Homecity Editor

– by irishlegend8, blog,
Created: 5th June 2006
Last Edited: 5th June 2006

Tutorial on editing and improving your homecity savefiles. This tutorial will hopefully show you how to
– Create a new homecity (civilisation, city name, etc…)
– Improve your homecity so that you have every card unlocked
– Learn how to make your own unique homecity for if you ever wanted to make a new civilization
– Lastly learn how to make homecity save files of the campain cities so you can play as them in skirmish

Firstly open one of your homecity save files there kept in my games-age of empires3-savegames. You should find a xml file like sp_Seville_homecity. Right click on it and open with notepad or wordpad (this is what I use)
It should look like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16"?>
<savedhomecity version="1">
<defaultdirectoryid>0</defaultdirectoryid>
<defaultfilename>homecityspanish.xml</defaultfilename>
<civ>Spanish</civ>
<hctype>HC</hctype>
<name>Sville</name>
<heroname>Francisco Diaz</heroname>
<herodogname></herodogname>
<shipname></shipname>
<hcid></hcid>
<level>1</level>
<xp>0</xp>
<skillpoints>0</skillpoints>
<xppercentage>0.000000</xppercentage>
<numpropunlocksearned>0</numpropunlocksearned>
<decks>
<deck>
<name>My Deck</name>
<default></default>
<cards>
<card dbid="2183">HCShipSettlers1</card>
<card dbid="2572">HCShipFoodCrates1</card>
<card dbid="2190">HCShipCoveredWagons</card>
<card dbid="2571">HCFrontierDefenses</card>
<card dbid="2227">HCShipPikemen1</card>
<card dbid="2189">HCShipRodeleros1</card>
<card dbid="2229">HCShipRodeleros2</card>
<card dbid="2240">HCCheapBarracksTeam</card>
<card dbid="2191">HCShipLancers1</card>
<card dbid="2233">HCShipLancers2</card>
<card dbid="2192">HCShipFalconets1</card>
<card dbid="2237">HCShipMortars1</card>
<card dbid="2076">HCAdvancedArtillery</card>
<card dbid="814">HCUnlockFort</card>
<card dbid="2101">HCRumDistillery</card>
</cards>
</deck>
</decks>
<activetechs>
<tech dbid="2183">HCShipSettlers1</tech>
<tech dbid="2572">HCShipFoodCrates1</tech>
<tech dbid="2190">HCShipCoveredWagons</tech>
<tech dbid="2227">HCShipPikemen1</tech>
<tech dbid="2189">HCShipRodeleros1</tech>
<tech dbid="2229">HCShipRodeleros2</tech>
<tech dbid="2191">HCShipLancers1</tech>
<tech dbid="2233">HCShipLancers2</tech>
<tech dbid="2192">HCShipFalconets1</tech>
<tech dbid="2237">HCShipMortars1</tech>
<tech dbid="2076">HCAdvancedArtillery</tech>
<tech dbid="2240">HCCheapBarracksTeam</tech>
<tech dbid="2571">HCFrontierDefenses</tech>
<tech dbid="814">HCUnlockFort</tech>
<tech dbid="2101">HCRumDistillery</tech>
</activetechs>
<activeprops>
<prop enabled="1">Spanish_LightSet1</prop>
<prop enabled="1">Spanish_NWTCTexture0</prop>
<prop enabled="1">Spanish_AcademyTexture0</prop>
<prop enabled="1">Spanish_ManuPlantTexture0</prop>
<prop enabled="1">Spanish_CathedralTexture0</prop>
<prop enabled="1">Spanish_DockTexture0</prop>
</activeprops>
</savedhomecity>

Now you can either just edit this file (if so make a copy of it first) or make a new file by opening notepad and entering what you want with the guide below. When finished save as sp_your name_homecity.xml
Now i will give you a explanation of these lines:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16"?> (leave the same)

<savedhomecity version="1"> (leave the same)
<defaultdirectoryid>0</defaultdirectoryid> (leave the same)
<defaultfilename>homecityspanish.xml</defaultfilename> (the civilization your using. For britain it would be <defaultfilename>homecitybritish.xml</defaultfilename> these files are found in the data bar file using aoe3ed)

<civ>Spanish</civ> (again your civilization, found in data bar files in civs)
<hctype>HC</hctype> ( type of homecity hc for supremacy, DM for deathmatch)
<name>Seville</name> (the name of this homecity)

<heroname>Francisco Diaz</heroname> (the heros name)
<herodogname></herodogname> (the heros dogs name, this sometimes dosent work)
<shipname></shipname> (leave the same)

<hcid></hcid> (leave the same)
<level>1</level> (the homecity level change to <level>99</level> for a level 99 homecity)

<xp>0</xp> (how much expierance earned change to <xp>10000000000000</xp> for all cards)
<skillpoints>0</skillpoints> (skill points earned change to 12 for a strong homecity)

<xppercentage>0.000000</xppercentage> (leave the same)
<numpropunlocksearned>0</numpropunlocksearned> (Props unlocked change to 80 for them all)
<decks>

<deck>
<name>My Deck</name> (name of this deck)
<default></default> (leave the same)
<cards>

<card dbid="2183">HCShipSettlers1</card>
<card dbid="2572">HCShipFoodCrates1</card>
<card dbid="2190">HCShipCoveredWagons</card>

<card dbid="2571">HCFrontierDefenses</card>
<card dbid="2227">HCShipPikemen1</card>
<card dbid="2189">HCShipRodeleros1</card>

<card dbid="2229">HCShipRodeleros2</card> (The cards currently in this deck)
<card dbid="2240">HCCheapBarracksTeam</card> (to view the different cards look in
<card dbid="2191">HCShipLancers1</card> the techtree or the data bar file)
<card dbid="2233">HCShipLancers2</card>
<card dbid="2192">HCShipFalconets1</card>
<card dbid="2237">HCShipMortars1</card>

<card dbid="2076">HCAdvancedArtillery</card>
<card dbid="814">HCUnlockFort</card>
<card dbid="2101">HCRumDistillery</card>

</cards>
</deck>
</decks>
<activetechs>
<tech dbid="2183">HCShipSettlers1</tech>
<tech dbid="2572">HCShipFoodCrates1</tech>
<tech dbid="2190">HCShipCoveredWagons</tech>
<tech dbid="2227">HCShipPikemen1</tech>

<tech dbid="2189">HCShipRodeleros1</tech>
<tech dbid="2229">HCShipRodeleros2</tech>
<tech dbid="2191">HCShipLancers1</tech>

<tech dbid="2233">HCShipLancers2</tech> (One of your active decks)
<tech dbid="2192">HCShipFalconets1</tech>
<tech dbid="2237">HCShipMortars1</tech>

<tech dbid="2076">HCAdvancedArtillery</tech>
<tech dbid="2240">HCCheapBarracksTeam</tech>
<tech dbid="2571">HCFrontierDefenses</tech>

<tech dbid="814">HCUnlockFort</tech>
<tech dbid="2101">HCRumDistillery</tech>
</activetechs>
<activeprops>

<prop enabled="1">Spanish_LightSet1</prop>
<prop enabled="1">Spanish_NWTCTexture0</prop>
<prop enabled="1">Spanish_AcademyTexture0</prop> (props you have unlocked)

<prop enabled="1">Spanish_ManuPlantTexture0</prop>
<prop enabled="1">Spanish_CathedralTexture0</prop>
<prop enabled="1">Spanish_DockTexture0</prop>

</activeprops>
</savedhomecity>

Always have a backup file if your editing
Now that you understand the save files I’ll show you something a bit more complicated
How to make save files of the campain cities so you can play as them in skirmish
Malta
To make a save file of malta change:
<defaultdirectoryid>0</defaultdirectoryid>
<defaultfilename>homecityspanish.xml</defaultfilename>
<civ>Spanish</civ>

TO
<defaultdirectoryid>3</defaultdirectoryid>
<defaultfilename>blood ice steel\\homecitySPCAct1.xml</defaultfilename>
<civ>SPCAct1</civ>

Also change the cards and props as malta may not have these cards(you can see what cards they do have in the data bar file with aoe3ed)
Or delete from
<card dbid="2183">HCShipSettlers1</card>
TO
<card dbid="2101">HCRumDistillery</card>
and from
<prop enabled="1">Spanish_LightSet1</prop>
TO
<prop enabled="1">Spanish_DockTexture0</prop>

Boston
To make a save file of Boston change
<defaultdirectoryid>0</defaultdirectoryid>
<defaultfilename>homecityspanish.xml</defaultfilename>
<civ>Spanish</civ>

TO
<defaultdirectoryid>3</defaultdirectoryid>
<defaultfilename>blood ice steel\\homecitySPCAct2.xml</defaultfilename>
<civ>SPCAct2</civ>

Also change the cards and props as Boston may not have these cards(you can see what cards they do have in the data bar file with aoe3ed)
Or delete from
<card dbid="2183">HCShipSettlers1</card>
TO
<card dbid="2101">HCRumDistillery</card>
and from
<prop enabled="1">Spanish_LightSet1</prop>
TO
<prop enabled="1">Spanish_DockTexture0</prop>

St. Louis
To make a save file of St,Louis change
<defaultdirectoryid>0</defaultdirectoryid>
<defaultfilename>homecityspanish.xml</defaultfilename>
<civ>Spanish</civ>

TO
<defaultdirectoryid>3</defaultdirectoryid>
<defaultfilename>blood ice steel\\homecitySPCAct3.xml</defaultfilename>
<civ>SPCAct3</civ>

Also change the cards and props as St,Louis may not have these cards(you can see what cards they do have in the data bar file with aoe3ed)
Or delete from
<card dbid="2183">HCShipSettlers1</card>
TO
<card dbid="2101">HCRumDistillery</card>
and from
<prop enabled="1">Spanish_LightSet1</prop>
TO
<prop enabled="1">Spanish_DockTexture0</prop>

If you have managed to do everything so far then well done!! You’ve completed this tutorial.