posted 03-21-06 04:27 PM EDT (US)
Before you ask the same question I've heard time and time again which is, "how do I mod?", try using some of the tools and see if you can get the jist of it. There is a list of useful tutorials below to try out. If you have any links to tutorials or guides related to BFME2 modding, please give me a shout in here, and I'll get them up straight away! [This message has been edited by BP (edited 12-12-2006 @ 03:51 PM).]
As BFME2 continues to expand, the need for a help thread becomes essential. All modification questions would be best asked in here. These questions can be anything to do with the game, not just good old graphics. As questions continue to get asked, I'll make a mini database of them as an FAQ for quick reading.
head into the relevant summoned.ini file and press ctrl+f. type in "lifetime" and keep pressing the enter key untill you get down to some numbers. Change these numbers to what you like.
Yes, and very easily also. Boot up gamedata.ini which is located in ini.big. However some people belive that in some campaigns/scenarios that another value takes priority. Currently I don't know the truth on this, but I'm looking into it.
The main file type you encounter is .BIG. These are the compression files. The other main types you will come across are W3D (model files), INI (Configuration files) and TGA (Texture files).
.ini files are initialization files. It is a configuration file that contains data for Microsoft Windows applications.
We can currently edit the majority of the files. It is possible to import models and edit textures (this includes terrain textures), so a great deal is possible.
Each unit has an individual standard poly count. However for standard units (pikemen, archers, etc.) you can probably expect around the 500 poly mark. For bigger units, the poly count is obviously going to increase. Your best bet is to import the model you want to edit, and check its count. Really there's no particular limit, however the game does struggle to handle lots of very large poly counts.
You can play all mods online. If the mod involves code you and the other player will both need to have it installed. If it's a graphical mod (texture or model), the other player does not need to have it installed, however he will see the unit differently than you.
BIG files are specific to EA - they use it to hold their mod files:
You can extract the .BIG files using a program such as FinalBIG. A guide for doing this can be found
An excellent tutorial which teaches about editing the BSE files can be found 
You can add new models to the game, however this does require code modifications. An easier option is to replace model files already in existence.
It is possible. However, I'm not totally sure on how to do it as I've not done it myself before. However, I would suspect you would need new animation and positioning model files, which at present we cannot edit. Also you would need to edit code, which could get nasty with online play. However, if you're more of an off-liner, it's well worth it.
FME2 uses W3D file formats. There are various importers/exporters located in the modding resources thread. A prime tool for new modders would be Gmax, as you can edit the models in it and it's free. You can find gmax
w3d files. However, I would suspect you will be able to find an importer for wings.
BFME2 uses a TGA file format for images most often. The textures can be located in the texture.BIG files.
UV mapping works fine for higher res textures. Also, most heroes have 512x512 pixels textures anyway, so there shouldn't be a problem.
128 or 256, it varies. For war trolls etc it can be 512 or higher.
Basically you need several things make up a new ability, you need a ability timer, upgrade level trigger, new command button, the command button in the unit's command set, weapon itself, and the add modules to the object, and the FX and FX list. Some abilities cannot be easily switched as they involve special animations.
Getting started with BFME2 modding is well worth it. There's going to be such a long list of possibilities and options eventually, I would suspect it's going to become one of the top games to mod. I suspect in the near future we can expect some total conversion projects to boot up, as well as lots of new units. My advice would be to get stuck in now, and reap the rewards later on 
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Any contributions are welcome to thread, and will help us greatly. If you find anything useful or interesting, don't hesitate to tell us .
B L O O D P H O E N I X
Lurking at HG since 2004
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