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| Thread: Presenting... Hero Creatures! Vote! | |
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NimoStar
Responsible
Legendary Hero
Modding the Unmoddable
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posted September 26, 2016 01:53 AM |
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Edited by NimoStar at 01:54, 26 Sep 2016.
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Poll Question:
:?: Presenting... Hero Creatures! Vote!
 Presenting... Hero Creatures! Vote!
Four different Hero-Creature types together in combat
General infinite possibilities and novelties:
- You can have any creature as a hero graphic!
- Use creatures as leaders of their kind or traitors!
- Heroes are fully customizable and you can gove them any abilities, spells, levels or artifact! Choose your ally, character or boss as a creature-hero! Make great storylines like a dwarf hero freeing his people! (Hey, that one's mine  )
- Creature-heroes are perfect as sidekicks! Get that WoG "Commander" vibe going as your main hero has a buffed up magic-reflecting Golem bodyguard, or watch gleefully as your poisonous pet Behemoth trashes the enemy!
- You can change the footprint (combat size) on the grid, independently! It's a way to make way larger or smaller heroes. Tactical and flavorific!
- Also the height of hover indicator!
- You can differentiate the way they animate, making them stand out from other creatures! Make them "stand" or "idle" in a special animation, or maybe you want them to have special spell and attack anims? You can!
- Make Hybrid heroes which combine different creature and hero anims!
- The HP and Mana Gauge are always over their head instead of stack number... You cannot confuse them, even if on the same army or in combat!
- With Equilibris Facetool, you can change hero portraits so they match the chosen kind of creature! Get a wolf from the internet and make it a portrait for your wolf hero! Or use your own dog's photo, so he can accompany you ingame!
Limitations:
- There can be Only One: Each Hero Creature can only appear once in a map. If not, they will start using the default class appearance, even if you place many "Theodorus the Titan", just one of them will look like the Titan. Use sparingly... to destroy that limitation, you could change an entire default class to be hero-creatures
- Hero creatures use the sounds of their original hero class.
... This may be weird when you hear a Naga at adventure map on full gallop!
Choose carefully the class - if you use a creature which attacks with swords, use a class that does.
- Archery... the projectile may be hard to choose with editing the file. Probably depends on the original .spr file chosen to convert to a hero Creature!
The four showcased creature-heroes (Naga, Monk, Mage, and Wolf) are already in the mod... and others slated to be surely added are Ninja(bandit), Titan, Black Dragon, White Tiger and Dwarf.
Soon, I will write a tutorial so anyone can do it easily 
For now, vote and/or post which hero creatures you want included on NimoStar's Greatest Mod! (If it's not on the list, you can vote with a post too)
The best voted creatures will surely be made for the next release, so choose which ones you would like to be able to use 
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iliveinabox05
Honorable
Famous Hero
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posted September 26, 2016 04:35 AM |
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Gravorce
Adventuring Hero
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posted September 26, 2016 08:52 AM |
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This is pretty cool, although I didn't realise it was a mod until I read the end, maybe you should have been a bit more clear with the heading? I like the look of this though 
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Baronus
Legendary Hero
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posted September 26, 2016 09:13 AM |
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Edited by Baronus at 09:17, 26 Sep 2016.
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Its guide how to mod and voting:-) Write in title you want this topic as guide or as your mod voting.
Big applause! :-)
Its good if mino, halfing or efereti hero will be look like they not always like a human. But it must be always new pack of animations added to game. It makes game big and biggest :-) But create what you want! :-)
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NimoStar
Responsible
Legendary Hero
Modding the Unmoddable
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posted September 26, 2016 06:18 PM |
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Edited by NimoStar at 18:20, 26 Sep 2016.
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Actually, you only need to add Spell and Ranged animations to the creatures that don't have it. All the rest of animations (the default ones) can be shared. (I can't still control ranged projectile, though, so possibly a Titan hero will only shoot an arrow or energy ball : P and not lightning - am working on it though, and I believe it's probably possible to control it)
Mini-tutorial on how to make it without changing anything hard (we will get to that later, this works for most purposes):
- Extract .spr files from main files that come with the (use Resedit, etc.) - If you use H4ResEx, you will need to add the .spr yourself
- The files I refer to start with adv_actor and combat_actor headings
- Now choose what creature you want to make into a hero
- Copy both .spr files. Rename them from "adv_actor.wolf.spr" to "adv_actor.hero.wolf.spr" ... do the same with combat_actor file.
(wolf is an example, it can be any creature)
- Now, open from the game tables. Extract (as before - you can extract this file from equi or find it on the different .h4r default files) and open table.heroes.txt with TextEdit.
- Search what heroes you want to make into the creature/s you copied.
- In the "Custom model fighter" and "Custom model archer" write down your creature name Ej. we can make Mephala to use the Elf model, but only if you did the copy and rename .spr first.
- Take your .spr and hero table modified files and pack them into an .h4r file. Mh4_096 or Resedit can do this, for example.
The new .h4r can be called "new.h4r" for regular Heroes 4 and "New_mod.h4r" for Equilibris and current Greatest Mod version (someone correct me if I'm wrong on this, as I use different grea.h4r naming to incorporate it to my core mod)
Now this looks like a lot of steps, but it all should take 5 minutes at most if you have the set up, 10-15 if you lack the files (you can see on Heroes 4 modding threads where to download the utilities).
You can add as many creatures you like or the Hero table has available heroes, and you can add them all at once in a single .h4r file (Note: Although all Generic heroes have elaborate biographies, sadly they don't work. This was probably for a scrapped feature.)
* * *
Limitations of this "easy method":
- Hero creatures will not be able to do what their creatures cannot do. Non-spellcasting creatures won't be able to cast spells as heroes, as they lack animations. Non-ranged creatures will not be able to shoot as heroes.
- You can circunvent this by choosing the appropiate creatures for the hero you wish to be on your campaign. For example if you want an enemy Cerberus hero, don't give him Archery, spells, or possibility to advance such skills.
- This problem can be fixed (and I have already fixed it), but it requires editing the .spr files, which is the topic of a future tutorial (all the included Hero-creatures in my "Greatest mod" will have full functionality including spellcasting and archery)
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nostradamus
Adventuring Hero
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posted September 26, 2016 09:26 PM |
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Nimo,I already voted,looks very adventureable,one question I have,old man with stick and red monster from cheat codes,can they also be converted to new creatures?, or perhaps in the upcoming new version?
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Namerutan_
Tavern Dweller
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posted September 26, 2016 09:39 PM |
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NimoStar said:
- Take your .spr and hero table modified files and pack them into an .h4r file. Mh4_096 or Resedit can do this, for example.
To test things, you can directly use files outside any package: just copy the files into the game "Data" folder, but all files need to be ".h4d" (".h4c" for game maps/campaigns).
Note: I sent you an instant message again yesterday, plese check it.
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NimoStar
Responsible
Legendary Hero
Modding the Unmoddable
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posted September 27, 2016 06:37 PM |
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Edited by NimoStar at 18:39, 27 Sep 2016.
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Really, you can use them outside?
Oh, I could have saved a lot of time if I knew that before...
(Although renaming file extensions isn't that quick either, specially with the pesky Windows confirmation dialogue : P)
Well, that is a way for people to make and share their hero-creatures easier, I guess!
MP has been responded
By the way, I was thinking about making a Conflux version of my mod. This would include Hero Creatures for the four elemental types... (Elemental Lords? Remember Heroes Chronicles!)
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Baronus
Legendary Hero
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posted September 27, 2016 07:04 PM |
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Good idea. I suggest only battle hero creature. On map oldest with horse.
You mustnt write new post to see topic it in top of forum. Here if you updated old topic is going up. So dont produce post after post.
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iLiVeInAbOx05
Honorable
Famous Hero
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posted September 27, 2016 07:14 PM |
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NimoStar said:
(Although renaming file extensions isn't that quick either, specially with the pesky Windows confirmation dialogue : P)
If you have a bash terminal (I have one through my use of git on windows), you can simply "mv filename.txt filename.h4d" and that will change the extension for you.
I find it really useful to be able to quickly and easily do stuff like that on Windows
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Baronus
Legendary Hero
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posted September 27, 2016 07:36 PM |
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Edited by Baronus at 20:17, 27 Sep 2016.
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Yes it must be way to change 30 another named files adv.actor.combat.byhininu to adv.actor.combat.creature.byhininu by one click adding only one word. But you must find utility.
...
Ive got it!
Build rename.bat file
write
ren adv.actor.combat* adv.actor.combat.creature*
RUN!
all your 100 files will be changed BUT ONLY these fragment! Rest is is the same
If you wan change extension
ren *txt *h4d
all 100 will be changed from txt to h4d
after*past
after is file name part to change
past is extension.
But you can only add. It comend cant cut.
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yogi
Promising
Famous Hero
of picnics
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posted September 27, 2016 08:27 PM |
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ha, batch files! 
 ingenious solution; thanks for reminding me of them.
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NimoStar
Responsible
Legendary Hero
Modding the Unmoddable
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posted September 28, 2016 03:17 AM |
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Edited by NimoStar at 04:02, 28 Sep 2016.
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I didn0t understand the "Not create new post" messge (weird syntax). This post was created to show people, even those not interested in other's mods, how to make their hero creatures and show that was possible.
* * *
Actually normal heroes for Conflux will be like Archmage model (Bohb), etc. (I have already chosen the 4 of them).
(In some moment I considered making Efreet and Genies heroes as default, but this didn't really convince me)
The elemental-looking heroes are just for campaign and map editor.
* * *
As for the renaming, I actually have a program specifically for that, called "bulk rename utility" (It's freeware). Although it has lots of options, however it isn't good for this (nor the batch files) because you have to add something at the end, but the thing before that is not sonsistent. So for example you have hero.wolf, hero.sprite, etc. and you want to add ".spr" to all of them... you can't, because you need a replacement rule and because each file ends different, they are all separated in this regard :/ same with changing lots of different extensions to the same one. Even the "add suffix" doesn't work because it adds them before ".wolf", as it recognized ".wolf" as the file type (facepalm). I blame NWC, makers of the program, the Heroes resource extractor, and Windows for using inconsistent/incompatible file type standards :v
PS: I have just found by fiddling that the way to do it is "extra extension"
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Namerutan_
Tavern Dweller
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posted September 28, 2016 05:26 AM |
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NimoStar said:
I blame NWC, makers of the program, the Heroes resource extractor, and Windows for using inconsistent/incompatible file type standards :v
It was long time ago with older ways of doing things, but I can understand "makers of the program" like the Heroes resource extractor, as these guys (like me) was just guessing things and tried to do the best for their purposes.
I need to correct myself, for example:
Namerutan_ said:
To test things, you can directly use files outside any package: just copy the files into the game "Data" folder, but all files need to be ".h4d" (".h4c" for game maps/campaigns)
Game maps/campaigns also needs to be ".h4d" (not ".h4c") for the game to consider these files inside "Data" folder.
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radmutant69
Promising
Known Hero
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posted September 28, 2016 09:15 AM |
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Total Commander has a Multi-Rename Tool. I think it's the fastest and easiest way to rename a lot of files at the same time...
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NimoStar
Responsible
Legendary Hero
Modding the Unmoddable
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posted September 29, 2016 03:44 AM |
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Yes, I thought about Total Commander, but it doesn't have a way of adding a new extension automatically, does it?
That is needed (sometimes) because Heroes Resource Extractor gets this as files:
As you see, no actual file extension.
(Resedit does the file extension, but doesn't classify the files in subfolders)
AS FOR THE HERO CREATURES
For anyone to compare with my working ones, in case maybe it doesn't work for them...
This is how they actually look (without adding extra ranged or spell animations and before compressing / placing in data folder):
On heroes table file:
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Karmakeld
Responsible
Supreme Hero
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posted October 01, 2016 12:31 PM |
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NimoStar said:
Limitations:
- There can be Only One: Each Hero Creature can only appear once in a map. If not, they will start using the default class appearance, even if you place many "Theodorus the Titan", just one of them will look like the Titan. Use sparingly... to destroy that limitation, you could change an entire default class to be hero-creatures
Just to be sure I understand this corret (I'll prob go play around with it myself any day soon), but does it 'add' fx. the wolf hero (say based on the druid) and then I can still use the druid skin?
you're not using the custom expansion heroes for this?
Edit: Okay, I have to ask for some help on this.
I've downloaded ResEdit2 and I can succesfully extract campaigns and videos, but I'm completely lost on the subject of the spr. files.
I can locate both the adv_actor and combat_actor. I seek to change the ghost into a hero, so I tried to extract the ghost file. No luck with ResEdit2, but H4unpacker did extract it, only it named Ghost.adv_actor and is an adv_actor file, not .spr
Could you help me out? I feel like I'm missing a step or two at the very beginning of your tutorial.. :/
Edit: So I gave it another try. Downloaded your hero creature package. Copied your spr. files. Wanted to try out making a black dragon hero, so I renamed the files to adv_actor.hero.black dragon.spr and combat..spr. I even copied the h4d files, but I can't figure out to pack the files with either ResEdit2 or Mh4. I don't see any of those options and the programs can't see the spr. files. I'm feeling dumb as doorknob here.. 
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NimoStar
Responsible
Legendary Hero
Modding the Unmoddable
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posted October 05, 2016 10:02 AM |
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Edited by NimoStar at 10:22, 05 Oct 2016.
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Yes, you can use an unlimited number of heroes at once. it doesn't over-write your druid.
I think you may need expansions (any of them) for it to work, because special heroes don't appear on vainilla Heroes IV game.
That is the same file, but your program named it wrong.
It should be adv_actor.wolf
The ".spr" part you can add yourself. It doesn't matter since as amateur you should just rename it adv_actor.hero.wolf.h4d and place it directly on your data folder.
Now people don't have to do much of anything. I have done all hard part for them 
I have uploaded a main post the file with nearly all creatures modified to be full hero-compatible for all classes and types.
See here:
http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=42915&pagenumber=1
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Sumsum
Adventuring Hero
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posted October 06, 2016 10:26 PM |
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NimoStar said:
and you can gove them any abilities, spells, levels or artifact!
lol
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