Custom Campaigns \ Missions Add-on Support

[TommyCD1]

Very excited to finally release this to the public.

This mod will allow you to very easily install custom campaigns, as well as custom missions. It also adds the Special Operations and Intelligence Files for your gaming enjoyment, it does not require the replacement of any ingame buttons or save data, and it even has some exclusive extra features!

Download link

Extract to your Army Men RTS root directory.

This mod should not conflict with online play whatsoever. The mod will replace the base.x, shell.x, and ingame.x archives. However, only the absolute necessary files where changed where needed, otherwise new files were created entirely. This should ensure complete compatibility with any mods that install over the vanilla game. Also, since no mission files are required to be replaced, this also means this mod is fully compatible with any mods that modify the single player maps, such as my Play as Tan in Single Player mod.

Custom Campaigns + Missions
========================================
After installing this mod, you'll find the Campaign button on the main menu to be replaced with a new "Campaigns" button.


Clicking this button will bring up a submenu with several options, including the vanilla story mode campaign, Great Battles, and Special Operations. You'll also see two brand new buttons: 'Custom Campaign' and 'Custom Mission'.


The 'Custom Campaign' button will open the following window. Everything has been designed to be as seamless as possible for the end-user, so right away from launching the game, you'll be able to select a mission and start playing!


There is also a 'Custom Missions' button as well. Custom missions can be very easily installed by simply placing the .x file into a specific directory, which will allow you to select one from the list. Just like installing a multiplayer map.


Special Operations + Intelligence Files
========================================
The Special Operations from the PlayStation 2 and GameCube versions of the game are also included! Earning medals in these missions as well as the main story mode will unlock Intelligence Files, which can be accessed from the main menu as well.


Special Operations are unlocked in the same way as you unlock Great Battles missions; that is, earning medals in the main story mode will progressively unlock them. Information for the individual missions can be found inside the spoilers.

Midnight Snack

Take control of Bullseye as he rescues Shrap, Riff, and Vikki in order to destroy the tan base.

Lord of the Ants

Control the ants as they steal their food back from the tan.

Sandy Breach

Using Bravo company, you must destroy towers for reinforcements to arrive. Then you will storm the tan base.

This Old Fortress

You must destroy the tan HQ's using only dumdums.

Road Block

Stop all tan convoy trucks from getting through.

Tan Some Hide

Use your units to wipe out all tan on the map.

Hostage Situation

Control Bravo Company and a medic to rescue the Villagers, then lead them to the extraction point.

Blastoff!

Build a base and defend the model rocket until it launches.

The Intelligence Files interface is now better than ever! Custom interface art has been created for it, and it has better functionality then before. You can click the arrows in the top right to change pages, and click on individual icons to select them directly. Of course, you can still use the arrow keys to navigate as before. There are also a bunch of new voice lines and sound effects from the main story missions or from general gameplay, and on top of all that, I've also grabbed these files in several different languages! Intelligence Files are of course unlocked from earning medals.


Miscellanea
====================
There's a special reward also from the console versions for anyone who earns all the gold medals! I also took the liberty of updating the credits to include the staff who worked on both the PlayStation 2 and GameCube versions of the game.

Unlike previous mods, deleting your save data is not necessary before installing this mod. However, if you already have medals earned before installing this mod, then you will need to re-earn those medals a second time to unlock the new rewards included with this mod, those being the Special Operations and Intelligence Files. Alternatively, you can use this save file I've created for you, which has all gold medals earned in the main story mode and Great Battles. The Special Operations remain unplayed, so you can experience them fresh!

user.zip

(1.93 KiB) Downloaded 407 times

user.zip

(1.93 KiB) Downloaded 407 times

Installing custom campaigns is easy. Once the mod has been installed, you'll find a new file in your game's directory called settings_custom.cfg. It will look like this.

Code: Select all

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//
// Thomas 'TommyCD1' Tallon
//
// Pandemic Studios
//

// This tells the game which directory to look at for the currently selected custom campaign. All you need to modify is the folder name.
// Each campaign will be in their own unique folder, so simply copy that folder name and replace 'Custom' with it to select it.
Exec("missions\Custom\settings.cfg");

As you can see, by default, it is pointing to the folder named 'Custom'. Therefore, to change which folder this points to, you simply need to change the word 'Custom' in the settings file.

For example, let's say you have a custom campaign installed and the folder it uses is called "Awesome Campaign (by Joe)"


Well, in this case, you would replace the 'Custom' with 'Awesome Campaign (by Joe)' so your settings file would look like this.

Code: Select all

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//
// Thomas 'TommyCD1' Tallon
//
// Pandemic Studios
//

// This tells the game which directory to look at for the currently selected custom campaign. All you need to modify is the folder name.
// Each campaign will be in their own unique folder, so simply copy that folder name and replace 'Custom' with it to select it.
Exec("missions\Awesome Campaign (by Joe)\settings.cfg");

And that's it! Assuming the campaign author has set up things correctly on their end, you will now be able to launch the game and play Joe's awesome custom campaign!

Installing custom missions is even easier. Custom missions simply need to be installed to the 'user' folder in your missions folder. If you've installed a multiplayer map, this is the same deal. Custom missions do not even need to be converted to be compatible with this mod, you can play any existing custom missions as is, although there are some nice features you'll miss out on if you don't.

Information for map makers
====================
Included with the install is a short three map demonstration campaign that I have created. By going into to Custom folder, you'll have access to the three .x files of the maps. By extracting these files, you'll find the .cfg files to be thoroughly commentated. As well, there will be several readme files located not only within those mission files, but also within the newly created directories themselves. Hopefully these will contain the necessary information to help you build any custom campaigns and/or missions in order to take full advantage of the useful tools I have provided with this mod.

Of course, this will assume you are already competent at creating your own functional maps to begin with. If not, then there's plenty of useful information here or around, or if nothing else, should be in the coming future...

In either case, there is a specific .cfg file that you can include in your mission that will take advantage of the fact that I've added support for custom medal goals. That file can be found below, if that is all you are looking for.

custom_exec.zip

(674 Bytes) Downloaded 293 times

custom_exec.zip

(674 Bytes) Downloaded 293 times

Special thanks to Traffic_Accident for creating the convoy truck model!

[dmarijan]

Works great, thanks !

[Secg]

Greetings, TommyCD1

I've been incorporating elements from this wonderful mod of yours into my Heroic 1.1 mod (& I sincerely intend to fully credit you). However, when painstakingly going through the zip intelligence.x and the extracted intelligence.cfg I found out that there were only 95 unlockable intelligence files (including the concept arts) and the one for the mine is conspicuously missing.

As for myself, I can definitely code the relevant stuffs for the Mine in.

EDIT:

Code: Select all

Add("#game.types.army.building.mine")
{
  //Unlocked();
  Mesh("army_mine.god")
  {
    ZoomMin(1.1);
  }
  Sounds()
  {
    Effect("mine-construct.wav");
    Effect("mine_spotted.wav");
  }
}

Still, I inform you TommyCD1 about the possible issue.

Thanks & regards,

Secg

[TommyCD1]

This is intentional. The Intelligence Files are ported over directly from the PS2 version, and in both the PS2 version and the GameCube versions of the game, the mine does not have an intelligence file.

I didn't add or remove any intel files, only added sounds to files which previously only had a few select ones, since the PC version caches sound files different from console ports, allowing more flexibility.

You of course may change intel files, or even add custom ones if you like.

GameCube Intel files


Unfortunately the video reference I was using of the PS2 version seems to have been removed, or at least I can't find it anymore, but I could record video of it myself if need be...

[Secg]

Turns out I miscounted.

There are exactly 96 Intelligence files; I missed the Pillbox.

[DreadedGhoul575]

About the user file you added.

Since I have all the golds already, how do I install yours with the gold medals?

Since I tried in the mission files (with user in it) and it didn't work.
Not sure where to put it.

Since I would like to play the Operation Missions.

[TommyCD1]

The user data download on the main post is a .zip file, and it can be installed as all of my mods can be: extract to the game's main directory.

Specifically, game progress is stored in the file data.cfg which is located in the ../user/ folder of the game.

Alternatively, If you copied your old save data over, you should be able to play a single mission to completion (not failure) and the game should unlock everything you would've earned with your current earned medals all at once. AFAIK that is, It's better to use the save data I provided on the post.

[DreadedGhoul575]

Ah ok, so just play and complete one mission and it should consider everything?

Edit: Yep, it did work, thanks!