[Nomada_Firefox]

Probably many of you feel how GTC was the last CC with the old engine and because it adds more additions than others, it was the best for modding. However, GTC was locked to many changes and it looks as if it was a deliberated act.

It adds these limits:

Stratmap.txt, the file where you add the settings for the strategic map, it has several numbers of lines coded. By this reason if the values at these lines are moved to other lines, the game will crash. You can not add more or less lines than in the original file. By this reason, probably you can not add more of 30 maps and the strategic map should not add more of 54 connections. If add less connections, you can not delete the non used lines from the 54 stocked connections.

Elements.txt, other file were the rows are coded and linked to the exe, if you add a new element, edit one or some more far from edit the name, the game will not load.

Just these two files will prevent that all the modding community create a full mod too different to the original.

At the end, personally, it is a piece of shit for modding. Because even if you add a mod with 30 maps, with no more arrows, you can not use a different elements file and by this reaso, if you maps from other previous mod or game, you must edit the elements from it, a lot of additional work which it could be easier if they had not added these stupid limitations.

[leadtag101]

Stupid Jackwagons, I wonder if that means The Bloody first will not be Mod able as well??

[Tejszd]

Unfortunately Steve (and Matrix) have stated they are making games and not a game building tool.

This means features from previous CC games that are not being used in the current game are NOT tested and may or may not work.

For the Bloody First Steve has stated in the Matrix forum there isn't a way yet to add new vehicles graphics.

[Stwa]

[Manoi]

[Nomada_Firefox]

[Drizzt]

The Stramap file it’s a txt almost identical to TLD, if it’s really not moddable about number of maps it’s really unbelievable (in negative). It’s a .txt after all.
The small differences with TLD that I have found in stratmap.txt should be manageable, except probably these:
- Map UI strings. This should be the only real problem. There is a list of maps with the name that they have in the game (so not the names in maps folder and more above .txt). It seems Deep coded. But.. After a quick test, I have replaced the inside game map names with the real map names (map00, map01 etc.) and the UI have reappered in normal way. No crashes in starting campaigns or battles (5 minutes.. just a quick test). Real map names are the key to mod the game. If it works...
Bed9 need a "interim .bgm file" of 16 bit, then it works for Vlc.
I will take a better look in the next days.

Drizzt

[Nomada_Firefox]

[Drizzt]

You say: "The problem is how the exe etc." = there is something deep coded. Not the UI, yes: I have changed the names as I have said. Just five minutes of testing... Not the "pure truth" of course.
So.. Why to "move" other values? Which values you mean? Look: I can verify it by myself, but you want share.. you save some of my time. Anyway, I will test these things only if I will have the certainty that maps can be augmented to 64. If not it's useless... (a .txt stratmap file without the possibility to augment number of maps? It's better to "lock" it as in CC5)

Drizzt

[Nomada_Firefox]

If you want try with more maps, it is easy, just try import other CC game. Just you need convert the images to 32bits.

For me the game and the game is the exe, it has associated some rows to data from the stratmap. Specially you will see this change when you add data or less than the original file. It is a similar error to the data limitations from other CC.

But for me the worse limit is the elements.txt, if you do not use the original elements with no more changes than the names of the elements, you will need code all your maps with this elements. At the end, a lot of additional time if you want convert old maps to this game.

[Drizzt]

Ok Nomada, thanks. These have sense: not to "move" but to add is the problem (also when it's less than original? Crazy). Yes, an old problem: I remember the only CTD I had modding Kharkov: the game (the stratmap.txt) declared max 128 arrows, but I have discovered that TLD supported only 127 arrows (from 0 to 126). I had created 128 arrows (all in the right way: connection + arrow gadget position) and I had only CTD starting the game: without an arrow all works perfectly. If GtC has this kind of limitation (constant CTD) caused by a fixed number maps it's the end of modding without a patch..
I will try to add a map just for confirm.

Drizzt

[Stwa]

[Nomada_Firefox]

Tell me, how do you open a new elements.txt, one different to the originals, one at text mode with 5CC? it opens only asccii.

[Stwa]

OK, I am very confused now.

The game (GTC) element.txt file is not being modified. It is the values in the map.txt file that are being modified with 5CC.

Using the Data Bulk Replacement thingy  

[Stwa]

Furthermore,

You don't need 5CC to make the translation table. You can use notepad or excel for that.

So, on second glance, if this is all ya got, it just doesn't seem like a beeg deal to me.

As far as 30 maps goes, me thinks that is a good idea anyway.

[Nomada_Firefox]

Let me explain. I have the maps from my War-ABTF mod. They use a edited elements.txt. How can I import this special elements at 5CC? if I can not import it, I can not make a translation.

Or can I ignore it and I can make the translation table manually and write to the left the War-ABTF values and to the right the new GTC values?

[Stwa]

[platoon_michael]

Here is a list of the elements the game uses directly, and the indexes need to stay constant for:

Dirt
Mud
Shallow Water
Deep Water
Stone Fence
Dirt Road
Paved Road
Stone Wall
Muddy Road
Leaves and Dirt
Leaves and Mud
Branches and Dirt
Branches and Mud
Light Snow
Heavy Snow
Sand
Wreck
Wood Rubble
Stone Rubble
Brick Rubble
Large Hedgerow
Small Hedgerow
Huge Tree 1-4
Destroyed Bridge
Underpass



It's not that you cant have a NEW Elements file it just that those Elements HAVE to stay in the exact order of the game your editing.

I.E.
If Dirt is Index 10 in the Version of CC your editing it HAS To Stay at Index 10
Etc,etc for all the Elements I posted.
It Cant be Index 11,12,15 or whatever.

Same goes with Weapons.....
There are some indexes that are used by the EXE for fire support weapons in weapons.txt.

For WaR/TLD, these are:

0 - Hand to hand
1 - Hand grenades
2 - Secondary explosion (from exploding terrain)
19 - Mortar support
126 - Heavy Artillery / Naval Artillery support

For LSA these were all moved down to the front of the weapons.txt file:

0 = Hand to hand
1 = Grenade
2 = Secondary explosion
3 = Mortar support
4 = Artillery support

The number of teams in axteams.txt can be as high as 395! The 396th team crashes the game.

[Stwa]

ABTF sounds like a neat idea, and 5CC can scale them up too.

But, I have never known what the ground scale for CC2 was, because me thinks it is not 5 pixels per meter. It is less than that.

Can I interest you in doing an 8 map mod of Omaha Beach. Just the Beach Maps.

Those maps were done for CC5 so the scale was 5 pixels per meter, and 5CC should scale the graphics just fine, including the RFMs.

There are generally no trees on the beach maps, so we will not have to worry about terrain do-dads, except the flags.

If you could fix it where the Americans, who are landing on the beaches can have the maximum teams, you would have a butt-load of infantry running for the sea wall, while the Germans are trying to stop them. Would be really cool.

After the bgm file (for each map) is scaled by 5CC, you can export its bmp file, load it into Gimp, and use the sharpening filter if it is blurred from the scaling process in 5CC. Once sharpened, just import it back to the bgm using 5CC.

[Drizzt]

Elements in my opinion are free. Not fixed positions (der kessel works perfectly with shallow water in another position for example). There are no .exe special works for them (the elements in Michael list), so why fixed? Change names and values and that's all.
Elements.txt is the source, maps "drink" from the source, not the opposite. If there are non real changes in this file between different versions, to do a new element.txt from zero (or import it) should be enough easy. Another thing are trees elements: terrain ("terrain" it's the name of this file: it's moddable) graphic file must be "aligned" to these elements.

Drizzt