Hex Editing Saved Games

[SierraFan1885]

Hey Everyone,

I've been reading some stuff about hex editing and it seems overly complicated, but kinda fun in a way. I'd like to try and mess around with hex editing my skills in QFG3, specifically my spell skills. How would I locate and edit, for example, the spell skills for force and calm?

[Brainiac]

With your editor and game both running:

1. Search for the current spell skill value via your hex editor.
2. Cast the spell in game enough to change the skill value.
3. Search for the new value in the hex editor.
4. Repeat until you can isolate the specific location of the spell skill value, then alter at will.

Note that QfG3 does not have specific value locations that are consistent from game to game (or even save to save) so you'll need to search anew if you want to change a value at a later time or in a different playthrough.

[SierraFan1885]

Thanks for the tips brainiac! What would be a good and relatively easy hex editing utility to use?

Someone on the SHP Forums mentioned a program that was able to do all the searching and replacing for you, you just had to locate the skill, grind it till it rises, then search for the new skill value, then plug in what you wanted to change it to and it took care of the rest.

[Brainiac]

I would have loved to help you but...

Thanks for the tips braniac!

...I suddenly feel intense disdain for you.

[SierraFan1885]

Woops! I Mean..uh..what typo...

[goatmeal]

I would have loved to help you but...

Thanks for the tips braniac!

...I suddenly feel intense disdain for you.

Perhaps he's stumbled upon your insatiable and maddening appetite for bran-based foodstuffs? ( muffins, flakes, etc. )

BTW, I thought bran was supposed to help ease those uncomforable feelings of intense distain (among others).

[SierraFan1885]

I would have loved to help you but...

Thanks for the tips braniac!

...I suddenly feel intense disdain for you.

Perhaps he's stumbled upon your insatiable and maddening appetite for bran-based foodstuffs? ( muffins, flakes, etc. )

BTW, I thought bran was supposed to help ease those uncomforable feelings of intense distain (among others).

Yes, yes it does. Everyone should have more bran in their diets! Perhaps the (perhaps) lack of bran in Glorianna explains Ad Avis's bad attitude

[navynuke04]

With a comment like that, I can't be far behind to laugh...

[Brainiac]

Stop encouraging them, Navy!

[SierraFan1885]

We'll be good now....

[navynuke04]

Its moving. It really is.

[Spikey]

Finally a good typo-nick for you, Bran.

You had it coming, you deserve it.

[Brainiac]

You be quiet, Spokey, or I'll smack you with a perch!

[SierraFan1885]

Finally a good typo-nick for you, Bran.

You had it coming, you deserve it.

Hooray! People enjoy my typo! And the crowd cheers for Zoidber..uh..SierraFan!!!

[Spikey]

You be quiet, Spokey, or I'll smack you with a perch!

Ow I don't mind, I'll just throw some muffins in your face.

[SierraFan1885]

Mmmm Muffins...

[SierraFan1885]

So.....about hex editing stats in QFG3....

[Spikey]

I don't recognise your description of a hextool.

I think I used to use this:
http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~prewett/hexedit/

It's vital to understand hexadecimals. Here's an online calculator for decimals to hexadecimals if you're having trouble with it:
http://netzreport.googlepages.com/onlin ... c_hex.html
If you need to use this offline, just save the html document, you can use it offline.

What you do is load a savegame, search up a specific stat, recalculate the value of the stat to a hexadecimal, look up the hexadecimal in the SG so you know you have the correct stat, change the stat into the hexadecimal you desire (corresponding to the decimal number you desire of course, see above link to calculate backwards as well).

Usually you'll be able to decode the stats easily because they're near each other in the same order (more or less) as they appear ingame, seperated by zeroes. So if my character has
Strength: 30
Intelligence: 15
It will show up as
1e 00 0f
in the sheet if you open your savegame with a hexeditor

decoding the rest of the numbers that follow can be easy:
1e 00 0f 00 14 00 14 00 0f 00 19 00 14 00 14 00 05 fe 01 0f 00
Str 00 int 00 agi 00 vit 00 lck 00 wea 00 par 00 dod 00 ?? ?? ?? thr ??

Now, from what I understand from Branny ( ) is that the sheet in qfg3 isn't organised in fixed strings like this, but rather random??? I wouldn't know, cause I never hex edited in qfg3. You should just look up your stats and start experimenting by looking up the single stat values instead of strings, I guess...

[Brainiac]

Now, from what I understand from Branny ( )

You will know pain.

As to what I mentioned, I used an editor called GameWiz32 that acts on an active game storing information in memory rather than editing a saved game.

[navynuke04]

Another alternate spelling...

[Brainiac]

<Insert your favorite expletive here> THERE'S NO ESCAPE!

[Lady Pyro]

I don't see the typo, what's wrong with an entire school filled with fanaticism for the 1979 classic 'The Life of Brian'?