Modding FAQ

You said earlier this adression will be ripped off in next release. Is it not so?

What I’d like to have in next release is:

  1. Mods MUST use format : to access any other mod
  2. Mods can access ONLY mods mentioned in mod dependencies (“depends” entry)

In current version this will cause warning and may work correctly. In next version this will be considered as error meaning that game won’t even start.

So accessing (for example) WoG creature possible only if

  1. WoG is dependency
  2. access done in wog: format

By the way I wanted to ask:
will Silo work, if I point that it produces “gold”? And what amount of gold it produce per day?
Same for “mythril”?

  1. Will repeat my question, maybe someone can say something:
    will Silo in town work, if I point that it produces “gold”? And what amount of gold it produce per day?
    Same for “mythril”?

  2. In Wiki there are some bonuses without vals, for example;
    MOVEMENT
    LAND_MOVEMENT
    SEA_MOVEMENT
    SIGHT_RADIOUS

In some mods I saw that, for example, SIGHT_RADIOUS is getting some value trough “val”.
Can someone correct Wiki, if this and other bonuses require val, and what’s it’s meaning?

  1. I want to reproduce artifact from HMM1, which gives additional shot to ballista during siege. Is it possible right now, or not? If possible, what should I write in Bonuses?

  2. If I want to create creature artifact, that allows creature to rise creatures from dead allies, I must wrote this, right?
    :

		"bonuses":
		
			{
				"type": "DAEMON_SUMMONING",
				"subtype": "creature.demon",
				"val": 50
			}
		]
  1. Is there a way to point % of happening of DEATH_STARE ability?
  1. Unlikely. And if it will it will produce 1 gold / day.

  2. sight radius and movement bonuses obviously need distance to function. Probably Warmonger decided not to document something that is obvious.

  3. val

It’s not obvious for me. What to write to them? % of bonus to base of points/cells on adventure map?

Warmonger, can it be added to Wiki? And MORALE/LUCK also.

val is already reserved for

Added some triial descriptions for these.

Just in case, everone can edit wiki :stuck_out_tongue:

DAEMON_SUMMONING require creature CASTS to work.

When I tried it, creature summoned creatures without casts unlimitedly.
CAST only limited ability to 1 (in my case).

And 6th question:

IMPROVED_NECROMANCY
allows Necropolis units other than skeletons to be raised by necromancy

When I added it to hero with “subtype”:“creature.someCreature”, it didn’t work (trivial sceletons were rased). Can you also describe it more fully?

Well, at the moment it’s hardcoded to work just like Cloak of the Undead King. I may change that later to allow more customization.

And I earlier proposed ability like DAEMON_SUMMONING, but it works only on enemy stacks (like RAISE_DEAD).
I looked to code, it requires only new “if” (stack is enemy). Can It be implemented later?
It will emerge brand new tactics, so player with Resurrection will no longer be happy.

And another question.
I need to make creatures that are strong at melee combat, and their shooting is weaker (for example, for 30-50%). Is there a way to make some bonus/minus so their melee damage will be higher that shots?

Use ONLY_DISTANCE_FIGHT range modifier to add some penalty for creature attack.

In creature bonuses I found CREATURE_DAMAGE.
But this usually is written in hero config, so will it work, if I write bonus in creature config? Will this bonus be only for the creature?

If this will not work, I found ALWAYS_MINIMUM_DAMAGE for attacks from range.
There can be assigned antibonus to minimum damage. So I can make it -val to correct ranged attacks. Right?

By the way, I saw idea of artifact, that turns out flying ability of all creatures in battle.
Is something like this already possible in VCMI?
Or all flying creatures must be listed by their name in that case?

Please forgive my stupid questions and and poor English.How “advMapAmount” works?

Described here: wiki.vcmi.eu/index.php?title=Creature_Format

This is used to determine size of creature army placed in map editor or on receiving double growth from “Month of” event.

"advMapAmount" :
{
	"min" : 10,
	"max" : 20
},

This code means that random stacks of a creature on map will be 10-20 units in size.

I know that right now it’s not possible to turn off standard castles.
But we have modding mechanism that allows to change “core:” towns,
So I want to try in nearly future to take some new town and change it to replace Castle, for example.
Also I want to try to set all castle heroes as “special” : true, so they will not appear on maps.
I’ll try also to replace standard creatures by new (changing their parameters, names etc leaving only identificator.
What do you think of it?

Well, it’s not that simple. For example, Stables will always try to upgrade Cavaliers to Champions, which is hardcoded and may not make much sense once these creatures are replaced.
Same issus will be caused by any part where creatures are used - Griffin Conservatory and other banks, necromancy, skeleton transformer, Deity of Fire etc.

If I change Cavaliers and Champions animations to new creatures, Stables will upgrade new units, I think.
Graphical appearance of Stables can be changed too :slight_smile:

I wanted to ask - is there some formulas (maybe inaccurate formulas) to calc AI Value/Fight Value for creatures (maybe based on hit points, damage, attack/defence skills)?
I don’t want, however, to calculate and correct these values manually altrough, maybe will think about some program modifying values in JSONs according to formulas.

PS If AI is not basing it’s actions in battle based on these values, and they can be calculated, then maybe VCMI could count Fight Value/AI Valus on start not forcing people to enter these values as required?