Weapons

Weapons are constructed from:

Crafting Templates /Native/ModuleData/crafting_templates.xml
Crafting Pieces /Native/ModuleData/crafting_pieces.xml
Weapon Descriptions /Native/ModuleData/weapon_descriptions.xml
Crafted Items /SandBoxCore/ModuleData/items/weapons.xml

Crafting Templates

Crafting Template is a 'recipe' how some type of weapon is made, from which parts, what stats it can have, etc

Templates define what tabs your pieces appear in the smithing menu.

Described in /Native/ModuleData/crafting_templates.xml

These are Crafting Templates:

Dagger
Javelin
Mace
One Handed Axe
One Handed Sword
Pike
Throwing Axe
Throwing Knife
Two Handed Axe
Two Handed Mace
Two Handed Polearm
Two Handed Sword

Crafting Pieces

Crafting Pieces are the 'ingredients' (parts) from which weapons by their 'recipes' (Crafting Templates) are made.

Defined in /Native/ModuleData/crafting_pieces.xml

Comments inside the Flags tag are not allowed. XML will not be loaded. Click for example:

<CraftingPiece
    id="lt_javelin_head_type_3_rus"
    name="{=lt_javelin_head_type_3}Javelin Head [Type 3]"
    tier="2"
    piece_type="Blade"
    mesh="spear_blade_38"
    length="23.7"
    weight="0.364"
    excluded_item_usage_features="swing"
    is_hidden="false">
    <BladeData
        stack_amount="5"
        physics_material="wood_weapon"
        body_name="bo_spear_b"
        holster_mesh="throwing_spear_quiver_3_2"
        holster_body_name="bo_throwing_spear_quiver_3_2"
        holster_mesh_length="96.8">
        <Thrust damage_type="Pierce" damage_factor="2.4" />
    </BladeData>
    <Flags>
        <Flag name="BonusAgainstShield" />
        <!-- <Flag name="NotStackable" type="ItemFlags" /> -->
    </Flags>
    <Materials>     <Material id="Iron2" count="1" /> </Materials>
</CraftingPiece>

Hide in the crafting menu:

<CraftingPiece
    ...
    is_hidden="true">

Make it unlocked in the new game:

is_default="true"

Make civilian:

<Flag name="Civilian" type="ItemFlags" />

<Flags Civilian="true" /> in the <Items><CraftedItem> does not work

Javelins

<Flag name="NotStackable" type="ItemFlags" /> when used on the Blade of the javelin - AI will not throw those javelins in battle.

BladeData - holster_mesh

Weapon Descriptions

Defined in /Native/ModuleData/weapon_descriptions.xml

Weapon description is used for defining different usages and features.

Weapon Descriptions determine which ways you can use the weapon (although limited by what's available in the template) such as a two handed sword being able to be used as 1 handed as well. Which style of weapons, which style of block, etc.

Defined parts listed under the crafting templates nodes must also be listed under the weapon_descriptions.xml to be used.

Weapon Descriptions:

OneHandedSword
OneHandedBastardSword
OneHandedBastardSwordAlternative
TwoHandedSword
Dagger
ThrowingKnife
OneHandedAxe
OneHandedBastardAxe
OneHandedBastardAxeAlternative
TwoHandedAxe
ThrowingAxe
OneHandedPolearm
OneHandedPolearm_JavelinAlternative
TwoHandedPolearm
TwoHandedPolearm_Couchable
TwoHandedPolearm_Pike
TwoHandedPolearm_Bracing
TwoHandedPolearm_Thrown
Javelin
Mace
TwoHandedMace

Crafted Items

The actual weapon.

Defines a pre-defined weapon that can appear in shops or the cheat inventory instead of just being craftable.

Defined in /SandBoxCore/ModuleData/items/weapons.xml

Check active weapon

EquipmentIndex wieldedWeaponIndex = affectedAgent.GetWieldedItemIndex(Agent.HandIndex.MainHand);
if (wieldedWeaponIndex != EquipmentIndex.None)
{
    EquipmentElement wieldedWeapon = defender.BattleEquipment[wieldedWeaponIndex];

    SkillObject skill = DefaultSkills.OneHanded;
    if (wieldedWeapon.Item.PrimaryWeapon.IsPolearm)
    {
        skill = DefaultSkills.Polearm;
    } else if (wieldedWeapon.Item.PrimaryWeapon.IsTwoHanded) {
        skill = DefaultSkills.TwoHanded;
    }

    defender.HeroDeveloper.AddSkillXp(skill, 25, true, true);
}

Use on horseback

Q. what exactly decides that a weapon is not usable on horseback?

A. requires_no_mount flag in item_usage_sets.xml

Weapon Class

public enum WeaponClass
{
    Undefined,
    Dagger,
    OneHandedSword,
    TwoHandedSword,
    OneHandedAxe,
    TwoHandedAxe,
    Mace,
    Pick,
    TwoHandedMace,
    OneHandedPolearm,
    TwoHandedPolearm,
    LowGripPolearm,
    Arrow,
    Bolt,
    Cartridge,
    Bow,
    Crossbow,
    Stone,
    Boulder,
    ThrowingAxe,
    ThrowingKnife,
    Javelin,
    Pistol,
    Musket,
    SmallShield,
    LargeShield,
    Banner,
    NumClasses
}

Force agents to use couch lance

Info by Eagle:

The goal is to disable weapon usage for an agent under certain conditions. The key lies in using the requires_mount and requires_no_mount flags in an item_usage_set.

By creating custom variants of the game's item_usage_sets with these flags, you can dynamically assign them to a MissionWeapon. To do this, you can use reflection like so:

private static readonly MethodInfo? ItemUsageSetter = typeof(WeaponComponentData).GetMethod(
    "set_ItemUsage",
    BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.DeclaredOnly
);

Then, apply it like this:

MissionWeapon missionWeapon = agent.Equipment[EquipmentIndex.WeaponItemBeginSlot];
ItemUsageSetter.Invoke(weapon.CurrentUsageItem, new object[] { "item_usage_set_id" });

If a mounted agent has a one-handed weapon and a lance, you can "disable" the one-handed weapon by creating a custom variant of the onehanded_block_shield_swing_thrust usage set and adding the requires_no_mount flag. Assigning this usage set to the one-handed weapon's MissionWeapon will make it unusable while mounted.

Similarly, you can create a lance usage set that only allows passive couching by removing other attacks. Assigning this to the lance forces the AI to couch lance as there is no other kind of attack.

To apply the changes, you can use:

agent.EquipWeaponWithNewEntity(EquipmentIndex.WeaponItemBeginSlot, ref missionWeapon);

Moreover, you can disable weapons for agents on foot by applying the requires_mount flag in the usage set variant.

However, this method requires you to manage AI weapon logic during battles. It’s experimental and might not work perfectly in all scenarios. But I used this approach successfully to force AI to couch lances for a jousting tournament.

Weapon LODs

Info here

Construct weapons

Open all crafting pieces in console (Alt + `) with campaign.unlock_all_crafting_pieces
Go to the smithy
Craft the weapon you like
CTRL+c - copy the code to the Clipboard

Looks like this:

<CraftedItem id="1323A59FC8F8FE171E19E3A88E5EA864"
                         name="Crafted One Handed Sword"
                         crafting_template="OneHandedSword">
<Pieces>
    <Piece id="aserai_blade_18" Type="Blade"/>
    <Piece id="aserai_guard_1" Type="Guard"/>
    <Piece id="sickle_grip_1" Type="Handle"/>
    <Piece id="aserai_pommel_2" Type="Pommel"/>
</Pieces>
<!-- Length: 75 Weight: 0.72 -->
</CraftedItem>

Change id and name, add culture, is_merchandise tags (and others if necessary)
Use the weapon code in XML file (include in your mod within type file)

Example

/MOD_FOLDER/SubModule.xml

<XmlNode>
    <XmlName id="Items" path="items"/>
    <IncludedGameTypes>
        <GameType value = "Campaign"/>
        <GameType value = "CampaignStoryMode"/>
        <GameType value = "CustomGame"/>
        <GameType value = "EditorGame"/>
    </IncludedGameTypes>
</XmlNode>

/MOD_FOLDER/ModuleData/items/my_custom_daggers.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Items>
    <CraftedItem id="lt_baltic_war_knife" name="{=}Baltic War Knife" crafting_template="Dagger" culture="Culture.baltic" is_merchandise="true">
        <Pieces>
            <Piece id="dagger_blade_1" Type="Blade" scale_factor="107"/>
            <Piece id="sturgian_dagger_guard_6" Type="Guard" scale_factor="80"/>
            <Piece id="sturgian_grip_12" Type="Handle" scale_factor="106"/>
            <Piece id="cleaver_pommel_4" Type="Pommel" scale_factor="90"/>
        </Pieces>
        <!-- Length: 50 Weight: 0.54 -->
    </CraftedItem>
</Items>

You can use CTRL+v to paste XML code back to the Smithy and see the weapon from the code