Rebalancing XCOM Multiplayer - Need Modding Help

[FireWaterGasoline]

Hey guys!

 

My name is Andro Dars and I make XCOM MP commentary videos on YouTube, here's my channel.

 

Recently I came across a guy who was using a modded version of the XCOM executable in which he had a 999hp Berserker with ghost and launch abilities : ) Here's the video of that encounter.

 

After our match, I found him on Steam and he showed me how he had modded the game. He changed unit stats in the XcomEW.exe through the Resource Hacker and taught me how to do it too. Here's a video of me using a Sectopod in the multiplayer.

 

Now all of the above is of course fun and games but what I really want to do is rebalance the multiplayer so that all units become viable options. I have changed the prices to what I think are good enough for initial testing (there will be a video tomorrow of the rebalanced squads battling it out) and thought that easiest way to share this with the community was by making my modded .exe file available to others. That way we could test, see what works, what doesn't, reprice, rinse, repeat. But I ran into a technical problem.

 

The problem is that when someone copies my XcomEW.exe over theirs, the game won't launch. It gives the "app already running" error. Same happens when they mod their file and send it to me. I could, of course, just teach everyone how to mod their own .exe files but that would kind of open up the floodgates of 999hp Zerkers and Chryssalids from hell in the ranked games. Things are already bad in XCOM MP and I'd rather not make them worse.

 

Ideally, I'd love to talk with one of you guys who has experience with this sort of modding/hacking to help me make this mod available to the community so that we can finally get the unit prices we have always wanted. This could even possibly convince Firaxis to officially rebalance the game. I have almost zero programming experience and would appreciate any manner of help.

 

Thank you all for taking a look at this thread and sorry if I broke some super obvious forum rules, I'm rather new here.

 

 

[Amineri]

There appears to be some form of customization per individual computer, so distributing the EXE isn't technically feasible, besides the legalistic complications of distributing the executable.

 

The best solution we've been able to come up with is to :

1) Patch the executable so that it loads the configuration files externally rather than using the copy in the Resource Cache.

 

Off-hand I'm not sure where the automated patcher is, as I typically just do it by hand. Hopefully someone that uses it can point you in the right direction.

 

For you, with Multiplayer, there is another config file in the Resource Cache you'd probably want to have loaded externally : DefaultMPGame.ini

 

This contains all of the multiplayer soldier templates and upgrades, including the points costs.

 

2) Edit the loose .ini files in the XEW/XComGame/Config folder.

 

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Managing and synchronizing between players may be a bit tricky, but should be as simple as verifying that everyone is using the same .ini text files.

[dubiousintent]

Whoohoo :dance: ! Our first MP Modder. Someone we have sorely been lacking around here. Welcome to the forum!

 

You should look at our 'Modding Tools - XCOM:EU 2012' wiki article. The 'automated patcher' Amineri mentioned is linked in there as XComModHelper. Many users prefer ToolBoks, but it deliberately avoids permitting changes to the DMPG.INI. Some of the other tools may also be of interest, such as bsdiff/bspatch, which would let you distribute (legally) a difference file between the vanilla and your modified EXE. But in the long run, I suspect pursuing the use of INI files will be more accessible to the MP community.

 

We really need someone with MP experience to describe the DMPG.INI file layout and how to modify it. I would be happy to post it to the wiki for you if you would be so kind as to write the basic article. Or you can do it all yourself, in which case see the articles 'Guidelines for new posts - XCOM:EU 2012', and the 'Template - Modding Subject - XCOM:EU 2012'.

 

Regardless, glad to see you here.

 

-Dubious-

 

 

[FireWaterGasoline]

Thank you so much guys!

 

As you probably already know (the same day I released my first video of a match with rebalanced prices) Firaxis officially changed prices on more than half of the unites I was changing prices on too : ) (Coincidence? : P )

 

With the same update, something else seems to have changed and my hacks stopped working. It feels like there was a loophole Steamside that was left unnoticed for some time and then closed. Maybe someone showed Firaxis my Sectopod video : )

 

Whatever the specific sequence of events may have been, I will probably pause my modest modding attempts for now, since Firaxis does seem to care about the multiplayer after all. Instead, for now, I will concentrate on researching the new meta and keep bugging (punz!) Ananda and Jake so that they keep fixing the game.

 

Once more, I'm super grateful for your help, I have noted down everything you've told me and the links you gave. I may be back yet, it all depends on Firaxis commitment : )

 

Decidedly yours,

AD