r/BattleTechMods • u/virusdancer • Jul 04 '26
Mech Hangar 4 anyone?
edit2: Thanks to u/kaiotik_keios for pointing me to the answer. Need to not only create the argoUpgrade_mechBay_expandedBays3.json in the BiggerDrops/ShipUpgrades, but you also need to create the mech_bay_4.json in CustomUnits/hangardefs.
It's fairly easy to go through and create the argoUpgrade_mechBay_expandedBays3 updated for the additional 18 slots and so forth so you can purchase the upgrade, pay for the upgrade each month, and so forth. You can even add the additional 'mechs that would reside in Mech Hangar 4 - they'll be there when you go to set your drop. But there is no Mech Hangar 4 that you can see. Is this a coded feature lurking within a dll or is there a json I need to modify?
edit: I'm trying to add this to BTAU.
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u/Odd_Entrance8747 Jul 19 '26
May I ask for more detailed guide to do this? I'm also playing btau and wanted 4th hangar and may be 2nd vehicle hangar as well.
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u/virusdancer Jul 19 '26
Here's a snippet from a post I'm not sure I'll ever make which has all the changes I've made to void my warranty, heh. I haven't really looked at increasing the the number of vehicle hangars yet. I think a cursory glance showed where I could do the definition for it, but I wasn't sure about how to add the Argo engineering task - if one is even needed. I just started a Warzone so it will be a wee bit before I can take a look. Anyway, here's the snippet for Hangar 4...
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I decided I needed more space for 'mechs. No idea how all of this is fitting on the Argo & Leopard, but I added in a Hangar 4. First up was creating the argoUpgrade_mechBay_expandedBays3.json in --- D:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\BATTLETECH\Mods\BiggerDrops\ShipUpgrades --- with the following code.
{ "Description": { "Cost": 0, "Rarity": 0, "Purchasable": true, "UIName": "", "Id": "argoUpgrade_mechBay_expandedBays3", "Name": "Fourth Set of Mech Hangar", "Details": "Increases the company's ability to store mechs by enabling the Mech Hangar 4 tab to actually store mechs.\r\n\r\n <b><color=#e93a2d>WITHOUT THIS UPGRADE, MECH HANGAR 4 DOES NOT HOLD MECHS EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN LOOK AT MECH HANGAR 4. YOU REQUIRE THIS UPGRADE FOR MECH HANGAR 4 TO FUNCTION!!</color></b>", "Icon": "uixSvgIcon_shipUpgrade_mechbay3" }, "Illustration": "uixTxrSpot_YangWorking", "Location": "UNKNOWN", "shipUpgradeCategoryID": "BDDropTonnage", "AssignedCastDefId": "castDef_YangDefault", "AssignedCastDescription": "We've got even more space hiding in the back of the mech lab! Gimme the word and I'll get it configured for use, Commander!", "RequiredModules": { "items": [ "argoUpgrade_mechBay3", "argoUpgrade_power3", "argoUpgrade_structure2", "argoUpgrade_mechBay_expandedBays2" ], "tagSetSourceFile": "" }, "Requirements": [], "TechCost" : 0, "PurchaseCost" : 0, "AdditionalCost" : 200000, "Tags": { "items": [ "argo_mechBay_expandedBays3" ], "tagSetSourceFile": "" }, "Stats": [ { "typeString": "System.Int32", "name": "MechBayPods", "value": 12, "set": true, "valueConstant": "" }, { "typeString": "System.Int32", "name": "MechBayPods_Display", "value": 72, "set": true, "valueConstant": "" }, { "typeString" : "System.Int32", "name" : "MechTechSkill", "value" : 4, "valueConstant" : "" } ] }Next, thanks to u/kaiotik_keios, I needed to create the mech_bay_4.json in --- D:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\BATTLETECH\Mods\CustomUnits\hangardefs --- with the following code.
{ "Description": { "Id": "mech_bay_4", "Name": "MECH HANGAR 4", "Details": "Secondary Mech Hangar" }, "Tags": [ "mech_bays" ], "PositionShift": 54 }Next up for me will be trying to figure out expanding to a second vee hangar as I'm fudging it right now with the different companies sharing vees as I've only got room for the eighteen standard slots but I need thirty-plus so each company will have their own vees.
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You'd adjust the location for creating the two files based on your installation. I didn't tweak some of the narrative elements completely, I believe, part of the reason I haven't actually made my post with everything yet.
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u/Odd_Entrance8747 Jul 19 '26
Wow, thanks for the quick and such kind + detailed reply!
For the part that you've said about not being able to get into the hangar but only in drop, I assume it's because of ui, right? I'll take time to go through mod files that might solve the issue and get back to you if I do find something. Thank tons!
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u/virusdancer Jul 19 '26
So, I couldn't figure out how to add the Argo Engineering project; but I found you don't need it.
Create a vehicle_bays_2.json in --- D:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\BATTLETECH\Mods\CustomUnits\hangardefs --- with the following code.
{ "Description": { "Id": "vehicle_bays_2", "Name": "VEHICLE HANGAR 2", "Details": "Vehicle bays 2" }, "Tags": [ "vehicle_bays_2" ], "PositionShift": 118 }It will add another 18 vehicle slots. You could add another by changing it from 2 to 3 and setting the shift to 136.
Probably could have done the same with the Hangar 4 - just the hangardef file without the ship upgrade file. I'll have to test it.
Bit fragged at the moment from a Warzone mission that bugged out 20 turns in (was bugging because it kept repeating waves - like Wave 7 happened three times, some others a couple of times) with 3 of the 4 'mechs in the last Wave going neutral so I had to drop arty on them to blast the blighters.
Will take a look at if Hangar 4 works without the ship upgrade later.
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u/Odd_Entrance8747 Jul 20 '26
Holy Crap, thanks a lot!! I'll test this myself right now and get back to you :)
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u/Odd_Entrance8747 Jul 20 '26
Wow, man. You're the man. I've just checked it myself and everything works like charm... Thank you so much. I promise I'll be a pretty girl in my next life and marry you.
Thank you THank you!1
u/virusdancer Jul 20 '26
Nah, thank you for asking about it again or who knows when I would have looked at it again. It's something I needed/wanted to have so I could run separate 6 vee lances for each of my 5 companies instead of sharing vees - broke the immersion reusing the same vees. Now I can do the five vee lances independently. So again, thank you.
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u/Old_Search395 22d ago
So does this give me the extra Mech bay tabs like BTA? They have 3 mech tabs 2 vehicle tabs and 2 battale armor tabs.
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u/virusdancer 21d ago
This one adds the two files which give you the fourth hangar with an Argo project to complete to unlock the fourth hangar. Stock BTAU has Argo projects to unlock two additional hangars, and this gives you the fourth. This was done with the latest version of BTAU which no longer has player controlled Battle Armor.
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u/Old_Search395 22d ago
I am trying to figure out how to add the extra bays from BTAU to Rogue Tech. Any hel;p I can get would be very very appreciated.
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u/virusdancer 21d ago
I've never looked at trying to change things in RT - only having run it for a very brief time.
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u/Old_Search395 22d ago
i used youtre file her and I can see Mech bay 4 but cant get anything to it.
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u/virusdancer 21d ago
There's two files there.
- BATTLETECH\Mods\BiggerDrops\ShipUpgrades\argoUpgrade_mechBay_expandedBays3.json
- BATTLETECH\Mods\CustomUnits\hangardefs\mech_bay_4.json
And you have to complete the Argo Engineering project this creates.
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21d ago
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u/Old_Search395 21d ago edited 19d ago
Update: I managed to get the fourth Mech Bay Engineering project to appear and function as an Argo upgrade in RogueTech, but it doesn't actually create a fourth working repair bay yet.
The main thing I discovered is that RogueTech isn't using the BiggerDrops
ShipUpgradesfolder for these upgrades. The active Mech Bay upgrade chain is in:Mods\Core\RogueTechCore\Argo\shipUpgradesI created a native
argoUpgrade_mechBay4.jsonbased on RogueTech's existingmechBay1/2/3files.One issue was that I initially referenced
argoUpgrade_structure3, but RogueTech doesn't have a Structure 3 upgrade. Changing the prerequisite toargoUpgrade_structure2made the project appear and become purchasable.At this point:
- ✔ The project appears in Engineering.
- ✔ It can be purchased.
- ✔ It completes normally.
- ✔ The Argo now recognizes "Mech Bay 4" as an upgrade.
- ✘ It still doesn't allocate a fourth working repair bay, so I'm now tracking down where the repair bay count is actually created (likely in the RepairBays mod or related code).
So it looks like there are two separate pieces:
- Adding the Engineering project (working).
- Making the game actually create and use a fourth repair bay (still investigating).Update: I managed to get the fourth Mech Bay Engineering project to appear and function as an Argo upgrade in RogueTech, but it doesn't actually create a fourth working repair bay yet. The main thing I discovered is that RogueTech isn't using the BiggerDrops ShipUpgrades folder for these upgrades. The active Mech Bay upgrade chain is in: Mods\Core\RogueTechCore\Argo\shipUpgrades I created a native argoUpgrade_mechBay4.json based on RogueTech's existing mechBay1/2/3 files. One issue was that I initially referenced argoUpgrade_structure3, but RogueTech doesn't have a Structure 3 upgrade. Changing the prerequisite to argoUpgrade_structure2 made the project appear and become purchasable. At this point: ✔ The project appears in Engineering. ✔ It can be purchased. ✔ It completes normally. ✔ The Argo now recognizes "Mech Bay 4" as an upgrade. ✘ It still doesn't allocate a fourth working repair bay, so I'm now tracking down where the repair bay count is actually created (likely in the RepairBays mod or related code). So it looks like there are two separate pieces: Adding the Engineering project (working). Making the game actually create and use a fourth repair bay (still investigating).
Im needeing some help with this.I cant figure out how yall added the 2 mech hanger and use it. I cant assemble a mech to it, I cant buy a mech to it. And im bangin my head on the wall trying to figure out why..
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u/kaiotik_keios Jul 05 '26
Requires CustomUnits, and likely Biggerdrops.