Battle of Empires : 1914-1918

Battle of Empires : 1914-1918

40 ratings
Using Editor and Workshop. Instruction
By Julia_BW
If you have experience working with the Gem2 editor and developed mods for "Men of War" series, please note that the file structure has changed, the “mods” folder disappeared, adding your mod to the game just got easier!
   
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Basic principes
Game resources consist of two parts:
  • basic resources (folder resource/)
  • and packages (folder packages/).
There are several types of packages:
  • Steam DLC. Commercial package. Can be purchased separately or with other DLC.
  • Regular. The package, which comes with the game or DLC. Manufactured by Best Way.
  • Workshop Item. Package published in Steam Workshop.
  • Raw package. Just created new package. Yet not published.
In the game folder located only basic resources, DLC and regular packages.
Workshop Items located in folder defined by Steam.
Your working packages (Raw or Workshops) are stored in a separate folder - Working Folder Editor. By default, this folder packages/ in the game profile (i.e. documents\my games\battle of empires\packages\). You can specify any folder except game folder.




Note! In any case, the game folder is not modified, except as updates via Steam. Do not add any files to the game folder!

Installed packages displayed and can be managed in Options -> Packages.
Briefly "How to add a new map and mission to the game"
1.Create your map
2.Open the "Settings\Package" tab in the game and create new package
3.Move your map to the new package, add it into the .info file
if your mod use ww1-set then
{dependency "41e706a0-4047-42e0-810d-02f721d569bd"}
if ww2-set then
{dependency "a3765f2e-d0bb-4303-aa69-713e60c8557d"}
{dependency "8dc3ce70-7634-42f6-89be-cd2ff857db08"}
there as well.
4.Open the "Settings\Package" tab in the game, find your package and press "Publish" button.

In the text below you will find detailed information, so you can sort things out on how to create and publish your own mod.
Working in Editor
When working in Gem2 Editors for all new files automatically created Raw package “Editor local changes”. Then you can transfer the changes to the appropriate package. When modifying files game determines their current physical location. I.e. when you create a new map it files appear in the package "Editor local changes". If you will transfer them into your package "My maps" and continue to work, any changes to the card or missions it will be saved in your folder "My maps".
"Master Workshop first level" or "How to add a new map and mission in the game?"
Creating new maps and missions.
Start the editor. Create a new map. Create a file of the mission. Your new map is in your working folder. For example, I've got my "games \ battle of empires \ packages \ editor-local-changes"

Creating mod package
Start the game, go to the settings of tab "Packages". Under the list of packages find the "Create" button. Specify the name of the package. Select it in the list (in the window below the description of the path to the package will appear), mark the package with the checkbox and click "Apply". Close the game.

Transfering of new mods and resources into the package
Open the folder with the newly created package in Windows Explorer. Drag the folder to the new map (s) in the package folder, preserving the file structure.

In the root folder, add an image for the cover of the package (the name of the image - preview.jpg, size 512x512)

Setting up the .info file
Make sure that the settings in the .info file spelled correctly.
  • id - the unique ID of the packet is generated automatically when you click the "Create" button on the Packages tab in the Settings item from the Main Menu
  • legacy_id - When you click on the "Publish"
  • name - name of the package
  • author - the author of the package
  • order - the order in the list of packages. The default is 0.
  • default_disabled - Package will be disabled by default, until the player will not use it. For all mods it is recommended to set this parameter.
  • dependency - dependence on existing packages. The unit can be used repeatedly to set the priority of the connection of the package for the correct mod working. For mod used as starting parameters of the original game, you must register dependence BOE1914-basic.
Exsample .info code:

{id "341990"}
{dependency "41e706a0-4047-42e0-810d-02f721d569bd"}
{author "(C) 2012-2015, Great War Team"}


in the file .info (in folder with your mod package) you need to enter the dependency on one of the sets of units (ww1-set or ww2-set)
if ww1-set then
{dependency "41e706a0-4047-42e0-810d-02f721d569bd"}
if ww2-set then
{dependency "a3765f2e-d0bb-4303-aa69-713e60c8557d"}
{dependency "8dc3ce70-7634-42f6-89be-cd2ff857db08"}

Test your mod
Start the game, go to the "package" tab, make sure that the package is connected. Create a session on your map. It works? Then go to step 6.

Publishing the mod into Workshop
Start the game, the menu item "Settings", tab "Packages".
Select the name of your package in the list. Click "Publish". - Your mod is added to WorkShop and marked as invisible. Link to this page of mod shown in the description under the list of packages. To go to the page of your mod, choose your mod from the list of packages and click "Workshop". Setting presentable look can be set through the WorkShop tools.

Updating mod in the Workshop
At any time you can update your mod with new files, working with mod’s folder in the Working folder of Editor. After the end of developing and testing, please start the game, go to Settings \ Packages choose your package in the package list, and then click "Update" and update of your package will be published in the Workshop.

You can use simple_package for the creation own mp-maps
Master Workshop advanced level, or How to create a balanced mod?
Creating a Package
Create a package for your mod(in the "Packages" tab from the "Settings" main menu.

Make .info file settings
default_disabled
dependency - dependence on existing packages. The unit can be used repeatedly to set the priority of the connection of packages for the correct mode work. To make mod use parameters of the original game as a source, you must register dependency of the BOE1914-basic package.
If you developing a mod on an existing mod, then enter id of this mod in the dependency graph.
If correct operation of your mod requires few other mods to be connected, please make a list of a few lines with the parameter dependency in the order in which you want to connect the basic mods for correct operation of your mod. For example, your mod requires A, F, C, D mods to be connected...then you must specify all of these mods in the file in the order in which they must be connected:

{dependency “Id[A]”}
{dependency “Id[D]”}
{dependency “Id[C]”}
{dependency “Id[F]”}


delete_global - here the list of resources that should be ignored by the game when you activate resources from the “global” folder is setting.
delete_scene - here the list of resources that should be ignored by the game when you activate resources from the “scene” folder is setting.
always_activate_scene - write this option if your mod does not have special maps that should work with changed parameters of objects from the “scene” folder. By default, the files from the “scene” folder are loaded only when you create a session on the maps of the current package. Recommended for mod to make your own maps, so mod would not conflict with the original resources and players do not have to turn off the original maps to play your mod. In the presence of your own maps in the package option always_activate_scene is not needed to be written.
always_activate_global - needed to create a balanced mods that modify the original game. The files from the folder will influence globally on the entire game.

Mod creation
Transfer all the files that you want to change to a folder of your package. Observe the file structure.

http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/316430/manuals/Moder%60s_bible.pdf?t=1423494787

Do not forget to put in the root folder package image for the cover of your mod(preview.jpg, size 512x512)

Publish
your mode by clicking the "Publish" button on the Packages tab
New in 1.5
Note that in version 1.5 the rules of work with the registry files have changed (with the extension .reg).

Before it was like this
Game engine loaded only /set/registry.reg
Everything else (from the folder / set / registry and not only) had to be explicitly added to /set/registry.reg through directive (include ...)

How it works now in version 1.5.
The engine finds and loads all the files with the extension .reg. And each file is loaded into the registry root. As a result, registry files are split into two disjoint groups: those that relate to the scene, are in /set/registry, and those that are to the interface - in /interface/registry. But this is just a convention.


What it gives?
Now you can create your own mystuff.reg files in your mods and packgages and the game will see them with no problems.
17 Comments
Tanimal 1 May, 2024 @ 2:48pm 
how do you add water in the editor, Im too stupid to figure it out
redplane2099 23 Oct, 2021 @ 11:17am 
if anybody is reading this, you need to buy at least 1 campaign to unlock the editor, and the BOE airborne mod guide has useful tips at the bottom for the editor.
Vagandy19 3 Jan, 2020 @ 7:59am 
i get red numbers above every interactive object.. ie: units, machines, trenches, objects....
no maps shows up in editor except mod map. when i press start on editor mode, most units run and keep running until disappear off of the map. game is entirely not playable at all. tried un- and re-installing. tried different pcs on same account,dissabled every mod and dlc individually to no success, please help/
I LOVE ♥♥♥♥! 25 Jan, 2017 @ 6:03pm 
Hello. when I press W for too long, this wierd pop-up comes up. Im not sure how to disable it. any help?
Veliki Čungus 17 May, 2016 @ 2:39pm 
Yes exactly, I also wish to know how to create a sound mod without it conflicting with the ww1 package.
What I did was just copy over all the content from ww1 package to my package so as to create a new ww1 package but it was my package with my sounds. The issue arose when I fired a weapon in the editor when I went to test it. The game just froze and I had to reset my computer.
Any help is greaty appreciated.
OriginalDan 20 Jan, 2016 @ 6:18am 
I tried making a sound mod but since its in the global.pak file i can't load it over the default ww1 package and it just gives me an error.

how do i go about replacing just soundfiles? without causing a conflict with the base ww1 package?
Yurov 12 Nov, 2015 @ 9:06am 
Are you stupid one button you cant put it for download!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:steamfacepalm:
Yurov 12 Nov, 2015 @ 9:04am 
Where is the fucking button for download in "BoE Editor" page?????????
Yurov 12 Nov, 2015 @ 9:02am 
Where i can download this editor????????????????? Where!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SolusGaming (Alphonse12) 18 Oct, 2015 @ 2:29pm 
how would one add a map from Men of War into this game?