What was your first step to modding?

[corvetterules2]

To all the modders out there... When you first started modding, what was your first step? (loading screen, HUD's, models, skins etc.)

I am mainly asking this question because despite having been on Marvel Mods for quite some time, in the modding department, I am 100% newb. I have tried to go through the "How to make a mod in general" tutorial. but there are so many links that lead to long pages of tutorials that it's getting nauseating.

Basically, I'm trying to go by tiny steps. What should I start with as a attempter-to-mod with no modding knowledge?

P.S. If this is the wrong section, then I urge you to move this thread where it belongs. Thank you.

[Polygone]

Replacing powers! Great tutorial, 100% recommended!

[Julio Cabral]

"tiny steps"? Start with your mod herostat.

[BLaw]

My first step was skinning. But I wanted more. I wanted to know how to create my own characters. And I thought it was scary at first..

But the thing is, that with coding you have to make sure it's all logical. Coding a herostat is just a minor step for putting your character in the game. It's the powerstyle which will cause the most stress. Can't get a power to work properly? -> powerstyle. That's why the powerswapping tutorial is a great step. HOWEVER, it doesn't fully explain what everything does. Knowing what each code does is the biggest step you can take and will pay off.

[MUALover]

Hmm.. My first step was talents, powerstyles, entities, and effects.
At first I was only renaming powers and descriptions and such. But then I was also altering the damage outputs for some characters.
Then I moved to powerstyles, entities, and effects, 'learning' them, and voila! I decided to making boosters since then.

Right what B.L.A.W said, powerstyle is causing so much stress, but at least just for me

[Outsider]

It's true - while the powerstyles file may be confusing for some at first, it is the very core of any and all mods. And it goes hand-in-hand with the talents file. Can't have one without the other. To that end, I agree with BLaw and Polygone that the power swapping tutorial should be your 1st step.

My first step was experimenting on another's mod - in the powerstyles file. I wanted to tweak Giant Man (Hank Pym) to also shrink to Ant-Man size and not just grow to Giant Man size. So I power-swapped Wasp's shrinking ability to Giant Man. At first, it worked but with some problems. That's alright - you'll get better as you go. Soon enough, I was able to incorporate all of Hank Pym's super hero identitles and powers in one single mod. When that was successful, I started asking myself what other mods can use some fixing or tweaking. It later became creating mods from scratch. And the rest -- as they say, is history.

I would suggest after reading that aforementioned tutorial, to experiment on an existing mod (that way you won't have to worry about .pkgb files, the herostat, or anything like that -- baby steps). Practice power-swapping and learn the simple connection between the powerstyle and talents files - like damage values, powerusage, or requirements. It's simpler than it sounds. (NOTE: Keep the original unedited powerstyle and talent files for the hero you practice on saved elsewhere before experimenting.) The trial and error you'll get may be frustrating at first, but I tell you -- modding is one of those things that gets easier the more you do it. Start at the powerstyles/talents files, and practice from there. You'll get it with time.

[corvetterules2]

I want to thank you all for giving me these really nice suggestions. I appreciate it.

I tried to start in the talents files, but a little issue has occured. Instead of the "classic" look with {}'s, ='s and so on, all of the talents files show lots of symbols such as: ±, °, ©. This issue makes experimenting and even practically understanding herostat quite hard. Does anybody know how to fix this?

[MUALover]

I want to thank you all for giving me these really nice suggestions. I appreciate it.

I tried to start in the talents files, but a little issue has occured. Instead of the "classic" look with {}'s, ='s and so on, all of the talents files show lots of symbols such as: ±, °, ©. This issue makes experimenting and even practically understanding herostat quite hard. Does anybody know how to fix this?

You have to decompile it first with a program called XMLBCUI. You can't edit anything until you decompile it.
Check the tutorial section for more information.

[Julio Cabral]

Yeah. Check the tutorials. You can't ignore the compile/decompile process.
If you want to create a mod, I can help you if you follow my comands, but read the basics first.

[corvetterules2]

Yeah. Check the tutorials. You can't ignore the compile/decompile process.
If you want to create a mod, I can help you if you follow my comands, but read the basics first.

Not gonna lie. I was hoping someone would be willing to try and "teach" me how to become a modder. How did you read my mind?
Anyways, thanks a lot. I'll read the basics and see if I can keep up with the "class"