Question - Modding Entrenchment 1.04

if you are using the entrenchment reference files from the forge tools(entrenchment v1.01) you WILL GET MINIDUMPS in entrenchment versions that are later eg 1.02,1.03 and now 1.04.

I am currently testing the mod updater to update mods from earlier sins(1.15+) and entrenchment(1.01+) versions to the sins 1.18/entrenchment 1.04.

I will be posting an update when all the utilities are proven to work with the current version.

the textbin gui is working with the current convertdata's so if you want to create your own reference files just copy your sins/entrenchment folder to a different path( ie not in the program files tree) then use the earlier txtbin gui.

hope this info helps

harpo

Hrm... attempting to run the converter tool only gets me crashes. I'm assuming by reference files you mean the ForgeTools reference folder, since it's not explained very well.

What I've done:

Extracted the ForgeTools3.Rar content to C:\Stuff\ForgeTools

Extracted the Converter to C:\Stuff\ForgeTools\Converter

Copied the Entrenchment GameInfo and Meshes folder to C:\Stuff\ForgeTools\Convert_This

Created a sinsref.txt file in the ForgeTools\Converter folder, containing this:

Attempted to run the sinstextbinner.exe file. Open it, navigate to C:\Stuff\ForgeTools\Convert_This\Entrenchment\GameInfo, and select it through the process described in the .exe file.

When I hit "Convert Now" a popup comes up with "ConvertData_Entrenchment.exe has stopped working" - If I hit "Close the Program" It justpops up again, so I have to close the sinstextbinner.exe andthen hit the close program button.

As a test, I put the ConvertData_Entrenchment.exe, CovnertData_OriginalSins.exe, and msvcr80.dll files into the \Converter folder, but still no game.

Looks like you've put up a new version of it. Unpacked that to \converter 1.1 Ran the file, but it's telling me it can't find the "convertdata?entrenchment1.04.exe here" and telling me to move it "here" Where is "here" - the folder I'm trying to convert, or the Converter1.1 folder? They are in the Converter1.1 folder, though.

EDIT: There's no 1.04 converter. Maybe this is the issue...

EDIT 2: Renaming the 1.03 converter to 1.04 seems to be working. Only one file failed so far.

Edit3: These are the files that failed to convert:

Do you think that the "standard" reference files for them will work or no?

the 1.04 converter is the one currently in the sins folder.

you should copy the sins\convertdata_entrenchment.exe  to C:\Stuff\ForgeTools\Converter and rename it to Convertdata_entrenchment1.04.exe, then run the sinstextbinner.exe

harpo

the files that failed to convert with the 1.03 converter have DIFFERENT entries to the 1.03 versions, and no the 1.01 versions are also different and will NOT work

harpo

"Runtime Error '5'

Invalid procedure call or argument"

That's what I'm getting with the converter copied from the Sins folder.

I also was getting this error, but the microsoft.vc80.crt.manifest, msvcp80.dll & msvcr80.dll also need to be either in the same folder OR in your windows/system32 folder.

with the 3 files the converters work

harpo

Sweet. Working now. How long does it usually take for Sins to load up a mod? I've got a Vista Ultimate system, with a Intel Core 2 Duo with 2.4 GHz and 3gb of RAM. I can't imagine it'd take more than a minute or so but I want to know the experiences of someone.

Alright, now, to make a new ship, what needs to be done? Does it require its own artwork (Model, icon, etc), and if so, what files? And can they simply be copied from another one?

What I'm trying to do, to get myself acustomed to working with it, is create a "light carrier" for TEC. No research requirements to start with, just try to figure out how to do it.

What I did was copy the FrigateTechCarrier and rename the copy to FrigateTechLtCarrier. Inside, I went and edited out the prerequisite, changed the costs, armor, and such. Then I went to PlayerTech and added in the FrigateTechLtCarrier under the Page 0 frigates and increased the available frigates to 7. Went and did a minidump. no surprise, was expecting that.

Went in, removed the LtCarrier references from PlayerTech, and then renamed FrigateTEchCarrier to something else and FrigateTechLtCarrier to FrigateTechCarrier - Worked fine. I'm assuming I'm missing something here, but I'm not entirely sure what. Probably will realize something when it's not 2:06 AM

in my experience with complex mods on aq core2quad at 2.8ghz it is about a minute, unless it is a very LARGE mod.

harpo

Thank you so much harpo I updated today and couldnt get the files to convert (I use a simple .bat with "for %%a in (*.entity) do ConvertData_Entrenchment entity %%a %%a txt" in it) but they would not convert,

The problem was I didn't have microsoft.vc80.crt.manifest or msvcp80.dll in the file (or in system32) all I had was msvcr80.dll because that used to be all that was required, with all 3 now it works again

OK, so am I right in assuming that the only files that are required are the ones being modded? So if I change the FrigateTechCarrier file, I only have to include the changed FrigateTechCarrier file in the \modname\GameInfo folder?

for entrenchment, the only files NEEDED in the mod are the files that you change, BUT if you add any file(s) you will also NEED to add the manifest files and add the files to them

from your example if you are editing the numbers then you only need the frigatetechcarrier.entity in the mod\gameinfo folder

BUT if you add a new entity for an abbility or buff then you NEED to add the files to the entity.manifest

harpo

aha, that's probably what I was missing. Thanks