A very round-about way is to require a unitstat to cast it. You get +1 unitstat from a trait (or whatever), then -1 unitstat once you cast the item (permanently). Now the spell should not appear any more (if you are using <AutoUnlock>1 )

That's how I did some items that had spells I needed to unlock without using a modifier like

For more info check out the item Skystrike in ChildrenOfStorm_Reliquary (although that does not block the spell once cast, you can add that)

I have a feeling that this is going to be a tough one...  I haven't figured out all of my previous modding issues - unfortunately it looks like few people have even bothered with tech modding so far, but I'm making progress and finding some workarounds.  I'll start a new thread for my mod once it's even to an early feature-light Alpha stage, but still plugging ahead...

What I'd really like is for a player to be able to choose which Tech Tree they want to use at the beginning of the game.  The reason is - I'd like the AI to stay on the vanilla tech tree, and have the player use my new tech tree that is a bit more in-depth and probably more difficult.  If there's a way to redefine a race's tech tree only for the human player and not the AI, that would be fine, but I think that's not possible.  Instead, I think that a starting Bonus Option could switch the player's tech tree, (and maybe give them a bonus of 1 point to spend, or maybe just turn off XP sharing for their sovereign...  in exchange for choosing the more difficult path.)

Anyone know how to select a tech tree with a Bonus Option?  Or have any other solution to my issue?

(The other way to go about it would be to mod every race to use the new tech tree, but then not only do I have to worry about compatibility with other mods that add races, but then it's impossible to let the AI use the more forgiving base tech.)

There is a way... take a look at the traits like No Armor or No Ranged weapons. These traits / weakness give restricted techs on the tech tree. In other words, you cannot see these techs if you have these traits. Also, you have the great axes or light plate shows up for some races but not others. You can use these pre-requisites to get a semblance of a new tech tree.

Yes, but you can create your new tech tree where every race uses the new tree to your liking. Utilizing negative pre-req as well as the positive pre-reqs

You can't add something for "every race"*.  The best you can do is add it to every vanilla race and every mod race that you know about.  I know that's how a lot of things are done, but it's so inelegant...  Even having the player choose the tech tree on sovereign creation is a little inelegant - I'd rather just automatically assign it to a non-AI player if the mod is installed, but I'm pretty sure that's not possible.

Thanks for the help, and yeah, just adding xml for every racedefine in the vanilla game and CoS is what I'm probably going to have to do, but I just wish that Stardock would either release a list of allowable xml tags and values, or occasionally answer modding questions.  It's frustrating that the only option is to guess at things or hope to get help from other people who have guessed a few answers themselves (not that I don't appreciate the help, don't get me wrong).

I would be surprised if there wasn't a way to set racial tech tree at faction or sovereign creation, but I wouldn't be surprised if no one has used it yet so no one knows what it is except SD (it still surprises me that there were few tech mods for FE, and just a few getting started for LH).

*how great would it be to have a Default object for each classtype that you could modify.  Like the default Champion would have SplitXP=1 and you could mod it to 0, or you could add tags on the Default that would exist on each object of that type unless overwritten.

I'm guessing you gave it more than 4 traits, which is the maximum. Since factions by default only support 4 traits for trained units, any unit with more than 4 will be hidden/discarded.

PackTactics abilitybonusoptions has a prereq. Including that makes it impossible to build. You can remake the abilitybonus as a new one without the unit_level tag and prereq:

   <AbilityBonus InternalName="PackTacticsAbility_TimberWarg">
        <AbilityBonusOption InternalName="PackTactics_TimberWarg">
            <DisplayName>Pack Tactics</DisplayName>
            <Description>This unit recieves double the normal Swarm bonus</Description>
            <Icon>Ability_PackTactics_Icon.png</Icon>
            <GameModifier>
                <ModType>Unit</ModType>
                <Attribute>AdjustUnitStat</Attribute>
                <StrVal>UnitStat_SwarmBonusCounter</StrVal>
                <Value>1</Value>
                <Provides>This unit recieves double the normal Swarm bonus</Provides>
            </GameModifier>
            <CombatRating>20</CombatRating>
            <IsCombatAbility>1</IsCombatAbility>
            <Type>Aggressive</Type>

            <AIData AIPersonality="AI_General">
                <AIPriority>5</AIPriority>
            </AIData>
        </AbilityBonusOption>
    </AbilityBonus>

Also you may want to throw in a IsUniqueButBuildable tag (check it out in CoreUnits.xml for spelling) so people can train them but not design them. Or maybe you want that.

Good Morning

I'll post here as I didn't see this questions thread until just now.

I'm working on putting together a 2-stage mod for capapults. I don't think I'm duplicating work as I have not yet seen a catapult mod online...

Thread showing the first stage is here:https://forums.elementalgame.com/445727/page/1/

To date, I've successfully attached the Lesser Catapult to the Drills tech and is available for construction.

I still am looking to remove the splash damage from the lesser catapult's basic attack. I'll be honest. I current have no idea how to do that. The ability that provides splash damage I plan to leave there but limit, being able to use it only 1/3turns or 1/5turns. (I think I can figure out how to add a cooldown)

I am also still looking as to how I add the lesser catapult as a city defender.

I saw the code for the Watchtower Improvement...but see no way as to how that improvement adds a catapult...or if it even does, despite the description saying it does...

Lastly, once the above two questions are figured out, I don't want there to be overlap and have two catapults on the field of battle. Whenever the regular catapult enters the picture, I want it to replace the lesser catapult. Still working on figuring out how to do that.

Any pointers would be very appriciative.

edit: K,  I think I've found the location to remove the splash damage from the basic attack in basiccatapultattack in CoreSpells.xml. Testing now...

edit2: K, successfully removed the splash damage from the basic attack...BUT it seems that the ability attack and the basic attack are the same. Going to have to separate those. Also still trying to figure out how the catapult unit links to the BasicCatapultAttack as I've created a new BasicLesserCatapultAttack, wanting each type of catapult to line up with the appropriate damage type.

Very interesting....but I'm still seeing a disconnect.

The UnitClass name 'Catapult' is not the same as the Unit Internal name 'Unit_Catapult_Defender'. Does that matter?

Could I get some confirmation? Does adding the Watertower actually add a catapult to the city defense??

Also, I'm now at the point where I believe I've successfully separated and created the new Lesser Catapult Unit. Just checking to make sure my basic attack is single shot and the ability is splash damage....update to come...

Might as well as this question to make sure I'm understanding correctly: What is the difference between Unit_Catapult and Unit_Catapult_Defender ??

See if you can change the class name

<UnitType InternalName="Unit_Catapult_Defender">
        <DisplayName>Catapult</DisplayName>
        <Description>Catapults are devastating on the battle field but are extremely slow and expensive.  Their attacks damage all units within a 1 tile radius.</Description>
        <Class>Catapult</Class>
        <CanBeDesigned>0</CanBeDesigned>

 This is the catapult name. Change the class to be LesserCatapult (Not sure if it would work, but that is how it is summoning the unit, by class)

Also, you could try to summon the unit in general

<Attribute>SummonUnit</Attribute>

Not sure if this will work in this situation, but there you go.

Also, if you only want 1 or the other catapult make a lesser catapult show up as a result of a lesser building and the other show up as the result of the upgraded building.