I realize this thread has been vacant for 4 years. But I just came back to the game and found this mod. My question is this! Can you use this to create New, Custom Variances for a mech? For Instance, Could I do a save as on the Stalker .Json and rename it Stalker-CST and just change its payload and it would appear in the game as a new mech option? Or am I over simplifying how this would work?
If i wanted to change the look of a mech...so a archer looks like a Zeus or something..but just the look and not hardpoints etc can i do that? And how :)
That's out of my realm of knowledge. I expect there is a file somewhere that dictates what the appearance of each mech would be, but I don't know what it is or how to edit it.
In roguetech I added extra hardpoints to mechs and some mechs it would say that they were missing part actuators in the left/right arms? Any way I can fix that.
Sadly, you'll probably just have to overwrite the json with a backup copy. I wasn't careful in studying the different types of json structures, and since I treated them all the same, things get weird with mechs that have different arms. I also don't know about roguetech, but it is possible this doesn't play well with some kind of change that they made.
You probably didn't make a mistake. It is likely this has to do with my poor assumption that all mechs would have the same json setup. I know this causes issues with mechs that don't have hands, and I wouldn't be surprised if there was something like that here. Or perhaps there is a max number of jump jets that I did not know/take into consideration.
I think i am dumb but i cant seem to open this mod at all and install it. i keep getting a error RaR file popup and then it deletes the files. can someone PLEASE HELP ME. Especially since this is EXACTLY what i have been looking for in a mod for the past month.
Late for you, but answer may help others. Short answer: You can't, at least not easily. Longer Answer: You would need to get ahold of UABE (unity asset bundle extractor) to unpack the bundle with the chassis def files you need to edit, then import your edited files and repack the bundle. For example a loose edited Hatchetman chassisdef will have no effect on the game, while that same edited chassis def repacked in the asset bundle will function as expected.
First thanks a lot for this tool. This isn't really a bug but when using the tool with rougetech, the tool automatically adds all actuators. My Catapult has hands now.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention! It appears this is another mod I didn't prepare for. I am hoping to get back to working on this tool soon, and I will keep this in mind for version 3!
Ok, so, firstly, thanks for all your work on this mod! I have what I worry is a question with an obvious answer I've managed to miss somehow, but I was hoping someone might have some knowledge on this front. I've been trying to find something that would let me add more weapons/components to my mechs without changing their overall tonnage, and tried a mod that had a python script to execute and modify all .json files with a modifier that would make the innards of the mech, which I thought/think is defined by the "initial tonnage" value. I couldn't get the script to execute and no one is answering over on that mod's threads, so I kept looking, and ended up here. As a test, I looked through a bunch of json files using the editor, saw they all had their own values consistent within all variants of a mech, both in the standard/vanilla files and those in chassis files in the BTA3062 mod that I'm running. I used the Thanatos as a test, changing the initial tonnage value to 1, then 0, for the two variants. I have a Thanatos in my lineup in my current playthrough, but each time I entered the game after modifying the files, nothing had changed with my Thanatos, and it didn't have any free tonnage. Am I doing something wrong? And/or am I misunderstanding what the initial tonnage value does? Thanks in advance for all replies.
So you're trying to free up all the tonnage of the mechs so that if a mech has a max weight of 50 tons, all 50 tons can be used for armor, weapons, or other equipment. Right? (If so, I'd like to point out that's the exact thing I started building this tool for! Hopefully I'll be able to help you out!)
If I am correct in my understanding, then you are right to look for the "InitialTonnage" value. Changing it to 0 should mean that the mech weighs nothing without equipment. However, the way you would see this is not very direct, it is only noticeable by comparing the weight of your mech before and after the update of the files or by removing all armor, equipment, and weapons from the mech to see that the weight goes down to 0.
I have some questions: 1) Did you confirm that the chassisdef files were actually updated? Either through a log from the Chassis Editor or by opening them manually and looking at the InitialTonnage value? 2) Are you certain that your mech in-game is built from this specific chassis? My testing was done through modifying the chassis of a mech I was using, so I am sure that loading an existing save file will show results of the edit. 3) Have you checked to see if a different mod is loading a version of the same chassis and thus overwriting your edited files?
That is my goal here, definitely (using all the mech's tonnage for the good stuff). To answer your questions: 1) Yes, the file was modified and showed an initial tonnage of 0.0 when I opened the Thanatos 4T chassis def file in notepad (chassis I have active in my mech bay). 2) But, when I stripped off everything I could from the mech, it still showed as 20/75 tonnes in use. 3) How would I check whether anothe rmod is messing with this one?
I'm actually starting to worry number 3, another mod, might be the issue. I'm using Battletech Advanced 3062 (https://www.nexusmods.com/battletech/mods/452 - include community asset bundle, modtek injector, and includes several other smaller mods I believe), which adds not just lots more mechs, equipment, weapons, etc., but also made the mech build section more complex - mechs now have engines, fusion cores, e-cooling units, different types of engines and armour that require more slots around the mech (clan ferror fibrous armour, for example, weighs less per point than standard, but requires more placeholder slots, same with endosteel internals, clan or otherwise, clan XL engines require placeholders in both side torsos, etc.). Could this be part of the problem?
Oh, this is very concerning! I may have significant work ahead of me. I thought I had covered later generations, but that doesn't sound familiar to me. I'll have to get that mod and look at the files to know what has gone wrong here.
My guess is that either A) there are some thanatos Chassis def files that you didn't modify that coincidentally load later than the ones you did. OR B) modifying those files with the editor basically broke them and forced the game to fall back on some default definition.
Regardless of what has happened, I must apologize as I appear to have neglected an entire era of technology! I'll try to motivate myself to work on this asap.
Hi Lonesome! The more I dug in the more I wondered about whether BTA might have been the problem, and no worries on that front! We can't expect modders to account for every other mod out there :P. Don't get me wrong, if you want to see if you can update this mod to work with BTA I'd love it, but no pressure. I do reccommend the BTA mod in general though - tonnes of new mechs, weapons, equipment, etc. to explore and play with, lots of clan tech, the ability to drop two full lances into non-flashpoint missions...it's good play all around. Regardless, your work on this tool (and others) until now is appreciated. I'm probably going to keep digging around on and off to see if I can get your mod and BTA to talk to one another, and if I have any results (including following up on your two suggestions) I'll post them here.
31 comments
If i wanted to change the look of a mech...so a archer looks like a Zeus or something..but just the look and not hardpoints etc can i do that? And how :)
Thanks in advance.
Short answer: You can't, at least not easily.
Longer Answer: You would need to get ahold of UABE (unity asset bundle extractor) to unpack the bundle with the chassis def files you need to edit, then import your edited files and repack the bundle. For example a loose edited Hatchetman chassisdef will have no effect on the game, while that same edited chassis def repacked in the asset bundle will function as expected.
Thanks in advance for all replies.
If I am correct in my understanding, then you are right to look for the "InitialTonnage" value. Changing it to 0 should mean that the mech weighs nothing without equipment. However, the way you would see this is not very direct, it is only noticeable by comparing the weight of your mech before and after the update of the files or by removing all armor, equipment, and weapons from the mech to see that the weight goes down to 0.
I have some questions:
1) Did you confirm that the chassisdef files were actually updated? Either through a log from the Chassis Editor or by opening them manually and looking at the InitialTonnage value?
2) Are you certain that your mech in-game is built from this specific chassis? My testing was done through modifying the chassis of a mech I was using, so I am sure that loading an existing save file will show results of the edit.
3) Have you checked to see if a different mod is loading a version of the same chassis and thus overwriting your edited files?
That is my goal here, definitely (using all the mech's tonnage for the good stuff). To answer your questions:
1) Yes, the file was modified and showed an initial tonnage of 0.0 when I opened the Thanatos 4T chassis def file in notepad (chassis I have active in my mech bay). 2) But, when I stripped off everything I could from the mech, it still showed as 20/75 tonnes in use. 3) How would I check whether anothe rmod is messing with this one?
I'm actually starting to worry number 3, another mod, might be the issue. I'm using Battletech Advanced 3062 (https://www.nexusmods.com/battletech/mods/452 - include community asset bundle, modtek injector, and includes several other smaller mods I believe), which adds not just lots more mechs, equipment, weapons, etc., but also made the mech build section more complex - mechs now have engines, fusion cores, e-cooling units, different types of engines and armour that require more slots around the mech (clan ferror fibrous armour, for example, weighs less per point than standard, but requires more placeholder slots, same with endosteel internals, clan or otherwise, clan XL engines require placeholders in both side torsos, etc.). Could this be part of the problem?
My guess is that either A) there are some thanatos Chassis def files that you didn't modify that coincidentally load later than the ones you did. OR B) modifying those files with the editor basically broke them and forced the game to fall back on some default definition.
Regardless of what has happened, I must apologize as I appear to have neglected an entire era of technology! I'll try to motivate myself to work on this asap.