimport game.db -diff full-mod.db original.db

@echo finish

pause

 

That should have done two things:

1. A file called full-mod.db will have been created which is a total mod for the game and therefore HUGE (35mb ish) containing all the data modified or not.

2. A very small file called game.db which is ONLY the modified data - USE THIS.

 

Create a folder called "MyMod" or whatever.

Copy or move the game.db file to there.

Make a text document called "description.txt" and put a fairly short description of what your Mod does - In this case you could type in "Weaker PKs" save and close.

 

FINALLY

Run the game up and use custom mods & choose your mod and start a game!

Alternatively you could always add the mod to an existing save game to test it using:

S2AddMod

 

Notes:

Don't use MS Access - you get all sorts of weird issue like "Write Conflict" & stuff!

MSSQL desktop version is on the first CD of the game.

 

Thanks and acknowledgments goto:

 

Darth Vallium, Biggles and others.[/b]

[Flippah]

yeah, thanks, did come in handy

i think sticky one!

[LoTekK]

Nice first post, Dragon!

Just for additional info:

 

as an alternative to running the dataimport command, you could just hit "Build" in the editor (this is a little more useful for those of us who spend most of our time in there anyways ).

[wudu]

That's a great post!

All information in one place! Thanks, man!

Comes in handy. As you said, the information is scattered all around the forum.

[The Silent Master]

(Bumpity bump)

[Zapaan]

Little side question for you guys. Is there some way I can extract/open the game.db file?

 

Specifically, I just want to open up the HeadshotShouldKill mod that came with 1.1 (I think) and alter it, but I'll be damned if I can figure out how to go backwards without the original dbase file used to compile it.

 

Am I just missing something insanely obvious here?

 

- Z

[Sethik]

edit: nevermind

[PaddyOReilly]

Great brief you made there, many thanks.

[Biggles]

Sorry I missed this earlier. Now stickied.

 

(ohh and if people see a post that should be stickied... don't be afraid to PM me, I'll check it out)

[Unsterblich]

Thanks very much for the "compiled instructions" for newbies like us, Dragon. U surely helped a lot of people, specially when there are some instructions for starters, but the general rule for them it's to be "thrown in the wind" casually.... like "that thing, click on it, then voilá, it's done! Easy, huh?"

 

Lotekk, you said we could use the "build" button of the editor. I've noticed that, but I'm in doubt: the build button also creates two files, like "full-mod.db" and "game.db"? I mean, it creates one file with all the data of game, and another with just the modiffications?

[Kolvorok]

Great instructions for us newbies, thanks for that!

 

One thing I found out while trying to create my firtst mod: original.db file should be created before running the batch file that creates full-mod.db and game.db

Like described in this thread, it can be created with running this on command prompt:

dataimport original.db -dbserver 127.0.0.1 -database a5game

[tomas352000]

seriously, ms-sqlserver is so huge and i got so slow connection,,, any way to run editor without ms-sqlserver?

[Slasher_101]

I've noticed that dragon didn't specify which version of ms-sqlserver you need. I recommend MSDE2000, it's a small free version of ms-sqlserver (only 50 mb) that will give you access to the map editor. Google MSDE2000 and download it from the Microsoft website. Once you have unpacked the download, edit the setup.ini file so that it looks like this:

 

[Options]

BLANKSAPWD=1

SECURITYMODE=SQL

 

Save the file and run setup.exe. When it's finished installing restart your PC and the map editor should work.

 

If you have trouble check these links:

 

https://www.strategycore.co.uk/forums/topic/10617-editor-windows-7/

 

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=264610239

[Zombie]

If you have trouble check these links:

 

https://www.strategyc...itor-windows-7/

 

For anyone contemplating on installing the editor on a Win 7 x64 platform, do not use the above link to a topic on the forums. The Setup.ini code given there will not work because the target directory doesn't exist. Just a head's up.

 

I've noticed that dragon didn't specify which version of ms-sqlserver you need. I recommend MSDE2000, it's a small free version of ms-sqlserver (only 50 mb) that will give you access to the map editor. Google MSDE2000 and download it from the Microsoft website. Once you have unpacked the download, edit the setup.ini file so that it looks like this:

 

[Options]

BLANKSAPWD=1

SECURITYMODE=SQL

 

Save the file and run setup.exe. When it's finished installing restart your PC and the map editor should work.

 

This will probably NOT work for some people. If you do want it to run, you have to right-click on the MapEdit icon, click on Properties, then click on the Compatibility tab. Click the box that says Run this program in compatibility mode for: and pick Windows XP (Service Pack 3), don't forget to also check the box that says Run this program as an administrator. Kinda important steps. Doing this, the MapEdit runs just fine for me!

 

- Zombie