SpellForce Platinum Edition - Modding Documentation
Welcome to the comprehensive modding documentation for SpellForce: The Order of Dawn - Platinum Edition! This wiki provides in-depth guides for creating custom content, from races and spells to complete campaigns.
📚 Table of Contents
🎮 Game Systems
Learn how to create quests, dialogue systems, and interactive storytelling elements.
Topics Covered:
- Quest creation fundamentals
- Dialogue and NPC interactions
- Branching quest paths
- Quest triggers and conditions
- Reward systems
Complete guide to SpellForce’s magic system and creating custom spells.
Topics Covered:
- Spell types and schools (White, Black, Fire, Ice, Earth, Air, Mental, Elemental)
- Spell parameters and effects
- Casting mechanics
- Visual effects and animations
- Balancing spells
Everything you need to know about audio in SpellForce - from sound effects to music to voice acting.
Topics Covered:
- Sound architecture and file organization
- Environmental sounds and ambience
- Combat voice acting
- Spell sound effects
- Music system and dynamic tracks
- Speech/dialogue system (Tag-based)
- 3D positional audio
- Adding custom sounds and voice recordings
🛠️ Content Creation
Step-by-step guide to creating entirely new playable races.
Topics Covered:
- Race data structures
- Unit definitions
- Building trees
- Technology progression
- Balancing new races
Master the campaign creation system for story-driven experiences.
Topics Covered:
- Campaign structure and flow
- Map progression
- Story integration
- Cutscene scripting
- Platform/map connections
- Save system integration
Comprehensive guide combining quests and campaigns into cohesive experiences.
Topics Covered:
- Integrating quests into campaigns
- Story arc development
- Character progression across maps
- World-building techniques
- Narrative design patterns
Create multiplayer maps and FreeGame (skirmish) content.
Topics Covered:
- Multiplayer map design
- FreeGame mode setup
- AI configuration
- Balance considerations
- Map scripting for multiplayer
- Network/sync considerations
📊 Data Reference
CFF Game Data System
SpellForce stores all game data in CFF (Custom File Format) files. This section provides comprehensive documentation for understanding and modding these files.
Central hub for all CFF-related documentation, including setup guides, tutorials, and reference materials.
Complete reference for all 50 GameData categories in SpellForce’s data system.
Topics Covered:
- Item system (armor, weapons, accessories, consumables)
- Spell and effect data structures
- Unit and hero definitions
- Building and object data
- Quest and dialogue systems
- UI and text localization
- Category relationships and foreign keys
- Data structure specifications
Key Categories:
- Items: General info (2003), armor stats (2004), UI data (2012), weapon effects (2014)
- Spells: Spell data (2002), job spells (2025), spell lines (2026)
- Units: Hero stats (2005), worker types (2006), unit definitions (2017)
- Buildings: Building data (2029), upgrades (2027)
- Text: Localized strings (2016), quest text (2031)
Understanding how different categories link together through foreign keys and references.
Topics Covered:
- Foreign key relationships between categories
- Cross-category dependencies
- Data integrity considerations
- Common relationship patterns
Quick lookup guide for common CFF operations and category IDs.
Spell & Item IDs
Complete listing of all spell IDs in the game for reference when creating quests, items, or custom content.
Comprehensive mapping of game IDs across different systems (items, spells, units, etc.).
Learn how to extract and work with game assets from PAK files.
Complete guide for extracting all game assets at once using automated tools.
Topics Covered:
- Setting up extraction tools
- Batch extraction process
- Organizing extracted files
- Troubleshooting common issues
Documentation of UI asset extraction process and findings.
Guide for extracting and working with audio files (sound effects, music, voice).
Overview of successfully extracted assets and their organization.
How extracted assets are organized and categorized for easy access.
Tools and libraries for working with SpellForce’s CFF game data format.
Setup guide for the TirganachReloaded Python library - the primary tool for CFF file manipulation.
Location: TirganachReloaded/
Topics Covered:
- Installation and setup
- Basic usage examples
- API reference
- Creating your first mod
Comprehensive guide to modding CFF files using TirganachReloaded.
Topics Covered:
- Understanding CFF structure
- Reading and writing CFF files
- Modifying game data
- Creating custom content
- Advanced techniques
Summary of CFF extraction capabilities and tools.
Quick-start guide and overview of the CFF modding system.
🚀 Quick Start Guides
For Beginners
- Start with the Quest System Guide to learn basic scripting
- Move to Sound System Guide to add audio to your content
- Try creating a simple custom spell using the Spell System Guide
- Create custom content with Race Creation Guide
- Build story-driven experiences with Campaign System Guide
- Design multiplayer experiences with Multiplayer & FreeGame Guide
For Advanced Modders
- Combine everything in Quest & Campaign Creation Guide
- Create total conversions using all guides together
Each guide includes:
- 📋 Table of Contents - Navigate to specific topics
- 🔧 Technical Specifications - File formats, data structures, parameters
- 💡 Examples - Code snippets and real implementations
- 🎯 Best Practices - Tips from experienced modders
- ⚠️ Common Pitfalls - Avoid frequent mistakes
- 🔗 Cross-References - Links to related guides
Essential
- SpellForce Platinum Edition (Steam AppID: 39540)
- Text Editor (VS Code, Notepad++, Sublime Text)
- Lua 4.0 knowledge (scripting language)
- Python 3.8+ - For TirganachReloaded CFF modding library
Recommended
- TirganachReloaded - Python library for CFF file editing (Setup Guide)
- Dragon UnPACKer - Extract assets from PAK archives (Extraction Guide)
- FilePacker Tool (
tool_filepacker.exe) - Create PAK archives
- SFGameDataEditor - Edit game data (units, spells, items)
- 3D Modeling Software (Blender, 3ds Max) - For custom models
- Audio Editor (Audacity, Adobe Audition) - For custom sounds
- FBX Converter - Convert 3D assets to SpellForce format
📁 Project Structure
Understanding the game’s file organization:
SpellForce/
├── pak/ # PAK archives (compressed game assets)
├── script/ # Lua scripts (game logic, systems)
│ ├── DrwSound.lua # Sound definitions
│ ├── SndTracks.lua # Music tracks
│ └── p###/ # Map-specific scripts
├── sound/ # Audio files
│ ├── *.wav # Sound effects
│ ├── *.mp3 # Music tracks
│ └── speech/ # Voice acting
│ ├── male/
│ ├── female/
│ └── battle/
├── texture/ # Textures and fonts
├── mesh/ # 3D models
├── animation/ # Skeletal animations
└── videos/ # Bink video cutscenes
🎓 Learning Path
Phase 1: Foundations (Week 1-2)
Phase 2: Systems (Week 3-4)
Phase 3: Content (Week 5-6)
- Follow Race Creation Guide to create a basic race
- Design a small campaign using Campaign System Guide
- Learn CFF Modding to modify game data directly
- Extract and customize UI assets using UI Extraction Summary
Phase 4: Integration (Week 7-8)
- Use Quest & Campaign Creation Guide to build a complete experience
- Add custom audio, spells, and races together
- Study Category Relationships for advanced data linking
- Extract and integrate custom audio using Audio Extraction Plan
Phase 5: Polish (Week 9+)
- Test thoroughly
- Balance gameplay using CFF data modifications
- Optimize performance
- Package for distribution
- Document your mod using the structure from CFF Index
Official
Fan Resources
- Modding Forums: Community-driven support
- Asset Libraries: Shared models, sounds, textures
- Script Templates: Pre-built quest and campaign templates
💾 Modding Workflow
1. Planning
- Design your mod concept
- Outline features and content
- Plan asset requirements
2. Development
- Create loose files in game directory for testing
- Use Lua scripts for game logic
- Test frequently in-game
3. Integration
- Organize files into mod structure
- Create
assets.lua manifest
- Test mod loading system
4. Packaging
- Use FilePacker to create
.pak archive
- Write installation instructions
- Create README with credits
5. Distribution
- Share on Steam Workshop (if available)
- Upload to modding sites
- Engage with community feedback
By Topic
By Skill Level
- Beginner:
- Intermediate:
- Advanced:
⚙️ Technical Reference
Lua Scripting
- Version: Lua 4.0
- Syntax: Legacy (pre-Lua 5.0)
- Key Differences:
getn() instead of #, different table functions
- Scripts:
.lua (Lua 4.0 syntax)
- Sound Effects:
.wav (16-bit PCM, 44100 Hz)
- Music:
.mp3 (192-320 kbps)
- Models:
.msb (SpellForce mesh format)
- Animations:
.bob (SpellForce animation)
- Skeletons:
.bor (bone rig)
- Textures:
.dds (DirectDraw Surface)
- Archives:
.pak (custom compression)
Key Systems
- DrwSound.lua: Sound event definitions (~1000 lines)
- SndTracks.lua: Music track registration
- GdsActions.lua: Game action functions
- GdsConditions.lua: Game condition checks
- Object Files: Unit/spell/item definitions
📝 Contributing to Documentation
Found an error or want to add content?
- Fork the repository
- Make your changes
- Submit a pull request
Documentation improvements are always welcome!
🎮 Happy Modding!
Whether you’re creating a single custom spell or a full campaign, these guides will help you bring your vision to life in SpellForce. Start with any guide that interests you, and don’t hesitate to jump between documents as you learn.
Remember: The best way to learn is by doing. Start small, test often, and gradually build up to more complex mods!
Last Updated: October 2025
Game Version: SpellForce Platinum Edition (Steam)
Documentation Version: 1.0