Known exe hacks, To be made modifyable in rules.ini Options

[Bittah Commander]

A first release of HyperPatch likely isn't far away... If modders who need to do certain hacks in Game.exe with a hex editor to get certain things to work for their mod decide to use it, they'll inevitably have to do those hacks again when they start using HyperPatch.
If they have to do these hacks again and again every time a new version of HyperPatch is released, it'll likely put people off (and some hacks possibly can't even be done again because the offset to do them at has changed and there's no ASCII text to search for), so I'm making a list of known hacks which should be made modifyable in rules.ini in so mods that use HP will remain compatible with every new version of HP that'll be released. If anyone knows of any known hacks (this means there's either mods that already use them or you or someone else knows how to do the hack) I didn't add to this list, please post them.

• 32 facings
• Max tech levels
• DropPod infantry
• AllowHiResModes enabled by default
• SidebarCameoText default value (possibly make its default value modifiable in rules.ini)
• UnitActionLines default (this is not really important, but I'd suggest you either disable this by default or make its default value modifiable in rules.ini)
• IsScoreShuffle (enabled by default)
• Filenames (rules.ini, art.ini, tibsun.mix, expand01.mix, etc.; low priority since they can always be easily found and replaced via ASCII search)
• Theater names (low priority since they can always be easily found and replaced via ASCII search)
• Theater template extensions (.sno/.tem; low priority since they can always be easily found and replaced via ASCII search)

[Revolutionary]

..which can be done by editing the Language.dll file, in case you were wondering

See this: http://www.tiberiumweb.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=52

whoops sorry should have said that, (ive done it before and i get my one time to shine and blow it )


RE: the Know hex edit
There are some i know how to do how ever there are some i dont and i was wondering if any of these could be made public. since the Hyper patch will possibly/hopefully cover most of these hacks thay will not be needed however it would be a waste to see them simply dissapear. I am working on building up a collection of tutorials on editing the TS exe and anything else CnC and hex related. (reasons, to provide a aid for users who wish to edit the exe, back up so these are not lost, and to create a edited exe using the tutorials and at least 1+ tutorial to impress people, like computing teachers )

if need be i am willing to create tutorials for the hack as long as someone is willing to write down/send me the basics and/or guide me.

•32 facings (was implanted in DTA, i dont know how to do this)
•Max tech levels (was implanted in DTA, i dont know how to do this)
•AllowHiResModes enabled by default (i donk know how to do this)
•SidebarCameoText default value (not realy sure what is ment by this but i dont know either way)
•UnitActionLines default (removing target line, was in DTA?, dont know)
•IsScoreShuffle enabled by default (another default one again dont know how to do however, if some one gives me help i may be able to work it out)
•Filenames (know how to do)
•Theater names (think i know)
•Theater template extensions(know how to do assuming it changing .tem to .urb via ascii search)
•DropPod infantry(know how to do)

[Lin Kuei Ominae]

•32 facings (was implanted in DTA, i dont know how to do this)
•Max tech levels (was implanted in DTA, i dont know how to do this)

both was done afaik by Hyper and i doubt it is only a single byte that you have to change with a hex editor. It was most probably some more code necessary, thus i doubt Hyper will make a tutorial about this. However it is part of Hyperpatch, so don't worry about that.

•AllowHiResModes enabled by default (i donk know how to do this)

open sun.ini and add AllowHiResModes=yes to the [Video] section

•SidebarCameoText default value (not realy sure what is ment by this but i dont know either way)

open sun.ini and set SidebarCameoText=no in [Options].
with "no" you don't see the unit/building name on the cameo. with "yes" you see it.

•UnitActionLines default (removing target line, was in DTA?, dont know)

Open sun.ini and set UnitActionLines=no under [Options]

•IsScoreShuffle enabled by default (another default one again dont know how to do however, if some one gives me help i may be able to work it out)

again sun.ini

•Filenames (know how to do)
•Theater names (think i know)
•Theater template extensions(know how to do assuming it changing .tem to .urb via ascii search)
•DropPod infantry(know how to do)

search for the original names in the exe and then use a hex editor to change them. Just make sure that the names don't become longer. Shorter names is ok, but fill the rest with hex 00. The filesize as well as all offsets in the exe must stay the same!

For DropPod infantry simply search for "ChemLauncher" and after that you find the 2 names "E2" and "E1" at hex offset 30fef4 and 30fef8.
If you would search for the strings "E1" or "E2" you wouldn't find them that fast as these strings appear several times in the exe.

This post has been edited by Lin Kuei Ominae: Jan 1 2010, 02:32 PM