Modding: Changing String Files

NOTE: This tutorial assumes you have unpacked your game files using QuickBMS and have deleted/backed up your .DAT file.

Requirements: A spreadsheet viewer. A hex editor is also required if you're intending to change the pre-rendered names of unlocks in the archives. I recommend OpenOffice Calc for the spreadsheet viewer (Excel runs into problems with the .csv format Heroes uses, and notepad++ isn't very ergonomic), and HxD for the hex editor.

In this tutorial I will be rectifying the name error for one of the Bohrok, Tahnok, as in the vanilla game they are referred to by their Bohrok-Kal variants.

Files needed to be modified: strings_frontend.csv, unlock.cfg, bionicle.exe, bionicle.cfgc

Step 1: Go into strings_frontend.csv, and scroll to Bohrok_red_desc

Step 2: Due to the way languages are setup for Bionicle Heroes, for English speakers, you'll need to edit both the English entries. Change your string, making sure not to mess with the surrounding formatting of each line (the asterisks and such).

Step 3: Now, we need to modify all references to Kal throughout the game's files. You can either use HxD to change all references throughout all files in the game, or you manually find the Tahnok-Kal entries in unlock.cfg and bionicle.cfgc, which can be modified using any text editor.

Step 3a: In the archives, there's text that appears that shows the specified creature's name. This text is actually hard-coded. To be modified, you must open up the .exe in a hex editor. ONLY ATTEMPT THIS STEP ONCE YOU'VE BACKED UP THE .EXE! Any incorrect changes can permanently destroy the .exe, or make it very hard to repair.

Step 4: Open up the .exe in HxD and press control+F to find the reference to Tahnok-Kal. DO NOT remove the -Kal text through the text editor on the right. Instead, on the left, modify the offset values for those characters to be 00. This means there's still a piece of data there, just an empty one.

Provided you've done the above correctly, your new string entries will feature in the archives for your chosen creature! You can modify other string entries in strings_frontend.csv to change more. Be aware that several .csv files in the game actually have no effect on the game itself; most of the changes can be wrought in the frontend.csv.