Changing the Loading Screen graphics

[Veniche]

Using the Blizzard's Interface kit, we can change various UI textures by simply replacing them with our one customized ones by mimicing the folder tree and names such as:

Interface/Buttons/UI-Quickslot.blp

Blizzard's Interface kit tells me that the Loading screen textures are located in the following internal folder:

Interface/GLUES/LoadingScreens

So to test if I could change a loading screen, I took the one for Eastern Kingdoms (LOADSCREENEASTERNKINGDOM.BLP) and named it according to the one for Kalimdor (LOADSCREENKALIMDOR.BLP) and placed into the folder that I created like the one above.

However the replacement did not occur as I had hoped, logging into Orgrimmar yielded the regular Kalimdor load screen.

Using one of Blizzard's existing BLP files ensures that all attributes are correct, but I tried making a customized BLP myself, which did not work either.

What am I missing here? Is this an UI modification not allowed by Blizzard?

[Seerah]

I *believe* (could be wrong) that these are handled from within the MPQ files and not within the actual UI realm.

[tinyu]

correct the loading screen graphics are handled within the MPQ files and changing those is like changing any other graphic in the game... not allowed.

[Kreelor]

Originally Posted by tinyu correct the loading screen graphics are handled within the MPQ files and changing those is like changing any other graphic in the game... not allowed.

Why would Blizzard prevent users from editing 'static' images that are outside the game world itself? It wouldn't hurt anyone, nor would it interfere with any aspect of game play!

[Seerah]

You are asking the wrong people, no?

[Sepioth]

Why would one want to change the loading screen graphics is my question.

[Sepioth]

I will say the reason you gave are good reasons to change those screens. But again I still don't see the point because as someone else stated the screens are not up long enough (at least for me anyway) to bother doing something like this.

The problem though with changing these images is it is against the rules. This is not Diablo were talking about, this is an online game people pay monthly to play. If Blizz allowed us to edit these files a lot more than loading screens would be changed. These files are "protected" for a reason.

Now changing these loading screens is most likely possible but I think you may run the risk of getting your account banned if Blizzards Warden detects this change. For me personally that risk alone is not worth the few seconds I see these screens.

[Petrah]

Originally Posted by Sepioth that risk alone is not worth the few seconds I see these screens.

Quoted for emphasis.

[Praesagus]

From my understanding, the login screens are actually made up of textures that are used throughout the game. So modifying the screens would also affect certain textures/zones. So those out there that HAVE modified those screens have used the pre-bc screens so not to mess with too much but as stated, this would potentially be against the rules because you might essentially modify something that unknown to you makes it easier to see enemy players, etc.

Read this info from simply doing a google search for: change wow loading screens

[Sepioth]

The point really is changing a MPQ file by either adding/updating/changing/deleting files in it is just a bad idea.

NOW if there is a way to change that screen by dropping a new graphic into the DATA folder now that is a different story. No MPQ modification there, but I don't think it would work like it does with audio.

I do know there is a addon here that makes the current login screen black (Black login Screen .. currently broken :P ) and silent and as far as I know no one has been in trouble for using it.

[Voxter]

Another good reason this could be troublesome, is certain gold companies, ad agencies, etc, could put ads in the UI's that millions of people download. Wouldn't that be fun, download a UI that you like, every loading screen is an ad. We might have innocent intentions, whether it be boobies, or pictures of our beautiful wives (she's behind me), but I'm sure there are plenty of nefarious companies that would exploit this to no end.

(I'm a web marketer by trade, so that's the first thing that popped into my mind when I saw this thread lol)