Modifying

This is a guide on how to "mod" Guild Wars textures using a program called TexMod.

By using this program you acknowledge that you cannot hold ANYONE responsible for what happens to your game or account.

TexMod can be downloaded here; you can also use one of the following mirrors: Rapidshare, Filefront (md5 checksum: 2291f3095f14efb847d366e2fbe4be51).

TexMod manual
TexMod is a utility to find, save and modify Direct3D textures in DirectX 9 or greater(!) applications. In order to share and distribute texture modifications, packages can be created, which are both compressed and prevent a further modification. Benefits are that you don't have to modify any files of your application's installation and you don't need any game specific modding tools.
 * TexMod Beta Version

Modes
The application interface offers three modes:
 * 1) Package mode: add package files to a list and load them into the selected application.
 * 2) *Packages on top of the list are loaded first. Change the package order to prioritize a package if it changes the same texture as another one.
 * 3) Logging mode: choose between several options and start the selected application in logging mode. You can browse through all loaded textures of the application and save the selected one in the output folder.
 * 4) *For every saved texture a line will be appended to the texmod.log file in the output folder in the format the Package Builder expects it.
 * 5) Build mode: create a package by selecting a definition file (e.g. an automatically created log file) and entering your name and a comment, which both will be shown when opening the package in the package mode.

Please note: This is an early beta version and does not offer application specific fixes. Don't be surprised if your application crashes or shows other strange behavior and expect a slight performance drop, especially when you use the logging features.

Definition file syntax
The definition file, which contains a checksum and a path to a texture file has to look like this: | If the checksum is in hex format, it has to start with ' ', e.g.. The file path can be absolute or relative to the definition file.

Controls in logging mode
All controls are located on your numpad.

ArenaNet
"As a general rule of thumb, we don't mind if you do things like this to make your own playing experience more fun. Some people really like to mod, and we recognize that this can often be a valuable learning tool. When you're doing it, though, keep in mind that we ask that you don't use our content to mod other games. Please do not attempt to extract anything from your GW.dat with the intent to use it in a mod for another game or project. Also keep in mind that we can't support any changes you make.

''In other words, if you try to make some changes and your game crashes, don't contact support because there really isn't anything they will be able to do for you. Make sure you have your disks handy to reinstall :)''

''In case anyone was concerned about this reply, keep in mind that alterations that people make to their own .dat files will not affect the play experience of others. All of that important data is stored server side, so any changes that would be able to be made are purely cosmetic. For instance, if someone re-textures their sword to look like a gigantic pickle, they will be the only one to see this change. You won't start seeing people wielding pickle swords running around in random arena any time soon :)''

''Also keep in mind that we are always interested to see what stuff you guys come up with. If you do something exceptionally cool that you feel would really benefit the community as a whole, don't be afraid to let us know about it.''"

"To all modders: It's important to note that the parameters concerning the use of third-party programs do still apply. We cannot condone the use of such programs, and we cannot support the accounts of those who may be negatively impacted in using such programs. That's called the If it eats your hard drive and blows up your refrigerator, don't call us policy.

''Honestly, though, as previously stated, it is unlikely that we would actively pursue or action those who use such programs in a positive manner, that is, those whose only interest is creating benign mods of our games. Keep in mind that occasionally people get creative and might bring up the use of a harmless program to attempt to mask other harmful activities. We see that with other situations, such as where they say "But I was only using an alternative OS, why was I blocked?" and we discover they are using major bot programs.''

''If you feel that this creates a "mixed message," then I guess we should discuss that concern. I can understand where the strict "Don't do that" is clearer than "We can't say you can do that, but we won't take action if you do choose to do it." There are some cases where it's not black and white. One example that comes to mind is the use of emulators to play Guild Wars. We develop only for the PC, but others play on other systems and that's totally ok. However, if they develop difficulties, our Support Team is not available to help them resolve those issues. So we don't prohibit the alternative, we simply decline to support it.''

Available mods
Head on over to The Official Wiki's mod list for player-made game modifications.