18-11-2001 23:48									#1
	UTILITY: Save Game Editor v1.0 Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

Well I think it's time for a Save Game Editor.

Some one asked to be able to change unit positions in the save game file so that they could have correct starting positions on the map.

Well I've managed to hack the file and find out where this is done.

I've tested this and it works, if you want to change unit positions then you should have the Civ3 editor up and running with the map you are playing on ( THIS WILL ONLY WORK WITH PREMADE MAPS ), when you select each unit it'll tell you what civ if belongs to, you can even move the barbarian units.

I'll look into being able to add units to the file, maybe this could then be used to create scenarios or some thing

You can also edit the year of a save game file.

Putting in silly vaules for positions will be your fault, there is no error checking of what is entered.

If any one wants any other features then just let me know.

Update Avaliable here.
http://apolyton.net/forums/showthre...30&pagenumber=2

Cheers.
James.

Last edited by jimmyh on 21-11-2001 at 07:24

	19-11-2001 04:21									#2
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

Good job! I'm now playing a game on a huge earth map with accurate starting locations! Only problem is that I have contact with whatever civ was placed where I first started. So, the AI quickly traded communications and techs all over the place. Oh well. I have accurate locations, and thats what matters. Good job.

	19-11-2001 04:28									#3
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

Hmmm, interesting!!!

Could you please post the save game, before you changed it and after you changedit , does'n't matter if you don't have before, but it would be nice.

James.

	19-11-2001 04:41									#4
	Browse Apolyton AD-FREE

I think I see the problem now, I try'd it with swapping two civs over and when I loaded it back up, with my new starting position I could not see anything, the terrain was still hidden, although the civ I swapped with had there terrain uncovered.

As for having contact with them, I think that when ever you uncover an area which is used by another civ, you get contact with them.

I've not yet found the section in the Sav file which indicates which area of the map is uncovered.

I also looking for where the money value is stored.

James.

	19-11-2001 19:21									#5
	Plumbean Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

good job Jimmyh who knows with a little work Scenario Building might be in our future keep up the good work

	20-11-2001 05:03									#6
	Full PM-box? Change here!

Doesn't work with XP.

So could some one make a nice SG w/ correct starting positions of the English on the Huge map plz.

	20-11-2001 05:10									#7
	Support Apolyton

I don't have Win XP to test this on, a little more info might have been nice, does the program load up at all?

What map, map size, difficulty level and how many other civs?

James.

	20-11-2001 05:12									#8
	Lalalalalala! Inflate your Upload Space

I solved this my having the starting positions of each civ units moved to the Antartic (which I cleverly created)...I started the game up as the english (cos I want to play them), saved it and did the editing...

It worked!

Problems...basically the lack of ease in customising things between games and you can't just change civ.

What I provide is thus the English civ at two difficulty levels with real world map (by satyajedi)...on the monarch difficulty load up the save game and press "b" to found london...the map will then show up.

On the monarch version I eliminated the 2 barbarian warrior invasion as it may catch too many people out...on diety you can take them on (just build a warrior as fast as possible and then attack the barbarians when the are close to london...I never advice defending versus barbarians you get "ambushed" and usually lose )

FIRST FILE: monarch difficulty...english on real world map.

P.S you load these files as a saved game AFTER you have extracted the save game file by using winzip!!!

Thanks to:
1. jimmyh
http://apolyton.net/forums/showthre...&threadid=34651
for providing the "save hack utility"

2. satyajedi
http://apolyton.net/forums/showthre...&threadid=33601
for starting a world map that he and "friends" have improved and improved and improved and I used.

Last edited by kittenOFchaos on 20-11-2001 at 06:17

	20-11-2001 05:23									#9
	Re: Lalalalalala! Support Apolyton

I'm glad that it worked for you, whic is cool.

Care to be more descriptive about this!!!!

Problems...basically the lack of ease in customising things between games and you can't just change civ.


I've almost got a fixed for the map not showing up, will be released in the next version.

Did you know you can also move the barbarian units aswell.

I must say that the new world map is now looking very nice indeed, much better that the original.

	20-11-2001 05:36									#10
	Zipped the file, should upload now. Put an end to popups!

First file: play on real world map with historic civ placement as the english...monarchy difficulty!

Attachment: englishworldmonarchforced, 4000 bc.zip
This has been downloaded 71 time(s).

	20-11-2001 05:40									#11
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

Same cookie but this time at diety difficulty and I let the barbarians come for you immediately!

(I upped the barbarians of the normal map to raging and there is more huts...actually the same is true of the monarch level, but I removed the early invading forces of the barbarians in England at that level.)

Again you are England...I think london is already built for you

Attachment: elizabeth of the englishforced, 4000 bc.zip
This has been downloaded 25 time(s).

	20-11-2001 05:44									#12
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

Jimmyh...the problem is not with you utility -except that I can't just copy paste a list of coordinates in...

This means it takes ages to edit the save utility everytime you want to setup the human player as a different civilisation (or difficulty level OR if we want to change the map AND we have to go through the use of antartica etc as the "player starting positions" until we upload a full set.

This is just a stop-gap till the patch I HOPE!

My txt file for positions to move the units to...(I will tomorrow post later today my solution to the contact problem)

Attachment: world.txt
This has been downloaded 92 time(s).

	20-11-2001 05:47									#13
	Put an end to popups!

Did you try out the files first, coz I got loading errors in Civ3.

	20-11-2001 05:48									#14
	Browse Apolyton AD-FREE

Yes jimmyh...I knew about moving barbarians -which I did for the monarch level one.

If I had more time (3rd year geology student in need of writing his dissertation) I would sort this thing out fully! As it is one person made a request to play as England and I was keen to do that aswell.

An interesting thing is that Ireland has no rivers, neither does Scotland so it is a tricky (but not impossible) task to get irrigation in Ireland. TIP: cities adjacent to irrigation act as a source of freshwater.

	20-11-2001 05:53									#15
	Increase Your PM Length

You got errors...hmmm...could have been winzip...you did extract the files???

Yes I tried them out, worked fine for me.


You can of course do what I did yourself:

1. add antartica yourself to WHATEVER world map -or anything that gives some spacing between player starting positions (having removed all the other player starting positions from the map.
2. save the scenario (you can change no.of barbarian tribes and their activity)
3. load the scenario chosing who you want to be...
4. save the game
5. edit the save and put in the positions for the units of each civ as I tell you to in my txt file I provided (for the worldmap I recommended...if it isn't THAT world map you use the editor to find out the historic civ starting site coordinates and plug them into your save game editor to move the civ units to the right places from antartica etc)
6. Load your saved game and la-de-da you have the problem sorted.


Oh for the patch

	20-11-2001 05:58									#16
	Tired of ads?

Jimmyh go to www.winzip.com to get winzip (I used winzip to compress the files by 97 percent so I could post them! and so people could quickly download them).

Winzip evaluation copy is free!!!

I am right in thinking you tried to load the files you downloaded without having extracted them

	20-11-2001 06:10									#17
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

quote: Originally posted by BiggN Doesn't work with XP. So could some one make a nice SG w/ correct starting positions of the English on the Huge map plz.

Yes it does work with winXP
A problem I have encountered on a modified version of the huge map, is that I can only edit the starting positions of have the civs.

The other half just don't even appear. But good work Jimmy

Karl.

	20-11-2001 06:59									#18
	Full PM-box? Change here!

Doesn't work, sorry i didn't give more details.

All my maps are on HUGE.

I tryed all the simulation modes.

But when it comes to loading up the SG, it crashes and sends a report to Windows *XP users will know what i mean*

[edit]Sorry, didn't read what you wanted fully.
"What map, map size, difficulty level and how many other civs? "

Earth. Huge, Can't Remember probably different ones, 16

btw, thanks to EVERYONE that helped and posted their games for me
[/edit]

Last edited by BiggN on 20-11-2001 at 07:23

	20-11-2001 07:24									#19
	Got spare money?

Hey biggs.

I have had similar problem with small apps of this nature.
Fixed it by running it in compatability mode for win98. (by going into properties)

cheers,

Karl.

	20-11-2001 07:27									#20
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

OMG, it does work...

Sorry, they were old saved games i was editing.

*from before a format*

Don't know why they didn't work, but these ones do.

Thanks *and sorry*

	20-11-2001 07:30									#21
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

Yeah, i tryed that first time around..

Same problem, don't know why it won't open my old saved games tho.

	20-11-2001 08:55									#22
	Hidden map help Put an end to popups!

Here are two saved games that hopefully will be helpful for anyone working on the hidden-map problem. There are two games, ex.sav and nex.sav, with the only difference between them being a spot of ocean near India--this is Firaxis' Earth (Standard) map--being covered or uncovered. EVERYTHING else, even the direction the ship I used was going, is EXACTLY the same. Now, I'm getting out my hex editor to see if I can create some mayhem...

Attachment: ex.zip
This has been downloaded 21 time(s).

	20-11-2001 10:40									#23
	The scenario file to allow you to chose your civ on real world map, historic position Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

This scenario uses a crude antartica to provide all 16 player starting sites...the map is satyajedi's with extra barbarians...

The point is that using jimmyh's save hack utility you can then START the scenario chosing the settings you want (ie your civ, the difficulty and the opponents).
When you are happy with your settings start the game.

When the game starts the screen will show your civ in Antartica...DON'T WORRY.

Save you game.

Exit civ3.

Load up the save hack utility and change the unit positions of each nation as I recommend in the txt file (all the files you need are in the attached zip file).

When you have done this SAVE the changes (his utility is bloody obvious, morons won't get THIS far!) with an appropriate name.

LOAD up civ 3...load the SAVE game that you created in the paragraph above.

PLAY -and then post here or at civfanatics (if the game settings haven't been posted here before)...detailing WHAT civ the human plays as and the difficulty setting.

N.B when you load up as per the paragraph above the screen will be black...press "b" to build your first city and the area of the world you know will light up! (if you want to see the world already use the "wait" button and move your worker to reveal the map.


P.S To change the barbarian settings merely use the map edit with the game to edit the scenario I provide.

P.S.S WITH the zip file I provide here is also two saved games:
1. English at monarch difficulty...barbarians raging but I have pacified them in the British Isles so not to harm the player.

2. English at diety difficulty with EXTRA barbarians


Anyone who thinks they can structure this explanation of what to do better DO SO!

(I have compressed the files with winzip which can be d/l free at www.winzip.com )

Attachment: civ.zip
This has been downloaded 117 time(s).

	20-11-2001 11:05									#24
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

I have condensed all that I have done on this thread at civfanatics.com which is my "home".

link to appropriate thread:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showt...=&threadid=9842

	20-11-2001 11:46									#25
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

Gee... Great.
I'm sure that no one will use this utility in the Apolyton Tournament games.

	20-11-2001 12:49									#26
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

Well that says more for the format of that tournament...if jimmyh hadn't done it someone else would...this is useful for single-player so to apolyton tournament...p.s it would be a fair amount of work for them and not without problems that could expose them if they are incompetent.

	20-11-2001 13:14									#27
	Increase the size of your Attachments

quote: Originally posted by kittenOFchaos Well that says more for the format of that tournament...if jimmyh hadn't done it someone else would...this is useful for single-player so to apolyton tournament...p.s it would be a fair amount of work for them and not without problems that could expose them if they are incompetent.

i'd love to hear your suggestions for a better format kitten

	20-11-2001 13:51									#28
	Inflate your Upload Space

I'm sure some thing could be placed into the saved file that could detect if some on has used this utility.

James.

	20-11-2001 13:55									#29
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

quote: Originally posted by jimmyh I'm sure some thing could be placed into the saved file that could detect if some on has used this utility.

james if you could work this out and provide me with the instructions so that i can do for every tournament, it would be great

	20-11-2001 14:49									#30
	Get a bigger avatar today!

Great work, maybe we wont have to wait for Firaxis to make more money out of us before we can start making scenarios?