Axis & Allies (2004) Modding: Abilities

Possibly the first of many video guides regarding modding the Axis & Allies RTS (A&A) of 2004. This one is concerned primarily with the ability template code and, in particular, ability priority system and how priorities can be affected by damage resistance via check_damage_resistance in order to increase gameplay depth and combat unit intelligence.
Link to Axis & Allies (A&A) Mod Discord: / discord

[@RoughnecksSTCfan]

A clarification regarding fuzzy range: rather than the game simply adding or subtracting the fuzzy_range value, a value between 0 and the fuzzy_range value is added or subtracted to or from the range. I did not make this clear when I was talking about it. I implied the value itself is directly added or subtracted and that is not the case - the fuzzy_range value is the maximum degree of variation one way or the other rather than the applied variation by itself.

[@delandel5496]

Hello.
Tell me how to change the characteristics of units. Their firepower strength and composition in the group.

[@RoughnecksSTCfan]

I'll see about producing a video on this subject over the next few days.

[@delandel5496]

@@RoughnecksSTCfan
It will be interesting :)

[@charlieh3510]

Hello, I was wondering if you knew how to mod the WWII metagame to require all 3 allied capitals to be captured instead of only 2. I'm not proficient in this sort of thing but have been trying to figure out if it can be done.

[@RoughnecksSTCfan]

It just takes some time to get to know the code. Changing the number of required capitals (or most basic Metagame elements in general) is deceptively easy.
For what you specifically ask, you will want to look at the mg_campaigns.tgi file in your /MetaGame folder. Inside that file, you will find this line:
capital_captures = 2
The line is present and the same for each faction currently defined in the vanilla metagame campaign, so the only change necessary should be replacing the "2" with a "3" for Germany and Japan's entries.
Hopefully this is helpful, otherwise do feel free to comment again with any other questions. I may make a video on Metagame aspects later, though the next video I do, whenever I get around to it, will probably be concerned with the AI files, since that is still a very confusing topic even for me, after all these years.

[@charlieh3510]

@@RoughnecksSTCfan thanks I appreciate it. I realized that since I got the game from oldgamesdownload and its a preinstalled version I can't actually access the .tgi files or at least I can't find them. My old disc is too scratched up to work so I guess I'm out of luck unless I can find a good iso and install the game properly that way.

[@RoughnecksSTCfan]

@@charlieh3510 You can, actually, as long as you have the data.rwd file in your A&A directory and a RWD extractor. My post and this whole video, and indeed most all modding is predicated on having already extracted the game files from data.rwd. I'm terribly sorry to have led you somewhat astray on this matter.
If you would like such an extractor, there is one on moddb.com: www.moddb.com/games/axis-allies/downloads/aak2-rwd-extractor
Furthermore, if you would rather not bother with that or any similar program, or do not trust it, I can upload I small sort of minimod or addon with the campaigns change to that same site, if you wish, for you or anyone else to download.

[@charlieh3510]

@@RoughnecksSTCfan no need to do that just for me haha. The extractor is exactly what I needed! Thanks so much for your help man, you've made my night. I'm sure I'll find more fun stuff to edit as well. Cheers

[@philla0076]

Hi there! Can you tell me how to make new models for the game?

[@RoughnecksSTCfan]

I use Blender to make my models, exporting them with NIF plugins and a Python framework that were provided to me years ago by the user "
Theharkonnen" over on moddb. He was the first modder I know to have figured out how to do it and I basically use his same setup years later. Supposedly there is a more comprehensive setup out there for 3ds max, which even allows for animation exporting, but I'm not knowledgeable about that. My personal understanding of 3d modeling in general is rather limited, unfortunately.

[@philla0076]

@@RoughnecksSTCfan Thank you for info, by the way, can you share me some links where I can find tutorials or something like that?

[@RoughnecksSTCfan]

@@philla0076 I have a list of links that I used in my work getting started with blender. I do not think I ended up even using all of them, and a lot of it is also introductory to blender use itself. In any case, here you go. niftools.sourceforge.net/wiki/Blender/Beginners_Guide#UV_Unwrapping
en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Blender_3D:_Noob_to_Pro/Modeling_a_Simple_Person#Start_a_New_Scene
en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Blender_3D:_Noob_to_Pro/Bones
en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Blender_3D:_Noob_to_Pro/Mesh_Edit_Mode#Proportional_Editing
en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Blender_3D:_Noob_to_Pro/UV_Map_Basics#Add_a_sphere
en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Blender_3D:_Noob_to_Pro/UV_Map_Basics
niftools.sourceforge.net/wiki/Blender
www.slideshare.net/kaviyarasu104/create-your-first-simple-animation-in-blender-and-save-animation-as-video
afkmods.iguanadons.net/index.php?/topic/4022-skyrim-blender-basics-add-materials-and-textures-to-nifs/
vimeo.com/10931119
The final link is a general animation tutorial for the version of blender that I am stuck using, and probably will not be useful if you are using a later version or already know how to animate in blender.

[@philla0076]

@@RoughnecksSTCfan Thank you soo much for this, I will check it out.