Matrix Games Forums

For once I come here with an answer, not a question.

The modding guide is only current to Legends, not Shadows. In the section on Characters it states that the text file uses the following numbers to determine a character's role:

The type of character, selected from one of the following values: 1=Faction Leader, 2=Ambassador, 3=Colony Governor, 4=Fleet Admiral, 5=Troop General, 6=Intelligence Agent, 7=Scientist

Today I wanted to mod a different role, one new to Shadows. The role of Pirate Leader. I experimented by using the number '8' under role in the modded text file for humans, and sure enough it corresponds to characters with the role of Pirate Leader.

So a revised modding guide should read:

The type of character, selected from one of the following values: 1=Faction Leader, 2=Ambassador, 3=Colony Governor, 4=Fleet Admiral, 5=Troop General, 6=Intelligence Agent, 7=Scientist, 8=Pirate Leader

Apologies if this has already been discovered.

Nice work. However, I did know this because these are actually listed in the new character files (just check human.txt in the vanilla characters folder and read the blurb up the top).

In addition to the Pirate Leader there is also 9=Pirate Captain.

There are two additional traits too, these seem to appear on pirate captains but may work for admirals and pirate leaders.
94 - Smuggler
95 - Bounty Hunter

Likewise for skills there are:
48 Smuggling Income
49 Smuggling Evasion
50 Boarding Assault

It seems Pirate Captains and Admirals tend to replace the Pirate Leader. I think you only get the later names in the Pirate Leader list if they die or are dismissed.

ORIGINAL: Fenrisfil

Nice work. However, I did know this because these are actually listed in the new character files (just check human.txt in the vanilla characters folder and read the blurb up the top).

D'oh! I never thought to look there. And thanks for clarifying the other new options. At least this info is now here in the forums.

Elliot is working now on updating the Modding Guide for Shadows and I'm told it
will be ready soon! [:)]

Fenrisfil, you are correct about the Pirate Admiral replacing/becoming a Pirate Leader.

Interesting to note, in one game where an admiral with four skills replaced the pirate leader, he kept those four ship based skills and gained nothing that was useful as a leader. Not sure if that's intentional (Pirate Leaders can function as admirals after all), but it's convinced me to leave a free skill when possible when creating admiral characters on factions that can be pirates, just to be safe.