Editing JSON files for dummies...

[BobaFatt]

Is there anywhere that gives us Neanderthals a step by step guide to how to edit game files? I haven’t found one anywhere.

So far I’ve figured out that I need to download notepad++, and I need to backup the files I want to edit. All I want to do is edit my starting lance to start with lights, I found this thread which tells me what file to modify: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...es-editable-to-change-starting-mechs.1093683/

Do I just use Notepad++ to open simgameconstants.json and then find the section I want and make the changes? That seems... too simple.... maybe it is that easy, I just want to make sure I’m not missing a step before I do it...

If this is the one and only change I make what do I need to do with updates? Re-edit it every time the game updates? Or can I paste back in the unedited file after I’ve saved a new game with the starting mechs I want? Does it need to reference those changes every time I load a game? Or once I’ve saved a game for the first time after the MMM mission do those just become “inventory mechs” and I no longer need the json to reference them as the starting mechs?

 

[Donvale]

It is that simple, but it will be over written.
If you are wanting to do extensive mods google how to use ModTek and BTML, that allows you seperate out the changes you want from the original game files, then all you have to do after each patch is re-enable ModTek and all your mods come back online.

There is also already kind of a mod for what you are after in this instance on Nexus Mods ("Random Campaign Start" I think is the name).

 

[Yeach]

Overwrite the existing mechs.
Also
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...-notepad-all-your-diy-mod-needs-here.1094232/

 

[BobaFatt]

Thanks for the info guys! I guess I was just unsure because it seemed too easy...

I have one more question that I can’t figure nd the answer to: if I am only editing starting mechs do I need to keep the edited json file after I’ve created a new game and saved it? Does the save file reference the starting mechs json at all or do they just become ‘inventory’ in the save file at that point? I ask because it sounds like I could just put the stock jsonfile back after I’ve started the new game and not have to worry about having to fix anything when the game updates?

 

[MisterSlanky]

Modding .JSON files is super easy. It comes with a distinct advantage and a distinct disadvantage over mods.

The advantage is that it's your own. You can mod the game to exactly what you're looking for. Love having large lasers at heat 24? No problem. Want to set stability to tonnage + 100? No problem!

The disadvantage (as I went through last night) is that if the game updates, you'll be spending a good part of an evening walking through all your files if you have copious edits reentering data.

But really it's just that easy; my suggestion is to keep a document of exactly what you mod though. Makes it easier to change back to the original and when you need to rebuild it makes that easy too.

Here's mine as an example:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jGk2e_jXTHw7rw0ERandhbsMsJ5r1y7tg01-Fr5wzpQ/edit?usp=sharing
(Doesn't include my changes to bring the flamer back to old values)

 

[Danger86]

subscribed

 

[Max_Killjoy]

I've put off installing 1.1 until this weekend because I've realized that my note-taking didn't keep up with my change-making.

My plan is to try to do all my future personal tweaks using ModTek, but that's more than a "hey let's update the game tonight" step to take.

 

[Rifter]

I've put off installing 1.1 until this weekend because I've realized that my note-taking didn't keep up with my change-making.

My plan is to try to do all my future personal tweaks using ModTek, but that's more than a "hey let's update the game tonight" step to take.

Most json file edit's i've noticed will not break the game after a patch, ive yet to have anything ive done in the simgameconstants file break post patch. The thing i have found that breaks the game after patches is mods that add mechs or items if your campaign save contains these mechs or items.

I installed the new patch last night, reinstalled new version of ModTek and mods and booted up fine and loaded campaign fine but went into a loop when i tried to access the mechlab. As i had forgotten to install the enhanced SL gear mod, as its the only one i run that doesnt use ModTek.

Like you im going to go all ModTek from here on out, it makes it so much easier.

 

[Max_Killjoy]

Most json file edit's i've noticed will not break the game after a patch, ive yet to have anything ive done in the simgameconstants file break post patch. The thing i have found that breaks the game after patches is mods that add mechs or items if your campaign save contains these mechs or items.

I installed the new patch last night, reinstalled new version of ModTek and mods and booted up fine and loaded campaign fine but went into a loop when i tried to access the mechlab. As i had forgotten to install the enhanced SL gear mod, as its the only one i run that doesnt use ModTek.

Like you im going to go all ModTek from here on out, it makes it so much easier.

I'm less worried about it breaking the saves or erroring out, than I am the following:

1) Update overwrites me modified files with new files, and I have to find all the files it replaced to restore my changes. This is made harder by the lack of a "list of changed files" for the updates/patches.

2) Because I like to add hardpoints to mechs, my in-campaign saved mechs would be made invalid and act funny until I could track them all down and restore my changes, if any of the chassis JSONS were over-written.

 

[Rifter]

I'm less worried about it breaking the saves or erroring out, than I am the following:

1) Update overwrites me modified files with new files, and I have to find all the files it replaced to restore my changes. This is made harder by the lack of a "list of changed files" for the updates/patches.

2) Because I like to add hardpoints to mechs, my in-campaign saved mechs would be made invalid and act funny until I could track them all down and restore my changes, if any of the chassis JSONS were over-written.

Easiest way to get around that, or at least what i do, is backup the whole streaming assets folder. Then post patch copy back the files you made changes to and overwrite them. This gets dicy though if the patch also made changes to the same files you have edited, in which case you have to manually make the changes again, but with a backup copy available its just copy/paste.

 

[BunglingLummox]

if I am only editing starting mechs do I need to keep the edited json file after I’ve created a new game and saved it?

Best practice would be to leave it alone, but I doubt it'll screw up if you change it back. Just back up your edit, restore the original file and see if the game loads. If it does, you're probably good. If it doesn't, put the modded file back in.

Incidentally, you don't actually need notepad++, it's just that if you use regular old notepad there'll be no line breaks and it'll be a wall of incomprehensible text. If you know what you're looking for you can ctrl+f and change stuff around just fine.

 

[Max_Killjoy]

Notepad++ also has a much lower risk of borking little file format things than Notepad does.

Files that open as text aren't always strictly text, and notepad can mess with their formatting by trying to save as TXT file even when it leaves the file extension whatever it is (JSON or whatever).

 

[Dogfisc]

WinMerge and BeyondCompare are both excellent for comparing directory and file contents after an update. I prefer BeyondCompare, but it’s a commercial product so you’d need to spend money on it after the trial period.

 

[TimeDiver0]

Easiest way to get around that, or at least what i do, is backup the whole streaming assets folder.

Just backing up the 'data' folder in StreamingAssets (except for the 'assetbundles' and 'maps' sub-folders within, as they are multi gigabytes each) should be sufficient...

...although one full emergency backup isn't a bad idea, either. Though one should note: neither the 'Audio' and 'Video' folders in StreamingAssets compress well, at all.

Most json file edit's i've noticed will not break the game after a patch, ive yet to have anything ive done in the simgameconstants file break post patch.

Word of warning: 1.1.0 broke this rule-of-thumb very thoroughly, particularly in the 'chassis', 'constants', 'heatsinks', 'upgrades' and 'weapon' folders. The 'mech' sub-folder was untouched, though.

And at the very least, SimGameConstants.json's "DefaultMechPartMax" variable is now controlled by DifficultySettings.json (in the 'constants' sub-folder), and even worse?

New default value of 5* parts is baked into the save itself. Once it is... no altering it again (in-game menu option can't be changed once 'set'). So, better keep some pre-1.1.0 saves to fall back upon (and modding is required) if that increase irritates you.

I swapped around the 'Easy' and 'Medium' options so that it remains at '3 parts to assemble a mech', but balance it out with the AdjustedMechAssembly mod that requires both repairs and salvaged items to re-equip the weapons/parts (configurable externally).

* - Was looking at RogueTech's version of said file (HBS still defaults to '3'), but overall info still applies.

 

[Max_Killjoy]

Just backing up the 'data' folder in StreamingAssets (except for the 'assetbundles' and 'maps' sub-folders within, as they are multi gigabytes each) should be sufficient...

...although one full emergency backup isn't a bad idea, either. Though one should note: neither the 'Audio' and 'Video' folders in StreamingAssets compress well, at all.


Word of warning: 1.1.0 broke this rule-of-thumb very thoroughly, particularly in the 'chassis', 'constants', 'heatsinks', 'upgrades' and 'weapon' folders. The 'mech' sub-folder was untouched, though.

And at the very least, SimGameConstants.json's "DefaultMechPartMax" variable is now controlled by DifficultySettings.json (in the 'constants' sub-folder), and even worse?

New default value of 5 parts is baked into the save itself. Once it is... no altering it again (in-game menu option can't be changed once 'set'). So, better keep some pre-1.1.0 saves to fall back upon (and modding is required) if that increase irritates you.

I swapped around the 'Easy' and 'Medium' options so that it remains at '3 parts to assemble a mech', but balance it out with the AdjustedMechAssembly mod that requires both repairs and salvaged items to re-equip the weapons/parts (configurable externally).

So if I have a save from before the update, with the original number of 3, what will happen in that save?

 

[Rifter]

So if I have a save from before the update, with the original number of 3, what will happen in that save?

All my pre 1.10 saves work fine. Havent tried a new campaign yet post patch.

 

[TimeDiver0]

So if I have a save from before the update, with the original number of 3, what will happen in that save?

The save will be 'updated' to be 1.1.0-compatible, meaning that the default value of '5' pieces of salvage to assemble a 'mech gets locked-in...

...unless you are up to modding DifficultySettings.json, in which case the '3' value can be locked-in, but never changed again, for that save.

EDIT: Mistakes were made on my end; was looking at RogueTech's edited version. HBS' default version left well-enough alone.

Value of '3' is STILL permanently locked-in for that save, though.

 

[Rifter]

The save will be 'updated' to be 1.1.0-compatible, meaning that the default value of '5' pieces of salvage to assemble a 'mech gets locked-in...

...unless you are up to modding DifficultySettings.json.

Not sure this is true, i assembled a shadowhawk SHD-2K variant last night from 3 pieces of salvage after installing the patch. Perhaps though the JK variants mod was not effected, i dunno. I want to go salvage a stock mech though to test this now.

 

[TimeDiver0]

Not sure this is true, i assembled a shadowhawk SHD-2K variant last night from 3 pieces of salvage after installing the patch. Perhaps though the JK variants mod was not effected, i dunno. I want to go salvage a stock mech though to test this now.

You're right; I was looking at RogueTech's edited version of DifficultySettings.json, which DID change the default to the '5' parts option.

My bad for jumping the gun there; HBS apparently wasn't THAT cruel to existing saves... but LadyAlekto was.

 

[Max_Killjoy]

That's a relief.

Still a good red flag to note that some of what used to be in other files has moved to the difficulty files.