HP1, HP2, HP3. How to create a mod

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To make your own MOD, you need to follow the recommendations below. The name of the mod, for example: hp-games_test

  • We draw the future MOD on paper: the relative location of rooms; the shape of rooms; places for traps, chests, enemies. If you have experience, you can also roughly determine the size of locations (in units of engine length) and textures.
  • We are writing a script: which route the player should move along, where the necessary triggers should be, which dialogs should be used, which scenes-on-the-engine (cutscenes) will be used.
  • After your project is presented with the above paper documents, viewed 10 times, then you can proceed to the next stages. Recall: the stage on paper seems unnecessary only to beginners and geniuses. But in fact, it saves a lot of effort and time, especially if the MOD is done in free time, and its creation is delayed for months.
  • Now we are defining the files. We will need to create at least one level file (with the extension unr), a package with textures (utx). Additional music, scripts for cutscenes are usually used when necessary.
  • Texture pack. If you have enough textures of the game itself, then you can skip this point. But if you want to use other textures, then there are options here:
    • just collect packages from other games and use them in your fashion. The method is quite simple, but the more work you have, the more confusion this method will cause. Also, all borrowed packages need to be delivered together with the MOD, as a result of which the archive volume gets quite noticeable, and if you forget to archive the MOD by walking at least one texture package, the MOD users may not earn;
    • modify existing texture packs (add your own textures to existing packs). The method is bad because if 2 or more authors do this, or if one author uses different sets of textures in files with the same names, then the user will not be able to use them normally, getting errors during the launch of the game or just an unlockable level. Moreover, the original levels of the game may well suffer from this (if the repacking is done with an error);
    • the third option is more complicated, but avoids the problems of the previous methods. It consists in making a copy of any texture pack of the original game, renamed so that the name matches the name of your MOD (but with the utx extension ;-). For example: hp-games_test.utx). After that, you can remove unnecessary textures from the package and add your own. How to do this is indicated on the same page, only lower ;-). If the MOD is large enough, then you can make several such packages, with the addition of numbers: hp-games_test_01.utx, hp-games_test_02.utx. This will avoid many problems with this MOD in the future. We save it in the Textures folder of the test game (which you connected to the editor when setting it up). Well, it’s better to leave in this package only those textures that are not in the original packages of the game – this will reduce the size of your MOD.
  • Creating a levels file. To do this, go directly to the level editor and create a new file (hp-games_test.unr). We save it in the Maps folder of the test game (which you connected to the editor when setting it up). If there are several levels in your MOD, then it is better to number the level files: hp-games_test_01.unr, hp-games_test_02.unr, hp-games_test_03.unr,…
  • We create the first room and place Harry’s model in it (we take it from the tree of actors, a hint about the paths is given below in this article) and PlayerStart (click an additional (right) mouse button inside the room and select ‘Add PlayerStart’ – “Add a starting point”). For HP1, you will also have to tinker with transferring the camera from another level – otherwise the level may not start. Saving the result.
  • We create the remaining locations according to the paper project plan, glue them with textures from the texture packages we need (or the package we created). Save it.
  • We create puzzles, traps, arrange furniture, enemies, patrol points, and so on. Save it.
  • Starting the build level (Build All). It is not necessary to start building paths, geometry and lighting separately – it made sense at the time of the creation of the game, as it allowed you to save time if you changed only a couple of paths or added a couple of chairs to the level since the last build.
  • After completing the build process, we save and can try to start the level in the game. If the MOD goes through normally to the end, then you can share it by sending it for publication to us or to your website.
  • Before sending a MOD for publication, it makes sense to install a MOD to build a game without mods. Of course, if possible. Before publishing, we check the level for performance and, if successful, create a screenshot (often a video walkthrough) and publish the MOD.
  • Successful mods 🙂