"how to mod" questions

[simone]

Yep, I know how to use a hex editor; thing is, I'd like to do it in a quick way, and potentially apply it to different things.

[Anthony]

Is there any way to alter the magic point cost of spells, or to make them not use magic points at all? I'd like to see caster heroes just at spells x4 and then they can use their magic points for whatever (this is a nerf for higher level caster heroes, though it's an upgrade at level 1. It should also prevent the AI from being idiotic with its spell points). I tried creating a unit with both spells and magic points, and it ignores the spell charges and just uses magic points.

[Anthony]

Another question: where are level-up bonuses hidden?

[letsdance]

Is there any way to alter the magic point cost of spells, or to make them not use magic points at all? I'd like to see caster heroes just at spells x4 and then they can use their magic points for whatever (this is a nerf for higher level caster heroes, though it's an upgrade at level 1. It should also prevent the AI from being idiotic with its spell points). I tried creating a unit with both spells and magic points, and it ignores the spell charges and just uses magic points.

not quite sure what you mean. the magic point cost is the casting cost,which can be easily modded (tweaker or hex editor). changes in casting cost would also apply to you and other wizards though. i don't think you can give a unit/hero "spell charges" other than the already existing ones (healing, doom bolt, fire ball, web)

Another question: where are level-up bonuses hidden?

yes, that would be great to know =)

[Anthony]

not quite sure what you mean. the magic point cost is the casting cost,which can be easily modded (tweaker or hex editor).

Referring to the magic point cost of your basic ranged attack (3). Currently pondering removing ranged attacks totally from caster heroes, tweaking their picks so you don't wind up with (now useless) arcane power, and adjusting their spell list so they can always do something useful (probably also tweaking blast spell balance). Does anyone know where the bits for which powers are legitimate random mage or fighter picks are? I can simply remove random mage picks, but filtering would be better.

[Asfex]

Alas, the 'arcane power' have not a bit represent 'its a mage pick'.its hardcoded in the magic.exe.
Lvl-up bonuses are hardcoded also.

[I like Serena]

Yep. Hardcoded.

The lvl-up is coded like:
if level is greater than 1, then add 1 resistance and add 1 melee.
if level is greater than 2, then ...

One thing that could be changed easily is which ability goes up at which level, but not how many (or at least not more than is currently applicable).

Note that lvl-up's of heroes is entirely separate from lvl-up's of units.

[Anthony]

One thing that could be changed easily is which ability goes up at which level, but not how many (or at least not more than is currently applicable).

So, where is that?

[I like Serena]

So, where is that?

Well, for regular units it begins at:

ovr116:1EBA or WIZARDS.EXE:8fa8a, which is 6 identifying resistance
ovr116:1ECB which is 1 identifying ranged attack (with an extra condition that the unit has a ranged attack)
Edit: the melee attack is also incremented, but that is not editable as a number.

These are the bonuses you get at level 2


The bonuses you get at level 3 follow:
ovr116:1EE6 which is 6 identifying resistance
ovr116:1EED which is 5 identifying defense

And so on...


The codes are:
0=Melee
1=Ranged
5=Defense
6=Resistance
4=To Hit


Hitpoints are handled separately at another place in the code.
ovr116:0C1D or WIZARDS.EXE:8e7ed is 2, meaning that at level 4 a regular unit (and also a hero) gains 1 hit point.
ovr116:0C24 is 4, meaning that at level 6 a regular unit (and also a hero) gains 1 hit point.

Note that the actual levels are 2 points higher than these numbers.



This is of course far from complete.
But I can see all these numbers and places in IDA.

[Anthony]

Well, for regular units it begins at:

ovr116:1EBA or WIZARDS.EXE:8fa8a, which is 6 identifying resistance
ovr116:1ECB which is 1 identifying ranged attack (with an extra condition that the unit has a ranged attack)
ovr116:1EDB which is 0 identifying melee attack (with an extra condition that the unit has a melee attack)

These are the bonuses you get at level 2


The bonuses you get at level 3 follow:
ovr116:1EE6 which is 6 identifying resistance
ovr116:1EED which is 5 identifying defense

And so on...

So if you wanted to level out level-up bonuses, you could alter what bonuses occur at what level, but not the total number of bonuses per level; level 4 gets 3 bonuses (damage, accuracy, resistance), level 2 and 3 each only get 1. What happens if you put something undefined, such as 2 or 3, in there? (I might try; it might buff some other bit, such as special attack strength).