PM2004 - Making your own candidates: How to

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from PolMach Forums

Here is how you can add new candidates to the game and share them with others:

Step #1 Find the image.  I went on Google and found a picture of John McCain.

Step #2 convert the image to a small PNG.  Don't make it too huge. I made mine something like 150x186 but as long as it's not ridiculously large it should be fine. Then save as .PNG with your favorite graphics package.

Step 3: In the game, create a new candidate and pick your new image and then set him up.

Step 4: Exit game.

Step 5: in your \Data directory there will be a new .candidate file.  Feel free to open it up to give some reasonable value (between 1 and 5) to values that are set to 0. You don't have to touch this, only if you're a perfectionist.

Step 6: Put the .candidate file and the .png in a zip and make it available.

Here's mine:

https://www.politicalmachine.com/extras/johnmccain.zip

PUt the .candidate file in the \data directory and the .PNG file in the \gfx\candidate_images directory

Load up game, pick 'em.

You can put pictures of yourself in too. And in 1.01, those images will transfer over the net.

 

 

39,157 views 31 replies
Reply #2 from PolMach Forums Top
Yes.
Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Reply #3 from PolMach Forums Top
Thanks frog, despite all my whining here about what else I want from this game, I really do love it.
Reply #4 from PolMach Forums Top
Awesome!

Hey my friend made his own candidate (just using whatever was built into the game) and it wouldn't let him pick it online. BTW, when is 1.01 coming out?
Reply #5 from PolMach Forums Top
Just a thought here, shouldn't this kind of info be in the FAQ at the top of the forum so future visitors don't have to go scrolling for it?
Reply #6 from PolMach Forums Top
ggibas: it looks like you've replied on the 18th, way before the 1.01 version came out. It is available NOW at the Downloads section..I think..
Reply #7 from PolMach Forums Top
I use an image size of 212x256 which seems like the maximum. If anyone wants to try pushing the width more, they can see what the results are, but the height over 256 will cause graphical errors. It's really ugly, but you can see for yourself. If you want to removed cached versions of images, in your "Gfx" folder is a bunch of ".DDS" files, where you can delete your candidates cached image. This helps when you want to modify the image.

Also, there's 10 _STATS that are in the ".Candidate" file that start at 0. As far as I know, there are no official explanations of what they do, but I think they might control some of your issue stances, and the way the computer AI would use your character, etc. If you look at the main "CoreCandiates" file, you will see a whole bunch of other "Special Traits" thrown in on these candidates, which you might want to experiment adding to your character.
Reply #8 from PolMach Forums Top
Here's a list of some of the special traits you might want to have for your candidate. Positive numbers mean support, negative numbers mean opposition. Have fun!

//Special Traits---------------------
ANWR
BIGGOVERNMENT
CHINA_TRADE
CIVILRIGHTS
ECORECOVERY
ENVIRONMENT
EQOPPORTUNITY
EQRESULTS
FARMSUBSID
FOREIGNAID
FREEDOMOFSPEECH
GLOBALIZATION
GOVJOBS
GUNOWNERSHIP
HARSHINTERROGATIONS
INTERNALUNREST
IRAQWAR
ISRAEL
JOBS
NAFTA
OUTSOURCINGJOBS
PALESTINIANS
PRESC_FOR_SENIORS
PROTECTING
SOCIALISM
SOCIALSECU
STATESRIGHTS
STRONGFED
STRONGMILITARY
TAXCUTS
TRADITIONALVALUES
UNIONS
UNIVERSALHEALTHCARE
UNSUPPORT
WARONTERROR
WELFARE
//-----------------------------------

MainIssues.issues has a list of all of them, but these are the ones other candidates might have.
Reply #9 from PolMach Forums Top
Can you tell me how to make your candidate 'liberal enough'...I mean, what are the best traits and numbers, and statistics and stuff....also, how do you edit a .corecandidate file??
Reply #10 from PolMach Forums Top
You can edit the files with a basic text editor like notepad. If you go into the game, and look at the issues in a state's info (using a full HQ gives you a longer list), you should see how Democrats, Independents, and Republicans feel about each issue. If it's got the green thumbs up, then you want to make a positive number, and if it has a red thumbs down, you want to make a negative number. A yellow fist means around zero. Remember that adding these values (normally starting around a 5) can help you get ahead on many issues, but they can also hurt you, depending on the state. I try to keep my issues as multiples of 5 from -15 to 15.

This editing does make it possible for you to cheat and give yourself high values on things that everyone agrees with, or give yourself maximum atributes. However, I find that being honest with your positions, not maxing things out or being a cheap politician, you should still be able to win any election. Honestly, winning this game is not very hard once you get the hang of it, and the various ways to win states. It's not so fun to start the game and automatically be winning every state, which you then just have to maintain. I prefer having different challenges, including not using a lot of money, and running campaigns on issues I care about, not what's most popular.
Reply #11 from PolMach Forums Top
A level 3 HQ doesn't have the thumbs up/thumbs down of the people. Only levels 1 and 2 have that. On level 3 there is a graph of where the dems and republicans are on issues with arrows showing how much they like or dislike a position. Frankly I think the thumbs are more helpful.
Reply #12 from PolMach Forums Top
I have a question. Has anyone put together a FAQ that details exactly what you get for putting X number of points into a particular characteristic? In other words, I'd like to know what the difference is between a "4" Intelligence and a "5", and so on. Anyone tried this yet?

Cap
Reply #14 from PolMach Forums Top
I believe that if you switch your political party number to a 2, in the data file where your candidate is stored, it will call you an indepent in the game. I have not tried this, but I believe that it can be done.
Reply #15 from PolMach Forums Top
I tried changing the party to 2. And yes, it will say, "Independant from Staewhatever". But there's no graphic logo for it, and once entered in the game, graphics problems keeps you from playing.
Reply #16 from PolMach Forums Top
There are alot of traits that I can't figure out what they are. Like:

Bushadvantage
Kerryadvantage
Mainstream
Worldaffairsknowledge

What do they mean?
Reply #17 from PolMach Forums Top
And what is the difference between Democratic/Republican loyalty and _Partyloyalty?
Reply #18 from PolMach Forums Top
Is there more to the rules about the image file? I tried to make a PNG 150 x 150 -- and all it did was add a blank to the list of images. I guess that's something -- the program realized I had an image there -- but are there some restrictions besides just "not too big"? I tried using Corel 9 and PhotoPaint 7. I did one with a true color image and another with a 256 color palette. Both came up blank. All the "standard" files in that directory have names ending in ".SDTex", and they do not appear to be PNGs. Am I looking at the right place? Sorry, you've got me quite confused on this.
Reply #19 from PolMach Forums Top
You have to place the file in the gfx/candidate images file of your game. I would also say your file may be too small. You can go up to 250 x 250.
Reply #22 from PolMach Forums Top
A very simple way to make new candidates is to have the game do it for you. Simply create the candidate in the game and then edit the candidate file in the data folder with notebook. That way you are not bound by the point restrictions of the game.
Reply #24 from PolMach Forums Top
Its in the political machine data file. They are opened with notepad. Just don't mess with the Core Candidates file or you could have problems.
Reply #25 from PolMach Forums Top
Question: When I import mugs for homemade candidates, the mugs have a black strip that extend downward from them. I saved them as 211x265 PNGs, as suggested, and I've resaved them several times, but this black 'tail' keeps appearing.
Any suggestions?

Thanks, and looking forward to PM08.