So, you want to merge a flavour of this mod with another mod, or your own custom characters.xml?


Tools you'll need:

Notepad++
WinMerge (optional)
XML2BMD Converter, QuickBMS, or SoDTools

Here's an example TraitBlock from a characters.xml

<Traits>
<TraitBlock>
<DefaultTrait Trait="Trait.Voice.ED_Boss" />
<DefaultTrait Trait="Trait.Voice.Playable" />
<DefaultTrait Trait="Trait.Personality.Bully_Authoritarian" />
<DefaultTrait Trait="Trait.Mood.Proud_Overbearing" />
<DefaultTrait Trait="Trait.Behavior.NeverAway" />
<DefaultTrait Trait="Trait.Job.Chef" />
<DefaultTrait Trait="Trait.Talent.Smoker" />
</TraitBlock>
</Traits>


The line above this person's job is the only line that is needed to be added to Skilled people, or Heroes, or both, in your custom xml.
Simple, right? Yes, but horribly tedious.

Using WinMerge:

1. Open the program.
2. Ctrl+O to select which files you want to compare.
3. In the top box Browse to your custom xml. In the bottom box Browse to one of my characters.xml's
4. Hit OK
Both xml's are displayed on the screen side by side (yours on the left, mine on the right).
5. Make sure your cursor is at the very top of either xml
6. Hold Alt and press your down arrow to go to the first highlighted line. It should be in a traitblock of a character.
7. On my xml right-click on that yellow line and select Copy To Left
8. Keep using Alt + Down Arrow to go to each of the highlighted lines and Copy To Left on each one
Sometimes it may complain and ask you to refresh. Just press F5, then keep on going.
9. When you're done just select File -- Save Left -- Save (it makes a back-up automatically)
Done.

Next thing is to convert that XML file to BMD. If you already have xml2bmd Converter or QuickBMS that's great.
If not, SODTools does the same thing, but also more.

I wrote this up years ago and only just found it as I remembered someone asking for instructions on how to merge my mod with their own custom setup.