 For the first time, you can finally place messages and map briefings in your custom maps! A little bit of game modification is needed, so take care when using these techniques. The ability is found from cracking a campaign map, and putting it through the ringer. The Message and Briefing Template pack download and this tutorial is all you need to finally tell that great story about your map, in game!
Submitted by LordBritian
Custom Map Messages and Briefings Toolkit We have all been lamenting the absence of both in game messages and the mission briefings from Stonghold 2. But that is now a thing of the past. With the tools included in the Custom Map Messages and Briefings Toolkit, you can add messages and briefings to all of your maps. The only downside, is that you must actually modify the games files to do this. But with these instructions, and the included tools, you will be able to create great story-driven maps, and distribute them easily. All you need is in here: Template map, template text file, detailed instructions and even a "How to use this Map" checklist to help users experience your custom messages map without corrupting their game!
Warning: To use this process and toolkit, you will have to backup and modify actual game files. All maps using these techniques should be clearly marked so users know they will have to modify their system to fully enjoy your maps. This toolkit should only be used for English speaking users. The modified files are taken from the US version of the game (should be mostly compatible with the UK version as well).NOTE: You must start with the template map provided! Custom messages and briefings can not be added to existing maps! Follow these steps and get ready to take Stronghold 2 storytelling to a new level!
Custom Messages
Step 1) Get Needed Downloads First, you obviously must download the Toolkit, but also needed is the Map Unlocker. The Map Unlocker is a little program that must be used with all SH2 template maps/toolkits. Since these maps are converted campaign maps, they will lock themselves, no longer being editable, after each time the map editor is closed. Before loading the template maps to edit, and any map created from the templates, use this tool to unlock the map, then use as normal. If you have left the editor to playtest the map, you will have to unlock the map, before returning to edit the map again. Sorry, for the inconvenience, but this is only way to bring these template maps to life. This tool is not needed to play the maps, just to edit them. Second, you need to backup your en-us.xml, or whatever file is in the /FireFly Studios/Stronghold 2/i18n folder. Add '.backup' to the end of the orginal file (EXample: "en-usbackup.xml"). Then replace that file with the Toolkit file. Rename to the orginal file name if different than "en-us.xml". This is needed to help locate the files that must be modified later. As long as you have the new file active, the game text in the Path of Peace campaign will be modified. Download both Toolkit and the Unlocker from our SH2 Utilities download section.
Step 2) Create Map LandscapeThis is obviously left up to heart and imagination of the map maker. Step 3) Edit Mission Messages
Go to the mission editor. 12 missions will be seen. In each mission, a few messages can be seen. Look closely at each message action. The name of the person who will speak is present as well as a filename. The name of the person corresponds to the head that will be animated during the message. Go through all the missions and find the mission(s) that best represent the people you want communicating in your map. The talking heads can not be changed. Once you have determined which mission(s) you want to keep, delete the other missions from the map.Next, you will note that there is a file name in each action. This is the identifier for the text entry in the xml file. Note all of these file names that will need to be change. Note them for all the missions that have been kept. Save your map and close Stronghold 2. Now open the xml file to edit it. If you have Microsoft Excel or some other spreadsheet program, use it. Otherwise, create a new text file (usually right-click, New, Text Document) and drag the the xml file into the new text window. Either way, the contents will be laid out in alphabetic order, though the text file method will have a bunch of confusion formatting as well. Scroll down until you reach the entries that you have previously noted. Editing in Excel
Editing a text document in Notepad
The format of the file consists of the identifier, the orginal text (not displayed in the game), and another entry which is the text we are trying to change. It will have the same entry as the indentifier. Change this third entry to the text you desire to be displayed in your map. Repeat for each noted entry that needs to be updated.Save the file and close the editing program. The next time you load the game, the updated text will used.
Custom SoundsStep 4) Update Sound Files (Optional, but highly Recommended) It is highly recommended that you update the sound files. Either record your own voice and convert to the MP3 format, are at least replace the orginal sound files with blanks so that the orginal speech does not overplay your new custom text. Go to the Stronghold 2/fx/speech folder. You will notice all the files that are on your list, but they have the .mp3 file extension, instead of .wav. The .mp3 files are the actual sound files. If you just want the speech sounds to be missing then, you need to use your list of entries, and just append 'backup' to the end of each file that you want to go blank (Example: "C2Mission1_4backup.mp3"). The game will find the needed file missing and will place no sound when the message action is given.
If you want to add your own files, do the above to preserve the orginals, and then place your recorded MP3 files, with exactly the same names as the ones you are replacing, into the folderYou will need to add modification instructions concerning these changes into the 'How to Use map' file (see below). Custom Briefings Step 5) Edit Briefing text (Optional, Advanced Technique) If you want to pull all the stops, then you must add custom mission briefings to your map. There is still a bit of work do, and your users may get nervous. The good thing is, if the user decides not to use the map this way, it will still function in all other respects. The point is, if you have gone this far to add great story-telling elements, this is the capstone! In essense, you must replace the Path of Peace Campaign with your map to activate the mission briefings. First, go to the Stronghold 2/cutscenes folder. Make a new folder called 'Backup'. Move all the "peacemission" cutscene files into this new folder. This will make it so that the original game Cutscenes do not interfere with the modded custom map! Our future ambition is to be able to modify even these cutscenes, but that is for another time.
Next, you need to actually overwrite the original Path of Peace map, with your completed map. Go to the Stronghold 2/Maps folder and change the "peace_chapter1.s2m" file to "peace_chapter1.s2mbackup". Lastly, place your map in this folder and rename it to "peace_chapter1.s2m".Lastly, you need to edit the text file again. The entries you need to change are as follows.
* Mission 1 - C2Mission1_2.wav
* Mission 2 - C2Mission2_1.wav
* Mission 3 - C2Mission3_1.wav
* Mission 4 - C2Mission4_1.wav
* Mission 5 - C2Mission5_1.wav
* Mission 6 - C2Mission6_1.wav
* Mission 7 - C2Mission7_1.wav
* Mission 8 - C2Mission8_1.wav
* Mission 9 - C2Mission9_1.wav
* Mission 10 - C2Mission10_5.wav
* Mission 11 - C2Mission11_1.wav
* Mission 12 - C2Mission12_1.wav
These entries correspond to the actual missions that you have used, not what ever they were named befored you updated the template file. Thus, if you only have 2 missions, after all your designing, then you only need to update "C2Mission1_2.wav"and "C2Mission2_1.wav".
Don't forget to update the speech files as well.Distribution Step 6) Fill out 'How to use this map' text file Now that you have done all this work (which is not all that much once you get the hang of it), and tested it on your system, it is time to package it for use by others. The best way to do this is by filling out the 'How to use this map' text file that is provided. It provides some brief text of what this custom map is capable of doing, and how to safely update their system with your modified files. Portions that are surrouned by << >> must be either edited or deleted before distibution. You can delete entire sections if they do not apply (specifically the portions about the sound and briefings if you did not update either). Also, there is a section containing the instructions on how to "uninstall" the map modifications. Make sure to fill out this section entirely as well! Step 7) Zip it all Together Now, grab your map file, the update .xml, the 'How to use this map' file, and all your updated sound files (if any) and zip them one package, and give the package the name of your map. NOTE: If you are using the advanced 'Briefings' change, then you must name your map "peace_chapter1.s2m", but make sure the Zip file is named after your map name. That is it! All done. Finally, after playtesting the map thoroughly, upload your map to Stronghold-knights.com and we can all marvel at your resourcefulness!
|
