If you wanting to get into startpos and wish to do but can't leave your favorite portrait mod behind I will show you the way.

I will not be covering these topics here:

RPFM
DAVE
BOB

So I am expecting somewhat of experience with these three items. And I will teaching you about scripting a little bit. Just enough to do what you need to do.

So you want to edit startpos but don't want to infer to with the portraits. This is fairly easy to do, the only heavily lifting is the startpos itself and the how to get the portrait characters into your mod.

If you wish to change CEO, you can not unless the portraits are not changing ceos.

Note: This doesn't include any changes that the mod made with startpos.

This does require a lot of preparation as well.

First step is to list each and every character, the portrait mod has you start out with. This is really long, so if you have a list that already does, it will be very helpful.

Also keep a list of those apart of armies in the beginning and or apart of the first fights.

This is for after.

Now after you have put together a list of changes. You now can began, so open up DAVE.


Creating dummy characters:

So for faction leaders without a portrait, you want to create a dummy character. This is so the character will spawn in with their portrait.

You only need to do this to any faction leaders, as with heirs and such you can just script them in later.

For a dummy character follow this guide:

https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1798650568

Example would be: Wang Kuang in 190 or Gongsun Du.

If they spawn in with a special weapon like TUP with Xiahou Dun, you can just give them it via scripts.


Removing characters:

Navigate to Start_Pos_Characters and you want to remove any characters(Keep any character that is apart of a faction's first fight) that has any portrait. You may get errors, but follow these tables it wishes you to fully remove the character.


Make any start pos changes you want and now you can export changes to binary and build BOB.

If an error has occured double check that is an issue with your side or if it was the characters that had ended up wrong.

So assuming that you have created your startpos and exported it into a RPFM file. And it works, no crashes and all, we shall began with getting the modded characters in.

This is where the fun begins, scripting.

I have a mod called Script Database which is going to be helpful if you have little experience.
Link here: https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2663045670

If you do use it, please make it a requirement and always launch this up with your mod.

So you need to get your characters in.

You need to create this in your RPFM

script/campaign/mod

in the mod folder create a text file, whatever you want to call it then end it in .lua an example

ironic3kmain.lua

Next up is to identify the start date

182 = 3k_dlc04_start_pos
190 = 3k_main_campaign_map
194 = 3k_dlc05_start_pos
200 = 3k_dlc07_start_pos

With this example I will be changing our dummy faction leader Gongsun Du to the actual Gongsun Du. And making Gongsun Kang and making him into the heir

If I place some in there with name_? this is to rename it to whatever you want and then the ? will be a number to it's easier to follow.

and I will be using my script database which will be easier to follow.

That is all you need to edit startpos without conflict to your favorite portrait mod.

If you need any clearing up, please put that in the comments so I can edit and changes things.

If you want more help other this modding process or other mods do join: the modding server

https://discord.gg/VPjDfyZphd