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How to Add Leader Heads in Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword

"Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword" is an installment and expansion to the highly popular Sid Meier Civilization franchise. First introduced in 1991, "Civilization" is a turn-based strategy game where your goal is space colonization and/or world domination. The "Beyond the Sword" expansion pack adds, among many other features, 10 new civilizations and 16 new leader options. If you desire more leader choices you can add customized leaders into the game.

Things You'll Need

.xml file editor such as Microsoft Notebook or Notepad++

Instructions

- 1
  Find custom leader files on fan sites such as CivFanatics.com (see Resources) and download the compressed files to a known folder.
- 2
  Unpack the compressed files into the folder where they are saved. The unpacked files will consist of a Button_leadername.dds file, a leadername.nif file, and a leadername.kfm file. If these three files are not included, the custom leader will not work in the game. There may also be a leadername_BG.kfm file, this is the background picture and is not necessary for the custom leader to work. Some compressed files will come with the .xml files you need as well.
- 3
  Find the "Fraxis Games\Sid Meier's civilization 4\Beyond the sword\Mods" folder in Windows Explorer and open it. It is usually found in C:\Program Files. Create a new folder titled, "My Mod" in this folder.
- 4
  Copy a MyMod.ini file included with a custom leader file. You can create this file, but it requires a fair amount of code. You can find it on fan site forums where you can copy and past the code into your file. You will have to edit a line of the code near the bottom. The line reads, "Name =" and then a name or the words, "My Mod." You will need to change the name or "My Mod" to the name of the chosen custom leader.
- 5
  Create a new folder in the "My Mods" folder titled "Assets," and inside that folder, one titled "Modules," and inside the "Modules" folder one titled "Custom Leaderheads," and a final one inside that one titled the name of the custom leader head you are installing.
- 6
  Copy all of the files from the original download into the last folder you created with the leader head's name.
- 7
  Create the following files in the .xml editing software and save them in the "leaderhead" folder. The files themselves are blank except the first one. Copy and paste the following code into the Leader_Civ4ArtDefines_Leader.xml folder:
  
  Leader_CIV4ArtDefines_Leader.xml
  
  Leader_CIV4ArtDefinesSchema.xml
  
  Leader_CIV4CivilizationInfos.xml
  
  Leader_CIV4CivilizationsSchema.xml
  
  Leader_CIV4GameText.xml
  
  Leader_CIV4LeaderHeadInfos.xml
  
  The first file, "Leader_CIV4ArtDefines_Leader.xml" requires special code in the file. It is easiest to find a custom leader file on the fan site that includes this file with its necessary code.
- 8
  Close out of all of the folders and software and start-up "Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword."

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