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Originally posted by flyby1: OK, here we go...
Make a backup of WOW.EXE Load your favourite hex editor. e.g. http://www.hexworkshop.com
Disable AI rockets
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offset Hex addr ASM
20FBF 8B.EA.83.C5.05 orig 420FBF mov ebp, edx
420FC1 add ebp, 00000005
33.ED.90.90.90 mod xor ebp, ebp
nop, nop, nop
No user rockets at start
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20FF3 08 orig 420FF3 mov ebp, 00000008
00 mod mov ebp, 00000000 Note: Ignore the assembly mnemonics if it confuses you, that's just for completeness. The AI rocket mod was a little tricky, the code would randomly allocate different rocket numbers to each AI aircraft.
Please don't steal credit for this , it'll effect my decision to release more.
Have fun
Andrew R. Flyby 1 Thanks a lot for your work - and It's good that some have got the rockets out the the way. Me? I completely and utterly lost by this. All I understand is Make a back up of WoW exe Can I be helped,please, or is this as simple as it gets? TIA
Mankind's problem is not failing to know the difference between right and wrong; - It is failing to know the difference between different and wrong
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Would the ceiling limit be due to the game using a skybox so people can't fly through the graphic texture?
I hope they open up the offical WOW forums so we can try to get some direct feedback from the developers about possibly releasing modding tools, etc. They may be able to help guide us if their original intention was to release a more in-depth sim. Hopefully, the code is there in some form and they had to alter the final game to suit the needs of the distribution company.
They may not have the time or inclination to chenge it directly but might be able to steer efforts in the right direction.
Oh man, I hope they release a modding executable or an extractor.
S!
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Cas141 if you post me a PM with your e-mail address I'll e-mail you a copy of the hex-edited wow.exe. I can rename it if your system objects to getting .exe's as attachments. It's 1.03 MB. Of if you'd prefer to have a go - you just open the wow.exe file in a hex editor, and find the address listed by Elyby1/Andrew. Look for the string and change each pair of characters in the string to the new ones, not that hard even I managed it Like Dantes said, hopefully we'll either get an official forum, or the Czech one will be operational soon, i have a feeling the author of the latter may be linked to the developers. BTW, does anyone know if the WoW BE2 is accurate re pilot sitting in the front? Lovely model with a camera on the stbd side, tho the Lewis is in a very odd position. And while it's clearly a BE2e, most sources say only the 2d had the observer in the back seat. The Australian War Memorial site says pilot in front, but most say not; and the online photos of the Gardermoen museum BE2e show the pintle mount sited to be fired from the front seat (tho these photos show a WW2 Vickers K gun fitted, not a Lewis). Well that's about a fortnight past and already we have a no-CD exe, rockets disabled, and all planes avalable, not too bad given the sim files aren't very user-friendly in format.
When you soar into the air in a Sopwith scout And you're scrapping with a Hun and your gun cuts out Well, you stuff down your nose till your plugs fall out 'Cos you haven't got a hope in the morning!
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.....and so it begins.
CSG_Rummy
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............gettin' kind of exciting too! Btw, you guys overseas get WoW all patched up, so that by the time it's released over here everything will already be done...........LOL! Hey Ivor H, none of the B.E.2 variants ever had the observer seated in the rear position, however starting with the (d) dual controls were fitted. Even with the B.E.12 (the single-seat "fighter" version), the pilot was still in the same location, with the forward position covered over. You're not seeing the R.E.8 featured in the game are you (rear observer, side-mounted Vickers on the left nose)???
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Hey FlyXwire, I'll be playing my Xbox version tomorrow! Yeah buddy! That should keep me going until I get my PC copy. AAAAHHHHH HA HA HA HA !!! Get an Xbox! I'll stop teasing. Take care, Fly.
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Ivor H You're certainly ambitious 2. disable all bonuses - quite possible... 3. mission editing - req fully working data extraction/recompression app in order to access the data files. I tried the Nova Extractor util, but it's not 100% compat. I'm sure the author could tweak it, though you need more than just an extractor (not my forte). Also assumes we can make sense of any script files. 4. mod flight model - maybe, more likely if no. 3 is done, painful otherwise. 5. raise artifical ceiling - possible, but could be a hard limit in render engine 6. ammo limit for MG rounds - quite likely 7 + 8 relies on no.3 9. choice of enemy planes - looking at this now... 10. see no.3 11. logbook - dreaming... 12. user-made planes - req no.3 + inside knowledge (possible) 13. pan using hatswitch - most likely need src code 14. padlock? 15. zoom - an alternative to Binoculars would be good, talk to developers :p 16. removal of sight graticule - quite possible Given enough time, almost anything is possible, but there is a fine line between reversing code and becoming a masochist To make the most of this game, and to make it more than arcade, it absolutely needs a mission editor. If you just play in Instant Combat mode, the scenery is quite dead, it all comes alive in the campaigns. It would be great if the developers released a toolkit to allow access to the data and missions, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Some dedicated person can make that their mission. Best bet is to plead with the developers. --------- Cas141 I was going to make a patcher, but I was too lazy. If Ivor can't help you, I can email you instructions for hexworkshop. It was your original post my Google search picked up this forum, I think I was looking for a texture editor, cheers. Andrew
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Hey Greg, I'm sure you'll enjoy playing that Xbox version too, and with all your family........sounds like fun!
Maybe we can play online together when we get our PC copies here shortly?
Hey Andrew, thanks for your help, and any of the other issues (that you might think possible to fix), would be greatly appreciated. I know the above list is a bit daunting, but is there anything else you might be able to change with the game presently?
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Flyby1 I hope you don't mind I reposted your post on my website in the Wings of War tips section (just somewhere to keep all the info for the moment). I gave you full credit of course! Cheers http://www.polovski.co.uk (see under Miscellaneous)
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Polovski, I like your site, and you are most welcome to include my code. The reason I mentioned stealing credit, may sound petty, but I spent a lot of time on a project in the past, trusted some people online, and was ripped off. It left me very disillusioned. People in this forum seem to be genuine though. I wasn't looking for any pats on the back, the whole cyberworld of the net is very virtual, and nobody is really identifiable, but we still like to put a claim to efforts. I'm hoping that the arcadish elements of this game will be overlooked, and the enthusiasm catch on. It seems such a waste to leave this excellent product just short of perfection. There are some very bright programmers out there that will hopefully tackle the data file issues. In the mean time, I'll continue to dabble. I'm currently tracing the code regarding the allocation of AI aircraft types for instant combat. There seem to be a total of only 4 possible allocations that I've seen. British: Fighter + Silverfish R, German: Fisch R + Dreidecker, these depent on the aircraft type you have selected for the combat. If you've noticed different, let me know. This screenshot shows the detail of the models (including parts) on mid air collision. http://rain.prohosting.com/katipo/pics/collision.jpg BTW, have you seen the cool little train chuffing along, complete with sounds and smoke (The Somme), only seems to be active in Training Campaign (not instant). Has anyone seen this anywhere else, it's probably scripted. There's even a level crossing where little vehicles putter across. http://rain.prohosting.com/katipo/pics/train.jpg
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Ivor H S! And thanks for the offer. I like to learn if my old brain will let me, so i will have a go at what you say. Couple of questions,though if I may? "Of if you'd prefer to have a go - you just open the wow.exe file in a hex editor" Do I have to download a hex editor from somewhere?, or is there one in my Windows system? ( I don't know what a hex editor is ) I know how to open files say in Notepad, but I suspect this is nothing like that. I would make a backup copy of my WoW exe,and then proceed but how does one open the exe in the hex editor? Basic I suppose, but please imagine -I'm looking at the exe in Windows explorer. If I right click on it, what do I do next? Sorry to be so dumb!! Flyby1= Thanks for the offer. I wished guys had voted for the patcher , still I'll see how I go. BTW - Being able to choose opposition plane, or slowing the AI drideckers would be my choice of next project. I too hope the developers will help to mod this. As you say, so much potential. cheers
Mankind's problem is not failing to know the difference between right and wrong; - It is failing to know the difference between different and wrong
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Excellent work, flyby1.
Am I going to have to eat my words about the modability of WoW? I hope so!
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hi again Cas & Andrew Cas, you'll need to d/l a hex editor, I used XVI32 (X-Ray-Victor-India figures Three-Two), get it at http://www.downseek.com/download/19214.asp Open it like any proggie eg d/click its .exe after you've installed the download. It opens in a window and has the usual Windows-type options on its menu bar. Select File/Open and navigate to wow.exe. That's after you've made a backup copy of wow.exe, of course. I'd suggest editing the no-CD version, take it you've got that already? When you've opened wow.exe in XVI32, you get a confusing load of alphanumeric stuff showing up in three panes inside XVI32's window. In the LH pane you get what I'd call the addresses, listed alphanumerically, in a single column. This is where you look up Flyby1’s change location. In the middle pane there's a grid giving two-digit alphanumeric values. row upon row, one row for each of the "addresses" in the LH pane. This is where you swap the old string for the new ones. In the RH pane, there's another grid of, well, mostly gibberish, some digits, some "obelisks". Ignore this pane. Watch the LH pane and scroll down till you get a value that looks like the one you want to change - see Flyby1's instructions. You probably won't see the exact same "address" but should be close (last 1-2 digits different, rest the same). First, you’re looking for 20FBF. I think I got to 20FBB or something like that, but that’s close enough for the next step; IIRC the LH column lists the address of the first pair in the middle pane, you’ll get the exact address by clicking on the correct pair of digits in the middle pane. Now, look across at the middle pane. Look for a sequence of pairs of digits, which matches the sequence you want to change, as per Flyby1's instructions. For the first change, you’re looking for 8B.EA.83.C5.05. Each pair is in a little box of it's own, in a grid in the middle pane. Click on the first box, in the middle pane, which has the first pair of digits. Note that in the little readout at the bottom of the XVI32 window, it will now show the precise “address” given by flyby1, which is further confirmation that you’re in the right place. Overtype the first pair of digits with flyby1’s replacements. Click on the second pair, and repeat. Continue till you’ve changed all the pairs in the sequence. IOW, you’re replacing 8B.EA.83.C5.05 with 33.ED.90.90.90 Then do this again for the second change – this time there’s only one pair to change. At 20FF3, you’re replacing the value 08 with 00. Save wow.exe and exit. Play WoW and bingo, no rockets! This will sound confusing - written from work so from memory - but it will be easy to follow if you're doing it with XVI32 open and actually seing what I'm trying to describe here. Flyby1/Andrew, yes, a mission editing facility is what's needed most, beyond what you can fix; even if we have to start by manually editing WoW's existing missions. Tom C at SimHQ has indicated he's not got any contacts at Gathering due to their limited sim output so we'll have to see how it goes, I'll have a go myself by or about this weekend if as seems likely there's no sign of any official or unofficial forum before then. To make the most of instant action, it would be useful if we could disable all bonuses, and develop even limited control of other planes. For example, the protoype Albatros triplane (Fisch-R) and Neiuport (Silverfish-R) should rarely or never show up. It would be nice, beyond that, if we got enemies from roughly the right era - say grouped into two, early and late - early being Fokker monoplanes, Alb C3, N.17, Roland C2, DH2, FE2; late being Dr1, D7, D8, Pfalz D3, Alb D3, SSW D4, H-B W39, Zepp-Staaken, SE5, Camel, Brisfit, Dolphin, B.14, Ca33 (?). But certainly drop (if they can't be greatly reduced in liklihood) the Neiuport and Albatros triplanes as routine enemies, they show up way too often. That sort of thing; random choice between appropriate enemies. Also it seems we only get fighters as enemies in SP instant action. Never bombers. It would be nice to get a random mix on the enemy side (or your won, simulating escort or intercept missions) eg you might get X figthers, but a couple of 2-seaters - provided that 2-seaters or bombers spawned in IA fly defensively as they do in campaigns, not attack you head on, imagine being attacked by a dogfigthing Zeppelin-Staaken Giant! Another change that might bring some life to IA is to make it less instant. IOW, can the opposing forces be placed further apart at the start, so they have to find each other? This might cause problems if (a) your side's planes aren't programmed by default to follow you in the absence of anything to attack, or (b) if the enemies aren't programmed by default to fly around withing the arena (what would happen if they flew into the "walls of wind", would they get blown back in and carry on OK, get sattered, or some crash? Might be worth seeing what happens if you can increase the initial separatio on spawning. Another thing that might be worth looking for, this time on FMs, is momentum. IIRC that's one thing the documantation says is "switched on" when you go for the classic FM. I have the feeling that if it's possible to increase momentum, this could reduce the ability of planes to make the more wild changes of direction that they do. There might be a variable that all planes would use, hopefully factoring in their own properties, and that could be edited. Crude, but might help with those unrealistic manoeuvres. Just some thoughts, obviously you'll have your own ideas, and you know what you're doing while I'm just typing which like talk is cheap!
When you soar into the air in a Sopwith scout And you're scrapping with a Hun and your gun cuts out Well, you stuff down your nose till your plugs fall out 'Cos you haven't got a hope in the morning!
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Ivor H -- Thanks very much for these excellent instructions. I'm going to give them a go. Will let you know what happens!
Mankind's problem is not failing to know the difference between right and wrong; - It is failing to know the difference between different and wrong
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Ivor H- One very big thank you to you. I managed to do it and now i am flying rocket free It makes such a difference! I had a go at a 15 v 15 DM over the Somme. Geez- it was awesome. Obviously guys didn't get shot down as often as when there were rockets, but there were planes going every which way! Bits of plane would comeout from a collision or a shoot down and hurtle past you. Within seconds I had a half a fuselage whistle past , then a wheel. And not a stutter or freeze or pause. All those planes and me at 1360 x 1020 res. But the biggest THANK YOU must go to FLYBY1 - Man , you must be a genius to have got those rockets out. I am really excited about what else will get modded in this SIM - There, I've said it! It IS a sim. Because there is no sim which dogfights better than this one now. One caveat. Amend the wasp like maneuvres of the drideckers, then that's it. Wonderful!!
Mankind's problem is not failing to know the difference between right and wrong; - It is failing to know the difference between different and wrong
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Cas141
try this if you haven't already.
Go to the flyby view, key 5, then hit the binos key, O. Sure you get the black corners but in the absence of a real zoom it's pretty neat. Cinematic. Not easy to fly but you get an excellent, movie like view of the excellently-detailed WoW planes zipping about the excellently-detailed WoW landscape. Then crash your plane and you get resurrected in the external view, and you can mousepan around your plane, still in bino view which won't come on in external view otherwise; and get some real nice close-up looks at your own machine. admire the camera on the BE2e's stbd side, or the detail in the Spandaus etc. OK there are some probs but these people did a damn good job.
I agree that in its present so-far-lightly-modded state, WoW provides an excellent simulation of a WW1 dogfight, possibly - no, for a dogfight, definitely - the best, with the superb visuals and the sense of being in a chaotic but deadly whirl of planes spitting fire, making up for it's limitations; yes it would have been nice with a better FM etc but it's an experience not to be missed by any WW1 fan, any more than modded RB3D is now or KoE may yet be. Anybody who turns up their nose at it for one reason or another, well it's their loss (though perhaps all, who would make flightsims for such a pernickety bunch as us simmers).
As you say Flyby1's mod has already made a significant difference, hopefully more will follow. I can't begin to imagine how he found this stuff, hats off there fella. We do need a mission editing facility pretty badly tho, maybe well get some results with the devs.
When you soar into the air in a Sopwith scout And you're scrapping with a Hun and your gun cuts out Well, you stuff down your nose till your plugs fall out 'Cos you haven't got a hope in the morning!
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Thanks Flyby1, Ivor H, Polovski, and finally to Cas141 also for asking the questions on how to do the EXE modding through the hex editing process. When the game arrives I'll be all ready to patch it up per the linked downloads and the editing process as explained above. Much appreciated guys!
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Originally posted by flyby1: This screenshot shows the detail of the models (including parts) on mid air collision. http://rain.prohosting.com/katipo/pics/collision.jpg
BTW, have you seen the cool little train chuffing along, complete with sounds and smoke (The Somme), only seems to be active in Training Campaign (not instant). Has anyone seen this anywhere else, it's probably scripted. There's even a level crossing where little vehicles putter across. http://rain.prohosting.com/katipo/pics/train.jpg Couldn't see your screens Fly - looks like all the views sucked up your bandwidth - that's got to be a good sign! smith
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just flew an IA selecting the Albatros DIII (late) - in the markings of von Hippel Jasta 5 th the scheme has green wings top and bottom which I think should be lozenge or mauve/green on top, and the top wing seems to use the same texture top and bottom (so both have crosses, like the DVII). Neat though.
all my AI buddies were DIIIs or the Albatros triplane.
This time all our opponents were Brisfits (and boy, did they trash us! Even without rear gunners I think!).
So I'm beginning to think that the type of plane you fly, determines the type of plane you get as opponent. So maybe fair enough, though we still need to lose those protype triplanes. Best bet would be to make the Alb triplane the opponent for the Nueuport triplane and vice versa.
And like Cas, I'm beginning to think that the tripehounds, at least the Nieuports, are worse than the others at pulling off the most bizzare sustained negative G manoeuvres.
When you soar into the air in a Sopwith scout And you're scrapping with a Hun and your gun cuts out Well, you stuff down your nose till your plugs fall out 'Cos you haven't got a hope in the morning!
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Thanks for the suggestions Ivor, I'll refer back to them later if I get a chance.
As I posted earlier, the AI wingmen and enemy is dependant on which a/c you have choosen. So far I've only seen the total of 4 though. For simplicity, and cause I'm not a historian, I'll refer to them as the game desc. British: Fighter + Silverfish R (Neiuport), German: Fisch R (Albatros DIII) + Dreidecker. If you have a name correction for the fighter and Dreidecker let us know. Basically, I've only seen the four, you may have seen others (let us know). I agree the priority is to tone down the super acrobatic antics of the Dreidecker, can't promise anything, but if we can force them to use a Eindecker, or make the Dreideckers handling more like the Eindecker it would be nice.
So far, I haven't been able to force the AI selection, but I've found some other interesting 'hacks'. e.g. Enable hanger option mid-flight to change your a/c, also enter a observation only mode where the AI ignore me. I've also found the unlock level cheat - without the need for the savefile hack, so we can use our own profiles not PiZZADOX (but thanks to them anyway). It's very slow progress though, and I will need a break soon. Anyway, when I've got enough to be worthwhile I'll combine them in one program and release for you guys to play with.
My next release won't be just a simple hex edit, but will require a separate 'trainer' app to interact with the game. This will take some time. I'll continue to look in here to see what develops, but you won't hear much from me for a little while...
Regards Andrew
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