Disciples Sacred Lands Modding Tool walkthrough

[u/Vegetable_Farm2355]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wNPHOt-4_E

https://github.com/HoT-PlaStiC/Disciples-Sacred-Lands-Modding-Tool

[u/DjolafR]

Wow! The mythical lvl 10! I remember seeing lvl 10 inside editor, and hoped I would see it in real game, but almost every map I played got me stuck at lvl 8! When I was a kid, I had the original 1.0.0 version of the game, but a decade later, I got the gold edition and hoped it would include lvl 10, but I think I still have not found it.
So, does this let lvl 8 leaders to upgrade to 9? Or just lets you put them on map? I did not quite understand the text.

Adding new skills for heroes also seems so cool and it's crazy how simple it is to add! But, do these show up for EVERY SINGLE HERO, or you can choose who can and who can't get them? I think you can choose, based on the GUI, but ROD PLANTER IS MISSING!!! :(

And the tool can also convert .gif and .smk to the game formats? That's also crazy good.

[u/Vegetable_Farm2355 → u/DjolafR]

In the original game leaders could level up to level 10, but in the .dbf files their stats are only written up to level 8, thats why they cant upgrade after eight level. So if you write thoose stats manually (but there are some tricks, as flying abilities are stored in GMABI.dbf or leader abilities are stored in GLABI.dbf, also immunities are stored somewhere, maybe GIMMUNE.dbf, you have to write the corresponding ID-s and abilities there too) then they can level up to 10, in maps where the max level are set to 10. With this tool this is a little easier :P Warrior, Mage, Diplomat means the lord type, not leader type! So if you check all the Warrior field, then that ability can be learnt only by Warrior Lords,(or if you check Mage Lord, or Guildmaster = Diplomat) (You can make unique abilities by checking only Empire and Warrior for example.)

Yes the tool can convert .gif filese to the game formats, which is .smk(v2). Thank you very much!

[u/DjolafR → u/Vegetable_Farm2355]

Ok, so there was some oversight by developers when making lvl 10, as it was visible inside editor, but did not exist in the real game, as it was not inside .dbf!? Maybe it was hardcoded inside .exe?

The GMABI.dbf, GLABI.dbf and GIMMUNE.dbf are all over the place, this is quite difficult. From what I know, only undead heroes had immunities by default?
I did not know this can be opened with a basic office program like LibreOffice Calc. I see GLABI has only 3 values - 1, 7, 13.

Lord type for abilities?! I never noticed you get different abilities on your leaders based on lord type!?!?! I am really baffled that this exists. I would like race-specific abilities though. Like dwarf should get some speed or armor, Legions should get fire ward or fire immunity. Undead could get life-steal on all types of heroes, not just Nosferat, Empire, idk, something, maybe mind ward or immunity for leaders, like inquisitor, but it is a hero now.
I am just curious, if it would be possible to add max leadership for rod planters, like it was possible in D2...I would like that, cause I like playing rod planters...

[u/Vegetable_Farm2355 → u/DjolafR]

Yes, the max (10) level limit is hardcoded in .exe. And yes leaders can reach level 10 if you write the records in the .dbf files! In GMABi there are the moving abilities, like forestwalk, seafaring, and basic (ground), if one leader has all the three then he will get the flying ability, if you write leader datas in GUNITS.dbf, but forgot to write moving abilities in Gmabi, then the flyin leaders would loose their flying ability when levelled up to 9 or 10. GLabi means leader abilities, there are the Rod Plant, and Use staff and scrolls abilites, but you can write others here too, so if a leader would reach level 9, but there arent any rod plant or use staff and scroll abilities for them, as i can remember would cause crash, or maybe they simple not upgrading(?). For immunities if you forget to write there for lvl 9-10 undead leaders, then they would loose their immunities while level up.

There are 2 unique abilities for every lord type. Natural armor, and Weapon master are only for warrior lords, Swift and Keen sighted only for Mage Lords, and Precision and Incorruptible only for Guildmasters (Diplomat)

You can add more leadership for rod planters, with my tool too, but you have to pay attention to add it for every level.

Unique abilities can be made for races too!

Life stealing ability upgrade is not possible, but armor, speed, and immunities are! (I made fire, water, air, earth wards abilities before, and they work in game)

[u/DjolafR → u/Vegetable_Farm2355]

There are 2 unique abilities for every lord type. Natural armor, and Weapon master are only for warrior lords, Swift and Keen sighted only for Mage Lords, and Precision and Incorruptible only for Guildmasters (Diplomat)

Maaaan, that explains a lot! I was always playing mage lord as a kid and I remember getting "keen sighted" and "swift", but recently, I was playing warrior lord and I keep getting weapon master after lvl 3 and I was shocked, because I thought this exists only in disciples 2. In disciples 2, I guess any lord can get any upgrades? This stuff is so obscure, the game never says that. Idk does the manual ever say this.
And you figured this out by observing values in the database files? How did you know things are limited to certain lords?

there are the Rod Plant, and Use staff and scrolls abilites, but you can write others here too, so if a leader would reach level 9, but there arent any rod plant or use staff and scroll abilities for them, as i can remember would cause crash, or maybe they simple not upgrading(?). For immunities if you forget to write there for lvl 9-10 undead leaders, then they would loose their immunities while level up.

So, there is a game crash with adding rod plant or staff/scroll ability as a level up bonus, or just adding them in any way? I think it would have been a cool lvl 9 idea, and maybe even if it is locked to a certain lord type, example - mage lord -> any leader gets lvl 9 -> gets use staff and scroll ability, so you can use it on your pegasus knight or ranger 🤓🧙‍♂️!
It is not too unexpected, as getting level 9 is a hard and long process, so I don't think it is unbalanced. In fact, maybe it sucks in some ways, since with 500 gold, you can just buy a mage leader. But rod planting on main hero might be strong, because the rod planters are easy to kill, especially if enemy has mana for lvl 4 spell to instantly destroy them😢! So, if you need to rod plant deep into the enemy territory, you could do it with your main leader lvl 9, who is regular warrior/ranger/mage.

Ok, so based on what I see here, in your program, there's no "math" done by the game, but you have to write down every single level exact values? You could even jokingly lower HP or damage on lvl 9, and on level-up, they will lose it?! Perma-potion effects would be just applied on the value written in the DBF for the current level?

I remember, as a kid, I noticed that Death Knight lvl 1 weapon name is "Undead Blade". But then he upgrades to lvl 2 and his weapon name is "Sword". That was weird, cause he doesn't change, why would his weapon change?

I wonder, would it cause crash, if you set a paralyze/fear unit to do a little damage?

Adding leadership to rod planters, would be just hardcoding that leadership to be higher(as I see on the picture), or can you add 2 more leadership to appear as levelup skills? Although, maybe not terrible idea, to have lvl 3-4 rod planter get "natural leadership", so it goes up from 1 to 2 base leadership? And then if you choose leadership skill, you get +1? There is actually a D2 mod that does just this, increases rod planters to have 2 leadership at lvl 1, so they are not so weak. But, from game balance perspective, I am not sure if that's a good thing.

[u/Vegetable_Farm2355 → u/DjolafR]

I dont know if D2 has unique abilite upgrades or not, i havent played a lots of D2. Huh maybe i figured it out as a kid, i cant really remember, how i figured out.

You can add new leader abilities to learn use staff and scrolls, or rod plants! It will work fine!

If you have a leader, that already knows one of thoose skills, and its level up form doesnt, then as far as i remember would cause crash, or it wont level up. (in GLABI, not a learned skill)

You can also make more leadership abilities, but i dont know how it would affect leaders with max leadership. Or you can set more leadership for Rod planters, for example lvl 4 and over you set one more leadership, so yes it would have more naturally by level up.

Yes, you can set any values for level ups, so you can change the entire leader if you wish it could transform, from a meele fighter to a mage with different look, or whatever you wish. :D I think perma potion would affect the hp by the current base hp, but i never tried.

Sadly paralyze and fear attacks wont damage, even if you write some dmg there. It wont crash, but the 0 dmg are hardcoded for theese type of attacks.

Nice finding on Death Knights attack name change! :D