🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <3l3etr$r...@CUBoulder.Colorado.EDU>,
   cant...@rintintin.Colorado.EDU (Macky Stingray) wrote:
+  After Reptile on #descent was kind enough to give me his lselect batch file
+to hack around with the laser levels, I decided I would start editing the
+savegames myself.
+
+  So I ripped out my C compiler, and started defining a savegame structure
+that I could easily read in and alter, then write back out.
+
+  Here's the end result: A structure that makes it fairly easy from your
+C compiler to really mess with your Descent savegames. eventually I hope
+to have all this integrated into a nice, windowed package, but until
+then, this is fun to play with.
+
+  This is an example program to show how it operates. You can modify,
+abuse, etc... this, just leave the names of the people on it. 
+
+  The most important two things here are:
+
+A) I discovered how to edit in keys
+ and 
+B) I disocvered how to edit in/out record of cheat codes being used.
+
+  The rest of this stuff is in documents elsewhere.
+
+-----railgun spike here-----
+
+#include<stdio.h>
+
+#define BYTE unsigned char
+
+//  This struct put together with the help of Darren Lo's 
(darr...@umich.edu)
+// very informative post to alt.games.descent detailing the format of the
+// savegame table.
+typedef struct {
+ BYTE signature[4];            //Seems to always be "DGSS."
+ BYTE unknown1[4];             // ? Checksum ?
+ char savegame_name[20];       // 20 char C string: name of savegame.
+ BYTE snapshot[5025];          // 5025 bytes for screen shot at save.
+ char pilot_name[8];           // 8 character C string: owning player.
+ BYTE unknown2[20];            // ? ?
+ BYTE keys;                    // What keys are present.
+                                // Bit 0 - No effect?
+                                // Bit 1 = 1 if blue key present.
+                                // Bit 2 = 1 if red key present.
+                                // Bit 3 = 1 if yellow key present.
+ BYTE quad;                    // = 4 if quad lasers present, 0 otherwise.
+ BYTE unknown3[4];             // ? ?
+ int energy;                   // Amount of energy when last level exited.
+                                // If this is less than 100, it is upgraded
+                                // to 100. Be careful, this a SIGNED value.
+                                // The largest value here = FF 7F.
+ int cheater;                  // 0x0 = no cheats, 0x9BE0 = cheater.
+ int shields;                  // Shield level; see energy.
+ BYTE lives;                   // Number of lives + 1.
+ BYTE unknown5;                // Possibly last level completed?
+ BYTE laser_type;              // What kind weapon is on the lasers?
+                                // See also all the #defines below.
+ BYTE level_started_at;        // Level at which we started this game.
+ BYTE unknown6[2];             // ? ?
+ BYTE primaries;               // Which primary weapons do we have?
+                                // Bit 0 = 1 if we have lasers.
+                                // Bit 1 = 1 if we have vulcan.
+                                // Bit 2 = 1 if we have spreadfire.
+                                // Bit 3 = 1 if we have plasma.
+                                // Bit 4 = 1 if we have fusion.
+ BYTE secondaries;             // Which secondary weapons do we have?
+                                // Bit 0 = 1 if we have concussion missles.
+                                // Bit 1 = 1 if we have homing missles.
+                                // Bit 2 = 1 if we have proximity bombs.
+                                // Bit 3 = 1 if we have smart missles.
+                                // Bit 4 = 1 if we have mega missles.
+ BYTE unknown7[2];             // ? ?
+ int vulcan_ammo;              // How many packs of 25 vulcan bullets?
+                                // (We think)This is a SIGNED value.
+ BYTE unknown8[6];             // ? ?

change the following from:

+ BYTE conc_miss;               // How many concussion missles do we have?
+ BYTE unknown9;                // Always 0?
+ BYTE homing_miss;             // How many homing missles do we have? (0-200)
+ BYTE unknown10;               // Always 0?
+ BYTE prox_bombs;              // How many proximity bombs do we have?
+ BYTE unknown11;               // Always 0?
+ BYTE smart_miss;              // ? How many smart missles ?
+ BYTE unknown12;               // Always 0?
+ BYTE mega_miss;               // ? How many megamissles ?
+ BYTE unknown13;               // Always 0?

to:
  WORD conc_miss;               // signed number 0-32767
  WORD homing_miss;             // signed number 0-32767
  WORD prox_bombs;              // signed number 0-32767
  WORD smart_miss;              // signed number 0-32767
  WORD mega_miss;               // signed number 0-32767

+ BYTE lastlevelscore[3];       // ? INT Score at beginning of last level ?
+ BYTE currscore[3];            // Current score. Signed I think.
+ BYTE unknown14[40];           // ? ? ? ?
+ BYTE difficulty_level;        // 0 = trainee, 1 = rookie, etc...
+ BYTE unknown15[3];            // ? ?
+ BYTE curr_primary;            // 0 = Laser, 1 = Vulcan etc...
+ BYTE unknown16[3];            // ? ?
+ BYTE curr_secondary;          // 0 = Conc, 1 = Homing, etc...
+} registered_savegame;
+
+// These values shamelessly lifted from LSELECT.BAT by Reptile on #descent.
+
+#define L1_LASERS 0x00                //Level 1 lasers
+#define L2_LASERS 0x01                //Level 2 "    "
+#define L3_LASERS 0x02                //Level 3 "    "
+#define L4_LASERS 0x03                //Level 4 "    "
+#define BLUE_BALLS 0x04               //Big, slow, weak, blue plasma balls...
+#define YELLOW_BALLS 0x05             //Yellow drone's fireballs (WEAK)
+#define RED_BALLS 0x06                //Reactor's weapon.
+#define BAD_VALUE 0x07                //Causes the game to crash out!
+#define CONC_MISS 0x08                //Concussion missiles!
+#define FLARES 0x09                   //Flares (this is hilarious... try it)
+				       // Believe it or not, you can kill
+				       // enemies with only flares(!)
+#define BLUEROBOT_WEAPON 0x0A         //Blue drone's lasers
+#define VULCAN 0x0B                   //Vulcan cannon (slower than normal)
+#define SPREADFIRE 0x0C               //Spreadfire cannon balls
+#define PLASMA 0x0D                   //Plasma Cannon
+#define FUSION 0x0E                   //Fusion Cannon
+#define HOMING_MISS 0x0F              //Homing missiles.
+#define PROX_BOMBS 0x10               //Proximity bombs.
+#define SMART_MISS 0x11               //Smart Missles
+#define MEGA_MISS 0x12                //Megamissles.
+#define SUPERHULK_GREEN_BLOBS 0x13    //Green blobs from the superhulk
+#define SPREADFIRE2 0x14              //Spreadfire cannon balls
+#define SLOW_HOMING_MISS 0x15         //Slow homing missiles
+#define SLOW_CONC_MISS 0x16           //Slow (?) concussion missiles
+#define SPREADFIRE3 0x17              //Spreadfire cannon balls AGAIN
+#define WHIMPY_SLOW_REDLASERS 0x18    //Wimpy, slow red lasers
+#define SLOW_GREEN_LASERS 0x19        //Slow green lasers
+#define SLOW_PLASMA 0x1A              //Plasma, though a bit slower
+#define YELLOW_BALLS2 0x1B            //Yellow drone's fireballs
+#define MEGA_MISS2 0x1C               //Mega Missles again...
+#define HOMING_PLASMA 0x1D            //Homing Plasma (like a Smart Missle)
+
+
+Usage example:
+
+int main(void)
+{
+ registered_savegame a;
+ FILE *moo;
+
+ moo=fopen("d:\\games\\descent\\a.sg1","rb+");
+ fread(&a,sizeof(a),1,moo);
+
+ a.laser_type=FLARES;
+ a.keys=0xE;
+ a.vulcan_ammo=0xFFFF;
+ a.primaries=0x1F;
+ a.secondaries=0x1F;
+ a.conc_miss=123;
+ a.homing_miss=456;
+ a.prox_bombs=1;
+ a.smart_miss=789;
+ a.mega_miss=27;
+// etc...
+
+ rewind(moo);
+ fwrite(&a,sizeof(a),1,moo);
+ fclose(moo);
+}
+-----railgun spike here-----
+
+          -Ben


Have fun,
Roy


--------------------------------------------------------------------
Roy Wright          MSGID:ROYW          Internet:...@ti.com
Texas Instruments   voice:214-575-6691  #include <std-disclaimer>
"I can't quite make a PC sing, but roll over and play dead is easy!"