posted 11-10-06 00:38 AM CT (US)
Before we begin you’ll need tp download the following file from the blacksmith:
The .zip file contains three elements: The .pdf is the same as this document. The .exe you can unload anywhere. The .txt is a script template you’ll use later. I'd recommend download even for people who don't want to actually follow the tutorial, as it includes a demo scenario you might find entertaining. So you know where I’m coming from, unzip the .exe and run it. Play the campaign “Install Script Demo Campaign.” Uninstall it by either selecting "Making Angels\Uninstall Making Angels" from your start menu, or running "Uninstall_Script_Demo.exe" from your default AoK folder. When you’re finished, come back. How did I do all that? Well, in a number of ways. What I want to focus on here, though, is the way that everything was installed and uninstalled. But first, a run down of what happened. i) The first thing I did was modify the language files. I used resource hacker ( ii) The second thing I’ve done is edit the empires2_x1_p1.dat file. I’ve done a number of things here, including some technology editing (see iii) Thirdly, I’ve tweaked the map using AoK Trigger Studio ( iv) Fourthly, and finally, I replaced a number of resources in graphics.drs, interfac.drs, and sounds.drs. These are the resource files that provide most of the visual and aural information for AoK:TC, and these are the areas I’ll concentrate on in this tutorial. Before we continue, though, I need to thank a number of people for their input: Oliver (Pershaf) for his feedback, DiGit (David Tombs) for helping me nut out some problems, Anastasia for pointing me towards NSIS, Ykkrosh for giving me some advice on interface.drs, Stephen Richards for simply being a nice guy, Jorgito_Agua27 for his graphic pack ( I also need to especially thank all the people whose utilities I’ve used either to create this tutorial or the attached scenario. They are mentioned throughout the text, although Scenario_TC deserves an extra special mention. Now that’s out of the way, let’s get on with it. Two key programs were used in this install system. The first is “Nullsoft Scriptable Install System” (NSIS) ( You might also want to download HM NS Edit ( This is all you need to continue. There are, however, many, many other programs you could use., many of which are listed in the following section. Nowadays, it seems anything is possible with the Genie engine (the genie engine is what runs AoK:TC). You can easily edit the language files using Resource Hacker ( I hear, though I can’t do it yet, that you can create entirely new units, civilisations and technologies using Genied1 (see The problem is that the only self-installing system we have for AoK is Modpack Studio (MPS) ( This is where the system I’ll be explaining in the following two tutorials is useful. For, as you have seen, it enables the seamless installation and un-installation of changes to almost every aspect of the game. In a compact package. In the demo, the .dat, the .dll, and the .drs files were all backed up and replaced. Campaign, sound, and other image files were extracted and subsequently moved. All, essentially, at the press of a button. This has quite a lot of potential for scenario designers, because, on top of simplifying the “unzip” system, it allows us to add custom graphics, sounds, and whatever we can possibly imagine to our campaigns and scenarios. [This message has been edited by dave_earl (edited 11-14-2006 @ 04:07 AM).]
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I am a card-carrying Tsunami Studios member. | Macbeth | Install Script Tutorial | Nineteen Years... | Put a timer in your scenario!
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... For now, however, I suspect AoK Heaven is happy with its "exclusive" presence.