Tutorial: Successfully replace in-game cells using NPC Cell Replacer mod

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SaucySporez
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Tutorial: Successfully replace in-game cells using NPC Cell Replacer mod

Unread post by SaucySporez »

Hello all, so as this is my first ever post on the forum, I have to thank you for the awesome mods that made me boot up and re-evaluate this game after... 6 years I guess? I don't even know how much it's been haha...

Anyways I recently made a little pack of cells for replacing the in-game ones using Davo's NPC Cell Replacer Mod.
I've seen a thread about an incoming (well, as of now it was incoming) realistic cell replacement project, that ended up dead for the author couldn't replace the Maxis models properly.
Since I've got mine to work, I might as well contribute for this issue and show how to make your cells replace and work properly in-game.
I don't know if this has already been solved on the website but I hope this will help someone.

Don't be scared seeing how long I made this look, the solution is actually really easy and is described at the end of the post.
I just like being exhaustive.

First off I recommend you back up the default Maxis cells, more importantly if you want to replace only some of the cells with yours, or re-install the default cells.

>To do so, navigate to your Spore Data folder and copy the Spore_Content.package to a directory of your choice.
>You need to have SporeMaster. If you have your PC set up in a language different than English, you need to change the system decimal floating point type to "." , google it.
>Next, open Sporemaster and unpack the copied Spore_Content.package. If you haven't already, look up these tutorials for a preview of what you'll need to know and to do later (viewtopic.php?f=119&t=5341).
>Also download the mod from there.

>After successfully unpacking the file, using file explorer (not Sporemaster) navigate to the #40616200 folder and backup somewhere safe ALL the files in there if your game was installed in English, or only the *.#0F43029A, *.png, *.bem and *.pollen_metadata files of all cells if your game was installed in another language. If you're unsure, backup the files using the latter method, also make sure you copy all and only the files with those extensions.

Now you've saved somewhere the files of the default Maxis Cells, in case you want to remove your custom cells.
If you want to replace only some of the cells in-game, follow this next points:

>Open SporeMaster again and unpack the downloaded NPC_Cell_Replacer_V1.package. With file explorer navigate to the #40616200 folder of the mod and paste there all the default Maxis Cell files you've backed up before. If something doesn't work later in the game, try unpacking another clean copy of the NPC Cell Replacer mod and pasting there only the files with the extensions listed before. Of course in both cases overwrite the old files when asked.

Now the NPC Cell Replacer Mod contains all the default game cells. At this point you might want to backup the unpacked mod folder you've just modified for when you want to remove your cells.

You should now follow the tutorials in the link above to create your cells
>Navigate to their files from the EditorSaves.package file, unpacked using SporeMaster.
>Basically copy the *.#0F43029A, *.png, *.bem and *.pollen_metadata files of your cells from the unpacked EditorSaves, and for each cell change the name of every file that composes it with the name of the file of the Maxis cell you want to replace. If you want to know which coded name represents each cell, look up the png files.

>I advice replacing your cells with those in-game of similar behaviuor and parts: for example, replace only Buzzy or Needle Buzzy with your cell that has those electric... things. If you for instance replace, say, Turbo with your electric cell, the duration of the electric charge will be infinite, as that original cell wasn't supposed to have electricity like Buzzy or Needle Buzzy do, thus not regulating the ON/OFF cycles for the shocks and making the cell basically OP (I tried it and it was impossible even getting near the cell without dying).
So replace the cells wisely based on what fits in terms of parts and what not. Of course, more flagella, jets, mouths or spikes than the original cell has, even if it doesn't have those parts at all, is good. Be careful with Electric, Poison and maybe the diet of the cell.

After doing that, your (unpacked) mod is now ready. Backup if you want.

Now the fun part comes.

>Pack the just-finished mod with SporeMaster.
>Copy the .package packed mod to your Data folder.
>Open Spore.
>Go to your Sporepedia and see how all the cells are messed up bad.
This is the problem we need to fix.

The solution is: close Spore, simply navigate to %appdata%\Roaming\Spore\ and delete the GraphicsCache.package file.
That's it. Sorry for having written this much just for such a dumb fix lmao. :)

Anyway when you re-open Spore you will now see that all the cells are now fixed and working. The ones you've replaced have the right models and the Maxis ones (if you've left some of them) are untouched. You might want to change the display name of your cells also following the above tutorials.

If you want to remove your cells from the cell stage and re-install the default ones, close spore, open SporeMaster and pack the unpacked mod folder you've made before containing only the default cell files. Overwrite the packed mod file with the one in your Data folder.
Re-open Spore, go to the Sporepedia and close the game. Delete the GraphicsCache file again.


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vanillacold
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Re: Tutorial: Successfully replace in-game cells using NPC Cell Replacer mod

Unread post by vanillacold »

SaucySporez wrote:You need to have SporeMaster.
SporeMaster is an old, depricated software. It can't fully unpack Spore's base-game packages (it encounters errors which cause it to stop unpacking) and it doesn't have as many features as Sporemodder FX.

SporeModder FX has way more features, such as a model viewer, the ability to unpack Spore's base-game packages without errors, an SPUI editor and more.
I highly suggest that you change this guide so that it uses SporeModder FX instead of SporeMaster.
Hello there! I'm a random guy who sometimes does *slightly* smart stuff. I do a lot of random Spore shenanigans, too.

Feel free to build off my open-source mods, but please don't add them to modpacks; it could cause compatability issues.
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