Need help & advice with modding units with .xml files

Age of Empires III: DE III - Modding
1

Hello folks!
I need help with changing the pikemen to hold their pikes upright. They look much better in formation like that. :wink:

In the original AoE III, I just edited some lines in the .xml files of the units, to change their body position.

Basically, I just copy-pasted the stats from the unit I wanted my pikeman to look like. For example the Carib blowgunner (in this case, because he holds his blowgun upright, like I want my pikeman to do with their pikes).

I used Notepad++ to edit the stats for the .xml files.
The stats I copy-pasted from the Carib blowgunner was all of the anim text lines into the pikeman .xml file. Shown in the attached pictures.

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This used to work. A silly way of solving things. I am no modder at all. I barely know what I’m doing. x)

I used the Resource Manager by VladTheJunior to extract the bar files located in: AoE3DE/Game/Art folder. There is one that is called ArtUnits.bar that has all the .xml files for the units.

But for some reason, I cannot get this to work anymore. After editing the .xml file, I go and look in the Scenario Editor in-game, but the pikeman has not changed… bah… :frowning:

Perhaps my folders in AoE3DE/Game/Art are wrong?

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The location for the pikeman.xml file is: AoE3DE/Game/Art/Units/infantry/pikeman

If anyone could bother helping me with this, it would be much appreciated! :slight_smile:

2

Hi, I think you have to either create an Art folder with your changes in the root game directory, such that you get:
AoE3DE\Art\Units\infantry\pikeman

or use the designated mods folder:
%USERPROFILE%\Games\Age of Empires 3 DE\<id number>\mods\local\Pikes Upright\Art\Units\infantry\pikeman

1 Like
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Thank you. I didn’t know about the designated mods folder in user/Games/… :slight_smile:

I have created this searchway now: user/Games/Age of Empires 3 DE /768282…/mods/local/Pikes Upright/Art/Units/infantry/pikeman

As instructed. This seems to be working. I can change helmets/hats/weapons etc. for different units.

But still… I can’t get the anim stats to work this time either. I can’t change their body positions. It is very strange. If I copy-paste the anim stats in the .xml files, as I used to do, the Pikemen behave very odd in the Scenario Editor and in-game. The Pikemen look like stiff dolls, floating around when instructing them to move.

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So something is off… Hmm… :frowning: