Ok using GrepWin I solved my problem: I found the Buildings/Orks/Headquarters.xml file and found the base production for all resources was 6, so I changed all the values to 100, and solved my problem. Would prefer to have simply changed the starting resources values for the city, but the "starting..." attributes in the Factions/Orks file didn't work ( as stated previously).

Buildings/Orks/Headquarters.xml
...
<modifier>
<effects>
<cityRadius add="1"/>
<energy add="100"/><!--all these values were originally 6-->
<food add="100"/>
<loyalty add="100"/>
<influence add="100"/>
<ore add="100"/>
<populationLimit add="100"/>
<research add="100"/>
</effects>
</modifier>

Tested quickly with AdMech, and changing the starting values in the faction file worked.

Oh, OK, thanks for testing. I'll go back and try again: maybe I need to flush out all the files in my TestMod and start from a clean set of xml files.

Well, I removed my mod and created a new mod with the fresh, original game xml files, changed the starting Values for Admech in their Factions.xml, and the starting values were updated to a few thousand each, just like Jey confirmed.

But I tried the same change for the Orks, updating the starting values, and the starting values did _not_ change, just like in my original attempt.

So I tried all the races, and found that the startingValues overrides also don't work for the Chaos Space Marines. But overriding the startingValues works for all the other Factions.

I even changed the order of the properties within the factions attribute, putting all the starting Values first, but that had no effect.

I wonder if there is some bug on start-up that skips over using the modded Faction files, specifically the <faction> attribute, for these two factions, Orks and Chaos?

Anyhow, I have an alternate solution by modifying the Headquarters file. But for the overall campaign system I wanted the option to give the starting faction a lot of resources, so I would have to apply the alternative in the case for someone who wanted to play as Orks or Chaos.

The game would be battle focused and not so much production focused, so maybe the change would not cause an issue, as the players would already start with a large army of units. The players would only need the resource for making reinforcements and perhaps abilities that require influence.

Are you modifying the faction.xml by using an faction.xml.ext or a full replacement faction.xml file?

I have found there are certain things with hard coded behavior that the engine doesn't like when you try to modify them via *.xml.ext. I'm not real familiar with Chaos and Orks, so not sure what might be different about them. If you are using *.xml.ext files you could try full faction.xml for orks and chaos to see if that makes a difference.

Originally posted by Kurziel:

Are you modifying the faction.xml by using an faction.xml.ext or a full replacement faction.xml file?

I have found there are certain things with hard coded behavior that the engine doesn't like when you try to modify them via *.xml.ext. I'm not real familiar with Chaos and Orks, so not sure what might be different about them. If you are using *.xml.ext files you could try full faction.xml for orks and chaos to see if that makes a difference.

Thanks for the info. I'm modifying the copy of the faction.xml file in my mod folder, for Orks and Chaos, and all the other factions.

What does xml.ext mean again? In the mod folders, like for Data\World\Factions, I only see *.xml files and no *.xml.ext files. I'm using the freeware editor Notepad++ to edit the xml files, which should not be adding any unusual or hidden characters to the file.

Originally posted by GrenadeMagnet6:

I wonder if there is some bug on start-up that skips over using the modded Faction files, specifically the <faction> attribute, for these two factions, Orks and Chaos?

Your file is broken in some way, check the logs.

I just checked for both Orks and Chaos and it works as expected.

Ok, thanks: I'll check the logs - very puzzling...

OK - I found the problem - it was the Too Many Voices mod. I was loading the TMV mod first and it was causing issues for the startingResource values.

I changed the load-order of the TMV mod, putting it last, then the startingValue overrides for the Orks and Chaos worked. I had no idea a voices-only mod would affect mods that are not for voices.

I looked in the workshop mod folder for the TMV mod, \Data\World\Factions, and sure enough, the Factions files for both Orks and Chaos were present.

The TMV modder apparently added voice effects for the Orks quests, and also for Chaos quests and voice effects for the different Chaos god Marks that I guess can be selected or obtained in the Chaos quests.

The game developers should probably have put the Faction Quests in their own subfolder, separate from the starting faction starting-off resource values, so to avoid these types of conflicts.

TLDR: cause of issue: conflicting mod

Hard lesson for me, but learned, now. Thanks for the help!