Porting SR3 NPC's to Saints Row 4

[CrazyLor]

short version: just replace insides of str_pc packages of both models and rename it. yeah, it works


long version:
So u need to unpack str2_pc packages of the both characters (drag and drop them to ThomasJepp.SaintsRow.ExtractPackfile.exe)


in my case i want to replace gang_female_jill from sr4, to deckers_female_grace from sr3

i'm just dragging and dropping files from grace folder to jill folder and deleting jill files (jill have a sim_pc file that grace don't have, so i left original one in the folder)

Then you need to rename the files so that the names are the same as they were in the folder before (in my case from grace to jill. be careful to not delete the "_head" and "_head_lod" lines)

And then i do the same thing with "high" packages (gang_female_jill_high)

then build this folders as packfiles using ThomasJepp.SaintsRow.BuildPackfileGUI (use original packfile names (gang_female_jill.str2_pc and gang_female_jill_high.str2_pc in my case) and build it into your sr4 folder) and update character_containers.asm_pc (if you don't have it, you can find it in charactes.vpp_pc, just copy it into Saints Row IV folder)

enjoy results

p.s. my model ended up being glitched as fuck. but don't worry, i did this many times and there was no problems. i guess it's because of original ho model that i was replacing. maybe because of that sim_pc file, idk. but in other cases everything is working well.

 

[3rdStreetSaint 212]

So, I did this in reverse.
Trying to port Lin into SRTT, over Ella's model. but the part I'm struggling with is updating the "asm" file. Does it override the "str2" data with the "high.str2" data, or should it be fine. Because I put the "asm", "str2", and "high.str2" files into SRTT Root Directory, but when loading the game, Lin just doesn't spawn, is invisible and un-selectable in gang customization, and turns the game into a half void/half normal hybrid when playing a mission.

 

[Admixon]

So, I did this in reverse.
Trying to port Lin into SRTT, over Ella's model. but the part I'm struggling with is updating the "asm" file. Does it override the "str2" data with the "high.str2" data, or should it be fine. Because I put the "asm", "str2", and "high.str2" files into SRTT Root Directory, but when loading the game, Lin just doesn't spawn, is invisible and un-selectable in gang customization, and turns the game into a half void/half normal hybrid when playing a mission.

Have you tried packing the files with Gibbed tools and then updating the asm with asm updater?

 

[3rdStreetSaint 212]

Have you tried packing the files with Gibbed tools and then updating the asm with asm updater?

No, I don't know how to do that. I'm literally going into this blind. With only my limited ability to barely understand the tutorials provided.

Also I used ThomasJepp version

 

[Admixon]

Try using Gibbed tools instead, they're recommended for TT

 

[3rdStreetSaint 212]

What is "@streams.xml" and do I need to worry about it?

Works fine for the normal str2, but doesn't work for the high.str2

It seems the "@streams.xml" file is necessary for Gibbed to work, but the problem is, when unpacking the high.str2 file, it didn't come with a "@streams.xml" file inside.

Also is the file fine with "PACKED" in the title, or do I need to remove it?

 

[Admixon]

Also is the file fine with "PACKED" in the title, or do I need to remove it?

Yea remove the "_PACKED"

It seems the "@streams.xml" file is necessary for Gibbed to work, but the problem is, when unpacking the high.str2 file, it didn't come with a "@streams.xml" file inside.

No idea how it works exactly, maybe try adding the streams file manually to the "high" folder, edit it, change some entries and then try to pack it again

 

[3rdStreetSaint 212]

Yea remove the "_PACKED"

No idea how it works exactly, maybe try adding the streams file manually to the "high" folder, edit it, change some entries and then try to pack it again

It doesn't matter, I fixed the problem by unpacking a fresh copy of Ella's high.str2, it came with the xml this time, I repacked them both with Lin's files, put them in the SRTT Root, updated the asm, loaded the game... But this time, not only was Ella/Lin still invisible, but she broke the entire customization menu when I tried to select her. Then after exiting the menu back to the crib, I tried to reopen the crib menu, just for the game to crash entirely.

I wish I could say that the problem is caused by Lin's model specifically, but I've tried the same thing with Fun Shaundi. No matter what model I use, it always turns the NPC it's replacing invisible, then distorts the entire game in some capacity. Surely I'm not the only one who's experienced this specific problem, there has to be a known solution somewhere.



This is a brief summary of everything that's went wrong so far... (Which can now include the Gibbed Tools version of the process too)

 

[Admixon]

May I suggest something? Find a mod that replaces a character from SR4, see how it's done and what files it replaces and do the same with your mod.

It won't work like that, you would also need to edit some ASM files, add new entries but still it may crash anyway because TT is very limited

 

[3rdStreetSaint 212]

May I suggest something? Find a mod that replaces a character from SR4, see how it's done and what files it replaces and do the same with your mod.

I did, I checked the Lin v2 mod. All I needed to put in the SRTT Root was the 4 str2 files (2 for Shaundi, 2 for Bobblehead Shaundi) and the asm file, and that worked. So I tried to do the same using fresh files, to replace Ella with Lin, and she was still invisible and caused visual glitches to everything after starting a mission.

Say I was to abandon my current mod, and just settle for having Lin and Donnie as Homies in SRTT, how would I go about doing that without replacing existing Homies? Because there is a Johnny Gat Homie mod that doesn't replace an existing Homie.

Preferably, I'd want Donnie in his Cut Mechanic outfit, not his Matrix Neo outfit.

And if there's only room for one new Homie slot in the phone, would it be possible to have Lin and Donnie share a slot and arrive in a Quasar?