AMM: Custom NPC appearances

How to add appearances to existing NPCs (via AMM)

Adding new appearances to an existing NPC requires you to overwrite that NPC's .ent file (As of November 2023, it is not possible to merge entity files).

For that reason, it's recommended that you stick to AMM: Custom NPCs. This guide will only give you a very rough overview.

The .lua file

In your project's #resources directory, create the following folder structure:

- bin
    - x64
        - plugins
            - cyber_engine_tweaks
                -mods
                    - AppearanceMenuMod
                        - Collabs
                            - Custom Appearances

In that folder, create your_custom_file.lua. (You can get a template project under AMM: Custom NPCs).

The most important thing here is the entity_id - this is what tells AMM about the already existing file that you have modified.

As an example, look at the lua file I made for Takemura's custom appearances way back when:

return {
  -- Your beautiful name :)
  modder = "manavortex",

  -- This must be UNIQUE so be creative!
  -- NO SPACES OR SYMBOLS ALLOWED
  unique_identifier = "mana_Takemura_extra",

  -- You can find this using AMM's Swap tab
  -- and looking at the NPC
  entity_id = "0xF43B2B48, 18",

  -- Here you add a list of appearances you added
  -- It has to be the exact name you added
  -- to the entity file
  appearances = {    
	"goro_takemura_finale_white_shirt",
	"goro_takemura_saburo_bodyguard_shirt",
	
        "goro_takemura_kimono_pants", 
	"goro_takemura_kimono_hakama",
	"goro_takemura_haori_pants",
	"goro_takemura_haori_hakama",
  }
}
	

The rest of the process is pretty much like the other guide.

Knowing what I know today, I probably would have created a custom entity for Takemura-san in the first place, but since I chose to go down this road, I'm doomed to provide compatibility patches for the rest of eternity.

Ah, well. There are worse fates.