-= Gametoast.com =-

So I've modded many games in the past, including other great Star wars games, so I'm a quick learner and I have some experience with override and mod folders, however, from what I've gathered so far I have to make an entire mod for something as simple as fighter shields or a few unit edits. I hope I'm wrong about this because I really don't see the need to make an entire mod just for fighter shields, is it possible to mod a file or two and play the original Battlefront II with the modified files? I would think so but I can't figure out how to overwrite the originals or even access them due to the .lvl packing, and the hierarchy of the "addon" folder is mostly unknown to me so if I'm supposed to put the modified files in there I'd appreciate some insight.

Yeah, you basically have to do a lot just to make small changes.

check out this thread it'll help alot.
forums/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=13806

if i am reading this correctly, you want to replace the orginal side files of the game with your modded ones. (that would most likely cause you to not be able to use multiplayer)

if you wanted to change the sides of the original game you would have to make a mod with the units that you want changed, then you would go to your addon folder for your mod and then take the side folder out of that and replace the game's original side folder, or you could just use certain sides (like all.lvl, imp.lvl, and cis.lvl...and you get the point) instead of the whole side folder. to do that you just have to open the side folder and get the stuff from that.

heres a segment of a readme i made on using mods this way
please tell me if this is what you were talking about and not something else...

CalvaryCptMike wrote:Yeah, you basically have to do a lot just to make small changes.

check out this thread it'll help alot.
forums/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=13806

That's what I was afraid of. Unfortunately I don't have the time for a larger project.

Dakota wrote:if i am reading this correctly, you want to replace the orginal side files of the game with your modded ones. (that would most likely cause you to not be able to use multiplayer)

if you wanted to change the sides of the original game you would have to make a mod with the units that you want changed, then you would go to your addon folder for your mod and then take the side folder out of that and replace the game's original side folder, or you could just use certain sides (like all.lvl, imp.lvl, and cis.lvl...and you get the point) instead of the whole side folder. to do that you just have to open the side folder and get the stuff from that.

heres a segment of a readme i made on using mods this way

Hidden/Spoiler:

instructions: go to the "C:\Program files\LucasArts\Star Wars Battlefront II\GameData\DATA\_LVL_PC\SIDE" folder and replace the files that are there with the modded ones.
go to the "C:\Program files\LucasArts\Star Wars Battlefront II\GameData\DATA\_LVL_PC" folder and replace the mission.lvl there with the modded one.

Instrutions(for dedicated): go to the "C:\Program files\LucasArts\Star Wars Battlefront II PC Server\data\_LVL_PC\SIDE" folder and replace the files that are there with the modded ones.
go to the "C:\Program files\LucasArts\Star Wars Battlefront II PC Server\data\_LVL_PC" folder and replace the mission.lvl there with the modded one.

Backup intructions: put the orginal files in a safe place just incase u don't like the changes. if u want to uninstall just move the modded files out of the SIDE folder and put the original ones back in.

please tell me if this is what you were talking about and not something else...

That is exactly what I'm talking about, thanks for the insight. You said it would most likely cause me to "not be able to use" multiplayer, I imagine that's due to not being able to find another game with the same files. If Battlefront II is anything like Empire at War then all I would need to do to be able to play my modded version with another person would be to make the exact same modifications to their files..I suppose I'd have to try to know for sure.

You also mentioned replacing the original .lvls with my modded files, I'm not sure but I'd imagine I'd have to include all of the files within the .lvl package lest the game go wanting the missing files, which brings me to my next quandary; wouldn't I have to package all the files into another .lvl to get the game to read them? Or would it recognize them in their .odf, .msh, .req, and folder formats?

if you found someone else with the same file modifications as you then yes you can play online with them. also the game will only read the files packed as .lvl (as far as we know)

Dakota wrote:if you found someone else with the same file modifications as you then yes you can play online with them. also the game will only read the files packed as .lvl (as far as we know)

Awesome, thanks, now I know everything I need except how to create the .lvl files. So If anyone could shed some light on that then I'd be done asking questions. For now. lol

ooh making the level files...

well for that you need the star wars battle front 2 mod tools (which i guess you have already). with the mod tools you must make a new mod and then with that new mod you can go to different unit and object odfs, mshs, effects, and more. you wouldn't even have to add the DC: infront of the sides in your map's lua since you are not using the map, just the sides. after you finish changing odfs you then go to the build folder, in the build folder there is a visualmunge use that program and select the sides you moddifided (i usally just do everything) and then press munge. after it all loads and is done then you can either go to the lvl_pc folder in your mod's modtools folder or just go to your mod in the addon folder and get the .lvl file front there.

if you were to change any stock LUAs for certain missions then you would have to make a custom mission.lvl which would require you setting the mission.req to recognise those files and you would have to copy the lua files from that map to your world's folder (i made a topic on this and it would have explaned it in a bit more detail but the topic seems to have been deleted)

if you change stuff in the common folder then you will just need to copy the "ingame.lvl" file from the lvl_pc folder of your mod in the modtools folder and use it to replace the game's original

as always make back ups.

Dakota wrote:ooh making the level files...

well for that you need the star wars battle front 2 mod tools (which i guess you have already). with the mod tools you must make a new mod and then with that new mod you can go to different unit and object odfs, mshs, effects, and more. you wouldn't even have to add the DC: infront of the sides in your map's lua since you are not using the map, just the sides. after you finish changing odfs you then go to the build folder, in the build folder there is a visualmunge use that program and select the sides you moddifided (i usally just do everything) and then press munge. after it all loads and is done then you can either go to the lvl_pc folder in your mod's modtools folder or just go to your mod in the addon folder and get the .lvl file front there.

if you were to change any stock LUAs for certain missions then you would have to make a custom mission.lvl which would require you setting the mission.req to recognise those files and you would have to copy the lua files from that map to your world's folder (i made a topic on this and it would have explaned it in a bit more detail but the topic seems to have been deleted)

if you change stuff in the common folder then you will just need to copy the "ingame.lvl" file from the lvl_pc folder of your mod in the modtools folder and use it to replace the game's original

as always make back ups.

Thanks, now I can apply my mods correctly.