Video Game Modding Guide

The video game mod kit provides an alternative set of content focusing on the video game industry which replaces the software industry in the Digital Age DLC.

The key feature of the video game mod kit is the ability to create unique game products that can be owned by one company only. Let’s say that you add “Restaurant Empire” into the mod. Under this new gameplay system, the “Restaurant Empire” game can only be owned by a single company in the game.

Once it is owned by the company, no other companies will be able to make the same “Restaurant Empire” game. This feature, which is not available in the normal version of Capitalism Lab, introduces new gameplay possibilities. From the player’s point of view, there will be new incentives for collecting as many game franchises and products as possible.

Here are the steps for modding the video game industry for Capitalism Lab.

1) Download Video Game Mod Kit 
Click here to download Video Game Mod Kit.
Then unpack the ZIP file to your Capitalism Lab folder and you will find the following new folders and files:

1) The new folder “MOD_kit – VideoGame” containing video game mod kit files.

2) The MOD file VideoGame.RES and its associated text file VideoGame.txt in your “MOD” folder.

If you are using your own mod header TXT file instead of VideoGame.txt, make sure that you add the line “Video Game MOD=Yes” into your mod header TXT file.

3) A new subfolder “\MOD\Video Game” containing sample video game console images and sample game product images.

If you want to test the sample data included in this mod kit, you may simply copy the entire MOD folder (#2 and #3 in the above list) to your Capitalism Lab game’s MOD folder.

2) Customizing Game Genres

You may customize the game genres in the following files.
Software_Classes.DBF
Software_Types.DBF

Note that the software class “Operating System” and software type “Game Console OS” defined in the files should not be modified as they connect with the game engine.

<your Capitalism Lab>\MOD_kit – Video Game\Images\Software

3) Customizing the Game Related Technologies
Tech.DBF – define the game related technologies.
Software_Tech.txt – linking the technologies to individual game genres.

4) Customizing Individual Game Products
Click here to read the details.

5) Customizing Video Game Console Hardware
Click here to read the details.

6) If you want to integrate the Video Game content pack with your own mod, you will have to merge the following files with your own ones. 

Product_Classes.DBF
Product_Types.DBF
Manufacturing.DBF
Retail_Store_Products.DBF
Operating_Systems.txt
Software_Mega_Classes.dbf
Tech_Classes.dbf
Hardware.dbf

Note that this step is not required and you do not have to modify these files if you do not intend to merge a mod that you have previously created with the Video Game content pack. 

In addition to these DBF files, if you have defined custom product images in your MOD, you should merge the folders from your \MOD\<your mod’s name>\<product type> as well.

7) Packing your MOD for release. 
Run PACK_COPY.BAT to build the VideoGame.RES mod file and copy the resulting file into the “MOD” folder.

Then pack the following files and folders into a new ZIP file and release it.

-The MOD file VideoGame.RES and its associated text file VideoGame.txt in your “MOD” folder.

The subfolder “\MOD\Video Game” which contains video game console images and game product images.