SaveGam2.html

[I like Serena]

This thread is tracking the status of the SaveGam2.html file that contains the format of a save game.

[I like Serena]

Yes. I am still around... you have more info?

Likely. My documentation is all in the form of the source code and comments for the program I mention in this thread, though, are you familiar with C? Would the source be useful, and/or do you have any interest in the program itself? I can try to remember the details I noticed, but I might not recall all of them.

Off a quick skim:
Unit command 08h is purify, and I've seen 10h but I don't know what it does - MIGHT be a bug.
In the same byte as Iron Ore, etc, 0Ah-0Eh put bugged node sparkles on the tile, and 0Fh freezes the game
I think you had Demon Wings and Fire Breath swapped in unit enchantments
One offset was wrong, but I'd have to dig to remember which
Towers' plane/done values seem to be not really used and often have bogus data, those might actually be pad bytes - a tower exists on both planes anyway, but padding to 4 instead of 2 would be... strange, for BC++; for example I've seen 0, 1 and FFh in the plane byte
The 6 byte array at offset 188h in wizard data seems to hold the flag (02h) that indicates if the player has been first-meeting hailed by an AI yet or not

Incidentally, I have one savegame that causes freeze on moving any unit, any idea what might cause that? I've been gradually researching it (it's the one I saw a 10h unit command in, but that by itself doesn't seem to be the cause.) The main odd things I did in that save are Change Terrain on a Wizard Tower and capturing both cities that an AI Engineer was building roads between while it was still building.

[I like Serena]

Likely. My documentation is all in the form of the source code and comments for the program I mention in this thread, though, are you familiar with C? Would the source be useful, and/or do you have any interest in the program itself? I can try to remember the details I noticed, but I might not recall all of them.

Yes, I am familiar with C.

Off a quick skim:
Unit command 08h is purify, and I've seen 10h but I don't know what it does - MIGHT be a bug.

Ah! I already knew a bit more about those. 10h is settle, and I know 4 more commands that I have now added in the file.

In the same byte as Iron Ore, etc, 0Ah-0Eh put bugged node sparkles on the tile, and 0Fh freezes the game

That sounds like something that is not used by the game, and I suspect it might make the game unstable.
Anyway, I've added it to the file.

I think you had Demon Wings and Fire Breath swapped in unit enchantments

Fixed.

One offset was wrong, but I'd have to dig to remember which

Can't fix that.

Towers' plane/done values seem to be not really used and often have bogus data, those might actually be pad bytes - a tower exists on both planes anyway, but padding to 4 instead of 2 would be... strange, for BC++; for example I've seen 0, 1 and FFh in the plane byte

This data is kept in 2 places, so indeed one of them is probably not used.
I suspect you mean the bytes in the large tower structure? And not the bytes in the mini tower structure that preceeds it?

The 6 byte array at offset 188h in wizard data seems to hold the flag (02h) that indicates if the player has been first-meeting hailed by an AI yet or not

What would be the difference with the 6 byte array at offset 128h?

Incidentally, I have one savegame that causes freeze on moving any unit, any idea what might cause that? I've been gradually researching it (it's the one I saw a 10h unit command in, but that by itself doesn't seem to be the cause.) The main odd things I did in that save are Change Terrain on a Wizard Tower and capturing both cities that an AI Engineer was building roads between while it was still building.

Sounds like a general game corruption.
If you are playing the standard 1.31 version, a likely reason is that one of your opponents has cast call lightning or another bugged spell.
Did you try to load your savegame in the Insecticide version of MoM?

[Asfex]

Incidentally, I have one savegame that causes freeze on moving any unit, any idea what might cause that? I've been gradually researching it (it's the one I saw a 10h unit command in, but that by itself doesn't seem to be the cause.) The main odd things I did in that save are Change Terrain on a Wizard Tower and capturing both cities that an AI Engineer was building roads between while it was still building.

Sometimes, more than 9 units on the same suare map may cause this error.

[I like Serena]

Copied the following, since it applies here.

Bit of trivia I just figured out: in the hero save structure, byte 5 sometimes has bit 0x40 set; this bit is not described in Eljay's files. I just figured out what it is: it indicates a female hero.

Fixed in Eljay's files.

[Anthony]

Copied the following, since it applies here.

Bit of trivia I just figured out: in the hero save structure, byte 5 sometimes has bit 0x40 set; this bit is not described in Eljay's files. I just figured out what it is: it indicates a female hero.

Fixed in Eljay's files.

Note that this has no identifiable game effect, much like the cavalry bit in movement.

[I like Serena]

Copied the following, since it applies here.

Bit of trivia I just figured out: in the hero save structure, byte 5 sometimes has bit 0x40 set; this bit is not described in Eljay's files. I just figured out what it is: it indicates a female hero.

Fixed in Eljay's files.

Note that this has no identifiable game effect, much like the cavalry bit in movement.

I'm assuming it determines the picture that is shown when a hero is summoned?

[Anthony]

I'm assuming it determines the picture that is shown when a hero is summoned?

Oh, probably, I'd never even noticed that the picture *had* gender options (I got the list by going 'what do Valana, Serena, Shuri, Theria, Morgana, Shalla, Aerie, Elana, and Alorra have in common'). I know that a unit with both flying and cavalry set will show a boot icon for its movement, which is probably a bug, and it might affect the sound effect of its movement (not sure).

[I like Serena]

I'm assuming it determines the picture that is shown when a hero is summoned?

Oh, probably, I'd never even noticed that the picture *had* gender options (I got the list by going 'what do Valana, Serena, Shuri, Theria, Morgana, Shalla, Aerie, Elana, and Alorra have in common'). I know that a unit with both flying and cavalry set will show a boot icon for its movement, which is probably a bug, and it might affect the sound effect of its movement (not sure).

You never noticed!
I'm always eager to see which hero I'm going to get.
If the hero shows up female, I consider that a strong plus, because the female heroes seem to have better properties than the male heroes.
Just take a look at the heroes you mentioned just now. I'd keep all of them, possibly up to the end game, with the exception of Valana and Theria.
The proportion of male heroes I will keep is way lower.

[Anthony]

Just take a look at the heroes you mentioned just now. I'd keep all of them, possibly up to the end game, with the exception of Valana and Theria.

I probably wouldn't keep Serena unless I don't have Life books; her major contribution to an army are 'can cast Healing once per 2 levels' and 'Acts as a move 2 shaman in overland travel', and Morgana doesn't impress me that much. But yes, only two duds out of 9 heroes is pretty good; among the male heroes I consider Brax, B'Shan, Bahtru, Rakir, Taki, Reywind, Tumu, Marcus (might on an archer is just trolling the player...), Aureus, Spyder, and Sir Harold to be duds (unless they randomly get Armsmaster).