Editing Pre-exisiting Civ Traits

[QuipCloud]

After a bit of forum searching, I haven't found what I was looking for so I might as well ask. (Sorry if this has been covered, but there is a lot of content on the web about this game!)

Solely for personal gameplay - I want to make the England Civ better. They probably have the worst trait in my opinion and I'd like to make them a slightly more potent enemy and more fun to play with. All I'd like to do is to give them perhaps a copy-paste edit from another Civ's ability (a small culture boost, whatever) rather than anything more complex.
Ideally, I'd just like to know how to do this directly in the XML files (etc.) if possible, rather than making a mod as I don't plan to publish this change and I do not play multiplayer. (slow internet) Last time I posted a similar question someone said this was 'poor practise' but again, I don't plan to do this very regularly, nor will anyone else be affected.
Thankyou!

 

[Putmalk]

Two things about editing the files directly:

1) You risk screwing up your game.
2) After every update your files will reset and your changes gone.

This is very easy, though. Open up the Civ5Traits.xml in the Civilizations folder, and MAKE A BACKUP OF THE ORIGINAL FILE.

Next, locate the trait that you want to copy (for example: the Aztec culture-from-kills trait).

Highlight the

<CultureFromKills>100</CultureFromKills>

and copy/paste it into the England trait (I don't know its name off-hand).

Now, England will get +2 move to ships and culture from kills.
You can also check the top of the XML file to see all the available effects that you can add into the original.

Let me iterate: THIS IS NOT RECOMMENDED. I recommend you make a mod and modify the files like this.

 

[QuipCloud]

Okay, thanks!
I'll make a mod, as you have advised.

 

[Putmalk]

Okay, thanks!
I'll make a mod, as you have advised.

<Update>
  <Where Type="[I]England's Trait[/I]"/>
  <Set>
     <CultureFromKills>100</CultureFromKills>
  </Set>
</Update>

Something like that.

Replace the England's Trait with something like TRAIT_SUN_NEVER_SETS. Check the original Civ5Traits.xml file for the exact name.