[MUA1] Mod Installation Guide

Started by BaconWizard17, February 15, 2020, 10:47PM

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February 15, 2020, 10:47PM Last Edit: February 05, 2024, 01:56PM by BaconWizard17
MUA1  MOD  INSTALLATION  GUIDE
SECTION 1: WELCOME

By BaconWizard17



Table of Contents



Introduction
      Welcome to the MUA1 Mod Install Guide! This tutorial covers everything you need to know to mod your copy of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. This tutorial discusses how to add mods to the 2006 PC version of the game, as well as the original console releases (PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360).
      Before you begin modding your copy of the game, PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE TUTORIAL. All the information that you need to install mods is contained in this tutorial. Always check if something is explained here before asking questions. Be as specific as you can when asking questions if you do have them.
      One other thing that will help you greatly is to enable file extensions and hidden folders in File Explorer. To do this, go into any window of File Explorer, and click "View" up at the top. Check the boxes for "File name extensions" and "Hidden items"


      This tutorial is broken up into several sections. Section 1, which is this section, is the introduction and connects everything together. Section 2 walks through the general process of installing mods for the PC version of the game, and Section 3 walks through the general process of installing mods for the console versions of the game. Sections 4 through 8 explain specific aspects of the modding process. Links in Sections 2 and 3 will tell you when you need to look at Sections 4 through 8. Section 9 contains frequently asked questions, which you should read before asking your own questions.
      Yes, this tutorial is long, but it is worth it to read the entire thing. As you learn, take it slow and change just a few things at a time. If you're more of a visual learner, I've linked some YouTube videos at the beginning of Section 7 to help, but the main content is in this tutorial. Video tutorials are also being gradually added to the official Marvel Mods YouTube channel. Thank you for reading through this introduction, and happy modding! This tutorial isn't going to be perfect for everyone, but I've done my best to cover as much information as possible. If you do have questions, feel free to come by our Discord server, where you can ask specific questions. You can find a collection of useful links and information in the MUA1 Link Library.


      One final note: sometimes, windows defender or other antivirus programs may say that the programs or mods here are unsafe or contain some sort of virus. All the mods and programs have been tested to be safe by our community. You can set these programs and your game files to be on your antivirus program's exception list to prevent any issues. If you have questions about any mods or programs, ask on our Discord server.



Credits/Thanks
      Man, how can I possibly thank everyone who's helped with this tutorial. There are so many people that have had a hand in different aspects of this tutorial, from giving advice and instructions to creating new useful tools. This list is non-exhaustive, and I would be happy to add you if you're missing. But a huge thanks to ak2yny, BLaw, Ceamonks890, Enchlore, jayglass, Kako Clanworth, Lags, LarsAlexandersson, Maegawa, MelloMods, MrKablamm0fish, Nicaras, Norrin Radd, Outsider, THX, Tony Stark, UltraMegaMagnus, and all the other hardworking members of our community. Thank you for all that you do! If you feel you've contributed to this tutorial and I've forgotten to include your name, please let me know.

February 17, 2020, 06:56AM #1 Last Edit: March 22, 2024, 08:55AM by BaconWizard17
MUA1  MOD  INSTALLATION  GUIDE
SECTION 2: GENERAL MOD INSTALLATION (PC)

By BaconWizard17



Introduction
      This section discusses how to install mods for the 2006 PC version of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. Most of the mods on the forums are created for this version of the game. While some of these mods may be compatible with the 2016 Steam version of the game, it's not recommended to use that version of the game. Through modding, the 2006 version now has all the features, assets, and capabilities of the 2016 Steam version of the game and has far fewer bugs. Additionally, the 2006 PC version has now been archived. This means that a free, legal download of the game is now available.


      Note: If an image is too small, click to expand it.



Getting and Installing the Game
      If you don't already own the game on PC, you can find a free, legal, archived copy of the game at this link. Here's how to install it:
Expand to see steps
  • Choose to download the ISO image from the link


  • Once RAVEN-MUA.iso has downloaded, right click it and choose Mount


  • Go to the drive where the iso has been mounted. Within the iso, double-click Setup.exe to install the game


  • Follow the instructions on the installer. You don't need to worry about changing any of the settings. The default install path will be C:/Program Files (x86)/Activision/Marvel – Ultimate Alliance. Don't worry about changing this in the installer because it will install there anyways. If you haven't installed it before, be sure to also install DirectX9 when prompted.


  • Once you see the launcher, you'll know that the game has installed. You can now press Quit, since it won't start if you press Play.


  • 6.    Go back to RAVEN-MUA.iso and go to the folder called "Crack". Copy game.exe from this folder into your game files, replacing the original. This will allow you to play without the disc and improves compatibility.


      Now that you have the game installed, you'll want to move your game files to a folder that isn't protected by administrator privileges. To do this, go to your game files (the default location will be C:/Program Files (x86)/Activision/Marvel – Ultimate Alliance). You can select the entire Marvel – Ultimate Alliance folder (or even the entire Activision folder) and move it to somewhere like your Documents or Desktop.


      Before continuing through this tutorial, I recommend making a full backup of your game files. To do this, simply copy your Marvel – Ultimate Alliance game folder and paste it in another place. I recommend compressing it into a .zip file or .rar file and putting it on a flash drive for safekeeping.



Mod Organizer 2
      As you begin modding your game, I strongly recommend using Mod Organizer 2 (MO2). It's a handy program that keeps all your mods separate and organized. This makes it easier to choose which mods you're going to use. It's also easier to uninstall mods this way. That's helpful if you're trying to figure out which mod might be causing problems for you. You can learn more about MO2 and how to use it in Section 6. MO2 is not required to mod your game, and you can choose to install the files directly into your game's folder. However, I do suggest MO2 to make things easier in the long run.



Game Limits
      One last note before you start: it's important to keep the game's limits in mind while you're modding the game. This game is old, so there are some things that you can't do with it. Not all limits have been documented yet, but the ones that we are aware of can be found in the MUA1 Limit Documentation topic.



Mod Install Procedure
      Now that you've installed your game, it's time to learn how to install mods! Follow these steps and check out the extra links as you go for additional tutorials for certain steps.
Expand to see steps
      If you're not using MO2, you can install mods by dragging and dropping the files of the mod into your game files. You want the folders to line up. For example, you want the contents of the Actors folder of a mod to go into the Actors folder of your game files. It's easiest to line up the files next to each other and drag and drop the files into your game. If you're using MO2, follow the procedures described in Section 6.


      For both cases, you'll want to install the mods in the following order (bold/underlined items are required):
  • Download and install the Official Character Pack 2.4 (OCP 2.4)
    • This pack includes every console-exclusive character from MUA1, all the characters from XML1 and XML2, and a variety of bug fixes and improvements to the base game.
    • Be sure to also download the optional files from that link as well.
  • Install one of the Roster Hacks.
    • None of the Roster Hacks include any characters. They just allow you to have a bigger roster.
    • The 36 Roster Hack allows you to have up to 36 characters on your roster.
    • The 50 Roster Hack allows you to have exactly 50 characters on your roster. Its download also includes the 36RH, so you can have both programs. It also includes the 50R & 36R Switch, which allows you to easily switch between both roster sizes.
      • The 50R & 36R Switch is only needed if you're switching between the two Roster Hacks. If you are only using one of the two you can ignore it.
    • The Vital Roster Hack allows you to expand your roster but without any additional changes.
    • If you're using any Roster Hack with MO2, visit Section 6 to learn about a fix you'll need to use for the Roster Hacks to work
  • Install the Expanded Game (EXG)
    • This mod adds new levels to the game by repurposing maps from XML1 and XML2.
  • Install any other character mods you want from the Character Mod Catalog and the Non-Marvel Character Mod Catalog.
    • If you have 2 characters that use the same number (which will cause them to "clash" in their mannequins and loading screens), visit Section 7 to learn how to renumber a character.
    • If your character does not use fightstyle_default, visit Section 7 to learn how to apply Ceamonks890's animation fixes. You can check which fightstyle your character uses by looking at their herostat.


    • If you're interested in the Mortal Kombat characters, you can go here to find a mod that creates a separate exe and other folders for the Mortal Kombat characters. This allows you to run the Mortal Kombat version as a separate game.
  • Install any boosters you want from the Booster Catalog and the Non-Marvel Booster Catalog.
    • A booster is a partial mod that modifies an existing default character or character mod.
    • Characters can only use one booster at a time. You can't combine multiple boosters without manually combining their coding (that is an advanced topic and not covered in this tutorial).
    • Many boosters do not come with their own herostat entries. If this is the case, use the herostat entry of the default character or character mod.
  • Install any skins you want. You can find skins in the MUA1 Skin Thread Catalog.
    • More detailed information on installing skins can be found in Section 5.1.
  • Install any other miscellaneous mods.
  • If you're changing your roster, you'll need to configure your herostat.
  • Play the game!
  • If the characters you added are locked, and you want to unlock them, there are two options:
    • Use the All Characters Cheat (Up Up Down Down Left Left Left Enter).
    • Go to Scripts/menus in your game files and open new_game.py with notepad. Add unlockCharacter("name", "" ) for every character you want to unlock. "Name" is what is under "name" in their herostat.


  • If you are using the 36RH or the 50RH and you have problems with characters not having melee animations, not having flying animations, etc, and you're positive that you have installed the mods correctly, use the Unlock All Powers Cheat (Left Right Left Right Up Down Up Down Left Right Enter). This cheat code only applies to the characters that you currently have selected.
    • You can find a full list of cheat codes in Section 7.
      For controllers: while the OCP does include some files to help with controller support, it's not extensive. For full controller support, check out Rampage's Ultimate Controller Support mod

      If you want to play online with other people, visit Section 7 of the tutorial to learn about Parsec, the easiest way to play the game online.

October 10, 2020, 04:41PM #2 Last Edit: February 05, 2024, 01:57PM by BaconWizard17
MUA1  MOD  INSTALLATION  GUIDE
SECTION 3: GENERAL MOD INSTALLATION (CONSOLES)

By BaconWizard17



Introduction
      This section discusses how to install mods for the 2006 console versions of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360). It's currently not known what the mod compatibility of the Xbox One and PS4 versions of the game are since those consoles cannot be modded and they don't have any emulators. It's important to note that so far, most of the mods on this forum have been created for the PC only. They won't work directly on consoles. It is possible to convert PC mods to consoles (and to convert mods from one console to another), but a tutorial for that hasn't been written yet (I intend to write one eventually).


      Note: If an image is too small, click to expand it.



Getting and Installing the Game
      Many console versions of the game can now be found on archive sites. These are free and legal copies that you can download without issues:

It's also important to note that if you're not using an emulator, you must have a modded console to mod the game. Mods will not work on unmodded consoles. Every console has its own method for modding the console, and there are far too many to discuss here. There are dedicated forums and YouTube channels where you can learn how to modify your console, and you can buy modded consoles online.



Mod Organizer 2
      Unlike the PC version, MO2 will not work for consoles. Because of this, you need to be extremely careful when you're installing mods on the console versions. Install a few things at a time, then test them, and then add more.



Game Limits
      One last note before you start: it's important to keep the game's limits in mind while you're modding the game. This game is old, so there are some things that you can't do with it. For consoles, very few (if any) limits have been documented. If you're interested in helping with these efforts, feel free to come by our Discord server and talk to the folks there!



Extracting Assets
      In order to mod console versions of the game, you have to do a lot of extracting and rebuilding assets. Here's how.
Expand to see steps
      Console assets are built a bit differently from PC assets. Many times, they are contained within some sort of disc image format, such as .iso (this is the case for all Sony and Nintendo consoles, but won't be the case for Microsoft consoles). Inside that, the game files are organized differently than the PC version. The sounds are in the folder you would expect them to be, but everything else can be found in the "z" folder, inside an archive called assetsfb.wad. This archive houses the majority of the game's files contained in FB packages, which can be found inside the "packages" folder in assetsfb.wad. That's a lot of compression!


      If your console stores the game on a .iso, you'll need to extract the game files to edit them, and then reassemble them into the .iso to play the game. Below is a table of community-recommended tools for extracting these files, as well as links to get them. Since each tool is different, I won't be explaining how to use them. They are commonly used for their respective platforms, so it should be possible to find specific tutorials.








Console          Program
PSPUMDGen
UltraISO
PS2UltraISO
PS3Unknown
WiiWiimmsTools ISO
WiiScrubber
XboxNot Needed
Xbox 360Not Needed
      Assetsfb.wad can be opened using any archiving software, such as WinRar or 7zip.
      FB packages can be extracted and compiled using community-created tools known as the FB Tools. You can find the download link here. Note: because of the software required, it is only possible to install console mods into your game files on a PC. Once you've installed the mods into assetsfb, you can copy the files to your console.
      Once you've downloaded the FB tools, extract the files. You'll see 2 folders: BAT Files and FB Tools. The FB Tools (made by Norrin Radd) are the actual programs used to extract and rebuild FB files, and the BAT Files (made by ak2yny) are utilities that make the programs easier to use. First, you'll want to copy the FB Tools into C:\Windows. This will allow you to access them from any folder using the BAT Files. You can keep the BAT Files anywhere. You'll likely be moving them around or copying them to open various files.


      You'll be using these programs extensively when modifying console assets. When you're changing things on consoles, you must remove the FB packages from assetsfb.wad, and then you have to extract the contents of the FB packages using FBextractor. Then, you can modify the contents (such as replacing or adding files), and then rebuild the packages with FBbuilder, and then add the files back to your assetsfb.wad before sending them back to your console.
      To use FBextractor, remove any FB packages you're interested in modifying into the BAT Files folder. Keep in mind that on consoles, certain files may exist in multiple FB packages. For example, Wolverine's 0301 skin can be found in packages/generated/characters/wolverine_0301.fb, packages/generated/characters/wolverine_0301_nc.fb, packages/generated/maps/act1/stark/stark2.fb, and packages/generated/maps/act2/valhalla/valhalla 2.fb. You'll need to change his skin in all these files for the changes to show up everywhere. IMPORTANT: ONLY EXTRACT/REBUILD THE FILES OF ONE MAP AT A TIME. ON THE CONSOLES, MAP IGB FILES ALL HAVE THE SAME NAME AND WILL OVERWRITE EACH OTHER IF YOU DO MORE THAN ONE AT A TIME.


      Once you've placed these files in your BAT Files folder, double click fbextractor.bat to run FBextractor on all the packages. When the program comes up, it will ask if you want to create PKG files. I generally type N for no since they're not really needed. After this, the command prompt will dash through several lines of code that say that a certain file or folder already exists. This is normal and expected from the program. Once the process finishes, the command prompt window will close.


      You'll now have a series of folders in the BAT Files. These files will have the same names as the game files. They are all the files that can be found in each of the fb packages. At this point, you can replace any files that you need to replace for your mod. You can also add or remove files and edit the cfg for your package, but that is a more advanced topic and is generally not needed unless the instructions of your mod tell you to do so.


      Once you've made any changes, run fbbuilder.bat to rebuild your packages. It will automatically run the process for each file in the folder, but you will need to press Enter any time it asks you to "Press any key to quit". Once this is done, the command prompt will close. The BAT file will update all the FB files in the folder. At this point, you can place the FB packages back into their correct place in assetsfb.wad, and then put the files back on your iso/console to play the game.


      That's the general process for editing files on consoles, but you don't always need to edit FB packages when installing mods. It largely depends on what the mod is changing. For some mods, all you have to do is just drop the files into assetsfb.wad. Be sure to read the instructions of any mod you download to see what you need to do.



Mod Install Procedure
      Now that you've installed your game, it's time to learn how to install mods! Follow these steps and check out the extra links as you go for additional tutorials for certain steps.
Expand to see steps
      So far, the Official Character Pack 2.4 (OCP 2.4) has not been converted to work on any console (although some of its character have). Additionally, the Roster Hacks will not work on consoles. But you can install any mods made for your console
  • Install any other character mods you want from the Console Mods release section.
    • Be sure that the mod that you're downloading/installing is made for your console.
    • If you have 2 characters that use the same number (which will cause them to "clash" in their mannequins and loading screens), visit Section 7 to learn how to renumber a character.
    • If your character does not use one of the default fightstyles, visit Section 7 to learn how to apply Ceamonks890's animation fixes. You can check which fightstyle your character uses by looking at their herostat. The Animation Fix for Custom Fightstyles tutorial in Section 7 tells you which fightstyles are default. Note: animation mixing does not work on the Xbox or PS2 versions of the game.


  • Install any boosters you want from the Console Mods release section.
    • A booster is a partial mod that modifies an existing default character or character mod.
    • There are very few, if any, boosters converted for consoles right now.
    • Characters can only use one booster at a time. You can't combine multiple boosters without manually combining their coding (that is an advanced topic and not covered in this tutorial).
    • Many boosters do not come with their own herostat entries. If this is the case, use the herostat entry of the default character or character mod.
  • Install any skins you want. You can find skins in the MUA1 Skin Thread Catalog.
    • More detailed information on installing skins can be found in Section 5.1.
    • Make sure that any skins you're installing work for your console.
    • When you're installing skins on consoles, note that skins may be stored in several places, especially if a character has an NPC version. NPC skins are stored in the map's FB packages.
  • Install any other miscellaneous mods.
    • Voice packs for characters can be found in the MUA1 Sound Pack Catalog. Voice packs are console-specific and must be made for your console. PC sounds will not work on consoles without conversion. Currently all the voice packs in the catalog are for PC only.
    • Other miscellaneous mods can be found in the Misc. Mods section of the forum.
  • If you're changing your roster, you'll need to configure your herostat.
    • On consoles, you can find the herostat in assetsfb.wad in the Data folder. It's not in any FB packages.
    • There are multiple ways to configure the herostat, which you can find in Section 4.
  • Play the game!
  • 7.    If the characters you added are locked, and you want to unlock them, there are two options:
    • Use the All Characters Cheat (Up Up Down Down Left Left Left Enter).
    • Go to Scripts/menus in assetsfb.wad and open new_game.py with notepad. Add unlockCharacter("name", "" ) for every character you want to unlock. "Name" is what is under "name" in their herostat.



October 12, 2020, 10:17AM #3 Last Edit: February 05, 2024, 01:55PM by BaconWizard17
MUA1  MOD  INSTALLATION  GUIDE
SECTION 4.1: HEROSTAT EDITING

By BaconWizard17



Introduction
      Data files control many aspects of Ultimate Alliance. The most significant of them is the herostat (which determines what characters are in your game), but there are other ones too. Data files use a form of XML coding compiled to binary. Some common file extensions include .xmlb, .engb, and .pkgb. Some less common ones are .boyb, .chrb, and .navb. There are other accepted language-specific extensions, such as .itab (Italian), .gerb (German), and .spab (Spanish), but .engb (English) is the default selected by the game.     
      The herostat is one of the main data files that you interact with while modding the game. You can read more about what it is below. Although any of the data file editing programs can be used to open and edit the herostat, OpenHeroSelect is specifically designed to build new herostats. I absolutely recommend using it for that. There's no reason to use any other program for the herostat.
      It's important to note that if there is a .xmlb and language-specific version of a file (such as .engb), the game will read the language-specific version, so only edit that one. Remember that any time you edit a data file (.xmlb, .engb, .pkgb, etc) you must start a new save file with default statistics.
      Note: If an image is too small, click to expand it.


     
      What is the herostat?
      The herostat (herostat.engb) is one of the most important data files in the game. It tells the game which characters are on your roster, as well as various statistics and information about them. These statistics and information include what files (animations, skins, powerstyle, etc) the character uses, what powers they start with, what effects they have applied to them, and other things like that. It also has the information for where the character is positioned on the character select screen, which is called their menulocation.
      Within the herostat file, each character has their own herostat entry. A character's herostat entry contains all the information that's specific to that character. Because the herostat is made up of several different entries that come from each individual character, it can be a bit tricky to edit it. That's why we recommend OpenHeroSelect to edit the herostat. It takes a bit more time to learn, but it cuts down on error significantly and has a robust system for detecting errors.


     
      OpenHeroSelect
      OpenHeroSelect (also called OHS) is the best tool for editing the herostat. It's made by member Tony Stark. It's very user-friendly and cuts down on the potential for error. It has support for all different roster sizes, including the roster hacks. OHS can only be used for herostats and won't work on any other file. You can download OHS here. You can read more about OHS here.
      Before you start using OHS, it's important to understand what it does. OHS is a program that's designed specifically for building the herostat file from the individual entries that are specific to each character. You add the herostat entries of each character to the OHS files, and then you list out which of those characters you want on your roster. You can have just 1 character or as many as 50 (if you have the roster hack). Then, you run OHS, and it takes the individual herostat entries of the characters that you've listed and combines them into one single herostat file, which it then sends to the folder that you tell it. Any time you make changes to a specific character's herostat entry and you want those changes to show up in your game, you'll need to run OHS again and follow the procedures for it. Additionally, every time you add a new character and want them to be one your roster, you'll need to run OHS as well.

     

     
Expand to see steps
      Once you've downloaded OHS, extract the files somewhere. You don't have to put it in your game files. I recommend a separate folder on your desktop. When you open the OHS files, you'll see a few programs and a few folders. The only things you need to worry about are the "mua" folder and "OpenHeroSelect.exe." The "help_files" folder has some useful information on how to use the program. In the "mua" folder, you'll find 3 more folders ("menulocations", "rosters", and "xml"). Older versions of OHS also included a "json" folder, but it's no longer needed after version 4.6.
      Here's how to use OHS:
  • First, you'll want to put the herostat entries of any mod characters you've downloaded into the "xml" folder.
    • Herostat entries can be found in the mod's download. They will either be in the root folder of the mod download, or in the Data folder of the mod download. They are usually named herostat.txt.
    • Herostat entries for the OCP 2.4 characters are already in the "xml" folder.
    • When you copy the file into the "xml" folder, you'll need to rename it. It's good to name it after your character. Starting with OHS version 4.6.0, spaces are allowed in the file names, and any file extension is accepted. So for War Machine, you could rename "herostat.txt" to "War Machine.txt", "WarMachine.txt", "WarMachine.xml", "War Machine.xml", etc. I recommend "War Machine.txt". The screenshot shows "warmachine.xml", which also meets the requirements but is the older method for doing it.
  • Next, you'll want to go to the "menulocations" folder. You don't need to edit anything in this folder, but it is important. Here you can find different team stage layouts for rosters of different sizes. You can open and view the .cfg files with notepad. Do not change anything in this folder. It's only a reference. The numbers in these lists are the menulocations ordered from left to right in the character selection screen.
  • Next, you'll want to go to the "rosters" folder. There, you'll find a file called roster.cfg, which is a generic roster with all 55 OCP characters. There are also several pre-built rosters for different versions of the game. These files are the roster config files, and they can be edited with notepad. They tell OHS which characters you want on your roster.
    • The names listed in any roster config file must be the same as the names of the files in the "xml" folder, minus the file extension.
    • You can also create a new .cfg file with a different name if you want to use multiple rosters.
    • The order of the names is important. The order they are in the roster config file is their order from left to right in the character select screen. It may look slightly different depending on which team stage you use, but the order will always be left to right.
    • Starting with OHS 4.7.0, you can customize the starting characters and unlocked characters using OHS. If you want to set a character as a starting character, put an asterisk () before their name in the roster config file. If you want a character to be unlocked from the start, put a question mark (?) before their name in the roster config file.
    • It's okay to add more characters than your roster size allows. OHS will automatically choose the correct number of characters from the top of the list.
  • Once you've customized your roster config file and added (and renamed) your herostat entries to the "xml" folder, back out and launch "OpenHeroSelect.exe". You can't use the mouse on this program. Move with the arrow keys and the enter key. If a question says (y/n), you can hit the Y key for Yes or the N key for No.
    • Choose to Generate a Herostat for Marvel: Ultimate Alliance.
    • You will be asked which mod installation method you are using. If you're using MO2 to install mods, select the "PC - MO2 Method" option. If you're playing the PC version and not using MO2, choose the "PC - Direct Method" option. If you're playing a console version, choose the "Consoles" option.
    • You will then be asked if you have a roster hack installed. Choose the appropriate option.
    • Select a roster layout that works for your game. Choose the appropriate size for your game.
    • Next, choose the name of the roster that you want to use for your herostat. Pick the name of the roster config file that you edited in the "mua/rosters" folder.
    • Next, enter the path to your game files. You can either type the path out, or you can copy it from file explorer and paste it by right clicking in the blank. If you're using MO2, follow the steps in Section 6 for how to determine the proper file path to use with MO2.
      • If you're not sure what the file path is to your game files, you can open your game files and click at the top of File Explorer where the name of the folder is listed. It will show you the full file path, which you can then copy. If you're using MO2, follow the steps in Section 6 for how to determine the proper file path to use with MO2.
    • Next, you'll be asked if you're editing the herostat for a package mod. If you're using a package mod with a separate exe, such as the MK on MUA content, choose Yes. Otherwise, choose No. Choosing Yes will give you several additional options for file names that would be different for package mods.
    • The next option will ask if you want to update the character unlocks. Choose Yes if you customized the starting and unlocked characters in your roster config file by addint asterisks () and question marks (?) before a character's name.
    • If you chose the PC - Direct Method option, you'll be asked if you want to start the game after generating the herostat. I don't recommend this, but you can.
    • The next 3 options ("Save the intermediate temp files?", "Show progress?", "Test herostats?") are debug features only. Choose No unless you're encountering an issue with OHS.
    • The last question will ask if you want to save your options. I recommend doing so. If you say Yes, you won't have to re-enter the options each time.
    • After that question, OHS will generate your herostat and automatically copy it to your game files. If there are any errors, OHS will generate an error log telling you the issue. If there are no issues, it will just show the file path and ask you to press Enter, at which point it will close.
    [/center
      If OHS gives you an error that says something like:
Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, copyfile 'C:\Users\Username\Downloads\OpenHeroSelect\temp\herostat.xmlb' -> 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Activision\Marvel - Ultimate Alliance\data\herostat.engb'
This usually means one of two things: either the file paths you gave OHS don't exist, or it's unable to compile the herostat for some reason.
  • First, check and make sure that the file paths you gave OHS are correct. The default file path that OHS uses for MUA1 is C:\Program Files (x86)\Activision\Marvel - Ultimate Alliance. If you installed your game elsewhere, be sure to use that file path instead. If you're using MO2, make sure that you give OHS the file path to your "Herostats" folder (see Section 6 of this tutorial for more info), and make sure that there is a "Data" folder inside of it.
  • If all the file paths are correct, then make sure that there are no typos in your herostat entries for any characters you added. Check for missing brackets and semicolons, and also make sure that their herostat entry begins with stats { and not anything else.



Additional Utilities for OHS and Herostat Editing
      OHS itself is a robust program that makes herostat editing super easy, but there are some additional batch programs made by ak2yny that add extra functionality to the program, allowing you to accomplish even more.
     
Expand to see steps
      The first program is the Stage & Herostat Helper, which you can download here. It adds some extra capabilities when setting up your roster. There are several different options, such as choosing which team stage you want to use for your game and enabling/disabling menu effects. You can choose whether or not you want to run OHS while you make these changes. The link also features a YouTube video that walks you through how the program can be used.
      You install the files to your base OHS folder. Double click "Stage&HeroHelp.bat" to run it. If you don't have a config.ini file, it will ask you for the file path. If you're using MO2, this is the path to your Herostat mod in your MO2 files. If you're not using MO2, it's the path to your game files. If you already have a config.ini file, it will take you directly to the main screen. In either case, the main screen has 9 options. Each option will step you through the procedures.
  • Choose one of the many team stages, then a layout, and then which roster you would like to use.
  • Set up a roster using all installed heroes. No changes to the team stage.
  • Set up a roster based on a roster layout. No changes to the team stage.
  • Run OHS and choose a particular roster to use.
  • Run OHS and use the settings of the existing config.ini file.
  • Only choose a team stage and layout.
  • Clean up herostat entries (remove comments)
  • Switch individual heroes in a roster file
  • Exit the program
      The other utility is the herostat skin editor. This program makes it easy to edit which skins your character is using. You can download it here. You'll want to place it in the "xml" folder of OHS. Drag and drop the file of the character that you want to edit over this program.
      The window will pop up. It will show the name of your character at the top, and then it will ask for a filename for skin 1. Basically, it's asking for the last 1 or 2 digits of the skin number. If you don't want to change it, you can just press Enter to skip it here. If you do want to change it, type a number from 0 to 99 for the new skin and press Enter. After this, it will tell you that the skin file can't be found, which is normal. Next, it will ask about the skin name. Again, if you don't want to change the skin's name, just press Enter. If you do want to change the skin's name, type the new name and press Enter.
      It will then ask about the remaining skins that are in the character's herostat. You can choose to change the name, the number, neither, or both. Remember to hit Enter at each question whether or not you type something.
      If your character has fewer than 6 skins, the program will next ask if you want to add extra skins. If you do want to add a new skin, type the number and name of the new skin. If you don't want to add new skins, simply press Enter, and the program will close.
      Once the program closes, the changes will be applied to your character's herostat entry! You'll need to run OHS again to apply the changes to your herostat. Remember to create new packages for your character if you're adding new skins! This is covered in section 5.1.

June 28, 2021, 03:08PM #4 Last Edit: February 05, 2024, 02:09PM by BaconWizard17
    MUA1  MOD  INSTALLATION  GUIDE
    SECTION 4.2: OTHER DATA FILE EDITING

    By BaconWizard17



    Introduction
          Data files control many aspects of Ultimate Alliance. The most significant of them is the herostat (which determines what characters are in your game), but there are other ones too. Data files use a form of XML coding compiled to binary. Some common file extensions include .xmlb, .engb, and .pkgb. Some less common ones are .boyb, .chrb, and .navb. There are other accepted language-specific extensions, such as .itab (Italian), .gerb (German), and .spab (Spanish), but .engb (English) is the default selected by the game.
         The herostat is the main data file that you'll interact with when modding your game, but there are other data files that you can edit in the game. Since OpenHeroSelect is only designed for the herostat, you must use another program to edit these other data files. Currently, there are 2 different ones: Raven-Formats and XMLBCUI. You can read more about each below. Both programs can have improved functionality if you use them with the XMLB batch tools, which speed up the editing time. Of the two programs, I personally prefer Raven-Formats.
         It's important to note that if there is a .xmlb and language-specific version of a file (such as .engb), the game will read the language-specific version, so only edit that one. Remember that any time you edit a data file (.xmlb, .engb, .pkgb, etc) you must start a new save file with default statistics.
    Note: If an image is too small, click to expand it.



    Quick Batch
          Quick Batch (QB for short, formerly called the "XMLB Batch Tools") are a series of batch (.bat) files developed by ak2yny that speed up the data file editing process when using Raven-Formats or XMLB-Compile. These tools don't do anything on their own, but greatly improve the speed and efficiency of the existing data file editing programs. With these batch tools, you don't have to worry about typing names and file paths. All you have to do is drag and drop or double click.
    Expand to see steps
          You can download Quick Batch here and find more info at the bottom of this post. If you're using Raven-Formats, make sure you have that installed. The batch tools come with XMLB-Compile.exe, the program used by XMLBCUI to compile files. You're free to use either or both if you want.


          To use these programs, you can either drag your data file onto the batch file to perform the operation, or you can place the file into the folder and double click the batch file to execute it. The files that start with (XC) are for XMLBCUI format code, and the ones that start with (RF) are for Raven-Formats. Here's what each file does:
    • (RF)Compile: uses Raven-Formats to compile the chosen .xml or .json file to a data file format. The program lets you choose which type of data file you're compiling to.
    • (RF)DecompileJSON: uses Raven-Formats to decompile the chosen data file to a .json file.
    • (RF)DecompileTrueXML: uses Raven-Formats to decompile the chosen data file to a .xml (true XML format) file.
    • (RF)edit: uses Raven-Formats to edit a chosen data file. This .bat file will decompile the file and automatically open it in notepad for you to edit it. When you finish editing it and close notepad, the bat file will compile the file automatically.
    • (XC)Decompile: uses XMLBCUI (xmlb-compile) to decompile the chosen data file to a .xml (XMLBCUI format code) file.
    • (XC)edit: uses XMLBCUI (xmlb-compile) to edit a chosen data file. This .bat file will decompile the file and automatically open it in notepad for you to edit it. When you finish editing it and close notepad, the bat file will compile the file automatically.
    • (XCtoRF)convert: converts the chosen XMLBCUI format .xml file to a Raven-Formats compatible .json file
    • Cleanup: Removes any text files (.xml or .json) from the selected folders.

          I highly recommend using these programs, as they increase your editing speed a ton. You can find a visual example in this video.



    Raven-Formats
         Raven-formats is a new and fast tool for editing other data files. It was created by nikita488, who continues to offer support for the tool. It is quicker and more powerful than XMLBCUI, and it can edit some files that XMLBCUI can't. The coding format is slightly different from XMLBCUI, but all the same information is there. Raven-formats pairs nicely with the XMLB Batch Tools, which speed up the editing process even more.
    Expand to see steps
          To use the program, you first need . When you download it, be sure to choose the 64-bit installer. When you install the program, be sure to choose to add python to PATH. (The screenshot is a bit outdated and still shows Python 3.8, but you need 3.9 or later)


         To install Raven-Formats, open command prompt and type "pip install raven-formats." This will automatically install the latest version of the program.


         Raven-Formats can handle 2 different forms of code: true XML format (used by the default code of the game), and a JSON-style code format. Both formats are different from the format that XMLBCUI uses. Here is a comparison of the same file in all 3 languages:


         Each is laid out slightly differently, but they all present the same information. The advantage of the JSON-style or true XML code formats is that conventional code editors will be able to highlight and color information in appropriate ways. Most of the time, mods use the XMLBCUI-format code any time there's something you need to add to a file. I've created a handy program that can convert XMLBCUI-format code to the JSON-style code used by Raven-Formats. To do that, place a txt file of the XMLBCUI-format code in the same folder as converter.py. Open command prompt and type "py converter.py". When asked, type the name of the file and press Enter, and the program will convert the format to the JSON-style code for you!
         Now onto using Raven-Formats. The program is extremely easy to use. However, I do not recommend you use the program to edit your herostat. Use OHS for that instead.
    • Navigate to the folder that has the data file (.engb, .xmlb, .pkgb, etc) that you want to edit. Open command prompt in that folder.
    • In command prompt, type: xmlb -d (data file name) (text file name). The data file name is your data file, such as ps_wolverine.engb. The text file name is whatever you want the output file to be. You can use a .json or .xml extension. Here are some examples:
      • xmlb -d ps_wolverine.engb ps_wolverine.json
      • xmlb -d ps_wolverine.engb ps_wolverine.xml
      • xmlb -d wolverine_0301.pkgb wolverine_0301.json
      • xmlb -d p1_charge.xmlb p1_charge.json

      You can use any recognized file extension. For the data files, that includes .engb, .xmlb, .pkgb, .chrb, .navb, .boyb, and other language-specific versions. For the output files, the extensions are .json or .xml
    • Edit the output file using your choice of text editor.
    • Open command prompt again in the same folder. In command prompt, type: xmlb (text file name) (data file name). The text file is what you created earlier with Raven-Formats, and the data file is the file you're compiling it back to. Using the examples from earlier:
      • xmlb ps_wolverine.json ps_wolverine.engb
      • xmlb ps_wolverine.xml ps_wolverine.engb
      • xmlb wolverine_0301.json wolverine_0301.pkgb
      • xmlb p1_charge.json p1_charge.xmlb

          As you can see, it's quite simple to use. I recommend using Raven-Formats with the XMLB batch tools to reduce the amount of typing you have to do and increase speed. You can find more information on that below.



    XMLBCUI
          XMLBCUI is the original tool used for editing data files. Many long-time members still use this tool. It is no longer supported by its creator, and there are some files that it can't open, but it can handle most data files. It can be used to edit the herostat as well, but it's a more manual process that requires much more care. The coding format is more traditional to what modders are used to. If you prefer this coding format, I recommend using XMLB-Compile with the XMLB Batch Tools to speed up the editing process.
          If you do choose to use XMLBCUI to edit your herostat, you can find the herostat entries for all 55 default OCP characters on the .

    [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mnfSDK5ki4]YouTube video for this section[/url]

    Expand to see steps
          You can download XMLBCUI here. Once it's installed, run xmlbcui.exe (I recommend creating a shortcut to it). Here's how to use it:
    • Go to File>Decompile
    • For "input XMLB", choose the data file you're decompiling (it doesn't have to be a .xmlb file, it can use any other accepted data file extension). I don't recommend using XMLBCUI for herostats and suggest you use OHS instead. The "Output xml" blank will automatically fill out, but you can change the file path if you like. Then press Accept.
    • XMLBCUI will generate the output xml file, which you can open with a text editor and edit.
    • Save your file once you finish editing it and go to File>Compile.
    • For the "input xml", choose the xml file that you created earlier. XMLBCUI will automatically populate the "output xmlb" line, but keep in mind that the extension defaults to .xmlb, which isn't always what you need. You can browse for the correct file or manually type the extension. Then press Accept, and XMLBCUI will compile the file back for you.
          And that's it! Unfortunately, this process is slow. I recommend instead using XMLB-Compile with the XMLB Batch tools, which you can read about below, to speed up the process.[/list]

    September 09, 2021, 09:08AM #5 Last Edit: December 15, 2023, 02:06PM by Outsider


    MUA1  MOD  INSTALLATION  GUIDE
    SECTION 5.1: REPLACING/ADDING SKINS

    By BaconWizard17
    Logo by Outsider




    Introduction
          Skins are the visual files of your character. They can be found in the Actors folder. Their names are 4 or 5 digits long. The first 2 or 3 digits are the character’s number, and the last 2 digits are the skin number. For instance, Spider-Man’s number is 09, so his skins are 0901, 0902, etc. Luke Cage’s number is 157, so his skins are 15701, 15702, etc. A character’s number can be found by looking at their herostat entry or their animation set (you can check their herostat entry in the "xml" folder of OpenHeroSelect for MUA1).
          You can find many new skins in the MUA1 Skin Thread Catalog. This has links to all the big skin catalogs.
          Note: If an image is too small, click to expand it





    Checking Skin Version
          Before you swap out skins, it’s a good idea to check the skin’s version to make sure that the skin will work for you. This step isn’t necessary for PC (all skins should work on PC), but it’s a good idea to check this if you’re using the skin on console versions. In order to check the version, you’ll need a hex editor program. Most people in the community use HxD or xvi32. I will be using HxD for this demonstration, but either works. This step is not necessary if you already know that the skin will work on your console (for instance, if the creator says that it does). Show the Spoiler to see more details on how to do this.
    Spoiler
          To check the version, open the skin in the hex editor. You’ll need to check what hex value is present at the 2C offset. This can be found on the left half of the screen, in the 3rd row, 13th column (as shown in the image below). This value should either be 04, 06, or 08.



    • If the value is 04, that means it’s a custom model made with Alchemy 2.5. These skins will certainly work on PC, and may possibly work on all consoles (depending on how they were exported). See the section below to learn how to make sure the skin will work on consoles.
    • If the value is 06, that means it’s a default skin using Alchemy 3.2 (these skins come from the PS2 and Xbox versions of all games, as well as XML1/XML2 GameCube and PC). These skins should automatically work on consoles, but it’s important to check the texture format to make sure. See the section below on Alchemy 3.2 to verify that.
    • If the value is 08, that means it’s either a default Alchemy 3.5 skin, a default Alchemy 4 skin, or a custom Alchemy 5 skin. Alchemy 3.5/4/5 skins won’t work on PS2 or Xbox, but some may work on PSP or Wii. See the section below to learn how to make sure of that.

    Checking Alchemy 2.5 Skins
    Spoiler

          Alchemy 2.5 skins have a hex value of 04 in the 2C offset with a hex editor. In order to check that the skin will work on consoles, you’ll need to download the Alchemy 2.5 tools. In the download, there’s a folder called “2 Paste contents of this folder to Alchemy directory”. Paste the contents of this folder into C:\Alchemy (you will need to create this folder if you haven’t already). You must install it to this folder and no other folder. If you previously had Alchemy 5 installed, you’ll need to delete everything from Alchemy 5 before installing Alchemy 2.5.


          Go to C:\Alchemy\ArtistPack\Finalizer\ and open sgFinalizer.exe. This is a program called Finalizer, which can tell you a lot about the skin. Open the skin in Finalizer. When you open it, you’ll see 5 panels. If the top right panel (the largest one) is empty, that means that this is a console-compatible skin. This is only true for skins; other types of models will always have something in the top right panel.


          If you need to check your texture format, you can also do this in Finalizer. To get to the texture, you will need to expand several things in the model tree in the top left panel. Get ready, because it’s a lot:

    igAnimationDatabase > _skinList > igSkin> _skinnedGraph > _childList > igGroup > _childList > igBlendMatrixSelect > _childList > igAttrSet > _attributes > igTextureBindAttr > _texture > _image

    Under “_image”, if the value for “_bitsIdx” is 8, that means that this is a PNG8/PS2 format texture. It will work on all consoles (as long as the file size isn’t too big for your console). If the value is 0, then this is a DXT1 texture, which means it will not work on PS2 or PSP.


    Checking Alchemy 3.2 Skins
    Spoiler

          Alchemy 3.2 skins have a hex value of 06 in the 2C offset with a hex editor. Alchemy 3.2 skins will automatically work on Xbox and Wii. They may work on PS2, but it depends on the texture format. They may also work on PSP, but it depends on texture format and file size.
          In order to check the texture format of Alchemy 3.2 skins, you’ll need to download the Alchemy 5 tools. The link provides download instructions and links. I recommend using the portable version.
          Note: If you previously had Alchemy 2.5 installed, you’ll need to delete everything from Alchemy 2.5 before installing Alchemy 5. If you save alchemy 3.2 skins with finalizer 5, they will no longer work on PS2 or Xbox. You can view the files, but do not save them.


          Go to C:\Alchemy\ArtistPack\Finalizer\ and open sgFinalizer.exe. This is a program called Finalizer, which can tell you a lot about the skin. Open the skin in Finalizer. In the top left panel, you will see a tree of different values. You will need to expand several things in the tree to get down to the texture. Get ready, because it’s a lot:

    igAnimationDatabase > _skinList > igSkin> _skinnedGraph > _attributes > igTextureBindAttr > _texture > _image > _pfmt

          If the value for “_pfmt” is “IG_GFX_TEXTURE_FORMAT_X_8”, that means that this is a PNG8/PS2 format texture. It will work on all consoles (as long as the file size isn’t too big for your console). If the value is something else, then this is a DXT1 texture, which means it will not work on PS2 or PSP. 


    Checking Alchemy 3.5/4/5 Skins
    Spoiler

          Alchemy 3.5, 4, and 5 skins have a hex value of 08 in the 2C offset with a hex editor. In order to check that the skin will work on consoles, you’ll need to download the Alchemy 5 tools. Simply drag and drop the contents of this folder into C:\Alchemy (you will need to create this folder if you haven’t already). You must install it to this folder and no other folder. Once you've done that, double click on setup.bat to properly install it. If Alchemy 5 ever tells you that the evaluation has expired when you try to run it, just double click on "Reset Alchemy 5 Eval.bat" to fix that issue.
          Note: If you previously had Alchemy 2.5 installed, you’ll need to delete everything from Alchemy 2.5 before installing Alchemy 5.


          Go to C:\Alchemy\ArtistPack\Finalizer\ and open sgFinalizer.exe. This is a program called Finalizer, which can tell you a lot about the skin. Open the skin in Finalizer. When you open it, you’ll see 5 panels. If the top right panel (the largest one) is empty, that means that this is a console-compatible skin. It will work on Wii, and it may work on PSP depending on the texture format and file size. Alchemy 3.5/4/5 skins do not work on PS2 or Xbox. This is only true for skins; other types of models will always have something in the top right panel.


          If you need to check your texture format, you can also do this in Finalizer. To get to the texture, you will need to expand several things in the model tree in the top left panel. Get ready, because it’s a lot:

    igAnimationDatabase > _skinList > igSkin> _skinnedGraph > _childList > igGroup > _childList > igBlendMatrixSelect > _childList > igAttrSet > _attributes > igTextureBindAttr > _texture > _image > _pfmt

    Under “_image”, if the value for “_pmft” is “IG_GFX_TEXTURE_FORMAT_X_8”, that means that this is a PNG8/PS2 format texture. It will work on PSP and Wii (as long as the file size isn’t too big for your console). If the value is something else, then this is a DXT1 texture, which means it will not work on PSP.





    Replacing Skins
    Spoiler

          Replacing skins is the easiest mod you can do for a character. In order to see what skins a character uses, you need to check their herostat entry (which you can do by looking in the "xml" folder of OpenHeroSelect for MUA1). Within the entry is a section that covers their skins. For this example, I’ll use Iron Man’s, since it’s a bit weird:

       skin = 1502 ;
       skin_01_name = New Avenger ;
       skin_02 = 05 ;
       skin_02_name = Classic ;
       skin_03 = 03 ;
       skin_03_name = War Machine ;
       skin_04 = 04 ;
       skin_04_name = Ultimate ;

          This shows his 4 skins. First, the skin number is defined, and then its name is defined. The very first skin is referenced by its full number, but the skins after that are referenced just by their last two numbers. So you can see that Iron Man’s primary skin is 1502. The second skin in the list says “skin_02 = 05”. This means that the second skin that shows up is 1505. The 3rd skin is 1503, and the 4th skin is 1504. So if you wanted to replace Iron Man’s second skin, you would need to name the new skin 1505.igb. Before placing it in the Actors folder, you need to hex edit it (you can read about this below), and make sure that you make a backup of the original skin in case you ever want to put it back.
          You can also rename the skin in the character's herostat entry if you're interested in changing the name. You can do this by going to the "xml" folder of OpenHeroSelect for MUA1 and making the changes there. If you're using OHS, you can also use the Herostat Skin Editor to rename skins. Instructions are in Section 4 in the part called "Additional Utilities for OHS and Herostat Editing".
          If you’re replacing the skin’s conversation portrait (hud), you want to give it the same number as the skin, and put that in the hud folder. So the conversation portrait for the skin 1505.igb is hud_head_1505.igb. You don’t need to hex edit conversation portraits.




    Adding Skins - PC
    Spoiler

          To add skins on PC, there are 2 things you need to do: edit the herostat entry and add the packages. On PC, characters can have up to 6 skins. The first thing to do is to pick a number that isn’t being used by anyone else. For example, you wouldn’t want to use 0905 for Spider-Man, because Dark Spider-Man uses that skin number. You can check your actors folder to see which numbers are available. Be careful of mods that share the same character number.
          Next, you want to add a new number to the herostat entry, as well as a new name. You can do this by going to the "xml" folder of OpenHeroSelect for MUA1 and making the changes there. I’ll keep using Iron Man’s herostat entry here. Since 1505 is taken, I’ll make his 5th skin use 1506, the next available number. I’m naming it Test Skin, but you can give it any appropriate name.
       skin = 1502 ;
       skin_01_name = New Avenger ;
       skin_02 = 05 ;
       skin_02_name = Classic ;
       skin_03 = 03 ;
       skin_03_name = War Machine ;
       skin_04 = 04 ;
       skin_04_name = Ultimate ;
       skin_05 = 06 ;
       skin_05_name = Test Skin ;


          If you're using OHS, you can also use the Herostat Skin Editor to add skins in the herostat. Instructions are in Section 4 in the part called "Additional Utilities for OHS and Herostat Editing".
          The next step is to create new packages for your character. Packages reference your character’s files, and they allow your character to work correctly. Go to Packages/generated/characters, and look for Iron Man’s packages. Each skin has 2 packages here (that are actually used). One will be called “characterName_skinNumber.pkgb”, and the other will be called “characterName_skinNumber_nc.pkgb”.
          We want to make new packages for Iron Man’s new 1506 skin, so copy the packages for Iron Man’s 1502 skin: ironman_1502.pkgb and ironman_1502_nc.pkgb. Rename these copies to ironman_1506.pkgb and ironman_1506_nc.pkgb. Next, open the packages with a hex editor. Look for all instances of the old skin number (1502) and replace it with the new skin number (1506). Save your changes and add the new packages back to packages/generated/characters.
          After this, you can add 1506.igb to your Actors folder (after hex editing it), and add hud_head_1506.igb to your hud folder. Note that skin_05 and skin_06 won’t have any costume passives.
          If you have Raven-Formats, you can use ak2yny's Package Cloner batch file to create new packages with ease. Click the spoiler for instructions.
    Spoiler

          To use it, place the batch file in the same folder as the packages you're going to clone. In this case, it's Iron Man's 1502 packages.


          Double-click the batch file to run it. Command prompt will pop up, and it will ask for the number of the package you're creating. Since the package we're creating is for Iron Man's 1506 skin, type "6", then Enter. The batch file will create the packages for 1506. Command prompt will close when the process is complete.


          It's also possible to create multiple packages using the batch program. Say you want to create packages for 1506 and 1507. In this case, type "6-7" for the first question, then Enter. The program will automatically create these packages and close when the process is complete.


          Once that's done, you can drop the packages back into your game files!




    Adding Skins - Consoles
    Spoiler

          To add skins to consoles, there are 2 things you need to do: edit the herostat entry and add the packages. On consoles, characters can have up to 4 skins when done the normal way. If you want to add the 5th or 6th skin, you will still need to create new packages for these skins, but you will need to add your character’s files to permanent.fb. The first thing to do is to pick a number that isn’t being used by anyone else. For example, you wouldn’t want to use 0905 for Spider-Man, because Dark Spider-Man uses that skin number. You can check your actors folder to see which numbers are available. Be careful of mods that share the same character number.
          Next, you want to add a new number to the herostat entry, as well as a new name. You can do this by going to the "xml" folder of OpenHeroSelect for MUA1 and making the changes there. I’ll keep using Iron Man’s herostat entry here. Since 1505 is taken, I’ll make his 5th skin use 1506, the next available number. I’m naming it Test Skin, but you can give it any appropriate name

       skin = 1502 ;
       skin_01_name = New Avenger ;
       skin_02 = 05 ;
       skin_02_name = Classic ;
       skin_03 = 03 ;
       skin_03_name = War Machine ;
       skin_04 = 04 ;
       skin_04_name = Ultimate ;
       skin_05 = 06 ;
       skin_05_name = Test Skin ;


          If you're using OHS, you can also use the Herostat Skin Editor to add skins in the herostat. Instructions are in Section 4 in the part called "Additional Utilities for OHS and Herostat Editing".
          The next step is to create new packages for your character. Packages reference your character’s files, and they allow your character to work correctly. Go to Packages/generated/characters, and look for Iron Man’s packages. Each skin has 2 packages here (that are actually used). One will be called “characterName_skinNumber.fb”, and the other will be called “characterName_skinNumber_nc.fb”.
          We want to make new packages for Iron Man’s new 1506 skin, so copy the packages for Iron Man’s 1502 skin: ironman_1502.pkgb and ironman_1502_nc.pkgb. Rename these copies to ironman_1506.pkgb and ironman_1506_nc.pkgb. Next, use fbextractor to extract your new packages. Edit the cfg for your packages, and change references to the old skin number (1502) to the new skin number (1506). After this, you can add 1506.igb to your Actors folder (after hex editing it), and add hud_head_1506.igb to your hud folder. Note that skin_05 and skin_06 won’t have any costume passives.
          On consoles, if you’re adding a 5th or 6th skin, you must add your character’s skins to permanent.fb in addition to the new packages. It’s not recommended to do this for too many characters, because you may overload permanent.fb.

    September 09, 2021, 09:25AM #6 Last Edit: December 15, 2023, 02:06PM by Outsider


    MUA1  MOD  INSTALLATION  GUIDE
    SECTION 5.2: SKINS - COMPATIBILITY AND HEX EDITING

    By BaconWizard17
    Logo by Outsider




    Introduction
          Skins are the visual files of your character. They can be found in the Actors folder. Their names are 4 or 5 digits long. The first 2 or 3 digits are the character’s number, and the last 2 digits are the skin number. For instance, Spider-Man’s number is 09, so his skins are 0901, 0902, etc. Luke Cage’s number is 157, so his skins are 15701, 15702, etc. A character’s number can be found by looking at their herostat entry or their animation set (you can check their herostat entry in the "xml" folder of OpenHeroSelect for MUA1).
          You can find many new skins in the MUA1 Skin Thread Catalog. This has links to all the big skin catalogs.
          When installing skins, it's possible to simply just add them to your game files, but there are certain other things you can do to make them work more correctly.
          Note: If an image is too small, click to expand it




    Hex Editing
          Hex editing skins is very important for MUA1. You want your skin to be properly hex edited so that the robots in Murder World can look like your character when you fight them. Skins also need to be hex edited for characters who change skins in their powers, such as Human Torch or Mystique. Otherwise these characters won’t be able to change skins properly.
    Spoiler

          There are many ways to hex edit a skin based on how the skin was made and how you’re intending to use it. If you’re using the skin for MUA1 PC only, you can use the Alchemy 5 tools to hex edit your skin (regardless of what version of alchemy it uses). If you’re using the skin for consoles, you’ll need to check the version number to see the proper way to use your skin. The first section of this post tells you how to check the version number of your skin.


    • For Alchemy 2.5 skins, you can use the Alchemy 2.5 tools to hex edit your skin. More info below.
    • For Alchemy 3.2 skins, you can use a hex editor to hex edit your skins. More info below.
    • For Alchemy 4/5 skins, you can use the Alchemy 5 tools to hex edit your skin. More info below.

    Alchemy 2.5 Hex Editing
    Spoiler

    Alchemy 2.5 Hex Editing
          To hex edit an Alchemy 2.5 skin, you’ll need the Alchemy 2.5 tools. The download instructions are above, in the section called “Checking Skin Version.” Open the skin in Finalizer, and look on the left panel. There will be a property that says “_skinList: igSkinList”. Click the plus button to the left of that, and a new property will pop out that says “igSkin(“X”). X will likely be some number, but it could also say “igActor01_appearance”.  Regardless of what it says, right click this property and select “edit object fields”. Change the “Object Name” to be the same as the name of the file. For example, if the file is 0902.igb, the Object Name should be 0902. Once you’ve done this, click “OK” and save your file.


    Alchemy 3.2 Hex Editing
    Spoiler

          To hex edit an Alchemy 3.2 skin, all you need is a hex editor. First, you need to figure out what the original skin number is. To do this, search for “.png”. You’ll come across a string of text that references the texture of the model. The number that’s before .png is the original number of the skin. This is what you need to change. You want to go through the file with the hex editor and look for all instances of the old number and type over it with the new number. There are a few cases to be aware of:

    • If the old number and new number are the same length (both 4 digits long or both 5 digits long), you can just directly replace the numbers. Ex: hex editing 0904 to 1503, hex editing 12301 to 15702
    • If the new number is longer than the old number, then type over the old number, and change the digit after it as well. Ex: hex editing 0904 to 15702
    • If the new number is shorter than the old number, type over the old number. You will have an extra digit left. On the left side of the hex editor, where the hex values are, change the hex value of the fifth number to 00, so that it will be replaced with an empty value on the right side


    Alchemy 5 Hex Editing
    Spoiler

          To hex edit an Alchemy 5 skin (or any skin being used for PC, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360, or PS3), you’ll need the Alchemy 5 tools. The download instructions are above, in the section called “Checking Skin Version.” While you can hex edit skins in Alchemy 5 Finalizer the way you do with Alchemy 2.5 Finalizer, ak2yny has created a batch process that speeds this up and makes it much easier. You can download it here. The package includes 2 batch files: SkinEdit.bat and SkinEdit-filenameToSkinName.bat. The first file presents you with several options on how you want to hex edit, such as inputting a name. The second one will automatically hex edit all the skins in the folder to be the same as their file name. All you have to do is place your skins in the folder and double click the batch file to run it!






    Global Color Fix
          If you’re playing MUA1 PC, Xbox 360, or PS3, you may notice that custom models turn black when they take damage, which isn’t the case for default models. To fix this, you will need to have Alchemy 5 installed (see the section about checking skin version). Download this bat file and place it anywhere on your PC. To fix the color issue, you can place any skins with the issue in the same folder as the .bat file and double click the .bat file to apply the fix. Alternatively, you can also drag and drop the skin file onto the .bat file to run the operation. Here's the release post for this tool.




    Xbox 360/PS3 Skin Compatibility
          To make your skins compatible with the Xbox 360 or PS3 versions of the game, there is an additional fix you need to apply with Alchemy 5. To do this, download this .bat file that I made based on one of ak2yny's. Make sure you have Alchemy 5 installed (see the section about checking skin version). You can place the .bat file anywhere. To use it, you can place any skins with the issue in the same folder as the .bat file and double click the .bat file to apply the fix. Alternatively, you can also drag and drop the skin file onto the .bat file to run the operation.

    January 04, 2023, 08:14PM #7 Last Edit: December 15, 2023, 02:06PM by Outsider


    MUA1  MOD  INSTALLATION  GUIDE
    SECTION 6: MOD ORGANIZER 2 (MO2)

    By BaconWizard17
    Logo by Outsider




    Introduction
          Mod Organizer 2 (MO2) is an extremely useful program for organizing your mods. It allows you to install mods to your game files without overwriting files. This means you can easily install and uninstall mods and restore default content. It’s also useful for removing any files that could be causing problems in your game. It basically eliminates the need for reinstalling the game every time you mess something up. Note the MO2 only works for the PC version of the game, not consoles.
          Note: If an image is too small, click to expand it.




    Installing MO2
          Installing the program is a very simple process.
    Spoiler

          You can download MO2 from this link on NexusMods, where you can also find more information about the program and its creators. Go to the Files tab and choose “Manual Download”. You need to have an account with them to download files. You must download version 2.4 or later (this should be the default option). You can also download it from their GitHub link, where you won’t need to create an account.


          Next, double-click the installer to start it. If Windows Defender tells you not to run the program, simply press “More Info” and then “Run Anyways.” It has been tested to be safe.


          Follow along with the installer. Accept the licensing agreement. Then, choose where the main files for MO2 should be installed (the default location, C:\Modding\MO2, is recommended). Choose the settings for a recommended install. You can choose to add a start menu folder if you wish. I personally prefer to create a desktop shortcut, but that's up to you. At the end, you'll confirm your choices, and then the program will install.


          Now that you’ve installed MO2, there are a few more things you'll need to add to get the program ready to run MUA1. First, you’ll need to download the handler plugin for MUA1, which was made by MrKablamm0Fish. Download "game_MUA1.py" (not "game_MUA1_Steam.py") here. Once you download it, put it in your MO2 files in “MO2/plugins/basic_games/games/”


          If you’re using the 36 or 50 Roster Hacks, there are a few extra steps you need to take to prevent conflicts. Download the MO2 files to add to MUA1, and then put them into your game files. Overwrite anything that it asks you to overwrite. THE ROSTER HACKS WILL NOT WORK WITH MO2 IF YOU DO NOT INSTALL THESE FILES. YOU MUST INSTALL THEM TO YOUR BASE GAME FILES FOR THE ROSTER HACKS TO WORK WITH MO2.





    Configuring MO2
          Now that you've properly installed MO2, it's time to configure it for your game.
    Spoiler

          Launch MO2. It will ask if you want to create a global instance or a portable instance. Portable instances are a bit easier to use, because all the files are in one place. However, you have to create a fresh installation of MO2 for each game you want to use. Because of that, I recommend creating a global instance. You'll only have to install the program once, and you can use it for multiple games.


          Next, you'll want to browse for your Ultimate Alliance game files. Mine are in C:\Users\(my user)\Documents\Activision\Marvel - Ultimate Alliance, so I navigated to that folder. If you installed the handler plugin correctly, you'll be able to proceed.


          Once you've located your game files, you can choose a name for the instance. I prefer to keep it simple, just naming it "Marvel - Ultimate Alliance".


          Next, you'll be able to choose where the specific data for your game will be stored. The default location is C:\Users\(your user)\AppData\Local\ModOrganizer\Marvel - Ultimate Alliance. I prefer to change mine to a folder on my desktop where I keep all my mods. You're free to choose another folder. However, keep in mind that C:\Users\(your user)\AppData\Local\ModOrganizer\Marvel - Ultimate Alliance will still be used for crash dumps and error logs, but the folder you specify here is where you'll install your mods.


          You'll be presented with a popup that asks if you want to connect to your Nexus Mods account. Feel free to do so, but it's not required. Lastly, you'll see all your settings one more time, and you can either confirm them or proceed. If you proceed, MO2 will set everything up, and you'll be ready to install mods!






    Using MO2
          Now that you’ve properly set up MO2 for MUA1, it's time to learn how to use it!
    Spoiler

          Once you press Finish after creating your new instance, MO2 will launch your instance, and then it will give you the option to go through a tutorial. I highly recommend following along with the tutorial, since it’s coming straight from the creators. However, be aware the not all the information is 100% relevant to MUA1 modding.
          This is the user interface for MO2. I’ve highlighted the 4 areas that are important to MUA1 modding: the Install Mods button at the top left, the Mods panel in the middle left, the Data tab on the middle right, and the Run button at the top left. The install button allows you to install new mods to your game. The Mods panel shows you which mods you have installed, and which of them are active. The Data tab shows you how your game files will be interpreted with the mods (basically, which mods are creating/replacing which files). The Run button is how you launch the game. If you’re using MO2 to install mods, you must always launch the game through MO2 for the mods to work.


          Now it’s time to install some mods! For this tutorial, I’ll be installing the OCP 2.3 and the 36 roster hack to show you how the installation process works. First, press the “Install a new mod from archive” button at the top left. This will bring up File Explorer. Navigate to where you have the OCP 2.3 saved. Make sure it is still packaged as a .zip file or other type of archive.


          Next, MO2 will bring up the Install Mods dialog. At the top, you’re able to choose the name of the mod for MO2’s internal use. You can name it anything you want, but make sure you know what it is. Here you can also toggle which file are installed, as well as how the files are arranged. For the mod to be properly arranged, you want to make sure that the game folders (actors, data, etc) are always listed directly under “marvel – ultimate alliance”. This will allow MO2 to properly place the new files into your game. Below is a screenshot of the right way vs the wrong way.


          I’m deselecting the Changelog folder I don’t need that for the mod.
          Note: the method of controller support that I'm describing here is outdated. For more up to date controller support, check out Rampage's Ultimate Controller Support Mod. The information I'm providing here may still be useful for other mods, though.
          Since I want to use my Xbox One controller with the game, I will choose to use the controller support folder, but right now the files are in the wrong place for MUA1. First, I want to open the “More controller support” folder and deselect everything except for the X1 files. Then, I moved those textures to the “texs” folder of the main game files. I also deselected the files that are being replaced. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to rename files in this dialog, but that can be done later. Once you’re happy with the setup, you can press “OK”. MO2 will then install your mod.
          Note: For most mods, you don't need to rearrange the files. They will almost always be in the correct places. And the only time you ever really need to deselect files is anything like readme files, since they don't contribute to the mod's usage in the game.


          Once MO2 installs your mod, it will show up on the left panel. Over on the right, you can hit the “refresh” button under the Data tab, and then look through the files to see what’s being replaced. Make sure you check the box next to the OCP 2.3 to enable it first. In the Data tab, every file that’s coming from your mod will now show “Official Character Pack 2.3” under the “mod” column. If the file is being replaced (or if it exists in multiple mods), the name will show up in red. If the file is being added (or if there is no conflict), the name will show up in black.


          Now I want to rename the controller fix files so that they’ll work in my game. On the left, double-click the name of the mod. This will bring you to the Filetree. I then went to the “texs” folder, right clicked the files, and chose “Rename”. Only rename files if you know that it’s necessary. After refreshing the Data tab, I can see that the OCP 2.3 is now replacing these files.



          The power of MO2 is that you can install multiple mods and choose which files replace one another. To demonstrate this, I’ll be installing the 36 Roster Hack next. The process is the same as with MO2, but if you’re installing one of the roster hacks, deselect the “dinput8.dll” file and the “plugins” folder, since you installed those to your base game. You MUST always deselect the "plugins" folder and "dinput8.dll" when you install either the 36 roster hack or the 50 roster hack with MO2


          Once you install the mod, be sure to check the checkbox next to its name. You’ll also notice that now on the right of the left pane, the “Priority” column has different values. Mods with higher priority are listed at the bottom, and their files will be used over mods with lower priority. The smaller their priority number, the lower priority they are. To see this in action, let’s compare a file that both mods have: ui/models/mannequin/0501.igb.  If the 36 RH is listed above the OCP 2.3 (36 RH with a priority of 0, OCP 2.3 with a priority of 1), then this file will come from the OCP 2.3. If it’s the other way around, with the 36 RH having a priority of 1, and the OCP 2.3 having a priority of 0, the file will come from the 36 RH. You can drag the mods up and down the list to change their priority. Remember to refresh the Data tab every time you do this.
          For mods to work well, the OCP should always have the lowest priority with a priority of 0. If you're using a roster hack, the roster hack’s priority should always be 1. Character mods have the next-lowest priority, and then boosters, then skins, then misc mods. Custom herostats should then have the highest priority.


          And that’s how you use MO2! Now you can add as many mods as you’d like.
          There is an alternative way you can install mods that doesn’t require them being in an archived format: you can simple go to your install folder for MO2 (by default, it’s C:\Modding\MO2) and go into the “Mods” folder. Here, you can create a folder for any mods you want to add, and then add the files inside. This is useful for any loose files you want to add, such as skins or your herostat. It’s also incredibly useful if you’re creating or testing a mod that hasn’t been packaged yet. If you’re using OHS, you can point the program to the folder for your herostat and install it there rather than overwriting the default one.


          If you have multiple game exes (such as the MK on MUA content (or in my case, my special version where I test skins), you can hit the dropdown menu next to the name of the game and choose “Edit”. When the dialog pops up, choose to “Add an executable” and fill out the information.






    Using OpenHeroSelect (OHS) with MO2
          It's fully possible to use OHS with MO2, but there are a few specific things you'll need to do to make it work properly. This tutorial is meant to supplement the OHS instructions from Section 4 of this tutorial. Be sure to read that section for more information about how OHS actually works.
    Spoiler

          First, you'll need to identify the location of your mods folder for MO2. To do this, click the settings icon at the top middle of MO2. In settings, click on the "Paths" tab, and look at the Base Directory.


          Open File Explorer and follow the path that's shown in the Base Directory. When you get there, you should find a folder called "Mods" (in addition to various others used by MO2).


          Open up the "Mods" folder. Inside it, create a new folder called "Herostats." Inside the "Herostats" folder, create a folder called Data.


          Keep this folder open and run OHS. Follow along the procedures as normal, but when it asks you for the path to your installation of Marvel - Ultimate Alliance, don't enter that yet.


          Go back to the open File Explorer window from before, and click at the top in the address bar. This will highlight the file path. Right click it and choose "Copy".


          Go back to OHS and right click on "C:\". This will paste the file path that you copied from File Explorer.


          Now you'll be able to continue along the regular steps of OHS to finish generating your herostat! Any time you change your herostat, send it to this folder. When you get back to MO2, you may need to refresh the mod list to get the new "Herostats" mod to show up. This can be done by clicking the blue refresh button at the top middle of the screen. Be sure to remember to enable the "Herostats" mod in MO2, and make sure that it always has the largest priority number (and is at the bottom of the list of mods).




    Installing Skins with MO2
          The process for installing skins with MO2 is very simple as well. The information for how to replace and add skins can be found in Section 5; this section is just about how to install those mods in MO2.
    Spoiler

          When installing skins, you'll want to create a folder in your "mods" folder in a similar way to how you did for your herostat above. In this case, however, you're creating the folder for your skins. You can have one folder per character, or alternatively, you can have all skins within one mod. The folders that you create within this mod folder depend on what you're adding. If you're just replacing skins, you'll want an Actors folder where you put the skins. You can create a "hud" folder for conversation portraits, a "models" folder for any custom power models, etc. If you're adding skins, you can also create "packages\generated\characters" and add the new packages that you create to this folder.


    January 04, 2023, 08:14PM #8 Last Edit: December 15, 2023, 02:06PM by Outsider


    MUA1  MOD  INSTALLATION  GUIDE
    SECTION 7: ADDITIONAL USEFUL TUTORIALS AND LINKS

    By BaconWizard17
    Logo by Outsider




    Introduction
          In addition to all the information that I’ve provided here, there are several other things that you may find useful. Here are a variety of useful links and tutorials that you can use to improve your game. You can also find links to many useful sources in the MUA1 Link Library.
          Here is a link to ak2yny's YouTube playlist, which has lots of visual guides for various steps in this tutorial. Some of these tutorial videos are outdated, so be careful when following them. Use the videos more as a visual reference, but the most important and most up to date information is in this written tutorial.
          Lastly, for quick reference, you can find all cheat codes for MUA1 here.




    Tutorials
          Here are several external tutorials that may be useful for modding MUA1:

    Changing Your Starting Team
          By default, the 4 starting characters for the game are Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor, and Wolverine. Although the OCP 2.4 now allows you to pick your team from the start, you may still want to change the characters that the game defaults to. To do this, you’ll want to go to the data folder and take out charinfo.xmlb to edit it. You can edit this with Raven-Formats or XMLBCUI. In this file, you’ll notice entries for all the default characters. Here’s a look at Captain America’s (in JSON from Raven-Formats):

            "hero": {
                "name": "CaptainAmerica",
                "start_game": "e3,normal,demo1,demo2",
                "unlocked": "normal, demo2 demo1"
            },

          Notice how he has the line that says “start_game”? That means that he’s one of the starting characters in the game. Spider-Man, Thor, and Wolverine have this same line in their charinfo.xmlb entry. To have one of your characters be the starting character instead, you can either change the “name” line (use the “name” from the herostat, not “charactername”) for one of the starting characters. You can also add an entry for your character and remove that line from one of the starters and give it to your character. Keep in mind, however, that charinfo.xmlb only reads the first 31 entries. Any others that you add will be ignored by the game.

    Giving Your Mod Characters the Default Fightstyle
          If you download a mod character and look in their herostat and see that they don’t use fightstyle_default, you may want to change this. Non-default fightstyles cause memory issues with the game, which may prevent you from using the characters/teams you want.
          To check if a character uses a default fightstyle or not, look at their herostat for this entry:


          If it doesn’t say “name = fightstyle_default ;”, then your character doesn’t use fightstyle_default. This can be easily fixed. First, make sure you have the latest version of the mod from the creator. If the latest version does not use fightstyle_default, then do the following:

    • In the character’s herostat entry, change the name of their fightstyle to fightstyle_default, as shown above.
    • Download Ceamonks890’s animation mixing fixes. Get the correct animations for your character and overwrite the existing animations.
          And that’s it! Make sure that when you change your herostat, you must start a new save file. This fix will not work on the Xbox or PS2 versions of the game because they do not support animation mixing. It will certainly work on PC, and it should on the other consoles.




    Making Your Own Mods
          Here are several external tutorials about making your own mods for MUA1:

    January 04, 2023, 08:14PM #9 Last Edit: December 15, 2023, 02:06PM by Outsider


    MUA1  MOD  INSTALLATION  GUIDE
    SECTION 8: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

    By BaconWizard17
    Logo by Outsider




    Introduction
          I’ve done my best to address all the possible questions that someone may have when modding their game, but there are always more potential questions. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions:

    • Q: I can't find a particular mod, booster, or skin. And I've checked the catalogs and the search bar. What do I do?

      • A: You can check Ceamonks890's archive, as he's backed up almost everything. If you can't find it there either, then it probably doesn't exist.
    • Q: I want to request a new mod, booster, or skin for someone to create. How do I do that?

      • A: Feel free to request a certain mod, but always keep the following rules in mind:

        • Always be respectful when you make a request.
        • If a modder doesn’t take requests, don’t post requests in their topics or send requests through PMs. Many modders don’t take requests right now. Instead, post your requests in the common request topics.
        • Keep in mind that the best person to fulfill a request is you! We have many tutorials available that cover all the aspects of the game. Many people here (myself included) started off with little or no knowledge about any kind of coding. The community is incredibly helpful with people who are trying to learn. Check the tutorials first and do your best to understand them, and then ask any questions you have in the community.
    • Q: The link to a wanted mod, booster, or skin is broken. What should I do?

      • A: First, let us know of the broken link, so we can replace it. Then, check Ceamonks890's archive as he has backed up almost everything.
    • Q: Why is my mod not working?

      • A: Make sure that you're carefully following all the steps in the tutorial. Additionally, make sure you start a new save file any time you change any data files (.engb, .xmlb, .pkgb, etc)
    • Q: I have found a bug with a certain mod or booster. Where do I report it?

      • A: You can mention in the mod's release topic, as well as in our Discord server. Say in clear detail the problems you're having and we will attempt to help you. Pictures or visual aids can help us figure out the problem. If our efforts do not help, you can send the author of the mod or booster a private message. Do not pester them, though, and certainly don't be rude about it. Give them decent time to respond.
    • Q: I installed a new skin, but when I go to Murderworld, the Androids don't mimic that skin. What do I do?

      • A: You have to hex-edit that skin. Look in Section 5.2 for more information on how to do this.
    • Q: I have a problem but I do not speak English. Am I able to get help?

      • A: Yes, you can. Come by our Discord server where community members are more active. Some people here speak Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, etc. However, you can try your best to tell us your problem in English. We've been able to understand those who don't speak English too well. Pictures or visual aids help us to help you as well.
    • Q: If a file has a .xmlb version and a .engb version, which should I edit?

      • A: Always edit the .engb version of a file. The game reads the language-specific versions first. If a .engb version of the file does not exist (like with effects), you can edit the .xmlb version.
    • Q: Why is my game crashing when I leave the character select screen with certain teams of characters?

      • A: This generally occurs when you hit some kind of game limit. The best way to avoid this issue is to play with teams of 2 or 3 characters rather than a full team of 4.
    • Q: Why is my game crashing when I select a certain character?

      • A: If the game crashes right when you select a character, that means that something didn't install correctly. Usually, it's the character themselves. Either you put the files in the wrong place, or they're missing from the game entirely. Make sure you're installing the character properly. If you're using MO2, be sure that you're enabling the character mod. This problem will also happen if you improperly hex edit a skin or otherwise corrupt the file.
    • Q: I don't think I can do this.

      • A: Of course you can! Everyone here started out as beginners, and many people had no modding or coding experience before. Take your time, change a few things at a time, read through all the tutorials, and don’t be afraid to ask specific questions about anything that might be confusing you or could be missing!