So, a little how-to with JSGME and MadRussian mod.
1. First, you have to download JSGME from the respective site (
http://www.users.on.net/~jscones/software/products-jsgme.html), and install it. You have 2 possibilities, to install it in a central folder (ie, Programs) and create a shortcut for each game that you want to mod, or install it directly in the Histwar root folder. That´s what I did (pic1). Notice that besides some new files (including JSGME.exe), a new folder is created: MOD. It is empty initially.
2. Then the most important is to create a correct folder substructure inside this MOD folder (this is not necessary if the mod creator provides a zip file with the correct folder structure). You have to create inside the MOD folder a folder for each mod (in this case I choose MadRussian units, but you can name it as you like). THEN, you have to create an "empty" subfolder tree exactly similar to the game's one, leading to where the modded files should reside (in this case Graphics\Jeu2\T-HW - see pic2)
3. Then, you have to unzip the modded files to the correct subfolder. In the case of MadRussian mod, you should not unzip directly his "units" folder, but instead select all the 269 files he modded(pic3; in fact that's what you must also do even if you are not using JSGME). Then you unzip them to the T-HW subfolder you created in the MOD folder (not to the original T-HW subfolder.
4. Finally you run JSGME.exe (you should have an appropriately named shortcut in your desktop).
The first thing you should do is to create a snapshot of the original game's files. You can do this even right after installing JSGME, before creating any mod. If you created already a mod, it will show on the "available mods" column on the left. (see pic). You just have to select it and cklick the arrow to move it to the right column ("Activated mods"). Voila. Your mod is active. You want to revert back to the original files ? you just click it back to the left column.
The most important steps are nº 2 and 3. They become much easier if the mod creator makes a zip with the subfolder already in place (in this case, Madrussian could have created a "MadRussian mod\Graphics\Jeu2\T-HW" subfolder with his modded files inside. Then we would just need to unzip it directly to the MOD folder in Histwar, and it would be ready to go.
Hope this helps.
I really feel that in games that do not have a "proprietary" mod management scheme, JSGME is extremely useful. Maybe it should be used by the HWLG mod community ?
(PS: the snapshot JSGME creates is complete. So, if after you create one, you play, make screenshots, etc, the save files,spyboard file, pics, etc, will show up as discrepancies, but that is expectable, not to worry)
Regards
