How do I make my mod selectable from the 'additional content' option in game?

[Glaeder]

Heyas all. I'm back on the civfanatics^^
I've been here last while playing civ 4. As during the civ 5 era I didn't feel like modding civ 5.

anyway. Now I've got a problem.
I've got the new civ 6 and want to make mods for it.
I've modded civ 4 before a lot by myself and was on the forums here to for quite some time.
However, back then there was neither Steam nor did I make my own mods as their own files. I only changed the main files in their folders (with safety copies of the originals of corse)

Now I want to make mods properly. So they can be selected from the 'additional content' option in game.
But I don't know how to write those '.something' files needed for that.
I know where to put the files, I know how to edit the files as I want. But I'm no programmer myself so I don't know how to write that file that is needed to make the mod selectable from the in game menu. I only know how to edit the main game files (which works, but I feel is crude)

Soo.... anyone able to help me or point me to a threat/post that gives me a explanation/tutorial on this?

 

[Craig_Sutter]

Check out my mod in the New Civilizations forum (Denmark)... you can get an idea from that, at least for a Civ.

Basically, you'll need a .modinfo file that includes all the files that will be within the mod. There are various requirements based on the file type and use. You need to create a guid code for the .modinfo file... copy/paste from one of the online generators (google guid generator). That will get your mod to show up in additional content... the files and such are up to you. Check out some of the mods already made for examples... that's what I did anyhow.

PS .modinfo is simply a text file... ++notepad is excellent for editing that and the xml stuff.

 

[Glaeder]

Yeah. I figured as much looking at some downloaded mods.

Is there a tutorial somewhere on how to write those .modinfo files?
Or can you explain to me how to write them?

Looking at them from other mods, I see only a few files while there. While the mod has actually more files then mentioned in the .modinfo
So I'm a bit confused :C

also. I dont know what you mean with that guid generator. I looked at it on goodle but it just confuses me more.

 

[Craig_Sutter]

The guid generator creates a unique number-letter string (very long) which you paste into the modinfo file mod id at the beginning of the file. It is a unique identifier for the mod and the game will recognize it.

As for the rest, if the files are not in the mod info file, they are likely not active in the mod.

I would suggest, as a start, that you create an empty mod with no files... Just fill out the LOC text parts and related localized text portions. Once you can get the mod recognized within game, add your files incrementally and build on that.

 

[Gedemon]

Yeah. I figured as much looking at some downloaded mods.

Is there a tutorial somewhere on how to write those .modinfo files?
Or can you explain to me how to write them?

Looking at them from other mods, I see only a few files while there. While the mod has actually more files then mentioned in the .modinfo
So I'm a bit confused :C

also. I dont know what you mean with that guid generator. I looked at it on goodle but it just confuses me more.

see this thread in the tutorial section:
https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/civ6-modinfo-schema.606784/

 

[DavDarkelf]

Since the last update a few changes have happened that allow us to now use proper icons and art for units. Most of the Civilization Mods have been restructured so that apart from the .modinfo file which defines the mod and a .dep file which defines a dependency on unit artwork the files are now in sub directories.

My Italian Civilization
https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/italian-civilization.606657/
has now been restructured.

The other complicating factor is that there are two ways to write mods, one using XML, and the other using SQL. Both effectively do the same things by inserting statements into the game databases when they are loaded.

If you are using XML then have a look at
https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/rough-guide-to-units-artdef.603687/
Although a guide to Units.artdef file it has a link to an XML editor which is useful. It saved me a headache where I had a mismatched tag which was causing an error in my mod.