Savegame editing

Hi. Sorry I haven't used this forum before, but well... first discovered it now on google.

 

 

 

I play a lot of rebellion and am currently trying to make a "empire strikes back" scenario in one of my savegames. However, I have really no idea of how to edit a savegame. can anyone tell me how? Thanks in advance.

 

I have read about it and already have a hex editor and resource hacker, so I guess I just have to learn how to use it now.

 

for example: how can I add some ships or shipyards to a system (in this case, hoth and Endor ) ?

Any help would be much appreciated.

... I have really no idea of how to edit a savegame. can anyone tell me how? Thanks in advance.

 

I have read about it and already have a hex editor and resource hacker, so I guess I just have to learn how to use it now.

 

for example: how can I add some ships or shipyards to a system (in this case, hoth and Endor ) ?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Unfortunately, there is not a "savegame editor". Before one can be programmed, the format of the savegame file needs to be deciphered. As far as I know, no one's done this, or been actively doing this. I've been tinkering with this off/on for the last year or two, and have made some progress. What you're suggesting might be possible (theoretically), it's just beyond complexingly complicated to the nth degree.

To a limited extent, you could do it by making a total conversion... meaning, edit the starting planets (change Yavin to Hoth, and Corescant to Endor), and alter the basic ship classes to be what you want each side to start out with (for instance, each new game the Rebellion will start with Corellian Corvettes; you can either leave that alone or replace the ship with another one. If you replace it, the computer will randomly generate the new ship in the same numbers as it would have generated corvettes upon game creation). You can do the same with troops (maybe replacing Imperial fleet units with a snow troopers card?).

 

It could be done this way, but it would take work, and would not give you a very fine degree of control. Even if you did it, the computer would still be generating the new game like it always does, so exact fleet sizes and compositions would be impossible.

Here's an idea for anyone looking to make a savegame editor. First use RebEd to set the the energy of Coruscant to something unique, like 27 or even 99. Chances are this unique value won't exist anywhere in the savegame early in the game. Search for this value. Then restore using rebed. Start a new game and look at the same location. Does it correspond to the new Coruscant energy slots? Now repeat with raw materials. Together with thise data fields nailed down. you'll get an idea of 'where' in the file Coruscant is placed. Now repeat with the rebel HQ. And you'll have a locus for the HQ. Now you can use the save game and locate a unique 'config' of 'both raw materials and system energy' for any other planet. For example by researching the new map you'll find say Carida with ten raw material and twelve sys energy. If you've already found out how far apart these values tend to be, when you finally hunt for them using the hex editor you'll know you've found the locus for Carida. I know its a lot of work, but its just an idea!

You could do the same thing using fleet sizes. It might be harder to do, but still possible... theoretically.

Here's an idea for anyone looking to make a savegame editor. First use RebEd to set the the energy of Coruscant to something unique, like 27 or even 99. Chances are this unique value won't exist anywhere in the savegame early in the game. Search for this value. Then restore using rebed. Start a new game and look at the same location. Does it correspond to the new Coruscant energy slots? Now repeat with raw materials. Together with thise data fields nailed down. you'll get an idea of 'where' in the file Coruscant is placed. Now repeat with the rebel HQ. And you'll have a locus for the HQ. Now you can use the save game and locate a unique 'config' of 'both raw materials and system energy' for any other planet. For example by researching the new map you'll find say Carida with ten raw material and twelve sys energy. If you've already found out how far apart these values tend to be, when you finally hunt for them using the hex editor you'll know you've found the locus for Carida. I know its a lot of work, but its just an idea!

Danish, I've noticed you've been digging through some of the "older posts" (even commenting on topics dusty for 4 years ); have you checked out Savegame Hex Editing Format yet? It already has some of the answers you're looking for, particularly here and here. I've already determined some of the important game info for each system: it's affliation (Rebel, Imperial or Neutral), is there a population or not, is there a military occupation, what is the percent of system support, what's the garrison requirements, how many surplus garrison troops there are, the system detection rating, the number of energy slots and how many used, the number of raw material slots and how many used, the flags for if a system has been explored or not, plus there are several I have yet to figure out. I've been working on doing what you're suggesting for quite some time; off and on (mostly "off"). I just haven't tested most of it just yet

 

 

You could do the same thing using fleet sizes. It might be harder to do, but still possible... theoretically.

It's more complicated than you think. I believe the savegame format keeps a listing of all "items" constructed and/or manufactured at the beginning of the game; every item has a unique identification number. Once the format is determined for the item saved, you could copy it to get more, but you need to know where the unique identification number is located and modify it. The ID number must be incremented, but I don't know if or where this ID number is stored. Who knows what will happen if two items have the same ID number (probably a game crash)? And then you have to "locate" your new item on a system somewhere. The item list does NOT contain this data, only data on the item itself (I think). I haven't yet studied or worked on this "item list" in any detail, but I have worked quite extensively on "what" is located at each system, like this. This example only has 1 mine and 1 refinery, but you get the idea if it has several, plus troops, facilities, fighters, spec forces, characters, capital ships; it can get quite busy. It is an extremely tedious task, slow going and down right depressing to think about. My spreadsheet of a large galaxy saved game is 500 megs, but did not get the entire save game file loaded (I maxed out the MS Excel spreadsheet). Changes, calculations, anything changed takes several minutes to compute through (I always turn off "automatic calculations"). I'm sure most of the problems come from my spreadsheet formulas and coding, but I just haven't spent any time trying to refine any of it. Which is problably why I don't work on it much. Someday I might get back to it, or even experiment some more. Maybe I play around with it abit now ...

I've been interested in this for awhile now too... If I get time, I'd love to experiment and get some things figured out. Can you imagine how awesome it would be to give the computer a fleet? I've done as much as I can to max out the AI's ability to build large fleets, but they still pick the weirdest ship combinations... editing the AI value of ships is a very risky and complicated way to get the "right" combination. But if I could just GIVE them a decent combination of capital ships/fighters/frigates/etc... Imagine the possibilities!

 

Put up the info you've accumulated so far. Not the spreadsheet, obviously, but what you know about where unique items are stored, if there is a way to tell from the number what the item is (every corellian corvette has a certain digit, or something), and basically everything else you know. I'll help in the search!

... Can you imagine how awesome it would be to give the computer a fleet? I've done as much as I can to max out the AI's ability to build large fleets, but they still pick the weirdest ship combinations... editing the AI value of ships is a very risky and complicated way to get the "right" combination. But if I could just GIVE them a decent combination of capital ships/fighters/frigates/etc... Imagine the possibilities!

Having a "tough" opponent would be awesome, ... but ... (you knew it was coming) ... the AI, is still the same crappy AI. I have also dreamed of engaging in combat against an awesome enemy fleet. But I've come to the realization that the AI will always plot against me. If you were to "plant" a large enemy fleet somewhere (an SSD with a dozen or two ISD's at Endor) there is nothing to prevent the AI from "hacking" that glorious fleet to bits, sending ships all over the galaxy the very next game day; so much for the "awesome" fleet. Of course that's just a possibility, not an actuality; but based on actual gaming experience, there is a high probability it will happen.

 

But I'm willing to risk it, hence the long tedious, complex, boring, mind boogling search through a "saved game" file. I'll look into seeing what I can "flesh out" easily for others to use. I haven't been actively doing this for awhile, so getting back to speed may take abit of time.

Oh silly Tex. If you're going to put together an amazing enemy fleet, you're going to do so when YOUR fleet is arriving at the system the very next day. That will nearly eliminate the AIs ability to scatter it.

 

Besides, that wouldn't be the best way to edit the save game anyway... the point would be to beef up their overall strength towards the beginning of the game, or to give them tactically important ships they won't build on their own (like lancer frigates... I almost never see any of those). Even though they will scatter them, they will have them somewhere.

 

Plus you could give them a Death Star