RGA
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When do mods take affect ?

Thu Mar 24, 2011 1:55 pm

Do mods to the .csv tables affect all games including saved games or do you have to start a new game to see the change ?

Thanks

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calvinus
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Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:24 pm

It mostly depends on what the the game DB concerns with. If it's for something that already happened in the game, the mod cannot change the effects recursively in the past...

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Random
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Thu Mar 24, 2011 5:18 pm

RGA wrote:Do mods to the .csv tables affect all games including saved games or do you have to start a new game to see the change?

As Calvinus writes, it depends but based on my modding experiances to date there are probably some rules of thumb that you may wish to apply and some of these might seem a bit counter-intuitive.

Note that I have found you must close WW1G completely before modding files. The game seems to require a fresh start.

As a guide, files in the DB folder seem to be interigated every time the game is loaded so changing values may take effect immediately. For example, should you edit [color="DarkGreen"]Railcapacity.csv[/color], the next time you load the game it will reflect whatever values you applied whether new scenario or saved game.

On the other hand, files in the scenario specific folders seem only to be used at the start of a scenario although there may be some exceptions. However, when you read a .SAV file found in the [color="darkgreen"]World War One Gold\Data\Savegame[/color] folder you will note that most of the parameters found here were originally taken from the applicable .CSV scenario files but updated for the current save.

You can edit the .SAV files with care and changes will take effect when the modified saved game is loaded.

For a general rule beware of changes to the [color="DarkGreen"]Units.csv[/color] file, they MAY break a save or cause game lockup or CTD.

Some simple modding ideas:

- Save an unmodded copy of the file to be altered somewhere safe. I created a folder named Z_Backup (so that it sits at the bottom of the folder tree where it is easy to find, the "Z" itself has no significance) where these files go, renamed with their original source folder. Therefore [color="darkgreen"]...\Goldscenarios\GrandCampaignTwo\Turnrules.csv[/color] gets saved as just [color="darkgreen"]Z_Backup\GC2_Turnrules.csv[/color]

- It's tiresome but amend only one line at a time before loading to test for stability and to verify that the mod has been applied. Increasing familiarity, common sense and experiance will tell you how many and what types of changes are safe but the game will know when you start to get cocky and slap you down accordingly, usually wasting several hours worth of work in the process.

- Save changes early and save often.

- I mod the source .CSV files and only use the .XLS files for clairity. You can mod the latter and save in .CSV format but you will probably have punctuation issues "," instead of ";" or missing "{}" that will cause a CTD when reloading the game for testing. Better to minimize the changes you make to avoid potential syntax and punctuation problems.

- Try though you might, there are some changes that just do not seem to apply. I modded the Japanese navy to better relect the historical 1914 organization and ORBAT and none of its DD's show up anymore. Don't know why, no syntax, spelling or punctuation problems that I can find. The Fleet has sufficient capacity and the Unit.CSV and Detachments.CSV files seem complete and correct in every way. Either I'm missing something very minor (always a possibility since one should not double check one's own work) or WW1G is just messing with my head. Probably the latter.

- Beware of the Laws of Unintended Consequences slipping into your modding. Sometimes a seemingly insignificant change may result in unexpected game behavior that exaggerates the desired effect or even changes the entire tone of the game.

Good Luck

RGA
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Thu Mar 24, 2011 8:47 pm

Thanks Random

I will certainly tread carefully. Have only tried a few minor mods so far but with confidence hopefully that will grow. I'm finding that looking at the files behind the game is helping my understanding of how the game works and will improve my game play.

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