Modding FAQ

[Warmonger]

Questions and answers related to modding. Please ask for advice or share your knowledge regarding mods in VCMI here.

For general suggestions of modding system structure and capabilities visit the following thread:
Modding system discussion

[Warmonger]

I believe there is a bug with “auto” mode in buildings.json (Town Format). I used it to create additional structures in background when building higher levels of Village Hall (like ext2-ext5 Rampart in original HoMM3). All works fine when I start game with Village Hall and then upgrade, but when I start game with already upgraded hall, there are none of those additional structures at all. They appear only after building higher level hall.

Still I’m not sure if I use this “auto” mode for wrong purpose or is it really a bug.

[Ivan]

Bug I suppose. For 0.91 it should be possible to use same ID’s as in H3 for these buildings (27-29). Later I’ll try to fix all issues like this along with string ID’s for buildings.

[Set]

I got next one. Hero specialty this time. Trying to make specialty, that doubles Fire Wall damage.
First i go:
“type”: “SPECIFIC_SPELL_DAMAGE”,
“subtype”: “spell.fireWall”,
“val”: 100,
It shows double damage in spellbook, but when triggered does only base dmg. So i tried:
“type”: “SPECIFIC_SPELL_DAMAGE”,
“subtype”: “spell.fireWall”,
“val”: 100
"valueType": "PERCENT_TO_BASE"
And it does nothing at all
Next tried same with just “Spell_Damage” with same subtype, val and effects were just opposite XD it does nothing without valuetype and only shows double damage in spellbook with it.

So my question is how to make it right?

PS. My guess is: whole fire wall spell is bugged, even sorcery doesnt work right =(

[Warmonger]

Yes, it was bugged same as Landmine. Already fixed it.

[Set]

Last question I hope (or two questions :P).
I successfully added my town and put in game with Cove without crash, but all my town’s icons have been replaced by Cove’s, like here: img820.imageshack.us/img820/6931/beztytuubrc.png

I tried to find some changeable town’s ID or something like that, but in vain. Am I blind or You were not rly prepared for more than one town at once?
And You get one question extra: Is there any way to put heroes in order other than A-Z in game menu?
By looking at Cove I guess not, but want to be sure.

EDIT: PS. (before You start to hate me) - I ask only about matters, that I can’t find in bugtracker, believe me XD

[Ivan]

Have you changed “buildingsIcons” entry in config to path with your icons?

I tried to find some changeable town’s ID or something like that, but in vain.

Why? All ID’s are assinged dynamically on startup - you shouldn’t rely on them.

Is there any way to put heroes in order other than A-Z in game menu?

Right now - no. And right now I don’t see any nice way to add this. Perhaps I’ll add sorting by hero class so might heroes will go before magic heroes but that’s all.

[Set]

Zzz, all works fine, sorry for trouble.
Incredible what a little sleep do with people =X
I didn’t change frame IDs in faction. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

[Macron1]

I need consultation.
I want to make creature, will can cast resurrection. And one creature can resurrect 25 hit points per cast.
I write its abilities like in Mod Wiki:

{“type”:“SPELLCASTER”,
“subtype”:“spell.resurrection”,
“value”:3,
“additional info”:100},
{“type”:“SPECIFIC_SPELL_POWER”,
“value”:500,
“subtype”:“spell.resurrection”}

But when in battle, cursor doesn’t change over my dead stack, and nothing is resurrected.
Please write, how this ability must be written to work?

[Warmonger]

Did you give CASTS to your creature? A creature needs to have at least 1 cast to be able to do anything. See Archangel for reference.

[Macron1]

Did you give CASTS to your creature? A creature needs to have at least 1 cast to be able to do anything. See Archangel for reference.

Did you give CASTS to your creature? A creature needs to have at least 1 cast to be able to do anything. See Archangel for reference.

If cast is not set, there is “limitless” number of casts (maybe limited by spellpoints- not checked).
I added CAST altrough, it didn’t help.

I forgot of archangels.
I copied parametres from them, this didn’t help:

{
“type”:“SPELLCASTER”,
“value”:0,
“subtype”:“spell.resurrection”,
“additionalInfo”:100
},
{
type:“SPELLCASTER”,
“value”:25,
“subtype”:“spell.resurrection”
},
{“type”:“CASTS”,
“value”: 2}

“spellpoints” set to 200, it’s also not a problem…

Don’t know what to do…
I’m trying to make First Aid Tent external, already corrected DEF, and try to force it resurrect stacks:-)

[Ivan]

This is how Archangel config looks currently:

"resurrection100hp" : 
{
	"type" : "SPECIFIC_SPELL_POWER",
	"subtype" : "spell.resurrection",
	"val" : 100
},
"resurrects" :
{
	"type" : "SPELLCASTER",
	"subtype" : "spell.resurrection"
},
"spellpoints" :
{
	"type" : "CASTS",
	"val" : 1
},

What I see in yours:

1. Two bonuses with type “SPELLCASTER”. One should be “SPECIFIC_SPELL_POWER”.
2. “value” should be “val”

[Macron1]

What I see in yours:

1. Two bonuses with type “SPELLCASTER”. One should be “SPECIFIC_SPELL_POWER”.
2. “value” should be “val”

1. it’s miswriting:-)
2. smell a diabolic lot of work to convert all mods to 0.93b
   After that try again

For what purpose these strings like “spellpoints” added before abilities? There may be any text? Or these strings are fixed?

[Macron1]

I saw an example mod “conflux-tweaks.zip” wich shows how to modify standard creatures and towns.
But this means that they will be modified.
Is there a possibility to “clone” standard castles (for example take “castle” faction, make a copy as “castlex” faction), and then modify it same way?

[Ivan]

Is there a possibility to “clone” standard castles (for example take “castle” faction, make a copy as “castlex” faction), and then modify it same way?

No. And this is unlikely to change.

[Macron1]

Is there a possibility to “clone” standard castles (for example take “castle” faction, make a copy as “castlex” faction), and then modify it same way?

No. And this is unlikely to change.

Why?
I don’t think it’s hard to copy structure data to one place to another. One copy operation is so hard?

[Ivan]

Because this is far more complex than a simple copy. If you indeed looked in sources this should have been obvious.

[Macron1]

Because this is far more complex than a simple copy. If you indeed looked in sources this should have been obvious.

I didn’t looked for this part.
So it’s harder, that to load external mod?
OK, I already have standard towns externationalized as json files. Just proceed old way to clone castles…

[Macron1]

I have a question.
In examples of conflux-tweaks there I can modify classic creatures like

“core:psychicElemental” :
{
… replaced parametres…
}

But how can I address creatures from other mods?
Record like

“diabloScorcher”{“faction”:“newfaction”}

in new mod in creatures section don’t displayed as error, but faction alignment of creatures stays the same in game.

[Ivan]

But how can I address creatures from other mods?

Replace “core” with name of your mod:
: