EXTREME Newbie questions!

[AMF]

NEWBIE ALERT!

Ok...howdy. Newbie here!

I'm extremely new at Dom II, and I have a few really basic questions. I have spent some time looking for answers to these on the forums and I guess I'm looking in the wrong places (although admitedly I probably didn't look enough):

1) How do I install and play a mod? I have an straight-up vanilla version of Dom 2, and I want to get involved in a modd'ed game. I have been told to put the *.dm file in the mod folder and the mod should load automatically when I load up the game...but I don't have a mod folder, not really sure how to add the mod and still play "vanilla"...I am a Space Empires 4 fanatic, and so I'm probably erroneously assuming it works like SE4...is there a "how to install and play mods" FAQ somewhere?

2) I have sucked in six of my friends to Dom 2 - all of us are newbies, and I have promised to run an MP PBEM game for them all...is there a "how to set up and run a MP PBEM Game" FAQ Somewhere?

3) I am looking to get involved in a couple PBEM MP games that are starting up soon...is there anyone out there who is looking for players for a new vanilla game? I will be fresh meat, trust me. I can count the number of turns I've played ever on one hand...

thanks, in advance for all the help. And please try to refrain from laughing at all the newbie mistakes that I will inevitably make...I will try to read through all the forums before asking anymore really obvious questions...

thanks,

Alarik

[Zen]

alarikf said:
NEWBIE ALERT!

Ok...howdy. Newbie here!



The dark side has reached the SE:IV forums. Quick Qui-Gon-Gandalf, to the batmobile!


1) How do I install and play a mod? I have an straight-up vanilla version of Dom 2, and I want to get involved in a modd'ed game. I have been told to put the *.dm file in the mod folder and the mod should load automatically when I load up the game...but I don't have a mod folder, not really sure how to add the mod and still play "vanilla"...I am a Space Empires 4 fanatic, and so I'm probably erroneously assuming it works like SE4...is there a "how to install and play mods" FAQ somewhere?



There is one at the beginning of the Conceptual Balance thread. I'll give you a quickrundown.

A mod file should include a .tga and a .dm file.

Unzip the mod into your ../dominions2/mods/ directory (some modders are good about breaking their stuff up into directories for their different sprites and stuff and will create a subdirectory, I'm hella lazy so mine go off of the basic directory).

Once you have the mod in your mod directory, start a game, go to Preference, third option "Mod Preference" then the mods you have availiable will be there for you to toggle enabled or disabled.

Sidenote: I think there are a few mod compatibility issues (not for sure) with my mods and some others. There is a thread in the mod forum that details some of the numbers and changes.

Once you have a mod enabled, make a new god and start a new game. Once your game is started with the mods, it will automatically load them whenever you start the game (you don't have to make sure they are enabled on the mainscreen, just the first time).

If you are updating versions of mods (like my own lazy work) you will need to install the mod, then restart Dom2 before it will actually take effect.


2) I have sucked in six of my friends to Dom 2 - all of us are newbies, and I have promised to run an MP PBEM game for them all...is there a "how to set up and run a MP PBEM Game" FAQ Somewhere?

I believe Aley has a faq out there, I'll do a quick rundown of how to host a game for you.

1. Start the game, get everyone to make their pretenders in a game name, then send you the (nation).2h file of their pretender.

2. Put the .2h files in your "newlords" directory. Create the game, adjust the settings (however you want) click in the nations that are playing (it will be loaded from your newlords directory) start turn 1.

3. Take the .trn file in your ../dominions2/(gamename) directory for each nation and send it to it's owner.

4. Have each player download and put the .trn file in a folder in your ../dominions2/ directory. Start up Dom2, choose the gamename of the folder you created, pick your nation (you should only have one nation) put in your password, BAM. Do your turn and then end turn. Take the (nation).2h in your game directory send it back to the host.

5. Host takes .2h files put them in the gamename directory. Starts up the game, hosts a turn, sends out the .trn files. Rinse Repeat.


thanks, in advance for all the help. And please try to refrain from laughing at all the newbie mistakes that I will inevitably make...I will try to read through all the forums before asking anymore really obvious questions...

thanks,

Alarik



Sharks don't laugh!

[Endoperez]

Also, the mod directory doesn't appear until you have patched the game and run the game once, IIRC.

[AMF]

Thanks Zen shark fella...all extremely useful.


Endoperez said:
Also, the mod directory doesn't appear until you have patched the game and run the game once, IIRC.



Ah hah! I see now why I never found a mod directory...I guess I need to patch the game up from the vanilla version. I told y'all I was a serious newbie...

thanks,

Alarik

[GriffinOfBuerrig]

Keys Keys Keys:

Hi,

i hope you have also 6 Versions of Dom2 - otherwise you get problems with keys!

Cheers
Griffin

[Endoperez]

About multiplayer:

if all the players don't have the same version of the game (version number, demo/full doesn't matter), battles will be shown differently. The battle overview (units/commanders/... lost) always shows tells what actually happened.

Multiplayergames can be played with demo/full version games, but unfortunately demo hasn't been updated in ages. Because of that, you have to find a patch older than the newest. For at least some time the newest demo had a severe bug that made Utgard theme of Jotunheim dramatically different from what it was supposed to be. I don't remember if the demo has been patched to 2.11 or newer, which would have corrected this bug.

[AMF]

GriffinOfBuerrig said:
Keys Keys Keys:
Hi,
i hope you have also 6 Versions of Dom2 - otherwise you get problems with keys!
Cheers
Griffin



Yep, we sure do! (wouldn't that be cheating, otherwise?)...

[AMF]

Endoperez said:
About multiplayer:

if all the players don't have the same version of the game (version number, demo/full doesn't matter), battles will be shown differently. The battle overview (units/commanders/... lost) always shows tells what actually happened.

Multiplayergames can be played with demo/full version games, but unfortunately demo hasn't been updated in ages. Because of that, you have to find a patch older than the newest. For at least some time the newest demo had a severe bug that made Utgard theme of Jotunheim dramatically different from what it was supposed to be. I don't remember if the demo has been patched to 2.11 or newer, which would have corrected this bug.



Just to confirm then, as long as we all have full versions (different copies) and we all install the latest patch (I think it's 2.16) then we should have no problems, right?

thanks!

Alarik

[Annette]

GriffinOfBuerrig said:
Keys Keys Keys:

Hi,

i hope you have also 6 Versions of Dom2 - otherwise you get problems with keys!

Cheers
Griffin



I can vouch for Alarikf. He is a very good customer, indeed! All of his keys are legal. Not only did he suck his friends into the game, he gave them copies as gifts http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

[GriffinOfBuerrig]

Hehe,

so there sould be no probs.

I did not find any friends that played with me("Ah, to complicatet. It´s to much mirco... etc")

Lucky you:)

[AMF]

GriffinOfBuerrig said:
Hehe,

so there sould be no probs.

I did not find any friends that played with me("Ah, to complicatet. It´s to much mirco... etc")

Lucky you:)



Well, they haven't started yet...they might still bail on me...

alarik

[NTJedi]

If they play the game for 90mins... it should be enough to hook them. The game usually has a one hour learning curve from people I've hooked with it. The extra 30mins is the time for them to obtain units, magic_sites and commanders which they grow attached to.
The hardest part is finding people who will play a game to the bitter end. I find lots of people who will just quit... which is the same as having your game character do suicide. No honorable death and glory with that.

Personally if I'm losing I prefer to have my last breath spitting into the eye of my enemy.

[RibbonBlue]

I can't seem to hook my friends. They see the graphics and go like "Blah this sucks" They don't see the wealth of content and strategy there is in this game.

[AMF]

Ok, so, I have another question. I am going to, hopefully soon, be starting a newbie game...and I would like to have an option for different maps. I tried the random maps generator site, but the graphics seemed pretty off-kilter...

SO, I am wondering, is there a place out there where I can find a bunch of cool maps to use? I can go with stock maps if need be, and I think I'll probably end up doing that...but thought I would check...

and, hey, if anybody wants to squash newbies, I am going to be starting a new MP PBEM game soon...

thanks,

Alarik

[GriffinOfBuerrig]

Hey Alarik,

i always i the mood of kicking asses of some n00bs :-)

Hehe,

let me know when you are ready:)

[Cainehill]

For maps, you can either go to Illwinter's own map downloads (http://illwinter.com/dom2/maps.html) or to Arryn's Dominions site (http://www.dominions-2.org/). There's a fair amount of overlap, but also some maps that can only be found on one or the other.

[ioticus]

Yeah, I'd like to kill you, but for a different reason. Quit apologizing for being a beginner. (I hate the term "newbie," because it's way overused.)

[GriffinOfBuerrig]

:-)


I see it exactly the same!

Griffin the Killermaschine