Some questions about modding...

[94Connor949]

I'm making my own Spore mod, for personal use, and I've already figured out how to do most of what I wanted. But I'm still pretty new at Modding, and there's a few things that I just don't know how to do. I'd like some help, and I figure there's no harm in asking.

So, how do I...

... Recover a Mod?
I can never seem to finish this mod entirely, at least not with all the modifications together. For one reason or another, Sporemaster gets closed-out, and I lose all my hard work. It's very annoying, because then I have to start over.

But after I lose my work, I can see a file with my mod's name on it, and with the modded files inside, but I can't unpack them with Sporemaster because they're not .package files. To me, it looks like my mod is still there, but its just not repacked.

I'd hate to have to start over again each time I lose my work, so is there a way to recover my mod if I lose it again?


... Make/Add Custom Space Tool Icons?
I've already figured-out that how to change existing space-stage tools into to "new" ones*, by removing <key name="spaceToolUpgradeFile" instanceid="[previous_tool_name]" typeid="prop" />, then altering them so each becomes unique (though the "level3" weapons weren't changed much). Now that they're each their own abilities, I would like them all to have their own icons. But how to I give them custom icons? And what should I use to make the icons?


... "Create" New Tools?
I have asked in the past about making new tools, as well as searched the forums, and I am given to understand that the only real way to do that is to make them from existing tools. Although I can change existing tools into unique tools, as mentioned before, I don't know how to make an actual new ability from another. For example, 'The Epic Missile', I know from including this in my mod that it's an altered Bomb weapon, but its not a replacement, all three Bombs still exist as they were. So how do I do that sort of tool "creation"?

(Also, I'd like to have as many tools/abilities as I can in my mod, so where can I find more tools? I know they exist, but couldn't find many, and the ones I did find were just replacements for existing tools, or they did more than just add tools. If I try to include anything else it might mess-up my mod, so I'd like to have the tools/abilities by themselves if possible. I suppose I could separate them out if I needed to, so long as the mod wasn't too complicated.)


... Rename Cheat Commands?
In my mod, the "spacecreate" cheat unlocks all tools/abilities in space stage, so I would like the cheat to be renamed "spaceUnlockAll". Also, the "moremoney" cheat gives §99,999,999 sporebucks (inspired by but not derived from Davo's "99Millie" mod), so I would like to rename the cheat "maxmoney". But, can I even modify cheat commands? If so, how?


... Edit Communication Text?
I want to edit some of the space-stage communication text, I have found the locale files that contain them, but they say this:

Code: Select all

# WARNING: This is a conversation string table. It is auto-generated.
# Any change you would do in this file will be overwritten by the script.
# If you need to modify any of the text, please modify the file with the same name under
#   Data\GameplayConfig\SpaceGame\SpaceConversations\.
# That file has the same name but different (.cnv) extension.

So when I go to those files with the .cnv extension, they all look like random strings of text, and I don't know where to even begin editing them. So how do I modify the communication text when I can't even read it?



I really hope someone can help me with at least a few of these things. Thanks in advance, any help is appreciated.

[Davo]

if you were working on a mod in sporemaster and you closed it without packing it or it crasdhes... recreating the mod with the same name reopens the files you had.

a quick google search will show you how to make the tools, i will try to get a tutorial up here soon.

and i havent done anything else you have requested.

[94Connor949]

Okay, thanks Davo.