New To X-com Modding

[dagorkan]

Hey, are there any comprehensive guides or a FAQ about modding X-Com?

 

Right now I am following a couple of different sources, UFOPaedia, Hatfarm's description of the different files, some stuff written on Scott's webpage and it's kind of difficult to keep track.

 

Thanks

 

 

edit:

A problem I'm currently trying to deal with is that XCom won't start.. so I can't check my changes.

 

I have one DOS/XComUtil 9.60 working version of X-Com. I copied the whole directory to a new location to work on.. I modify a couple of files, OBDATA and English dats so far, now when I go into DosBox, to that new directory and type RunXCom it says "Illegal Command: Start".

 

I'm guessing it's either a problem with XComUtil or I screwed up some files. Probably XComUtil..

 

Is there some kind of incompatibility between XComUtil and hex editing? I want to use XComUtil because it's great but I have to modify the files after XCuSetup to implement my ideas.

Edited September 22, 2006 by dagorkan

[Hobbes]

XcomUtil makes its own changes to obdata and english.dat if i am not mistaken (check the XComUtil.cfg file for more details on what is changed, depending on the choices you make while running Xcusetup). That might be the reason why it does not start.

[dagorkan]

I got it to start in the end. Loaded it up and the weapon stats were changed. But when I quit and reloaded they were back to normal... good thing I kept a copy, I'll just unzip the changed files before each game.

 

By the way, just tried out your City map, it's a great improvement! Made any progress with Area 51?

Edited September 22, 2006 by dagorkan

[Hobbes]

  dagorkan said:

I got it to start in the end. Loaded it up and the weapon stats were changed. But when I quit and reloaded they were back to normal... good thing I kept a copy, I'll just unzip the changed files before each game.

 

By the way, just tried out your City map, it's a great improvement! Made any progress with Area 51?

 

City2 would be even better if XComUtil used it when generating Terror Site terrains and properly added the roads. Area51 is simply too much work right now, plus it is impossible to set it as the version for UFO2000 because of the graphics limits.