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Create custom DLC

UI overrides

For DLC that only needs to override the UI, a custom DLC can be created:

  • The DLC will not show up in the in-game menu but it will still work

  • All of the DLC files can be put into their own directory, which can be copied to Assets/DLC

  • The DLC directory must contain a Civ5Pkg file

    • GUID should be unique

    • Key should not be in the file

    • The directory containing the UI overrides should be included in the file, e.g.

      <UISkin name="Expansion2Primary" set="Expansion2" platform="Common">
  <GameplaySkin>
    <Directory>UI</Directory>
  </GameplaySkin>
</UISkin>

  • Any existing Lua files with the same paths and names as the game files will be automatically applied

    e.g. Assets/DLC/My_DLC/UI/InGame/InGame.lua

  • If there are any additional Lua files that need to be applied, they must be included from one of the above Lua files

    • If there's a specific Lua file you know you need to add it to, you can include it, e.g.

      include( "MyFile" );

    • If you want to do the equivalent of the InGameUIAddin entry point section in a .modinfo file

      e.g. This line would need to be added to My_DLC/UI/InGame/InGame.lua to include My_DLC/UI/MyFile.lua:

      table.insert(g_uiAddins, ContextPtr:LoadNewContext("MyFile"));

    • In many cases it may be a good idea to add your code to a specific event to make sure it doesn't get added multiple times, e.g.

      Events.LoadScreenClose.Add( MyFunction )

      • Here are some common events:

        • Events.LoadScreenClose
          • "Launched after the user presses that "Begin your journey" button."
        • Events.SequenceGameInitComplete
          • After the game starts

        Source: Run a Lua function when game initializes

Gameplay overrides

Lua

Lua gameplay overrides should work as long as they're included from an override of an existing game Lua file, similarly to UI Lua overrides. See above for more information.

XML

As best as I can tell, gameplay XML overrides are not allowed by custom DLC, because if the Civ5Pkg file is missing a valid Key, gameplay overrides such as <Gameplay> and <Gamedata> are ignored.

I'm only aware of these workarounds:

  • Use a tool such as MPMPM to convert the DLC to a multiplayer modpack

  • Game files can be modified directly

  • Or XML files that make changes can be copied to an existing DLC

    1. Copy the XML file to an existing DLC

      e.g. Assets/DLC/Expansion2/My_DLC/My_File.xml

    2. Then modify the Civ5Pkg file for that DLC to include the new file

      e.g. <GameData>My_File.xml</GameData>

      ⓘ The full path to the file in the DLC directory shouldn't be necessary, only the file name

Examples of custom DLC

Research

To do

  • Create custom DLC with one of the tools below
  • Compare custom DLC to included DLC
  • Try to get custom DLC to minimum set of files
  • Figure out how overrides works
    • Mods directory seems to be ignored
    • Get full file listing of Override/
    • Compare to full file listing of XML files in Assets/DLC/Expansion2/
    • Wipe Override/ and replace with all XML files from Assets/DLC/Expansion2/

Reasons for creating custom DLC

  • I don't think mods can be used in multiplayer games, but if they're installed as DLC this works
  • Mods disable achievements whereas DLC don't

Convert existing mod to DLC using a tool

Enhanced User Interface

This is interesting because it's installed as DLC but without all the Overrides created by MPMPM. This might be the best option.

Notes on existing DLC

  • Each DLC has its own directory under Assets/DLC/
  • Contents seem to be similar to mods
    • e.g. Assets/DLC/DLC_01/Gameplay/XML/CIV5Traits_Mongol.xml contains a typical <GameData> XML file
  • The biggest difference seems to be the .Civ5Pkg at the root of the DLC directory
    • This seems to fulfill a similar purpose to a .modinfo file but the contents are completely different, containing a <Civ5Package> element instead of a <Mod> element

Testing MPMPM tool

(https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/mpmpm-multiplayer-mod-dlc-hack-updated.533238/)

👉 In the end, I don't think this is the best option. Creating the mod pack DLC is pretty involved and must be re-done every time the mod is changed. The way MPMPM works is it dumps the entire game database of a running game as XML and I don't think it would be trivial to reproduce this.

  • Works as listed, creates an MP_MODSPACK directory in Assets/DLC that can be dropped into another installation
  • The UI directory can be removed, along with the corresponding entry in MPModsPack.Civ5Pkg
  • Override directory
    • 523 files, 510 of which are empty
    • Removing the it caused the DLC not to work (but the game worked)
    • Replacing the files with empty files caused the game to crash
    • Removing the empty files caused the game to crash
    • Blanking some files caused the game to crash
      • CIV5Units.xml
    • Blanking or removing other files seems to work
      • CIV5Units_Mongol.xml
      • Civ5_Dialog_*
      • CIV5GameTextInfos*
      • CIV5Leader_*
    • Removing something in *_* causes it to crash

How does the MPMPM custom DLC work?

  • It seems like all the game logic gets put into one file: CIV5Units.xml
  • Is the Mods directory even needed?

Create custom DLC

  1. Create custom directory under Assets/DLC/

    e.g. DLC_Quick_Civ_5

  2. Create .Civ5Pkg file

    1. TODO: does it matter if there are spaces in name?

    2. Copy this

      <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Civ5Package>
  <GUID>{UUID}</GUID>
  <Version>1</Version>
  <Priority>999</Priority>
  <PTags>
    <Tag>Version</Tag>
  </PTags>
  <Name>
    <Value language="en_US">Name</Value>
  </Name>
  <Description>
    <Value language="en_US">Description</Value>
  </Description>
</Civ5Package>

    3. Replace UUID with a randomly generated UUID

    4. Replace Name and Description

    5. Set Priority accordingly

      • DLC is loaded in order of priority, lowest to highest

    6. Any XML files that update the database need to be added as GameData elements, e.g.

      <Gameplay>
  <GameData>Quick_Civ_5.xml</GameData>
</Gameplay>

Testing DLC

👉 <Gameplay> doesn't seem to work without a key ....

Works

  • Adding Quick_Civ_5.xml to Assets/DLC/Expansion2/Gameplay/
    • Requires <GameData>Quick_Civ_5.xml</GameData>
  • XML/Quick_Civ_5.xml with <GameData>Quick_Civ_5.xml</GameData> without <Directory>XML</Directory>

Works 😕

This works unless the key is removed, then it doesn't work. Adding <GameData>Quick_Civ_5.xml</GameData> to Enhanced UI doesn't work, so the key seems to be necessary for gameplay overrides.

  • Assets/DLC/Expansion2/Expansion2.Civ5Pkg
  • Assets/DLC/Expansion2/Quick_Civ_5.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Civ5Package>
  <GUID>{6DA07636-4123-4018-B643-6575B4EC336B}</GUID>
  <SteamApp>235580</SteamApp>
  <Version>1</Version>
  <Priority>200</Priority>
  <Key>bf6d34a0074b7ad4b1d1716475f7f7fe</Key>
  <PTags>
    <Tag>Version</Tag>
  </PTags>
  <Name>
    <Value language="en_US">Expansion - Brave New World</Value>
  </Name>
  <Description>
    <Value language="en_US">Expansion - Brave New World</Value>
  </Description>
  <Gameplay>
    <GameData>Quick_Civ_5.xml</GameData>
  </Gameplay>
</Civ5Package>