Here are the changes I've made to get this somewhat working properly with my setup. If you want to edit the files yourself, I'll try my best to explain. Download these two DAO tools that will help us extract and edit the GDA files we will need.
Navigate to your AddIns folder location. BioWare\Dragon Age\AddIns\FullCombatantDog\core\data You should see the FullCombatantDog_modcore.erf file. Open it with gyGFF editor.exe. You can right-click open with and navigate to the editor.exe installation location, or you can open the editor.exe first and click file->open, then find the erf you want to extract a GDA from. Whichever you prefer. You should now see a window asking you to "Choose Resource", we want the GDA files. So click on one of the GDA then OK. Now navigate to file->saveas, and you can save it anywhere to edit for now. Then repeat; you can click file-open and select the ERF file again to "Choose Resource" again. You should now have all three files: abi_base_fdog.gda, cla_data_fdog.gda, and guitypes_fdog.gda.
Now we need the GDApp.exe tool to edit the GDA files. Again just right-click one of the GDA files and open it with GDApp.exe. You can open the abi_base_fdog to see the abilities and hidden dog class/specs. We won't need to change anything in abi_base_fdog; we just need the ID values. Open cla_data_fdog and we will edit "StartingAbility2" column. Here we are changing the ability in the spec line to the appropriate one from abi_base_fdog. WAR_CRY = 403441, RIGHTEOUS_STRIKE = 403451, BERSERK = 403461, and DEVOUR = 403471 -Update Champion from 403411 to 403441 -Update Templar from 403421 to 403451 -Update Berserker from 403431 to 403461 -Update Reaper from 403441 to 403471
Next, we will update guitypes_fdog.gda. Open it with GDApp and we will change the "Ability" column. Here we are updating the specializations to their appropriate HIDDEN values from abi_base_fdog. -Update Champion from 4034 to 40341 -Update Templar from 403402 to 40342 -Update Berserker from 403403 to 40343 -Update Reaver from 403404 to 40344
That should work! If you were also having trouble with Survival Skill not appearing on the Dogs Skill tree you probably have a conflicting GDA. Mine was from combat tweaks v323. It's an easy fix. Navigate to your override and find your "denl_combattweaks" folder and open just one file ABI_ct.gda or ABI_Base_ct.gda(if you installed JXExtended). Scroll down until you find the SURVIVAL row. It should have an ID of 100101. Change the prereqability from 4002 to 0. 4002 is TRAIT_HUMANOID so we are basically removing that as a requirement for learning survival.
Now just drag these GDA files into your Documents\BioWare\Dragon Age\packages\core\override folder. You can create a folder named FullCombatantDogFix and put the file in there for the organization if you prefer. Also, Dog and Shale aren't able to get skill points or spec points by normal leveling like our other party members. They only get attributes and talent points. You would have to make changes to the way RewardXP works in the scripts. But an alternative that I use is a mod that allows you to add skill and spec points to party members with the console command. I'll link it and a mod that will make the font visible when typing in commands.
I'm in the same boat where Dog is not getting skill points or specialization points.
I've poured over the gda and I simply can't find a fault in how everything is configured. In theory, the mod should work without a hitch, unless there's a script that needs to be made to change how Dog's leveling is handled. I think the game's scripting omits granting a specialization point and a skill point to the CLASS_DOG constant. Generally speaking, when other class mods are made, they are given the default scripts, however the modder here attempted to modify an existing class that might not have had any scripts supporting skill and specialization progression. Or if it did originally, it was updated at some point to remove them.
See, the base 2da file shows Dog and Shale gaining a skill point every 1,000 levels instead a standard level. I poked around the dadbdata compilation but I wasn't able to find anything concrete about a leveling script. I'm not experienced enough with DA:O modding to be able to identify what would need to be changed, but I feel like finding that script or creating a new one will grant the skill and specialization points that are missing.
The survival skill doesn't show up, but the other 2 do. Specializations work when getting the stat bonuses for selecting them, but the only one that lets you pick talents is champion, so he can only really use 1 specialization. Everything else besides that is working just fine from what I've seen. edit: double checked but Templar doesn't actually give him the +2 magic, but does give him the +3 mental resistance, and another +1 from something, so maybe the +2 magic did get added, but isn't showing on stat page.
It's broken. Dog is not getting its skill points or specialization points. When I used console commands to give Dog a specialization point he missed at level 7 he never gained access to the skill trees of the specialization.
Still a cool mod but the fact that it's bugged is rather annoying.
I am wondering, after I install this it adds an extra campaign called "Full Combatant Dog" but whenever I click on it, it says that it is missing the module.
So far this mod as worked for me along with the Extra Dog slot mod. But to be honest it makes the game kind of easy even on Nightmare. I'm considering removing the extra dog slot so I have to choose to use the dog as one of my 4 party members, otherwise it is kind of overpowered.
If you want a challenge I would recommend you don't use these 2 mods together.
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https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/4512 (pyGFF for extracting the GDA files from erf files)
https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/214 (GDApp - GDA Editor for editing GDA values)
Navigate to your AddIns folder location. BioWare\Dragon Age\AddIns\FullCombatantDog\core\data
You should see the FullCombatantDog_modcore.erf file. Open it with gyGFF editor.exe. You can right-click open with and navigate to the editor.exe installation location, or you can open the editor.exe first and click file->open, then find the erf you want to extract a GDA from. Whichever you prefer. You should now see a window asking you to "Choose Resource", we want the GDA files. So click on one of the GDA then OK. Now navigate to file->saveas, and you can save it anywhere to edit for now. Then repeat; you can click file-open and select the ERF file again to "Choose Resource" again. You should now have all three files: abi_base_fdog.gda, cla_data_fdog.gda, and guitypes_fdog.gda.
Now we need the GDApp.exe tool to edit the GDA files. Again just right-click one of the GDA files and open it with GDApp.exe. You can open the abi_base_fdog to see the abilities and hidden dog class/specs. We won't need to change anything in abi_base_fdog; we just need the ID values. Open cla_data_fdog and we will edit "StartingAbility2" column. Here we are changing the ability in the spec line to the appropriate one from abi_base_fdog. WAR_CRY = 403441, RIGHTEOUS_STRIKE = 403451, BERSERK = 403461, and DEVOUR = 403471
-Update Champion from 403411 to 403441
-Update Templar from 403421 to 403451
-Update Berserker from 403431 to 403461
-Update Reaper from 403441 to 403471
Next, we will update guitypes_fdog.gda. Open it with GDApp and we will change the "Ability" column. Here we are updating the specializations to their appropriate HIDDEN values from abi_base_fdog.
-Update Champion from 4034 to 40341
-Update Templar from 403402 to 40342
-Update Berserker from 403403 to 40343
-Update Reaver from 403404 to 40344
That should work! If you were also having trouble with Survival Skill not appearing on the Dogs Skill tree you probably have a conflicting GDA. Mine was from combat tweaks v323. It's an easy fix. Navigate to your override and find your "denl_combattweaks" folder and open just one file ABI_ct.gda or ABI_Base_ct.gda(if you installed JXExtended). Scroll down until you find the SURVIVAL row. It should have an ID of 100101. Change the prereqability from 4002 to 0. 4002 is TRAIT_HUMANOID so we are basically removing that as a requirement for learning survival.
Now just drag these GDA files into your Documents\BioWare\Dragon Age\packages\core\override folder. You can create a folder named FullCombatantDogFix and put the file in there for the organization if you prefer.
Also, Dog and Shale aren't able to get skill points or spec points by normal leveling like our other party members. They only get attributes and talent points. You would have to make changes to the way RewardXP works in the scripts. But an alternative that I use is a mod that allows you to add skill and spec points to party members with the console command. I'll link it and a mod that will make the font visible when typing in commands.
Make CONSOLE commands visible - https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/1110
Console - Add Points - https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/347
runscript giveskill #
runscript givespec #
I hope this helps!
Is anyone else getting this? I haven't seen any mention of it in the comments...
LHs Rename Dog
https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/4611
I've poured over the gda and I simply can't find a fault in how everything is configured. In theory, the mod should work without a hitch, unless there's a script that needs to be made to change how Dog's leveling is handled. I think the game's scripting omits granting a specialization point and a skill point to the CLASS_DOG constant. Generally speaking, when other class mods are made, they are given the default scripts, however the modder here attempted to modify an existing class that might not have had any scripts supporting skill and specialization progression. Or if it did originally, it was updated at some point to remove them.
See, the base 2da file shows Dog and Shale gaining a skill point every 1,000 levels instead a standard level. I poked around the dadbdata compilation but I wasn't able to find anything concrete about a leveling script. I'm not experienced enough with DA:O modding to be able to identify what would need to be changed, but I feel like finding that script or creating a new one will grant the skill and specialization points that are missing.
edit: double checked but Templar doesn't actually give him the +2 magic, but does give him the +3 mental resistance, and another +1 from something, so maybe the +2 magic did get added, but isn't showing on stat page.
Still a cool mod but the fact that it's bugged is rather annoying.
If you want a challenge I would recommend you don't use these 2 mods together.