Mod:Edit a main character

This tutorial explains how to edit your starting character in The Sum.

This tutorial uses the Entity Editor.

Required tools

• Entity Editor

Before you start

Take some time to learn how the Entity Editor works by checking out the "readme" file of the Fallout Tactics Editor.

  Characters are referred to as "Actors" in the document. 

Choosing your starting character

Character selection screen

1. Open the Game/ folder then FT Improver.EXE.
2. Pass the videos by clicking on them.
3. Click on
   ⦿  PLAY 
   then
   ⦿  NEW 
   .
4. Click
    < 
    > 
   to choose a character. Keep their name in mind for later.

  The start position and story are fixed to the character. So best might be to pick a start position you prefer, or a character that looks most sympatic to you (though you can change their portrait and name.) 

Opening the starting character file

1. Open the Game/ folder then FT Improver.EXE.
2. Pass the videos by clicking on them.
3. Click on
   ⦿  MORE 
   .
4. Click
   ⦿  ENTITY EDITOR 
   .
5. Navigate to the
    File 
   menu then
    Open 
   .
6. Open the desired starting character which must end with .ent (stored in Game/core/entities/Actors/prefab).

Character name	Picture	File name		Character name	Picture	File name
Mara		prefab1.ent		Marais		prefab2.ent
Veille		prefab3.ent		Dann		prefab4.ent
Chance		prefab5.ent		Monréal		prefab6.ent
Nouvelle		prefab7.ent		Basque		prefab8.ent
Franche		prefab9.ent		Hiverse		prefab10.ent
Isabette		prefab11.ent		Géorgy		prefab12.ent
Kadi		prefab13.ent		Tempo		prefab14.ent
Épi		prefab15.ent		Brave		prefab16.ent
Amérique		prefab17.ent		Leg		prefab18.ent
Talée		prefab19.ent		Read		prefab20.ent
Mercie		prefab21.ent		Vaillant		prefab22.ent

Editing the character

Change the portrait

In game

1. Choose your starting character
2. Click on
   ⦿  MODIFY 
   .
3. Click
    < 
    > 
   on the top right corner to browser through various portraits.

Manually

Using the code name (or file name) of your character, it is easy to change their portrait.

  This method give access to ALL the game's 1000+ portraits. 

1. Open the folder Game/core/gui/char/ then choose a portrait in the list.{{Idea|If you can't see the portraits by double-clicking on them, [[Mod:Programs_recommended#Red.21Viewer|install Red!Viewer]}}
2. Delete or rename the .zar associated with your starting character: ex: prefab1.zar.
3. Copy/paste the portrait .zar file you want for a portrait, renaming it "prefabX.zar". ex: prefab1.zar.
4. Click on
   ⦿  OK 
   .

Rename the character

In game

1. Choose your starting character
2. Click on
   ⦿  MODIFY 
   .
3. Click on their name on the top left corner and change it.
4. Click on
   ⦿  OK 
   .

Manually

1. Open the file characters.txt located in Game/core/locale/game/.
   1. Press
       ctrl 
      +
       f 
      and search for name_prefabX (X being the number in your prefab character code name).
   2. Change the name between the "{}" brackets

      name_prefab1 = {character name}

2. Go to the
    File 
   menu and then
    Save 
   .

Change characteristics

There are an infinite number of possible variations for the characteristics of the character you create, and they can have a Level of autonomy varying from beginner to very high...

1. Open the character file
2. Click on the
    Make 
   button to the right of the top menu.
3. Customize the character by clicking on the
    Name 
    Age 
    Appearance 
   buttons on top.
4. Using the
    + 
   and
    - 
   buttons as well as the ☻ and ☻ buttons, assign any characteristics of your choice to the character and press
   ⦿  OK 
   • Once this step is completed, expand the
      customName 
     tab and delete the name you entered earlier (to the right of
      customName 
     ). To assign a name to the character, follow these steps instead.
5. To add Levels to the character:
   1. Click the
       Level 
      button to the right of the menu at the top.
   2. Press the
       + 
      button to the right of "Autonomy" the number of times you want.
   3. Select a Perk when prompted.
   4. Assign all points earned from the Skills on the right using the
       + 
      and
       - 
      buttons.
      
        Holding down the

       shift 

      key by clicking on these buttons adds or subtracts 10 points for each click 
      
      
      
   5. Press
      ⦿  OK 
      .
6. Navigate to the
    File 
   menu and then
    Save 
   .

Change the colors

1. Open the character file
2. Expand the
    Image 
   tab.
3. 4 menus allow you to change the character's colors, with two dimmers, the first controlling the saturation and the second the color level.
   
     Don't change the "Sprite" just above, this data will immediately revert to its default value following a save. To change the character's appearance, change the character's equipment instead. 
   
   
   

  Changing the last color will affect the character blood color... 

Equipment (level editor)

1. Add a character in a location
   
     Their .ent file should be stored beforehand in Actors/___Inhabitants/location_code_name/' 
   
   
   
2. Click on the tab
    Entity Edit 
   then click on the character.
3. To add items worn by the character:
   1. Scroll left to the
       Hand1_ 
      field.
      • The
         Hand1_ 
        and
         Hand2_ 
        fields indicate the objects in the character's two hands.
      • The
         Armour_ 
        field indicates the clothing or armor worn by the character that may change their appearance.
   2. Click on the
       ... 
      button to select an item to add to one of these fields (weapons are in the weapons/ folder, clothes are in the items/Armor folder).
   3. Check the box under the fields
       *_override 
      that you have filled with an item to indicate that this item will be used.
4. To add items in the bag of the character:
   1. Scroll down to the large black rectangle with the
       add 
      and
       del 
      buttons on top of it.
   2. Click on the
       add 
      button to select an item to add (items are located in the items/ folder.
5. Go to the
    File 
   menu then
    Save 
   .

Equipment (Entity editor)

  It is not recommended to equip a character in the entity editor, as bugs may occur. Using the Level editor is recommanded 

1. Open the character file
2. To add items worn by the character:
   1. Expand the
       Equipped 
      tab.
      • The
         Hand1 
        and
         Hand2 
        fields indicate the objects in the character's two hands.
      • The
         Armour 
        field indicates the clothing or armor worn by the character that may change their appearance.
   2. Click on the
       ... 
      button to select an item to add to one of these fields (weapons are in the weapons/ folder, clothes are in the items/Armor folder).
3. To add items in the bag of the character:
   1. Expand the
       Inventory 
      tab.
   2. Click on the
       add 
      button to select an item to add (items are located in the items/ folder).
      
        Don't overload the character with items for no good reason because they won't be able to move around 
      
      
      
4. Go to the
    File 
   menu then
    Save 
   .

Life points

If you added Autonomy Levels to your character, it is important to adjust their Life points to ensure that they are not injured (and therefore potentially hostile) as soon as the player encounters them.

1. Calculate the number of Life Points the character needs using the following form.
   
     Get the character's Strength, Endurance and Autonomy Level by clicking the

    Level 

   button at the top of the page in the Entity Editor. 
   
   
   
2. In the Entity Editor, expand the very last tab
    ActorStatus 
   .
3. To the right of
    hitPoints 
   , replace the current number with the calculated number of Life Points.
4. Go to the
    File 
   menu then
    Save 
   .

Placing a character in a location

Check out the tutorial at there (and follow the steps)