Skirmish modding - official guide

[Instinct]

Skirmish modding - official guide
Updated: 10th March 2011

Introduction
This is a guide to help you modding the skirmish missions. Skirmish has been designed to be very flexible, customizable and modding friendly. You can do pretty much everything with it, just get started!



Getting started
Step 1
Find the skirmish maps in "Men of War Assault Squad/resource/map.pak"

Step 2
Open the file with archiver, like 7zip or WinRar.
Find the missions in the singe folder.

Step 3
Create a mod by downloading this file. Create a folder in "Men of War Assault Squad/mods/" with the name "Your Mod" and put the mod.info file inside. If you want to change the folder name, open the mod.info with a text editor and adjust it. Mod name in the info file and the folder name must be identical.

Step 4
Copy the map files you want to edit into your mod folder. Keep paths identical.
Don't change any game files outside your mod folder, otherwise you will corrupt your game.

Step 5
Activate your mod in your game and start the editor. Modded files will be displayed in cyan.


Basic editing
All units are saved in the "unit.mi" file of your skirmish map folder, all skirmish scripts in the "script.mi" file. The "0.mi" combines both files. To adjust each of the files, open them in a text editor and remove the ";" at the beginning and at the end of each file and save, once you are done editing add them again and save once more. Don't edit the "0.mi" file and don't do changes while loading it, otherwise all mission data will be stored in the "0.mi" making it very hard for you to patch your skirmishes.

press F2 for the map editor
press F3 for the mission editor
press F3 + F9 for the mission settings
press ESC to load map/mission


Changing flag points
You can change flag points as you wish and place them on a map like you want, you can also add and remove some, but this will require changes in the script. To simply move them press F2 and move the flag indication on the map file to a new spot (see the stamp below the flags) and save. Than load the units.mi and move the flag and defences to the new location, after that load up the script.mi and move the 2 zones belonging to the flag to the same spot. Flag points are changed!



FAQ

Q: Is it possible to enable the multiplayer buy menu to skirmish?
Yes, but only if you play via LAN or Internet. Move your skirmish map to multi map folder, rename the 0.mi into combat.mi and place some spawnpoints for the players (see multiplayer combat.mi files as reference). After that disable all skirmish menus by holding ctrl and clicking on the menu triggers in the editor. You will need to change the win condition and flag capture condition to make them function with the spawned units as they don't carry a tag. The game automatically assigns unused players to multiplayer users. 0-3 player is assigned by the skirmish, so the next one will be the host.

[djsatane]

Small question about player waypoints in the skirmish. I noticed that every armor, support and soldier have a waypoint placed behind the playerbase flag(i think its like 20 of them). When I add extra tank for example, and properly add a trigger to call it in game, is it ok to use one of the 20 already created player waypoints for it? Or should I create new waypoint for each soldier/vehicle I add?

[prowlinger]

Q: Is it possible to enable the multiplayer buy menu to skirmish?
Yes, but only if you play via LAN or Internet. Move your skirmish map to multi map folder, rename the 0.mi into combat.mi and place some spawnpoints for the players (see multiplayer combat.mi files as reference). After that disable all skirmish menus by holding ctrl and clicking on the menu triggers in the editor. You will need to change the win condition and flag capture condition to make them function with the spawned units as they don't carry a tag. The game automatically assigns unused players to multiplayer users. 0-3 player is assigned by the skirmish, so the next one will be the host.

Is this something you can fix or enable for the future? Many people including myself, cannot play multiplayer
atm... It would be very nice to have the extended option of using full MP menus for skirmish play...

[alex0809]

You can also start over LAN (alone).

[Instinct]

djsatane,
you need to create a new waypoint for every type of reinforcement to avoid units going all to the same spot (the one you have sent the last call-in to).

[Vandaley9000]

Would some pls be kind enough to upload a mod that allows multiplayer buy menu in skirmish as said above. Even with those instructions I can't get anything done in editor. I would rly like to play German skirmish maps with all multiplayer units availible.

[UsF]

Q: Is it possible to enable the multiplayer buy menu to skirmish?
Yes, but only if you play via LAN or Internet. Move your skirmish map to multi map folder, rename the 0.mi into combat.mi and place some spawnpoints for the players (see multiplayer combat.mi files as reference). After that disable all skirmish menus by holding ctrl and clicking on the menu triggers in the editor. You will need to change the win condition and flag capture condition to make them function with the spawned units as they don't carry a tag. The game automatically assigns unused players to multiplayer users. 0-3 player is assigned by the skirmish, so the next one will be the host.

Wow, does that mean we get the options to set starting resources in the options of the game too? If not, how many resources are there available for the player? I would love to play with all available tanks while being able to set the resources myself (playing on Heroic with a decent amount of resources, slugging it out with the AI). I do not understand how this is linked, I mean do the capture points then still add a trickle modifier to your score or are they just there for winning?

I would really like the mp buy menu with all its vehicles in game. Sounds like good times are ahead. :booyah:

I think you should've gone with that option right from the start. People would probably be intelligent enough to get on a LAN session and host a game for themself.

[Vandaley9000]

Can a more detailed instructions be posted on how to enable multiplayer buy menu in skirmish.

[Sryan]

hey Instinct, I tried to follow your instructions on allowing the MP unit menu in skirmishes games, but I keep stumbling on this error



do you know of a fix or perhaps you could ellaborate on how exactly you allow the mp menu, like a screenshot guide?

thanks for any help in advance

[Instinct]

I mean do the capture points then still add a trickle modifier to your score or are they just there for winning?

They will only work as win conditions.

do you know of a fix or perhaps you could ellaborate on how exactly you allow the mp menu, like a screenshot guide?

You need to place spawn points first, like in a combat.mi file from regular multiplayer missions.