Opening an 'ini' file

How to edit the files?

The game runs off of many files - and by far the most common type of file is the ini file. The ini file contains text like information from which the game engine 'runs'. This text information contains all the info for the colour of the gas cloud, the size of the ships hold, the weapons classes that can be mounted, the commodities on sale and where etc. You get the idea huh? 95% of modding is done/can be done in the ini files.

However, the ini files are compressed and encrypted. So - to read them you need to decrypt and decompress them. How?

Two ways:

First - the 'SDK'
'SDK' by EOA Players Consortium.

This is a little program that will install ALL of the ini files in Freelancer onto your games directory. These files have been pre-decompressed, and some error adjustments made. Simply put - they have done all the hard work - so that you don't have to. You can edit the files after installation by using notepad!

To install the SDK - first you need to download it. Well - here it is. Save it to a suitable and easy to use place - like your 'My Documents' folder.

Next up - once downloaded - you need to install it. How? Double click on the icon for it!


Click on next, accept the user agreement (if agreeable!) and continue onwards to be greeted with the install directory screen:



Note that this MUST show its going to install into the DATA folder - because thats where the files it will replace are! Although the Freelancer Folder is highlighted there - notice that the path above shows the data folder as the destination? Thats the correct thing for it. If you had it clicked onto the data folder - then it would create a data folder with the files INSIDE the existing data folder. Not a disaster because you can always cut and paste it over the existing data folder if necessary.....

Then it does its business:


Now you have it installed - all the ini files in the data directory and subdirectories structure are pre-decompressed for you. Open them with notepad!



Edited by - Chips on 9/27/2004 12:00:15 PM

The other way

This entails using Bini - which is a program to decrypt the files. Its harder to do - but you may need to at times

Bini.exe in zip format.

Download and unzip to a safe place. Kinda dull looking huh?



Well - it is - but very functional! Okay, you will need to COPY that bini.exe file to the place you want to use it!.

So next - click the file you wish to decrypt (ini file) and drag it ON TOP of the bini.exe file:



You will see a black box flash up briefly and then it disappear to leave you with an extra file:



Now what you have is the original encrypted ini file, and decrypted file that is in txt format, and bini. Well - delete the original file just leaving you with this new one...





Now Open that text file with your text editor - context is best: note that clicking the context name there will take you to the place to download it. It is the BEST text editor i have come across - and i swear by it for ALL my uses!! It does everything you could want!






Now click on "save as" and change it to read "all file types"






Now you need to add the suffix of .ini for it to save in ini format





And you will now find an ini file that can be edited by any text editor in your folder



Voila - done.

FLMM: The application - and how to build mods in it!


So what is FLMM?
Its Freelancer Mod Manager.....and it was made for a simple reason. Back when people first started modding, it was necessary to RE-INSTALL the game every time you used a mod. Have you checked our download section? Its HUGE - so imagine doing a reinstall after EVERY mod you try? It would be nutts!

So - FLMM removed the need for it. Its an application that scans the mod (which installs to its directory), and then makes backups of all the files in the Freelancer directory that the mod will over-write. Once this is done it then copies the mods files OVER the Freelancer files. This means the mod is 'Activated' - and you can now 'play the mod'. After playing - you can 'deactivate' the mod - which removes all the mods files, and then reinstates the backups to ensure you have a clean game.

Simply put it is THE definative FL program.

So - if you want to make a mod that is easy to use for everyone - you best understand how to make it in FLMM as well!!!

Download Freelancer Mod Manager ver 1.31 - the Author is Matthew "IGx89" Lieder - all hail Matt!!

You can figure out how to activate mods easily enough - we are interested in how to build them! Onwards:

First up - you need to go to the mods folder of FLMM - fraid mine is sparse:




Those folders contain the mods themselves. All the files for the mods are IN THERE. Inside that folder the files are in the SAME structure as in Freelancer's folder. Simple enough huh? Compare the images:

and

Note that although the route directory is 1.29 DEV VERSION and FREELANCER - but after that the structure is the same? Data and EXE folders? Good stuff - here is more though:

and

Note all the sub folders are the same, and the files that my mod overwrites are in the same place as in the freelancer folder? Hope you do - because that is how you make a mod in the FLMM!! That structure means it will overwrite the games files with your own!

So once you know that, and you build your mod - how do you make it into an flmod file - one which people can download and have it "autoinstal" into the mods directory?

Simple - go back to your "mods" folder inside of FLMM!

Now right click on the folder name of YOUR mod (make this unique to your mod, and select 'send to winzip' (you will need winzip for this - you can get a free trial version from winzips main site here. When you have it - it will look like this:





Click on that - and it opens up with:




Now you need to add the suffix of .flmod after the .zip part - like so:




Then click on "Add"





And after all that - you get:




There you go - how to build a mod in FLMM and create a flmod file.

So which files will I edit to do something then?


Well - once you have installed the SDK so that you can open files at will - then this may just help you. Sure is confusing and large - but you have to start figuring out things from now on. Modding does take a small amount of ability in the very least!:



Which files do what?
Equipment, weapons, commodities
equipment/weapons_equip.ini - this file contains all the raw data for weapons on how they fire, how much damage and stuff
equipment/weapons_good.ini - contains data on how they look in game, the price, and stuff (visible icons at dealer etc, price at dealer)
equipment/market_misc.ini - deals with selling weapons and equipment at the bases in game
equipment/st_equip.ini - shields and thrusters stats, regens, drain rates etc.
equipment/st_good.ini - goods file again, what is sold at bases, its kind of the package up. Links the weapon stats to the images and price you buy (same as for guns)
equipment/market_misc.ini - they are stated again here for selling
equipment/select_equip.ini - filled with an assortment of things, mainly this contains the info for commodities - like volume they take, what they are, information about them
equipment/goods.ini - contains the info on all commodities - like price, what is a good deal, what is a bad deal etc etc etc.

Ship Related
equipment/goods.ini also contains all info on ships prices, what they are sold with and more (called packages).
equipment/market_ships.ini - where ships are sold (upon which bases)
ships/shiparch.ini - contains all rough data on ships for stats, and links it to ships models and stuff
ships/loadouts.ini - contains all info on NPC ships loadouts for the game
ships/loadouts_special.ini - same but for capships etc
ships/loadouts_utility.ini - same but for the transports etc
Ships directory contains all ships models.

Systems and bases, and everything within!
universe/universe.ini - contains all base and systems references. ALL need to be declared here.
universe/systems_shortest_path.ini - links between systems and stuff - NEED to declare route in here to make jumpgates work
universe/shortest_legal_path.ini and shortest_illegal_path.ini - same again, but specific for jumpgates/jumpholes routes mainly
universe/systems folder - contains ALL systems folders which in turn contain system and base files.
solar/solararch.ini - contains data on all base models, and planet models in game. Basically anything in a system NOT a ship/star/nebula is in here. Asteroids aren't here either
solar/loadouts.ini - contains info on what base models have mounted and stuff, including weapon platforms
solar/asteroids/all files - contain info about the asteroid fields, contents, loot and more
solar/nebula/ same again, but about nebulas this time.
audio/contains the music and sound effects of the game.
missions/contains all files to do with encounters and NPC's for missions and normal game.
random missions/contains all info about random missions pay, loot and more stuff.
Missions/mbases.ini - contains information about NPC's on bases, including their names, whom they are etc, rumours (via ids numbers), secrets, bribes on offer, whether the NPC's/ The BASE give out missions, and the level of those missions

NPCs ships, missions and behaviours
missions/npcships.ini - contains information about the ships that the NPC's fly, linked directly towards the loadouts.ini file, and also the faction_prop.ini file. Basically - npcships.ini file links these files together for the faction_prop.ini file to use as "encounters" and stuff: Also holds the npc ships difficulty level.
Shiparch.ini
Loadouts.ini (or loadouts_special.ini etc)
pilots_population.ini
formations.ini
shipclass.ini

The others interlink kinda

missions/Empathy.ini file - contains info about how the factions react to YOU when u do mission for a faction etc, and shoot them/please them, as well as how all toehr factions respond to you doing it for one faction etc.

Missions/faction_props.ini file - contains info about the formations, names, voices, legallity, scanning of cargo as contraband/wanting it, ships to fly etc, and the factions names, how they are reffered to (voices) and more. EXTREMEMLY closely linked to NPCships.ini

missions/lootprops.ini - contains info about the drop rates of stuff by npcs
missions/news.ini - contains the ids links to text for bases as news items.
missions/ptough.ini - money and level area
missions/formations.ini - formations and their "design" - basicalyl the ships positions in formations, and where the player joins them


random missions folder:
rmlootinfo.ini - stuff dropped by npc's when killed in random misions
diff2money.ini - mission (random) payouts to difficulty levels
Killablesolars.ini - types of missions given out by the NPC factions. The ones with faction name appearing in the lines for them are giving that mission type. Don't worry if you don't understand, you gotta learn to walk before doing a marathon!
The rest you needn't worry about at this time. Its not important

Cockpits folder - contains all cockpits for ships - basically contains the turret cam info, and rotation speed etc.

Thats more than enough for 99% of modders.

To make systems, your universe folder contains the systems folders. each system has its own folder, along with the system file inside that folder.
So:

Universe/systems/li01/li01.ini ;contains information about liberty system New York
Universe/sytems/Rh01/Rh01.ini contains all systems inofmation for new berlin.

Okay, inside these folders (systems folders) they have a bases folder, whre the file for bases are contained. These files only contain links to the "rooms" of the base, which are contained inthe rooms folder (inside bases folder). The rooms foler contains links to the backgrounds, music played, character position (by points on the CMP for base) and other things. It also contains the links for the buttons inside the base etc.

Going backwards, the audio/sounds.ini contains the links to sound files (sound effects) for the game. The music.ini file contains the music links.

The FX folder contains the files that deal with the effects of stuff. The main effects.ini file deals with the weapons, wormholes etc etc etc.
Beam effects are the actual stuff SEEN in the game by the guns, but you MUST have them referenced inthe effects.ini file to work.

explosions.ini file is also in here, and obviously contains links to the effects for different types of explosions used in the game.

Finding entries that are relevant to what your after

Well - now you know WHERE to look for the right files - but what about when you open them?? Looking at 27,000 lines of text in the weapon_equip.ini file for one guns entry is HARD WORK.

So how does the game differentiate?
Simple - it uses nicknames!!

Here is an excerpt of a gun from the weapon_equip.ini file - the nickname is what the game will use to reference this item to the other files (remember that they ALL interlink with many other files):
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FORUM CODE PREVENTS THE CLOSING SQUARE BRACKET FROM APPEARING. - after the word gun there should be another bracket - a closing bracket! Like this {Gun} - but square brackets instead!

<pre><font size=1 face=Courier>
[Gun
nickname = fc_x_gun01_mark02
ids_name = 263354
ids_info = 264354

</font></pre>
Notice that if you search for this nickname using your text editors "Edit -> Find" feature - you will find it in a second. Same for the game. Its the reference. You will also find that there is ALOT more information that i haven't put up here below the ids parts. (by the way - the ids is the TEXT that you see in the game - its stored in dll files, see the sticky in this forum for making ids custom entries!)

So that gun nickname is linked? Yep:
The weapon_goods.ini file:<pre><font size=1 face=Courier>
[Good
nickname = fc_x_gun01_mark02
equipment = fc_x_gun01_mark02
category = equipment
price = 1830
item_icon = equipment\models\commodities\nn_icons\EQUIPICON_gun.3db
combinable = false
ids_name = 263354
ids_info = 264354
shop_archetype = equipment\models\weapons\li_laser_beam.cmp
material_library = equipment\models\li_equip.mat
</font></pre>
This is the actual physical thing you see - in the shop to buy, and mounted upon the weapons mounts in the shop.


And here is that same gun upon a NPC fighter:
<pre><font size=1 face=Courier>[Loadout
nickname = fc_x_ge_fighter2_loadout01
archetype = ge_fighter2
equip = ge_gf2_engine_01
equip = npc_shield02_mark02, HpShield01
equip = infinite_power
equip = ge_s_scanner_02
equip = ge_s_tractor_01
equip = ge_s_thruster_01, HpThruster01
equip = armor_scale_3
equip = fc_x_gun01_mark01, HpWeapon01
equip = fc_x_gun01_mark01, HpWeapon02
equip = fc_x_gun01_mark02, HpWeapon03
equip = ge_s_cm_01, HpCM01
cargo = ge_s_cm_01_ammo, 20
equip = LargeWhiteSpecial, HpHeadlight
equip = SlowSmallOrange, HpRunningLig </font></pre>

There it is - mounted upon a weapon mount!

So - you see how its linked from the weapons file to being on an NPC's ship in space huh? But how the hell will YOU know what the nickname for a gun....or ANYTHING else is?

Simple - a database!

Subxero spent ALOT of time doing all this for you! - Subxeros Misc Database. Its a VERY important thing to those just starting out!
Subxeros Miscellaneous Database download

So - open that up and look what you get?


Now find the name of the gun your after (easier to do it this way - find the name of the gun, then copy its nickname, and search the weapon_equip.ini file for it!)




So - try finding the Shield Busting Del Cid huh? - remember - its called Tizona Del Cid:


Copy that nickname - then go to your weapon_equip.ini file and paste it into the find function:




And it pulls up the relevent ammo/gun entry in this HUGE file!




Now you know not only HOW the game finds stuff - using those nicknames, but to also work out which is what! That database contains TONS of stuff - systems, bases, factions, ships, powerplants, weapons, shields, everything is in there - use the tabs at the bottom to find stuff. You will aslo see that the database includes the ids_name next to its real name - another way to search for things too, or just the thing to edit to change its name!

Hay, I wont to make a add-on mod, that adds new systems, weapons, so-on.... How do I add the weapon to the ini file?

hey i have a question were is the player file located
i want to change trents look iv gotten a little bored the way he looks

Jay-Jay I would tell you to check the editing forum for editing tools for SDK 1.3 by Louvre-Deux and download it first. It has a full set of uncorrupted FL files. Then go into the SDK files to equipment i think and the weapons ini should be in there. But before you change anything make a copy of the file into another folder outside of FL or the SDK and use that for your mods and experiments. You will find that FL is VERY picky and a comma or period or space in the wrong spot or not been added in will cause your mod not to work or screw up something else.


Pilotx if you search the download section for skins you'll find a mod for just that purpose.

"we wish for one last landing on the globe that gave us birth, to rest our eyes on the fleecey skies, and the cool green hills of earth" - 'Noisy' Rhysling

Can someone tell me how or show me the forums that I need to look in for figuring out how to edit the GAMEDATA files on Server Operator mk.V so I can turn on the cheat detector and it will recognize my ship as a "normal" ship and not as a cheat?

I downloaded Victor's MP enchancement Mod 1.3 and I want to be able to have all of those ships while having the cheater detector running! I also want to edit my ship and not worry about myself being banned for having a "Cheat"

One other quick question: Is there a way where I can make it that the cilents joining my server don't need the mod to run the mod I have on my sever?!

Anubis - i believe you need something to translate the files right? Unfort its a hard graft - where you have to actually copy and paste all nicknames with what they are into files - and then hash them. However, there may be gamedata files fo victors mod available on this site already. I don't know for sure - but would try a search of downloads (go to downloads - top right, click search box and type in what your looking for. Then click search - top half of results is 'news' items, bottom half is 'downloads' items.

For clients joining servers.........
If you go to general editing forum - you will see a post stickied below bakeds Juni and trent thread. Check in that thread (created by me) and have a quick read. There should be a link to a thread about serverside mods only......

Nice post Chips, allot of good information here.

Here are some tools to help you with GAMEDATA files.
Of coarse it's up to you to decide which tools suit your needs, I'm just giving you a referance to some of the tools that I know of. I'm sure there's more in the download section. There's about 10 pages of downloads so there's allot of looking for the programs that you want.

Freelancer GAMEDATA Exporter Build 1.0.0 made by Silver_Fire

Hash Generator Frontend Tool Developed by Crabtree

Freelancer ids_name / ids_info to ids_info3 Generator developed by Crabtree

IDS TUTORIAL made by Chips

IONCROSS Freelancer GAMEDATA Creator mk.I How To made by Crabtree

flhash.dll made by Fiik

IONCROSS Freelancer GAMEDATA Creator mk.I made by JoeBoomz

I followed that thing to make mods into Mod.zip.flmod
Its loading into the mod manager but when i try to activate it theres an error

Error: FLMM has determined that 'Mod' won't properly activate.

hello i am a beginner at, Everything involving mods, i mean i am 13, i play with the mods, then it came to me to make my own to pay you all back for your bloody brilliant mods except the uss vesuvius and the Earth mods (the vesuvius aircraft carrier got stuck in the trade lanes, and the earth mod wouldnt allow other cooler mods to go with it) but anyway, what i want to do is as i have say once or twice before, i want to make the borg cube or someone else who is more trained to make one, mega massive but tradlane worthy (bloody vesuvius, i had loads of gun but it wouldnt fit) loads of level 10 guns and 4 ion thrusters, 10 torps, loads of normal turrets, 2 Mines and countermeasurse

My other dream is to make the Semitar, the Reman war bird the fought the soverign class U.S.S Enterprise-E, it had 52 disrupters, 5 shield slots, a theloron radiation genarator which could kill everything but took 6 minutes to load, huge armour and shields, and ****e off a stick engines, and a CD(this is an abbriviation of the forrbidden words), if i could make it i'd put this in and this and more, including the good CDs not the bad ones, mine droppers and some other turrets.


But this cannot come true because i have no God foresaken idea on how to do this so i could either do it with your help, or someone here could do it for me and just acknowledge me for coming up with the idea, preferely someone compitent or someone who is a god at these mods, so please help me in either of the above ways.

Thank you for reading this longwinded and usless and waste of time post

P.s forgive me for the CD mentioning

Edited by - alphus on 12/10/2004 3:38:37 PM

Hello, I'm new here. I've been playing "Freelancer" for months now (I first got a copy of the game at Micro-Center earlier this year), and I've just started to try modding.

I downloaded Crabtree's Shipscripter Tutorial and I can't get past the main preparatory part where it asks you to create new folders and files. I don't know how to create the "MyMod.cmp," "MyMod," "MyMod.sur," "MyMod_Cockpit.ini, or the "MyMod_Icon.3db" files that are shown to the right of the graphic at the bottom of the Adobe Acrobat printout.

Now, I'm not exactly computer literate, but could somebody please help me with this?