Treaties with Barbarians: Correction to hexedit compendium.

[Catfish]

Originally posted by AGRICOLA
Note: The above is not all new.

No, I just checked my list and it's correct there, too.

I'm certain you'll find even more errors if you look hard enough. I thought most may have been ironed out in the .sav/.scn format thread – but that fizzled out quickly, didn't it?

Speaking of errors, I notice there's one in the Table of Contents:

Transporters (ToT10: 4 + 14 * transporters, ToT11: 172 + 14 * transporters)

should read:

Leaders2 (ToT11: 168)
Transporters (ToT: 4 + 14 * transporters)

[Broken_Erika]

Originally posted by Mercator




Our secret plan to take over the world by hex-editing is taking shape!

[Mercator]

Originally posted by yaroslav
I don't think so. You know, the algorithm is not easy to discover. It took me a very long time to get it; I am very stupid, near retarded, so probably another guy will discover the algorithm a lot quicker, but it's not a trivial task, IMHO.

But there's no need to crack any algorithm when you can just zero it out, is there?

Originally posted by Catfish
(...) but that fizzled out quickly, didn't it?

Yes, lack of time and dedication.

Speaking of errors, I notice there's one in the Table of Contents: (...)

Thank you! I suppose I should add that then, shouldn't I? Maybe this weekend.

[AGRICOLA]

@yaroslav

Red = Posted by yaroslav
Black = AGRICOLA

I don't think so. You know, the algorithm is not easy to discover. It took me a very long time to get it;.
Absolutely, it is an amazing piece of detective work on the most complex part of a .sav file.

I am very stupid, near retarded, so probably another guy will discover the algorithm a lot quicker
[ ] That certainly is a unique "explanation" of how you acquired you reputation as a hex editor and why "found by yaroslav" appears throughout the compendium. Too bad no one believes a word of it. [ / ] ,

but it's not a trivial task, IMHO.
Please see my first remark.

Super work

[yaroslav]

Originally posted by Mercator


But there's no need to crack any algorithm when you can just zero it out, is there?

Very good point, I didn't think of it. But you know, a zeroes string is still considered a bad entry*. I didn't test it, but I don't know if civ will manage such an input finely.

* Except, probably for barbarians, but the whole barbarian thing is untested.

[yaroslav]

Originally posted by AGRICOLA

I don't think so. You know, the algorithm is not easy to discover. It took me a very long time to get it;
Absolutely, it is an amazing piece of detective work on the most complex part of a .sav file.

Thanks a lot for your kind works. However, I think the EVENT part is probably more difficult than this one.

I am very stupid, near retarded, so probably another guy will discover the algorithm a lot quicker

[ ] That certainly is a unique "explanation" of how you acquired you reputation as a hex editor and why "found by yaroslav" appears throughout the compendium. Too bad no one believes a word of it. [ / ] ,

Thanks again, but I think that's more a matter of what I need to discover in order do civ2dip that anything other thing

but it's not a trivial task, IMHO.

Please see my first remark.

Super work

Thanks again

[yaroslav]

Originally posted by techumseh


God, where does that leave me? I thought algorithm was some kind of dance beat!

In this case with 'algorithm' I am refering to who civ2 stores information and who it does 'unstore' it. As the part we are speaking about includes a complex math device, I prefer to use algorithm instead of encoding scheme or something like that.

[yaroslav]

Originally posted by yaroslav
* Except, probably for barbarians, but the whole barbarian thing is untested.

That reminds myself that I need to do some barbarian tests....

[AGRICOLA]

Originally posted by Mercator
But there's no need to crack any algorithm when you can just zero it out, is there?

I got hold of an appropriate file and tried various variations on your theme. No go.

Maybe just as well.


Edit: Can't spell.

[techumseh]

Originally posted by yaroslav




In this case with 'algorithm' I am refering to who civ2 stores information and who it does 'unstore' it. As the part we are speaking about includes a complex math device, I prefer to use algorithm instead of encoding scheme or something like that.

Oh. I get it. It's sort of a ska thing!

[Mercator]

Originally posted by yaroslav
Very good point, I didn't think of it. But you know, a zeroes string is still considered a bad entry*. I didn't test it, but I don't know if civ will manage such an input finely.

Aha! But since those savegames use exactly the same format as a normal game, shouldn't there be some sort of header for it to tell civ2 it needs them in the first place?

[yaroslav]

no there is no need (maybe there is one, but I didn't locate it), because civ2 can go directly to the section, and check the lenght for all civs' special data: if they are all 0, well, then there is no need for them

[yaroslav]

Originally posted by AGRICOLA


I got hold of an appropriate file and tried various variations on your theme. No go.

Maybe just as well.


Edit: Can't spell.

In the document there is a description of the no-data or 0-length data You can use it in order to make civ2 not check that....

[Mercator]

But isn't that enough?

Someone could zero it all out, play, save and then put the original data back. Or slightly less awful: copy the file, zero it out, peek and continue the original game.

In other words, someone who is sneaky and inventive enough to take a look and knows where the stuff is doesn't need any fancy algorithm.

[yaroslav]

zeroing will be not enough if you don't know what characters do you need to entry to represent a 0-lenght data. 00 will not be enough