FREQUENTLY ASKED MODDING QUESTIONS

[RedAss]

INTRODUCTORY NOTE: If you are going to mod graphics, you'll need a program that supports .png format and transparency. Microsoft paint won't cut it. Paint.net WILL, and it is free: https://www.getpaint.net/download.html

When modding graphics, you have two locations that are important:

The Graphics Override folder that is is located at Documents>My Games>The Operational Art of War>Graphics Override

This is where you will almost always add mods.

The other location is C:>Program Files (X86)>Matrix Games>The Operational Art of War>Graphics

This is where you find the original graphics that you want to mod. DO NOT CHANGE OR SAVE ANYTHING TO THIS FOLDER. Doing so will affect the game permanently! It is simply for your source documents. You will more likely get your source documents from other players, who post fantastic stuff on these forums.

COPY stuff from the RED folder to mod. SAVE stuff you want changed to the BLUE folder.

HEIRARCHY

The RED folder determines what files are used to to operate the game
The BLUE folder will "override" those selections and apply it to every scenario you play. This includes terrain files, equipment files, counter colors, etc.)
If you create a folder with the name of a scenario in the BLUE folder, it will override the graphics files in the BLUE folder, but only for that scenario. NOTE: The folder must have the EXACT name of the scenario.

IMPORTANT: Most graphics files (terrain, counters, etc.) come in three sizes: a standard size (with no prefix), a large size (with h_ as the prefix), and a small size (with s_) as a prefix.
Examples:
CounterUnits
h_counterUnits
s_cuonter units

Flags
h_Flags
s_Flags

tiles_hills
h_tiles_hills
s_tiles_hills

In general, YOU MUST HAVE A COPY OF ALL THREE FILES in your scenario folder in the BLUE folder for the graphics changes to take effect

Also, ALL GRAPHICS FILES IN THE GAME ARE .png.



SO, HOW DO I...

...MOD COUNTER ART?

To mod counter art, you will edit the h_counterunits file ad the counterunits files. Best to work with the H_ file first. Be aware that SOME counters confer special attributes on the unit they are applied to -- your art won't change that. If you change a Mountain Infantry icon to regular infantry, for example, it will LOOK like regular infantry in the game, but that unit would still have mountain infantry abilities. See here: https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopi ... 9#p5084109

Conversely, you can turn a regular infantry unit into a mountain unit icon by changing it in the counter file and then simply added the real Mountain Unit icon as a second ability.

Generally I don't mod s_counter files -- not enough detail to matter, and the NATO style icons generally tell the story that needs to be told.

CounterUnits.png is exactly half the size of h_CounterUnits.png. Edit h_CounterUnits.png first, save it, reduce by 50% and "save as" CounterUnits.png.

...ADD/CHANGE FLAGS?

flags
H_Flags
s_Flags

You need to do all three.
Note that all flags have an associated Roundel associated with them. So if you change the Soviet flag to a Canadian flag, the Sovet roundel will still show in game. So you need to edit
H_FlagRoundels and FlagRoundels. The latter is 50% the size of the former, so do the H_ file and reduce it when you're done.

...ADD AN .EQP FILE TO A SCENARIO?

https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopi ... e#p4208717

Here is the gold standard for equipment files: https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopi ... 3#p4832253

...CHANGE THE YELLOW SILHOUETTE ICONS FOR EQUIPMENT?

equipment256.png

TO MOD THE FOLLOWING YOU WILL NEED AN XML EDITOR

XMLPad is old, but works for me, and is free. ChatGPT recommends this as a reputable site: https://www.softpedia.com/get/Programmi ... LPad.shtml

...EDIT COUNTER COLORS?

https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopic.php?t=318021

...EDIT THE NAMES OF TERRAIN FILES OR UNITS?

Step 1: Find the EnglishGameText file in the RED folder.
Step 2: Save it as Your Exact Scenario NameGameText in a folder entitled Your Exact Scenario Name in the BLUE folder
Step 3: Open and edit. Stuff is hard to find, but you are a nerd already if you're reading this, so embrace the horror.
Terrain names are between lines 30-67.More: https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopi ... t#p5060258
Unit names are between lines 1228-1314. Some unit names are hard coded (airborne units, for example).

...COPY PART OF A MAP FROM ONE SCENARIO INTO THE MAP OF ANOTHER SCENARIO?

I'd personally do this one up front, before you design any other part of the scenario. I've done it later in the process, and it can have unintended results to other files in the game.
https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopi ... e#p1663982

[rinne]

thank you for that