Real-Time Game Tweaker

[I like Serena]

I understood that the program would allow the tweaking of not only the savegame, but also the game's resource files, and the memory of a game in progress.

The primary purpose is just to tweak into the memory of the game. This includes the content of the game's resource files, which are loaded into memory. This means it will not become an LBX editor. However, I do intend to make it a savegame editor as well but this is just an unnecessary spinoff, since there are already lots of savegame editors.

I Like Serena: This sounds like a very interesting project, especially with regard to things that could be done with it in the long term. Do you plan to use it "only" as a tool for testing, or have you also considered to use it as a shell from which special modded MoM versions can be played (and which provides more freedom in changing things in MoM)?

My primary purpose is to use it as a kind of shell to play special modded MoM versions. From it you will be able to tweak the numbers directly and see the results while playing. That should make mod-developing easier, wouldn't it?
Furthermore I want to be able to save the entire game state, and not just the savegame. Effectively this means that the new type of save-file will BE a mod.

Also, a ton of thanks for the datamining. I already encountered a couple of values that were apparently wrong in the sources I used for Plight, so the next version will have some corrections.

Thanks and glad to be of help.
You should also thank Kyrub, since a number of additions are a direct result of his work!
You do not happen to have any information that's not in there yet, do you?

[I like Serena]

So I Like Serena, how's your project faring anyway? I take it you were working on a real-time hero editor, right? Any binaries to share for testing yet?

Of course I have a binary.
It shows the Wizard data, the Lair data, the City data, the Units with all unit data (including hero features), the Item data, and the Battle unit data (only when in a battle).
All fields are directly editable, and have an immediate effect on the game.
I added a button to Repop all lairs and another button to apply a build queue to all your cities.

However, I do not feel quite ready to post it, since a number of things do not work properly yet.
But perhaps, if people still think it's just another savegame editor, it might be useful as a kind of sneak preview so people can get an idea of what to expect....

Based on your search code, I've an idea to reverse it so that it could be turned into code, which allows us to find a pointer to any known array (assuming all arrays have pointers in DS). I need such a function to determine the pointers for Arcanus/Myrror ½MP datas for instance. Working on the function code now. If you want it, let me know.

Note that in the last sheet of the workbook there is already a primitive overview that shows where a number of the pointers are, such as the pointer for the Arcanus/Myrror ½MP data.
I haven't gotten around to it to clean that up yet.

[b0rsuk]

Incorrect since this is project for REALTIME game hacking program or tweaker. Meaning if you do something in this program, you can see results instantly in-game (game is running while tweaking the content in it)! 1st EDIT: Thanks Psyringe said it all

You can't call it incorrect, because in the very post of Psyringe you use as backup is a good example of a person confused by the name. Psyringe understood the purpose of the tool incorrectly. No badgers would be harmed if the name would be changed to Interactive Savegame Tweaker :-). "Interactive" is a word so vague and poorly defined it can't be expected to mean much. It could refer to program's interface. An interface where you press buttons or select options in a hierarchical menu can be called interactive. Meanwhile a commandline program which can be called with arguments and used in a script would be non-interactive.

Anyway, it's not my problem, because the name is a big euphemism for "cheating" and there are few legitimate uses :-)

[Psyringe]

You do not happen to have any information that's not in there yet, do you?

No, unfortunately not. While I probably mutated into the world's leading specialist on HELP.LBX in the past few weeks (still looking for a university that offers a respective chair ), my knowledge of other file and memory data is scarce at best. But if I find something out, I'll make sure to post it here.

Anyyway, it's not my problem, because the name is a big euphemism for "cheating" and there are few legitimate uses :-)

I can see many exciting legitimate uses ... but I probably shouldn't get ahead of myself here, I wouldn't want to overburden the project with glorious visions. Let's just say that if the project evolves in the direction that I Like Serena pointed out, I'm fairly certain you'll be pleasantly surprised. You may even end up using it.

[Jtm]

You can't call it incorrect, because in the very post of Psyringe you use as backup is a good example of a person confused by the name. Psyringe understood the purpose of the tool incorrectly. No badgers would be harmed if the name would be changed to Interactive Savegame Tweaker :-). "Interactive" is a word so vague and poorly defined it can't be expected to mean much. It could refer to program's interface. An interface where you press buttons or select options in a hierarchical menu can be called interactive. Meanwhile a commandline program which can be called with arguments and used in a script would be non-interactive.

You are right I used the quote vaguely, did not read whole message carefully. Point taken. Also, I agree the name is misleading and vague. To be honest, I've wondered the same why call it 'Interactive' but I'm used to it now. I'd have preferred something like Real-time Game Tweaker, which is far more self-explanatory. But ya it is very refreshing people give feedback on this since nobody felt (neither I) it necessary to complain about the name on dragonsword.com. Maybe I Like Serena can give you more insight on the name. Or possibly change the name We'll see about that.

[Jtm]

I can see many exciting legitimate uses ... but I probably shouldn't get ahead of myself here, I wouldn't want to overburden the project with glorious visions. Let's just say that if the project evolves in the direction that I Like Serena pointed out, I'm fairly certain you'll be pleasantly surprised. You may even end up using it.

Please, any wild and glorious ideas are more than welcome! Personally I'd dream of using an external program to improve AI to be more intelligent. I would not count that as cheating (well maybe cheating in AI perspective ) Afterall external program could override everything in-game AI does.

Hopefully I Like Serena releases a preview soon. It should prove useful.

[I like Serena]

You can't call it incorrect, because in the very post of Psyringe you use as backup is a good example of a person confused by the name. Psyringe understood the purpose of the tool incorrectly. No badgers would be harmed if the name would be changed to Interactive Savegame Tweaker :-). "Interactive" is a word so vague and poorly defined it can't be expected to mean much. It could refer to program's interface. An interface where you press buttons or select options in a hierarchical menu can be called interactive. Meanwhile a commandline program which can be called with arguments and used in a script would be non-interactive.

You are right I used the quote vaguely, did not read whole message carefully. Point taken. Also, I agree the name is misleading and vague. To be honest, I've wondered the same why call it 'Interactive' but I'm used to it now. I'd have preferred something like Real-time Game Tweaker, which is far more self-explanatory. But ya it is very refreshing people give feedback on this since nobody felt (neither I) it necessary to complain about the name on dragonsword.com. Maybe I Like Serena can give you more insight on the name. Or possibly change the name We'll see about that.

As I see it the ambiguity is not in the word interactive, but in the the word game.
What I meant is the game in progress as opposed to the save of a game.
So IGT is a program that interacts with the game in progress and tweaks it.
I think the problem is that you all seem to associate the word game with the SAVEn.GAM file, which is not a game at all! It is the save of a game in progress.

And yes, an interactive program, may be interpreted as a program which interacts with the user, but a command-line interface is an interactive program just the same. A non-interactive interface would be a program with no interface at all, that is, a program that runs in the background.

Besides that, I would never call a program that interacts with the user an interactive program - I would call it a program with a user interface (UI) of possible a program with a graphical user interface (GUI) or perhaps a program with a man-machine-interface (MMI). Am I off here? Is my understanding of the English language faulty? Or do I have different associations with these words than I should have?

[I like Serena]

I stand corrected in the use of the word interactive.

[SIZE=3]World English Dictionary [/SIZE]
interactive (ˌɪntərˈæktɪv)
— adj
1. allowing or relating to continuous two-way transfer of information between a user and the central point of a communication system, such as a computer or television
2. (of two or more persons, forces, etc) acting upon or in close relation with each other; interacting

The word interactive is ambiguous here.
Since I can not change the name of the thread myself, I've requested Catwalk to change the name to "Real-Time Game Tweaker".

[I like Serena]

Hopefully I Like Serena releases a preview soon. It should prove useful.

I've created a sneak preview here, called MoMTweaker:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~kaarsen/download/MoMRealTimeGameTweaker-0.1.zip
I could describe all the features, but for now I'll leave that up to you to discover. I will tell you about the new "Catnip mod" feature though.

To proof the concept of interactive modding, I've implemented Catnip's Basic Unit Changes. To activate them start MoM, start the Tweaker, click Connect, wait a couple of seconds (untill the Tree View is updated), and click "Catnip mod".
That's it, now your MoM game is a Catnip mod.

Actually there are a few features of Catnip's Basic Unit Changes I did not implement yet:

1. Large Shield still only gives +2 against ranged attack, because I do not know yet where I should change this.
   
2. The Clerics do not carry the name "Cleric" although they do function as Clerics. Again because I don't know where to change this yet.
   
3. E.g. Elven Lords are unchanged, since their name is not "Cavalry", but e.g. Minotaurs are counted as foot units. But I leave this to you, because the Tweaker gives you the interface to change it!
   
4. I was wondering if Catwalk meant Dwarven Swordsmen to be treated just as any other Swordsmen, because now they are.
   

It should be obvious that feedback is welcome!

[Catwalk]

Wow, I'm impressed! This may well end up saving us a lot of time, thanks a bunch

And no, dwarven swordsmen are still unique. Just haven't posted much about race mods to units yet.