Looking to (lightly) mod HOMM3 / 4

[iLiVeInAbOx05]

So I'm looking to create a few campaigns for The Reckoning in HOMM 3 and 4. I'm probably going to do the maps for HOMM4 first, and then at some point try to make them for HOMM3.

The problem is certain artifacts, such as the Sword of Frost, don't exist and I'd really like to have the artifacts from the story available for use.

Basically, I'd like to add some artifacts, but I don't have any idea where I need to look to mod these games, and I'd prefer to not have to use another artifact and just call it the Sword of Frost.

I'd also like to add a combination artifact, but that one isn't as big a deal.

TLDR: Just looking for either some help with modding, or a link to a good read to get me started. I do write software, so if you only have a nudge for me in the right direction, even that would be greatly appreciated and may be enough to get me started!

[Karmakeld]

there are also some topic's on HC about modding, maybe they're useful?
(have a look at some of the portraits I made/changed for my campaign) http://heroescommunity.com/forumdisplay.php3?FID=4

[Maciek]

For heroes 3 modding, check out first and last post in this FAQ thread. Then have a look at Erm help.
With that, you can make new artifacts and new combo artifacts, among many other things. You may need to invent some kind of freezing effect, as there isn't any in heroes 3 (except 2 direct damage spells).

For heroes 4, there are some tools and Equilibris mod, but none of them lets you create new artifacts. For that, you'll need to contact Equi team.

If I were to simulate a Sword of Frost in heroes 4, I'd give the hero a Sword of Swiftness to graphically represent the Sword of Frost and give him scroll number 49 (Lets the hero give freezing attack to any stack in his army; seems quite powerfull) on encounter (you can use h4util to extract the script and then change the scroll's number and plug the script back into map) and take it away on victory or defeat. Takeing away doesn't seem to work if the hero is already dead before combat starts.
The downside is that the campaign editor doesn't know 'scroll number 49', so it can't open a map with it. So you can only do that after doing everything else on the map.

[iLiVeInAbOx05]

there are also some topic's on HC about modding, maybe they're useful?
(have a look at some of the portraits I made/changed for my campaign) http://heroescommunity.com/forumdisplay.php3?FID=4

I found some useful stuff over on heroes community that should be able to get me started, thanks Karmakeld!

For heroes 3 modding, check out first and last post in this FAQ thread. Then have a look at Erm help.
With that, you can make new artifacts and new combo artifacts, among many other things. You may need to invent some kind of freezing effect, as there isn't any in heroes 3 (except 2 direct damage spells).

For this will I need the WoG patch? I was looking to do it without going to WoG. I'll take a look at the thread when I get home, thanks!

For heroes 4, there are some tools and Equilibris mod, but none of them lets you create new artifacts. For that, you'll need to contact Equi team.

Have you seen this thread? I just read through it yesterday, but I haven't had a chance to go through the "data" section in Heroes4 to see what all was there. I would guess there is an artifacts.table in there, but I haven't looked at it yet.

I'd also like to do this without having to install the Equilibris mod if possible!

[Salamandre]

The erm help you are being directed to is older than Cleopatra. The most up-to-date files for modding Heroes III can be found in Era platform, which is sorta of WoG 3.59 + mod support.

Unfortunately, as in CH wog section activity slowly died, only Heroes community is now a source to gather informations (well, is dying too so hurry up).

Anyway, for modding Heroes 3 using erm, even for an experienced programmer it can take up to one year to only learn what's about, so you have to be really very motivated.

[Kalah]

I don't know if this link is still up to date? We would like to host the mod file, at least.

[Salamandre]

Well, no. WoG was updated several times, but once the original team disbanded, there were no longer updates until Era, which is from 2009. Then Era is now already at 2.46 version, while every upgrade fixed the original wog 3.58 bugs, following players reports.

So the latest has a lot of fixes for gameplay, I posted an Era thread in CH but as activity was almost none, I didn't take care of updates.

Anyway, this is not a real problem. If anyone decides he wants to learn erm, he will find the latest version by its own. If he isn't enough motivate to search through two forums, certainly he is not enough motivated to spend further 9 months on learning erm.

[Karmakeld]

So have you been looking into modding? If so, please share. I myself would like to add mirrored objects as well as new objects. This should be considered minor modding compared to creating new artifacts or changing creature statistics.

[iLiVeInAbOx05]

So have you been looking into modding? If so, please share. I myself would like to add mirrored objects as well as new objects. This should be considered minor modding compared to creating new artifacts or changing creature statistics.

I decided to put off learning to mod since it seemed like I would be spending a LOT of time trying to figure it out. I weighed using my time learning that vs actually creating the story / maps for The Reckoning campaigns and figured I'd rather spend my time writing the story and making the maps.

I haven't decided yet if I'll come back to trying to mod, or just use what is already there as best I can!

Also, when you say mirrored objects, do you mean, for example, having a quest hut that only points in one direction and creating another one that points in the opposite direction (or any direction)?

[Karmakeld]

what I mean by mirrored objects is that for example all eyes of the magi turns to right, then I want to turn to the left, just like you have it with towns and mines.. can be entered from both directions

[Karmakeld]

I've learned a bit of modding, and I got an idea of how you could possibly manage to mod your way to getting Armageddon's Blade and Sword of Frost.
For Armageddons Blade, I'd edit the table.artifact.txt file and replace 'Flaming Sword' with 'Armageddon's Blade'. You could even change the 'pick up' text to match Armageddon's Blade better. For a guide on how to edit and pack the table file, look here: https://www.celestialheavens.com/forum/17/16261

As for the Sword of Frost, NimoStar posted a nice guide here http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=43644 on how to switch images between objects, by hex editing them. You could easily switch the images between the Sword of Swiftness and the Frost Hammer, so you'd have to the artifact properties of the Frost Hammer (I think this would work nicely for the Sword of Frost), but with the image of the Sword of Swiftness. Again, changing the name is no biggie. What you'd also need to do, is to switch the images that are read in the inventory. These images are found here: heroes.h4r -> layers -> icons -> artifacts -> weapons. However switching the images, is currently the challenge. But I hope NimoStar or Baronus might be able to figure out how to extract, edit and re-pack the images.