Modding in KAM, is it possible?

[Sir Peter]

Is it possible to mod some things in KAM? Let's say... make a sprite for some kind of building, Corn farm for example, and then put it inside the map a so that laborers can build it. Is it possible?

[harold]

A bit, you can change the sprites, but there has not been much success with Adding new ones (yet)
That would change the sprite for all missions though

[Lewin]

Harold is right, modding is not easy in KaM. Changing sprites can be done, (use Harold's graphics reader from the English fansite) but adding new buildings/units is nigh on impossible.

Probably a more interesting/easy thing that can be done is editing unit statistics. The only available stats editor is a bit buggy but you can change stuff with it. Editing the files by hand is also possible, but the documentation is poor.

Merchantor and another German guy started up a modding site here, but it's a bit inactive, and in German.
Lewin.

[Litude]

Worth noting, it seems I've completely forgotten to add the graphics editor that Harold made to my website. You can still find it here.

[Sir Peter]

So, it is possible... hmm... What about that "Petition to release the source code"? It says:

With the source code fans will be able to fix bugs in the game and release unofficial patches, mods and updates.

Does that mean then it will be able to make mods, with the source code?

[harold]

Yes, maybe even the bad multiplayer out-of-sync bug, although it probably exists because it was too hard for them to fix..

I'm not really sure anymore (last time I update that graphics editor was a very very long time ago) but I think the correct link (to the newest version) is http://www.freewebs.com/knightsandmerchants/downloads/GraphicsEditor_new.zip

[Merchator]

Merchantor and another German guy started up a modding site here, but it's a bit inactive, and in German.
Lewin.

Uh, not inactive, but the creator of the mod has not enough time to contineau his work. The forum seems to be inactive, too, but if some german people have question we will answer them. We made this forum because there is no game "hacking" talk allowed at kam.de.

Topic: Yeah, it's possible. But I think everything is said already. Changing the wohle game is possible, but you cannot change the buidlings for just 1 mission (at least you cannot do it right now).
And if I had the sourcecode for my Unit-decoder I would fix those tiny annoying bugs. It would be no problem at all to fix them, if I would be able to.
Oh, if you're interested, I made another tool for editing Unit/Building stats. But it's german. It's an simple, text-based editor. If someone wanna try it, write me a pm. But only if your able to understand german.

Hope that this petition has some success! Imagine what things would be possible then! I can't imagine it! Patches and mods as much as sand at the beach!

[Sir Peter]

I like the game better when I can make something myself in it! That's why I like Warcraft III, because of modding!
I hope I could make mods for KAM one day... I already have some plans what to make, but they are a secret ^^

EDIT:

These two pictures are some kind of mods, aren't they? The second one (Litude's Avatar), can that be replaced with the ordinary Lumberjack?

[Litude]

Actually they are graphics that were used when the game was still being developed and they got replaced during later development. Thanks to a beta tester we have been able to see quite a lot of interesting stuff about the betas.

[Sir Peter]

Interesting stuff about the betas? Hmm, my eyes want to see it. Beta Tester, how do I use that, or... what is that actually? How to get it? I want to see those betas, I have to... I must! ^^

[Litude]

The beta tester is a person who used to help the people creating the game when it was developed. He has released a bunch of pictures from this development stage.
I've compiled a list of the stuff here but it is lacking some of the graphics that have been released.

[Sir Peter]

Whoa! Those pictures look very good to me! Those could be used when someone will (maybe) work on "mods". Thanks for showing me those pictures, Litude!

[Lewin]

Worth noting, it seems I've completely forgotten to add the graphics editor that Harold made to my website. You can still find it here.

Can I just ask: Why don't you update it? After all, you update it for my editor releases.
I think that people would be very interested in it.

Does that mean then it will be able to make mods, with the source code?

Yes, we should be able to. It kind of depends on whether they release the source code outright, or just give it to a few select people. (not publicly)
First prioraty (as developers) will be to fix the existing bugs, but once we've done that we could add some features to make moding easier. Hey, did anyone consider that we might also get the official map, mission, graphics, text and statistics editors? That would be cool... and moding would be easy.

But all that is assuming we get the source code.
Lewin.

EDIT:
@Harold: That URL you posted is not the latest, it won't open guimain correctly. The one Litude posted does though, so I'm assuming it's the newer.

[Sir Peter]

So, if we get the source code, then we can completely change the game? Official map, mission, graphics, text and statistics editors, if Joymania created a game with them, then I could learn how to make mods?

[harold]

@Harold: That URL you posted is not the latest, it won't open guimain correctly. The one Litude posted does though, so I'm assuming it's the newer.

I stand corrected. Thank you for testing that - if you hadn't, lots of people would have gotten the old version