english.xml switch-a-roo

Beechnut · 08-13-2017, 06:28 PM

I put an extensive amount of work into customizing the english.xml file for OOTP 17. When I attempted an import my game from 17 to 18, the changes I made to the english.xml file did not take. I'm not sure if the storylines.xml imported successfully or not. I think I saw an in-game menu option to reload the story lines database but I haven't tried that yet. I imagine other customized files, like injuries or nicknames, are easily plugged into 18 because they're basic .txt files.

So, the real question I'm wondering is can I simply replace the 18 english.xml file with the one I doctored for 17? Will that mess a lot of things up in 18? For example, will it eliminate features like the trainer coming out to check on a player, or the improved text-to-action timing in 3D? Are the new pieces in the 18 english.xml added on at the end of the document, so I could theoretically copy/paste over the old stuff that was present in 17? Any other ideas or workarounds?

Thanks...

pstrickert · 08-13-2017, 06:46 PM

I'd imagine too much has changed in v18 to allow the .xml file from v17 to be used.

NoOne · 08-13-2017, 09:37 PM

might be better off to find/replace of existing '18 .xml file sections you doctored.

look for structural differences. if oyu dont, get a xml reader like Notepad+ ... easier on the eyes. color codes xml tags and sections etc.

Beechnut · 08-21-2017, 01:15 AM

Thanks. I learned about Notepad++ last summer as a result of these forums, and wow, what a difference it made. The OOTP18 english.xml has about 10,000 more lines to it than last year's and it's structured similarly. I did try a direct substitution of my edited file from 17 into the 18 game folder and used the database tools to reload the file. After a few test games and then simming a year, nothing appears to be out of line, so maybe I'll go this route to save time even if it does mean missing out on some additions.

jparker2112 · 08-21-2017, 09:13 AM

im a moron when it comes to actually editing any of these files...so can you dumb it down for me real quick? what did you "edit" and work on in the english.xml file? and what is it?

Matt Arnold · 08-21-2017, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beechnut

Thanks. I learned about Notepad++ last summer as a result of these forums, and wow, what a difference it made. The OOTP18 english.xml has about 10,000 more lines to it than last year's and it's structured similarly. I did try a direct substitution of my edited file from 17 into the 18 game folder and used the database tools to reload the file. After a few test games and then simming a year, nothing appears to be out of line, so maybe I'll go this route to save time even if it does mean missing out on some additions.

Yes, the structure is largely the same. Obviously if you use an older file you don't get any additions that have been made, fixed typos and conditions, and anything else like that has been added in between. The older file will load, but many things will be off.

In-game, we have made lots of changes to the PBP to add new items and move many more pieces to the text engine, so I would expect that in many cases you will be missing large pieces of commentary while playing out a game if you are using an older modified text file. It will still work and error messages will not appear, but you will simply be missing lines of text.

In other places, we aren't as good about preventing errors, so you may notice the odd place where you get a #error text item instead of a description.

Certainly the game should continue to function, but it's up to you if it's worth the effort to try to merge in your edits or live with the older file. By any chance, what customizations do you have? As mentioned, the format is fairly simple XML, so if you have only edited a few categories, you may be able to simply copy and paste some large chunks from your file into the recent one and have the best of both worlds.

Beechnut · 08-21-2017, 08:41 PM

jparker2112, I would describe the english.xml file as a master text file for the game. It contains all the lines of play-by-play, news articles, scouting profiles, mailbox messages, etc.

I tinkered with vocabulary and some other stuff to more closely match my fictional universe that is based on the Fallout video game series. I realize the Fallout thing has been done around here, but it's been a heck of a lot of fun. For example, I replaced anything to do with "dollars" or "money" with the more relevant term "caps." In other places, I rewrote entire passages to reflect how a player died in a gruesome battle with super mutants instead of from a generic illness.

Diving into the storylines and english files really gave me the in-game experience I wanted, and holy crud, was it a lot of work. I used the Notepad++ program NoOne referenced to make it easier to sort through.

Matt, thank you for the clarification. I did not mess with any tokens but I made text changes throughout. It may still be worth my while to go through and copy/paste chunks as you said. I'm just afraid that by the time I'm done, OOTP 19 will be right around the corner!

08-13-2017, 06:28 PM	#1
Beechnut Minors (Double A) Join Date: May 2017 Location: Massachusetts, USA Posts: 129	english.xml switch-a-roo I put an extensive amount of work into customizing the english.xml file for OOTP 17. When I attempted an import my game from 17 to 18, the changes I made to the english.xml file did not take. I'm not sure if the storylines.xml imported successfully or not. I think I saw an in-game menu option to reload the story lines database but I haven't tried that yet. I imagine other customized files, like injuries or nicknames, are easily plugged into 18 because they're basic .txt files. So, the real question I'm wondering is can I simply replace the 18 english.xml file with the one I doctored for 17? Will that mess a lot of things up in 18? For example, will it eliminate features like the trainer coming out to check on a player, or the improved text-to-action timing in 3D? Are the new pieces in the 18 english.xml added on at the end of the document, so I could theoretically copy/paste over the old stuff that was present in 17? Any other ideas or workarounds? Thanks...

08-21-2017, 01:15 AM	#4
Beechnut Minors (Double A) Join Date: May 2017 Location: Massachusetts, USA Posts: 129	Thanks. I learned about Notepad++ last summer as a result of these forums, and wow, what a difference it made. The OOTP18 english.xml has about 10,000 more lines to it than last year's and it's structured similarly. I did try a direct substitution of my edited file from 17 into the 18 game folder and used the database tools to reload the file. After a few test games and then simming a year, nothing appears to be out of line, so maybe I'll go this route to save time even if it does mean missing out on some additions. Last edited by Beechnut; 08-21-2017 at 01:17 AM.

08-13-2017, 06:46 PM	#2
pstrickert Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 16,426	I'd imagine too much has changed in v18 to allow the .xml file from v17 to be used.

08-13-2017, 09:37 PM	#3
NoOne Banned Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 7,273 Infractions: 0/2 (4)	might be better off to find/replace of existing '18 .xml file sections you doctored. look for structural differences. if oyu dont, get a xml reader like Notepad+ ... easier on the eyes. color codes xml tags and sections etc.

08-21-2017, 09:13 AM	#5
jparker2112 All Star Reserve Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Denver CO Posts: 864	im a moron when it comes to actually editing any of these files...so can you dumb it down for me real quick? what did you "edit" and work on in the english.xml file? and what is it?

08-21-2017, 08:41 PM	#7
Beechnut Minors (Double A) Join Date: May 2017 Location: Massachusetts, USA Posts: 129	jparker2112, I would describe the english.xml file as a master text file for the game. It contains all the lines of play-by-play, news articles, scouting profiles, mailbox messages, etc. I tinkered with vocabulary and some other stuff to more closely match my fictional universe that is based on the Fallout video game series. I realize the Fallout thing has been done around here, but it's been a heck of a lot of fun. For example, I replaced anything to do with "dollars" or "money" with the more relevant term "caps." In other places, I rewrote entire passages to reflect how a player died in a gruesome battle with super mutants instead of from a generic illness. Diving into the storylines and english files really gave me the in-game experience I wanted, and holy crud, was it a lot of work. I used the Notepad++ program NoOne referenced to make it easier to sort through. Matt, thank you for the clarification. I did not mess with any tokens but I made text changes throughout. It may still be worth my while to go through and copy/paste chunks as you said. I'm just afraid that by the time I'm done, OOTP 19 will be right around the corner!