Hello, I'm new here but I'm a experienced modder since the DOOM's days with several works to Call of Duty & Battlefield series and lots of other games.

My MODs site: http://www.mods.hajas.org/

I was talking with Jake Lockley and he pointed me this forum might have someone to help me modding SWBF2.

I found many tutorials online about edit ODF files in SWBF2, some written by Jake... very well written and I was able to find exactly where to change, and how to do it.

I have my new modified ODF file ready, but I don't have any idea how to use it as a MOD, nothing related at ANY tutorials that I found... or at modtools docs.

http://swbfmodding.wikidot.com/odf
http://www.secretsociety.com/forum/disp ... sp?mid=608

I'm not creating any new map, model or vehicle, I just want to re-balance the whole game in another way to play with my 3 years old kid.

the file that I changed is:

…\data\Common\odfs\com_inf_default.odf

I know about munge and everything, but this will create a map and will change only there, and is not what I want. I want change the whole game if is possible.

Is possible to point me a tutorial of how to use them? or simply tell me how to make my file alive in my mod? Even if Is needed to change the core of the game, this is not problem at all.

thank you for reading! would be great if you could give me a little help with that.

PS: it's a lot difficult to access the forum from here (Rio/Brazil) since your site/forum blocked my country, I'm using a proxy in USA to access. Is possible to unblock my country? If not why is blocked?

It was blocked because of spam from there.

There is a discussion about the blocking in the feedback threat.

Back on topic. It is possible to modify the stock game. You can remunge the stock side lvl and replace the original with your created once. Our you make a new era mod, such as bfx, dt, rcm,...

Search for era mod in the faq and v1.3 documentation

hmmm... so is just replace the .lvl files? will try it... also with read about era mod... but which faq?

this 1.3 documentation is about the unofficial 1.3 patch? this patch is needed to create a era mod?

thank you very much!

If all you want to do is edit com_inf_default there is no need to even use mod tools.

Open the game's default ingame.lvl file inside of a hex editor program and search for text string "com_inf_default" while looking at the odf text file com_inf_default. From there you can read and match what values to change on the .lvl file.

For example, the first property on com_inf_default is MapTexture = "troop_icon"
While you're looking at the ingame.lvl data you can see the first thing that looks like PROP....troop_icon

Using the matching method, you can edit a lot of things on the default game.
If you want to edit SIDE files, match them up with their SIDE\ODF files. Match world .lvl files with their odf. Example, if you want to edit Death Star, open dea1.lvl in hex editor and find data based on the odf files in WORLDS\DEA\ODF.

Hope this helps.

Edit: Most weapons are used by all 4 sides, and use a "class parent" system, if you want to edit weapon values, match them up with the ODF files in SIDE\COMMON\ODF.

Hajas wrote:hmmm... so is just replace the .lvl files? will try it... also with read about era mod... but which faq?

this 1.3 documentation is about the unofficial 1.3 patch? this patch is needed to create a era mod?

thank you very much!

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=13806 this FAQ.
Yes I mean the unofficial 1.3 patch documentation that can optional be installed with the patch. You won't need this patch for hex or replacement solution, but for every mod.

How are you playing with your kid? You can use the unofficial v1.3 patch's Fake Console (under the pause menu) to give him things like a health regeneration or make him immune to the AI bots. You can also speed up or slow down all the units, prevent the map from ending, and do a bunch of other things.

When you're making ODF changes you're making a side mod. Look at the tutorials related to new sides and/or new units. You don't need to make an era mod unless you want to keep compatibility with public servers or be able to switch back to the default weapons when you want to play.

thank you very much for all the info! cool that I can do without modtools and just with hex editing! seams faster!

nice tip about the 1.3 patch's fake console! will be very usefull to play with him. will download ASAP

I have a LAN at my home with 6 machines, gonna play with family/friends at this christmas

thank you again! will be great!


EDIT
HexEdited and working fine, with the exception of the Wookie which seams unaltered, seams have somewhere else his configs which overwrite the ones in com_inf_default

tryed for hours to find anything related to "wookie" or "chewie" and nothing... anyone knows where these configs are?

thank you again!

Chewie's odf code is all_hero_chewbacca.odf. Wookie: all_inf_wookie. But there is also an all_inf_default_wookiee. I 'd try this first.

Thanks for the info! I lost many time trying to find were these files are...
they are at sides/all.lvl and is repeated 3 times there, I need to edit in all places to work and take a while to find out there's 3 times the same thing in the same file (dunno why!).

It's going well, but I'm having problems to edit the Rebel Vanguard, can't find these files even at modtools... the only files that I found doesn't have the params that I want to change like all_inf_default_wookiee has.

I believe this class is used as another name ingame... any clues??

About rifleman (snipers) I found and changed at sides/all.lvl but still not working... I want to balance the health from all players be the same.

Another thing, where to change these:

- Respawn Delay is 15, I would like to change it.
- Armies are fixed to 150 units, I would like to change it

or better, where is set all the GAME settings?

thanks a lot!

Hajas wrote:Thanks for the info! I lost many time trying to find were these files are...
they are at sides/all.lvl and is repeated 3 times there, I need to edit in all places to work and take a while to find out there's 3 times the same thing in the same file (dunno why!).

It's going well, but I'm having problems to edit the Rebel Vanguard, can't find these files even at modtools... the only files that I found doesn't have the params that I want to change like all_inf_default_wookiee has.

I believe this class is used as another name ingame... any clues??

About rifleman (snipers) I found and changed at sides/all.lvl but still not working... I want to balance the health from all players be the same.

Another thing, where to change these:

- Respawn Delay is 15, I would like to change it.
- Armies are fixed to 150 units, I would like to change it

or better, where is set all the GAME settings?

thanks a lot!

Check the lua files for the units. That is where I changed mine.

the reinforcements are set in the map lua file. But you can change it via the settings of BF2, too. Remember that the number you choose in the settings is not the same used in the game, since it could be changed in the lua, too. BFx did that and RCM, too.
If you are searching for a special unit, you should look at the side/all/all.req file there is a list of all units added to this lvl file. The names found in there fit to the req files in side/all/req. And in this req files you can find the odf names found in side/all/odf. At the top of the odf you can find more odf files that belong to the unit (classodf or something like that) These odf can be found in side/all/odf or side/common/odf since the files from common/odf are munged to every side lvl.

Hope that helps you to find your files

thank you again! I'll look around with more destination...

but I don't get it about "Remember that the number you choose in the settings is not the same used in the game" ???

Where in the settings to change the reinforcements? can't find that on the hud right? is there a config file somewhere to set this?

any idea about the respawn time?

cheers

If you're editing SIDE files using hex editor, you need to apply the same edits for same character on all 4 sides.
How ever, the "Specials" (Dark Trooper, Bothans) will be different.

com_inf_default (ingame.lvl) loads only the base values for all characters. Battlefront 2's class parent system allows individual characters to have their own values (plus the base values)

You need to edit those characters on their respective side files.

Let's say you want to edit sniper health. You would look up all_inf_default_sniper in all.lvl and change what you want, keep pressing F3 (usually the "find next" occurrence) and keep changing any more instances of all_inf_default_sniper that has the data on the file all_inf_default_sniper.odf

You would then make the same changes for imp.lvl, cis.lvl, and rep.lvl, but only changing all_inf_default_sniper to another extention (cis, imp, rep)

About respawn time: This can only be removed if you're running a dedicated server manager. It cannot be removed from the playable game client. The dedicated server is a standalone tool that runs a SWBF2 session on LAN or Internet.
They are the same things you see listed as "PC Dedicated" in the game server menu.

If you're got a dedicated server setup you can hex edit the server file BattlefrontII.exe and go to the offset 6EA55 and change the bytes 70 41 with 00 3F. Then all players who join your dedicated server do not have to wait to spawn.

wow! great info! thanks a lot!

will download the dedicated server then... thanks again!

The dedicated server may not be hosted anywhere anymore. Filefront is gone and was the only place where I ever saw it.
If need to be I can upload the server manager (tomorrow) and some server tools/upgrades.

Hajas wrote:thank you again! I'll look around with more destination...

but I don't get it about "Remember that the number you choose in the settings is not the same used in the game" ???

Where in the settings to change the reinforcements? can't find that on the hud right? is there a config file somewhere to set this?

any idea about the respawn time?

cheers

When you start bf2 and set up your instant action session. At the left side there are a few settings. You can change the reinforcements there. The default value is afaik 150. But if the dev of the map/era mod changes the stock reinforcements in the script from 150 to 300, the value you set in the settings is no longer the value you get in the game. in this case it would be twice. You can see this at BFX. Add coruscant with stock and bfx era. Start it and you'll see there is a different number of reinforcements. Next you can increase the value in the settings (you need to stop the session and restart it) and you'll see that the reinforcements are increased in BFX and stock era. But not about the same value.

anthonybf2 wrote:The dedicated server may not be hosted anywhere anymore. Filefront is gone and was the only place where I ever saw it.
If need to be I can upload the server manager (tomorrow) and some server tools/upgrades.

I got it from Fileplanet, is still online... tested yesterday and working fine. I changed the values of the reiforcements in the settings, seams 999 is the max value.

but which tools/upgrades are you talking about?

the sniper now it's fine, did what you said and now is perfect! just need to search for "Scout" to find all places to change.

about the vanguard, shock troopers, dark troopers, etc... what the name they are all called in SWBF2? "Specials"?

thanks again

The specials are:
imp_inf_default_dark_trooper
imp_inf_default_officer
all_inf_default_wookiee
all_inf_default_officer
cis_inf_default_officer
cis_inf_default_droideka + cis_inf_droideka
rep_inf_default_jettrooper
rep_inf_default_officer

About server upgrades, the swbf2sm.exe included in the server installer is outdated, while it does work there is a v1.10 of the server manager interface tool that fixes a few bugs known in the 1.08 server tool included in the server install. I've also got an advanced server PlayerMenu.cfg file laying around some where, when I find it I will post it. It gives the server more freedom to change options without stopping/restarting.