War on the Sea: How to Custom Sub-Class

Perhaps you’re bored with the same class and you wanted to make your own fictitious class, although still basing it on the existing vanilla game model? Well today I’m showing you on how to add a custom sub-class. I’m making this after releasing the “Slightly Accurate Add-on” mod.
This time I will be experimenting with some models, especially the C3 – a possible way to make some seaplane tender.

• shipname.png
• shipname_s.png
• shipname_data.txt
• shipname_model.txt

Highlighted files

The first thing you’ll need to do is to make the override folder. In that folder, the following sub-folders must be there.
In that folder, make sure to add

• language/english/unit/sea
• unit/sea

Since I’m using Baron’s TTE Mod, there’s many more in the override folder. But you really need the two circled/mentioned above

The next thing you need to do.
Go to the default folder, find the default/unit/sea, and pick the basis of your custom class, in this case, I will be using the C3 Cargo.

Press Ctrl + C (Copy) on the highlighted files. You don’t need the others or that will make the model disappear

Now once you copied these files, go to the override folder, and then to the unit/sea/ folder, and then create a new folder with the name of your custom sub-class, I’m using the name “Tangier” for this one

Inside the folder, you will see the files are still in the original names. Now make sure you rename the file names to the respective class names (if des moines, then des_moines_data.txt ; des_moines.png, etc.)

We’ve reached the most important part in this guide. Now you want to make sure everything is in order and according to the data of your custom sub-class. Now you open the data.txt of the ship and it will show you many things regarding the current vanilla data.
In this case, since I’m basing the ship from USS Tangier (AV-8), this is how it looks after the tweaking.
I reduced the cargo capacity and added “aircraftOnBoard”,”aircraftTotal”, and “cargo” to add more immersion that her purpose is mainly for seaplane tender. Now save the file, and going in to the next one.

Moving on to the second part, now open the model.txt, and you’ll see many things that even myself don’t quite understand. Now what you need to do is add “equivalentModelPath”:”unit/sea/ship_name/”, according to the base model you are using.

If you’re planning on duplicating some destroyers that shares the same models, just don’t forget to use the base model for the equivalentModelPath
i.e
Kuma -> Nagara
Benson -> Gleaves
Kagero & Asashio -> Yugumo
Wakatake -> Momi

What’s the point of adding a custom sub-class without having them playable in the campaign itself (yes yes I am fully aware of custom battle but you get my point). Now if you want your custom sub-class to be available in the campaign, just go to the override campaign folder, and pick either or both of the campaign, in my case, campaign001. Open the seaUnits.txt, and add the line of your custom sub-class in the document.

Now if done correctly, the ship will show up in the campaign, and now you are ready to see your custom sub-class for action!

Now you probably want to equip your custom sub-class with a different gun. Well, that’s possible, although it won’t change the appearance of the gun itself since they are part of the asset bundle of the model.

I will grab one of my modified destroyer for this.

I know, I know, it’s a Mahan, but I’ve told you that I’m currently playing around with destroyers to represent Australian ones. Now how to do it?
You open the mountData at the unit/sea/ folder, copy one of the closest guns that fits your ship’s armament, in my case, the destroyer, and paste it as a new line, and change it to a reasonable gun, for example, this 4.7-inch QF gun.

Once you are done, make a copy of weapons.txt from the default folder in the language/english/dictionary/, open it, and add a line for your new gun. Make sure it is the same as the name in the mountData.txt file.

Now open the model.txt of your custom class, and you’ll find this

if you want to change the main gun and the secondaries, make sure you change the ones with the “MainGuns” and “SecondaryP” or “SecondaryS”.

If done correctly, then it will show up in the description section in the game. I repeat it will not change the model of the gun