All my question really involves is how to edit the .var files. I want to change the random province and hero names so that I can get some passive learning done. I spend a good solid chunk of a day playing through 1-2 shards so if I have to chew through the AI's guards for a good 2-3 hours, there is no reason that the provinces I invade can't be called Hexakinase or Glucose-6-Phosphate instead of the Iron Hills (or whatever). Heck, I didn't even really pay enough attention to notice whether it was my stronghold being targeted or a random province before I renamed it from homeland to capsid.

I would also love to mess with the AI, make it a little less turtlish and a little more, "I don't need guards on EVERY territory," but that might not be as easy as changing the randomized names.

EDIT: It might be helpful to note that the comp that I play Genesis on does not have an internet connection, so a simple fix like having my comp look for a solution online will not work. I will have to manually hunt down any program, download it to a second computer (or my phone) and transfer it over. Pain in the neck, but that's my current situation.

About var files:

http://www.gog.com/forum/eador_series/moddingindexes/

About names:
province_name.var
Coastal: only near water tile
terrain: from terrain.var
Type: - from province_type.var.

You can edit var files with notepad.

You can't edit AI.

Modding Genesis graphics is very easy with that grabber tool Gremlion posted. I used it to change the portraits of my heroes.

Grem, thanks for your response! When I tried to open up the vars earlier my comp didn't recognize notepad as the go to program so I assumed it might be some off-the-wall software. I should have just went with notepad right off the bat (pun not intended) and changed the default program later if it didn't work.

I'm saddened to hear that there is no (easy) way to change the AI. I could, of course, dig around in the C/C++. but I could also probably beat the campaign 2-3 times in the amount of time it would take me to get the AI to work the way I wanted it to . . . Or write my own game for that matter. Level of effort just isn't worth the pay out.

Jamotide, thank you for your response as well. At this time I am not interested in editing anything graphically. At a future date I might add in some neutral spell casters. I feel they need some . . . And that blank building spot annoys me. . . I must quash the empty building spot!

Do you mean empty slot in down right corner?
This is for alliance buildings. Ally unhuman race, you will get 3 buildings there.

As for content, I suggest to wait for New Horizons mod. They have plenty. Over the top, for my taste.

My couple of cents

Notepad++ is one of the best text editors with a lot of useful functions. Personally i used it to modifry and translate Eador:Genesis. I also use it for programming purposes.

You can get it here, it's a freeware soft
http://notepad-plus-plus.org/