Hex Editing

This specifically can't be done, but the effects of the picks you select can be changed. Those exist somewhere in $gcdir$data/English.str, and will only take effect once another game is started. If you add new pick selections instead of changing old ones, it is possible to set it up so that legit games can still be started without reediting the file (simply by not selecting one of the ubërpicks).

~SDC~

Thanks Arturus Magi. Can anyone help me with the money editing? Please let me know

Edit the Player.civ0 file. You will find the money in there, near the beginning of the file.

~SDC~

Wouldn't you be able to hack the .exe to give you more than 10 points? It's not my area of expertise sadly, so someone else will have to look into it.

What specifically am i looking for in the player.civ0 file?? I'm new to this and don't know what to changed or o change it to

Both of your request can easily be done. In fact, there was a trainer that someone wrote when the game first came out that will give you unlimited points at game creation and add money any time you need it. I've never used it and I don't know if it still works with current versions, but you could try it. Try doing a search on "galactic trainer imsdox".

oh, and somebody also made a save game editor around the same time. I don't think it lets you edit much though, just money and a few other things.

It was already out of date within a week of the game's release. No trainers for any later version exists.

~SDC~

None of the trainers work with the current version. There was a bug with the original version that gave you pretty much unlimited money. But its been fixed in the newer versions. The abilities isn't so much a factor for me if it can't be done, but the money is something that I'm interested in doing myself. But just need instructions how to hex edit the correct file.

AngelPhoenix: shouldn't be hard to figure out for yourself. Start a game, play a bit, and note your cash supply. Then pull up the savegame and try searching for a location with that value in hex...if you're careful you can spot where the money value is stored. Of course, savegames might have checksums to fix as well, so it might not be that simple.

There also exist tools to edit values in-memory for any program. I know of a free tool for this called Cheat Engine available here: http://members.brabant.chello.nl/~p.heijen/Cheat%20Engine/

Keep in mind that submitting games where you've used such hacks to the Metaverse would be a bad idea.

-EtherMage


~SDC~

I never had checksums problem when I tried hacking some stuff for planets.

I'll look into the cash tonight.

It was easy, offset 0x44 in Player.civ0. It's an unsigned long (4 byte). It might be larger, I didnt try and it should be enough money for any need you could have .

[Message Edited]

Actually, it's a signed long.

~SDC~

I have no idea what i'm doing sorry if i seem really dumb guys. can you please bassically give me instructions from begining to end....

Yeah you're right, I guess I wasn't really paying attention.

Hex Editing :

1-Download a hex editor, I use Hex Workshop myself.
2-Open Player.civ0 . Your main window should be filled with funny characters and separated into two spaces.
3-In the right hand window, click on it till the label at the bottom right says Offset 00000044.
4-As in a copy paste, select 4 characters from left to right. Now, in the bottom left sub window you should have a place that says : Signed Long [amount of money you had in that saved game]. Just click on that number and change it to something else.

Note : There's a limit to how much you can put into an unsigned it before it flip over, I just cant remember what it was exactly and I dont feel like calculating it

(2^32)-1 in an unsigned long, ((2^32)/2)-1 in a signed. 4,294,967,295 and 2,147,483,647 respectively.
~SDC~
[Message Edited]

Thanx guys you's have been a real help especially dark rain

Sorry I have not replied before now. Real life, you know? Anyway, Dark Rain is correct. The ability points are very hard to change and they (SD) have checks in place now that will recalculate the remaining points, so changing it would be next to impossible (I've tried).
If someone DOES figure it out, please let the rest of us know!

On a side note ... the editor is coming along ... s l o w l y, but it is coming. I'm sure things will pick up after I move (end of this month).

~SDC~

Why are we forced to go trhough this groping in the dark !? Is it so hard for Stardock to give us a game/scenario editor - seems to me it should be mandatory with any strategic game...


G.

Grallon, nothing is mandatory, you just don't buy if you don't want. Of course, that seriously hinders modding and replayability, but Stardock already provides text files for events, ships, etc.
Brad said something along the lines that it was unlikely they'd develop a map editor (I think it was on the apolyton Galciv-general forum).
I believe that is a mistake, because there is a huge difference in terms of appeal between a full-blown mod/scenario and what we call mods here, which are just additions to the game unable to give it a fresh look.