3 - Intermediate Creating a Standalone Game and Editor

[moonsense715]

Author: moonsense715, Oblivion165, cnc95fan

Skill level: 3

 

 

This tutorial will show you how you can create your own custom, standalone W3D game and a Level Editor tied to it.

 

 

1. The game

Before you can make your game and its own editor, I highly recommend basing it off of something.

 

So firstly, make sure you have a W3D game downloaded (e.g. using the launcher).

Make a copy of the game's entire folder, where game.exe is sitting. Now you have a duplicate of your reference game.

 

Find the paths.ini file in your copied game's Data folder. If there is none, either extract it from always.dat (using Xcc Mixer or RenegadeEx), or create a new file, with the following content:

[paths]
RegBase=W3D Hub
RegClient=games\tsr-release
RegFDS=games\tsr-release-server
FileBase=W3D Hub
FileClient=games\tsr-release
FileFDS=games\tsr-release-server
UseRenFolder=false

RegBase/FileBase is the folder's name in your Documents folder (e.g. the developer or company name), and RegClient/FileClient is the subfolder with your game's name.

Change all the folder names to match your game. Then save it as paths.ini.

 

If you go ingame and hit Print Screen to create a screenshot, it should now be saved under \Your documents\Your specified subfolder\Screenshots folder.

 

Your standalone game is done, but of course you will want to fill it with your own content. And for that you will need your custom Level Editor.

 

 

2. The editor

If you do not have it yet, download the editor that is designed for your reference game from here. Otherwise, copy your LevelEdit folder.

 

At the moment, your copied editor is tied to the reference game. You need to hex edit your LE to have its registry key point to your new game.

Download the HEX editor XVI32 and open your LevelEdit.exe with it.

Now search for InstallPath in non case-sensitive mode. The Reborn Editor for example, has it's reg path under W3D Hub\TS-Reborn.

You need to REPLACE (CTRL + R or Search -> Replace) TS-Reborn (or whatever is there) with your own game tools' name that you choose. For example you can use MyGame-LE. Make sure this name is max 11 characters long.

Don't forget to replace W3D Hub or whatever is before \your-game-name, with your own studio name.

 

Save the edited LevelEdit.exe, your job here is complete.

Now just drag and drop LevelEdit.exe onto leveledit_path.exe (don't have it? Get it from here), choose your game's folder where game.exe is sitting and boom! You have your Editor set up!

 

 

For older W3D games where paths.ini does not exist or work at all, the tutorial for how to make your custom game and editor is below.

 

 

Oblivion165 version

This tutorial is designed to help you make your own custom Game.exe and LevelEdit.exe for your mod.

This will allow you to use your own Leveledit that reads off your own always.dat snd a Game.exe that will run under its own settings, not off of renegades.

 

All you will need a HexEditor and these executables Custom Exe`s, I HIGHLY suggest that you use UltraEdit, im quite fond of it. (or HEX editor XVI32)

Remember that your Company11/Company2 for your Game.exe and Leveledit.exe MUST be the same.

 

 

Game.exe Changes

 

All changes are restricted to their original lengths. So if its 3 characters long, it must remain 3 characters long.

Open Game.exe in your HexEditor.

Company2 - Change to something similar to your Mod name, (HAS to be 8 characters long. No exceptions!) Ex: "ANewHope";)

 

Just hit Replace all

 

Optional Changes

C&C - Change to another name such as "ANH" Example: "ANH_Torment.Mix"

Mix - Load all the maps under a different Extension. Example: "C&C_Torment.ANH"

Pkg - Same as Mix, you get the idea

Dat - Same

 

 

LevelEdit.exe Changes

 

All changes are restricted to their original lengths. So if its 3 characters long, it must remain 3 characters long.

Company11 - Change to your Team Name (HAS to be 9 characters long. No exceptions!) Ex: "RANewHope"

Company2 - Change to the Name you used in Game.exe

 

Just hit Replace all

 

Just hit Replace all

 

Optional Changes

C&C - Change to another name such as "ANH" Example: "ANH_Torment.Mix"

Mix - Export all the maps under a different Extension. Example: "C&C_Torment.ANH"

Pkg - Same as Mix, you get the idea

Dat - Same

 

Your LevelEdits RegKey:

RegKey Templete (Use notepad to edit)

 

If you have VisualBasic 6.0 then you can Use my RegKey generator Below. Or you can contact me and ill compile you one myself.

 

 

KeyGen Changes

 

Ive included the SourceCode to my keygen i made for Renagade: A New Hope. Its made in VB 6.0, and your free to use it.

RegKey Source

Ive included the list below, for easy Find/Replace. Simply goto your Find/Replace window, and change the word list below, to what you need.

It is VERY important that you use the EXACT same name for Company11 and Company2 as you did in your LevelEdit.exe

 

Things to Change:

dont include quotes in ANY of these replacements.

 

GameNM - Change to your mod name like "BeastWars"

GameNMURL - Change to your mods Full Url "Http://www.Etc.com"

Company11 - Change to your Team Name (HAS to be 9 characters long. No exceptions!) Ex: "RANewHope"

Company2 - Change to something similar as Company11, (HAS to be 8 characters long. No exceptions!) Ex: "ANewHope";)

 

This requires the Visual Basic Runtimes from Microsoft. Download Here

Its a small 1mb download. you will have to include this installer if you want others to be able to use your keygen. (If you release the PublicTools)

 

 

cnc95fan version

 

Hi all, in this tutorial, I will show you the basics of setting up a mod. The next few "parts" will go into more depth and advanced stuff, but this tutorial is to show you how to prepare for the advanced stuff. Without preparing, your mod will be all over the place and unorganised.

 

I will base this tutorial from the Battle For Dune mod .

 

First, you must make a copy of your Renegade folder. It is best to set up a new folder for your mod, but I'll put it in the EA Games directory for this tutorial.

 

You must do the same with your Level Edit folder.

Once these files are copied over, you must delete the following from the RENEGADE folder, nothing is deleted from the Level Edit folder...: In the Data folder in renegade, Delete "Always.dat, Always2.dat ALL .mix files".

 

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

Coustom tools:

Start by downloading the HEX editor XVI32 from http://www.handshake.de/user/chmaas/delphi...d/xvi32_221.zip

Open this program, find where your Level Edit.exe file is and open it.

Click "search" and then "Replace". You will be presented with something like this....

 

Replace "BFDTools" with your own coustom name, provided it is no less and no more then 8 letters long.

Save that LE.exe and click start > Run > regedit.

You will be presneted with the Registry Editor.

Go to HKEY_Local_Machine > Software > Westwood. Right click Westwood and click New, then Key. Name it to the name you gave your Level Edit in the HEX editor, mine was "BFDTools".

Right click the name.. "BFDTools" and click New > String.

Call it "InstallPath" (without the quotes) and click OK.

Then right click install path, and click Modify. Point it to your Mods directory. For example, mine is in C:Program FilesFinal Warriors ProductionsBattle For DuneBFD.exe.

 

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

Building a basic build to work from.

Using your NORMAL Level Edit, not the one you modified, create a new mod package. Call it "Always" and click ok.

Then click File > Export Mod Package.

Make sure this exports to your mods directory, and not the Renegade directory.

 

This will work as your basic client. Although nearly everything in always.dat has to be replaced, you need your coustom Level Edit to open some sort of Always.dat.

The method of exporting always.dat is used to build your own always.dat.

That's all for the first part of this set of tutorials.