Help with editing game files/creating mod

[AboutTreeFitty]

To summarize, I'm trying to edit the files so that any bite from a zombie is an instant kill.

 

As far as I can tell I've followed the process correctly yet no changes are taking place in game.

 

I have opened up the zombie_data_params.scr folder from Data3 in 7zip, extracted to desktop, opened in notepad++, increased the grab-bite-damage multiplier from 2.0 to 100.0, then 10.0, now 5.0, then placed the edited zombie_data_params.scr back into Data 3, overwriting the previous version, but whenever I enter game there is no damage multiplier being applied to the grab damage. I still take the same amount of time to be eaten. What am I missing? This should be a simple edit from my understanding, yet I'm not getting any results and getting frustrated.

[StinVec]

​Back when Techland released The Following DLC, they changed a lot of things that made all or most changes to the AI files to no longer be recognized by the game. (This is what essentially destroyed the widely-used I Am Legion mod by TheOneAndOnlyHitman)

 

I don't think anything has changed and any changes in most AI files are still unrecognized. I haven't done anything with AI since then, so there may be a way still to only increase the bite damage only.

 

However, you can increase all damage received from biters (of all attacks from them, not just bites) if you instead want to go the route of altering the 'data\scripts\difficultyparams.scr' file.

 

In each 'Difficulty' section (East, Normal, Hard, Nightmare) you will find variables for increasing or decreasing the damage that you inflict on and receive from each type of infected.

 

There is a note in this file on the sections explaining them a little:

 

First find the difficulty you are playing in and then go to its damage section.

 

You will see something like this for changing the damage you inflict on different infected types in that difficulty:

        // this means how much damage GIVEN to AI will be modified (ie. player hits with 100 dmg * Biter(0.9) = will give 90 dmg to AI)
        
        PlayerDmgFactorMin()
        {
            Biter(0.80);
            Viral(1.00);
            HMF(0.50);
            HMF_Leader(0.50);
            HumanFirearm(0.53);
            HMF_Arena(0.50);
            HumanFirearm_Arena(0.50);
            HMF_Leader_Arena(0.53);   
            Goon(0.50);
            Volatile(0.30);
            Spitter(0.50);
            Demolisher(0.50);
            Demolisher_Arena(0.7);
            HrSlave(0.5);
            HrRecruit(0.5); 
            HrGuard(0.5);
            Skeleton(0.50);
            HrAdept(0.53);
            HrPriest(0.50);	
            HrTorturer(0.5);
            HrBlinded(0.5);
            HrBoss(0.7);
            HrDarkKnight(1.0);
        }
        PlayerDmgFactorMax()
        {
            Biter(0.80);
            Viral(1.00);
            HMF(0.50);
            HMF_Leader(0.50);
            HumanFirearm(0.53);
            HMF_Arena(0.50);
            HumanFirearm_Arena(0.50);
            HMF_Leader_Arena(0.53);               
            Goon(0.50);
            Volatile(0.30);
            Spitter(0.50);
            Demolisher(0.50);
            Demolisher_Arena(0.7);
            HrSlave(0.5);
            HrRecruit(0.5); 
            HrGuard(0.5);
            Skeleton(0.50);
            HrAdept(0.53);
            HrPriest(0.50);	
            HrTorturer(0.5);
            HrBlinded(0.5);
            HrBoss(0.7);
            HrDarkKnight(1.0);
        }

Then a bit below that is the section to change the damage you receive from different infected types in that difficulty:

        EnemiesDmgFactor()// this means how much damage TAKEN from AI will be modified (ie. Bitter hits with 10 dmg * Biter(1.5) = will give 15 dmg to PLAYER)
        {
            Biter(2.0);
            Viral(1.5);
            HMF(2.0);
            HMF_Leader(2.0);
            HumanFirearm(2.0);
            HMF_Arena(2.0);
            HumanFirearm_Arena(2.0);
            HMF_Leader_Arena(2.0); 
            Goon(2.0);
            Volatile(1.5);
            Spitter(1.38);
            Demolisher(2.0);
            Demolisher_Arena(2.0); 
            HrSlave(2.0);
            HrRecruit(1.3);
            HrGuard(2.0);
            Skeleton(1.8);
            HrAdept(2.0);
            HrPriest(1.5);	
            HrTorturer(1.4);
            HrBlinded(1.5);
            HrBoss(2.0);
            HrDarkKnight(1.0);
        }

You can increase the Biter damage to a very high multiplier factor (10 or 20 or even 100 times the damage received from them) so that any hit from them will kill you. Not that this should mean any damage received from them and not limited to only when being bitten. i.e. If a zombie with a weapon throws their wrench at you then it will probably kill you. If a zombie even swings at you then it will probably kill you.

 

Also note that any this difficultyparams.scr file is just like most of the skills files where Techland does not like mods changing them while the game is set or running in Online mode. They'll use their PLS system (the temporary event system) to force unmodified version to be downloaded and used over your modified one.

 

Either disable event participation, run the game in offline mode, or include the 'data\restclient.scr' file in your Data3.pak file with the whole file push system disabled in it by changing this setting on line 8 in the file from:

EnablePLS(1)

to

EnablePLS(0)

This way your modifications to this difficultyparams.scr file will be recognized and permitted to load instead of being overridden by Techland.

 

Including this file with the file push system disabled may even help with your modified AI files if Techland is forcing unmodified AI file versions to be downloaded and used over your modified ones. I'm not sure if they prevent modification to those files internally in game code or externally via this file override system.

Edited April 3, 2022 by StinVec

[AboutTreeFitty]

Well thanks for a genuinely informative response, I'm going to repeat my attempts this evening and apply all of this. Would it be all right if I message you soon to discuss modding this game a little more?