[Tutorial] How to create a new archetype mod

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TheChosen1GroxPL
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[Tutorial] How to create a new archetype mod

Unread post by TheChosen1GroxPL »

[center]Archetype creating Tutorial
[/center]
This guide is separated into chapters:

1. Introduction
2. Tools required for (changing) adding new archetypes
3. First steps
4.1. Changing archetype colour
4.2. Additional info
5. Changing archetype description
6. Changing archetype icon
7. "Adding" new consequence ability
8. Changing consequence ability name and description
9. Changing archetype background
10. Finale
_______________

1. Introduction

Have you ever wanted to change the gameplay by "adding" new archetypes? This guide will give that possibility. Alas you can't add completely new archetypes (besides, there's a lot of work with them), but
you can change existing ones.

There are 10 playable archetypes (2 of them appear only as player-exclusive):

-Warrior
-Shaman
-Trader
-Diplomat
-Scientist
-Zealot
-Ecologist
-Bard
-Knight*
-Wanderer*

*These are player exclusive

First thing you need to do before changing the archetype is to have an idea for it. You need to choose which archetype would you like to replace. Each of them has different personality
For example: Bards are very playful and outgoing races

You should consider that Player exclusive archetypes use personality of other archetypes:

-Wanderer = Diplomat
-Knight = Warrior

In my case I'm going to create Grox archetype from Knight one. Although they will use Warrior's lines, they are very fitting in personality

To make archetype more unique, you should think about its ability. Knights have Mini-U. Grox due to their nature, they should have different special tool. I'll give them Total Extermination which it works exactly same as Planet Buster.
To make it EVEN more unique, you should think about its chat background.

So, let's start "making" new archetype.

_______________

2. Tools required for (changing) adding new archetypes

-SporeModder - this tool is awesome, because you can create cool mods with it ^^. You won't go away without it.
-paint.net - this tool is useful for making graphics for Spore.
-IrfanView - in this case this will be useful for RGB settings

Optional:

-Notepad++ - useful when you are about to do mods with different language (since SporeModder doesn't support foreign letters). Its useful for coding too

________________

3. First steps

Before modding, you should unpack these files:

-Spore_Game
-Spore_Graphics
-Language files [They are in Locale folder in Spore/Data] (Suggested to unpack locale en-us for universality, but you can also do on different language. Why not? :3)

________________

4.1. Changing archetype colour

To change archetype trait colour, go to desired archetype page in consequencetraits folder (spg_<archetype name>.prop.xml and press Import from Source button [e.g. spg_knight.prop.xml]) here you can find an RGB data, but as you can see the values are below 1.

IrfanView may be helpful in this situation. You need to have a pure white pic to pick a desired colour [Warning, the result in game may be kinda different than Irfan View shows]. Drop the image and choose "Colour corrections" option.

These are knight archetype trait colour values

Image

To get colour values for IrfanView, you need to subtract 1 with RGB values

1 - 0.804 = 0.196 ≈ 0,2
1 - 0.275 = 0.725 ≈ 0.73
1 - 0.6 = 0.4

In IrfanView it looks like this

Image

While picking archetype colours, don't go below -100

Image

I managed to get the colour which I wanted, now it's time to do another maths, but this time we need to do like this:

Example:

Red channel has -20 value, so the value to subtract from 1 is 0.2
Green channel has -73 value, the value to subtract from 1 is 0.73

This is simple right?

Let's make values which game will understand

1 - 0.7 = 0.3
1 - 0.95 = 0.05
1 - 0.7 = 0.3

All of these values are going to RGB code. It should look like this:

Image

To make sure if the colour is right, install the prototype mod and check it out. The result in my case looks like this:

Image



4.2. Additional Info

You can also put passive abilities to your archetype if you want, but remember, they don't stack with abilities from previous traits. Also don't put abilities not dedicated for space stage, because they won't work
WARNING! Do not put 2 archetype-exclusive abilities (e.g. Fanatical Frenzy and Cash Infusion), because you'll get only one of them!

Image


List of space stage buffs:


spg_clg_meat - Power Monger
spg_crg_attack - Prime Specimen
spg_trg_attack - Arms Dealer
spg_cvg_military - Pirate B-Gone

spg_clg_mix - Gentle Generalist
spg_crg_mix - Speed Demon
spg_trg_mix - Colony Craze
spg_cvg_economic - Spice Suave

spg_clg_plant - Social Suave
spg_crg_social - Pleasing Performance
spg_trg_social - Gracious Greeting
spg_cvg_religious - Green Keeper

________________

5. Changing archetype description

To change archetype description, we need to go into locale files. Go to consequence.locale file, press Import from source button and search for SPG_<archetype>.and change the name and description. It's very simple

Also you need to modify in timeline.locale. Search for SPG_EarnedTrait<archetype> and modify the text

[TIP: If you are modifying a foreign language locale file {e.g. locale pl-pl}, use Notepad++ to write your language's special letters which SporeModder doesn't support]

________________

6. Changing archetype icon

This is harder thing than just changing name and description. You need paint.net to make an icon for your archetype.

The reccomended format for image is .png and it should be 45 x 45 pixels large

Image

After when you do an image, put it to consequence~ folder in YOUR MOD FILES and rename it with UNIQUE hash [or with normal name] (e.g. #44581621), then go back to spg_<archetype name>.prop.xml in consequencetraits folder
[to find the modified file easier, check the box near "See only modded files".]
Replace the highlighted text with it

Image

________________

7. "Adding" new consequence ability

Heh, this part is really tricky I must say. Anyways, to "create a new consequence ability", you need to replace the ability of chosen archetype. First, you need to press "Import from source" button as you chose the abilty.

List of archetype abilities:

raiderrally.prop - Raider Rally (Warrior)
cashinfusion.prop - Cash Infusion (Trader)
portal.prop - Return Ticket (Shaman)
peacebomb.prop - Static Cling (Diplomat)
gravitationwave.prop - Gravitation Wave (Scientist)
planetconversion.prop - Fanatical Frenzy (Zealot)
soothingsong.prop - Soothing Song (Bard)
safarivacuum.prop - Safari Vacuum (Ecologist)
callforbackup.prop - Summon Mini-U (Knight)

In my case I'm going to modify callforbackup.prop file, because I'm modifying Knight archetype. Making new consequence ability is as simillar as making new tools (just copying and pasting codes of existing abiities, LOL).

The code of Total Extermination, which replaces Summon Mini-U ability looks like this [the process of replacing ability is too complicated to explain in this guide, I don't have time for it]

Don't forget to replace the icon of ability also in spg_tool_<archetype>.prop!

Image
________________

8. Changing consequence ability name and description

Of course we need to replace old names and descriptions of modified ability with new ones. To do this, you need to modify consequence.locale (the file which you changed archetype name and description) and spacegame_tools.locale files

In consequence.locale file, seek for SPG_<archetype>_Tool. Change the name and description of this weapon.
In spacegame_tools.locale, seek for <archetype abilty name [the list is above]>. There are two of them. One of them is responsible for name, and the second one is responsible of description. Change both of them.

________________

9. Changing archetype background

Well, this is a very important feature to make your archetype mod cooler. In archetype pictures there are some transparent and/or semi-transparent places. They are for colour of empire.
You need to use paint.net again to create an unique archetype background. When you make it, you need to put them in graphics_misc_2~ folder in your mod files (NOT SOURCE FILES!)

Resolution of Archetype chat background picture: 336 x 450
Format: .png

ID's of archetype backgrounds:

#3E17E328 - Wanderer
#24C6341D - Knight
#F9852530 - Diplomat
#29DAB11F - Zealot
#2845E1FB - Ecologist
#85888400 - Shaman
#C69009CE - Trader
#BF4A63B8 - Warrior
#EA3A7080 - Scientist
#FD35DE13 - Bard

________________

10. Finale

The only thing you have to do is to test it and publish it :3

Phew. I hope this guide will be helpful for those whose want to create new archetype mods. Tell me if I forgotten something or should I fix. :3


Image
Playing Spore since 2011. Modding since 2018 :geek:

Will you join us to the Dark Side? (Grox Archetype 2018)
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JoaoVIBarg
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Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2020 10:53 am

Re: [Tutorial] How to create a new archetype mod

Unread post by JoaoVIBarg »

you will post the grox archetype?
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