Hex Editing

[Basic001]

Well, I've had quite a bit of luck Hex editing maps and changing those around. Removing items, changing Night to day etc. What I'm really interested in doing is hex editing the .U files to get some server side mods that I have seen around and played with on a few servers. None of the mods I make to maps will be viewable to all players even if I'm running the server.

I have AAOcrypt, UTPT, Ultraedit32 but no idea what needs to be changed in the .U files. The maps were easy, as I'd just find a value and change it or an item and remove it. Looking through the .U files, after running them through AAOcrypt,
I can see items but am not exactly sure what to alter.

The server side mods I'd like to do:

"These are used with Mpcheat"
Changesize is enabled
Supergun ( this is insane, every bullet becomes an AT4 rocket)

These 2 will do for now, although I have seen strykers and Blackhawks ingame on Insurgent camp but these were done by the admin with EXECing a .txt or .log file.
What values am I looking for to get these changes? Better still WHAT values am I looking for, I hate to be such a noob but....I am. Ijust need some pointers in the right direction as this hasn't quite "clicked" with me yet on what to do.

Thanks,
Maybe I should try using AAOM to create a server mod like this..? but I'd need to know the offsets fot that...?

[gil]

I think its more fit in here ;) the new coding section.

[Basic001]

Oops, I didn't even see it. Thanks Gil :knockedou

[gil]

cuz its new. just opened ;)

[Basic001]

Okay, thanks for the head up Gil. Thought I was a bit blind for a second.

The whole reason behind making these mods is for fun and a change of pace in AAO. I've seen these mods out there, played on the servers that had them etc. No one is willing to share the modded files or even how they went about doing it. Which is quite lame IMHO but I can understand to a degree why.

It would be nice for noobs like myself to be able to get info on where to look and what other tools are needed to get the results we are after. I have no intention of building a client side hack, this will all be server side and again just for fun. That's the whole point behind what I am trying to do and find here. Being able to mpcheat the single player only commands on a server, or even create some new ones like the Supergun 1 mpcheat I saw on a server is just plain fun.

I can decompile the .U files, look at them in UltraEdit-32 but they aren't quite as easy as the map files to understand or change.
I know 2.2 is on it's way but I'd like to get some knowlege about how this is done before 2.2 is released and I need to relearn everything and the tools don't work fully or worse don't work at all.

[j_kipper]

I know it sounds stupid but do you know how to use UTPT and ultraedit32 if not then i can get you started, just let me know what you want to change or disable/enable.

2.2 will be out soon yes, but there will not be much extra some scripts will be put back in and some taken out, aslong as they dont use the new ut engine for the files then we will still be able to decompile the *.u files..

[Basic001]

Well, I woun't say I know for sure how to use those programs. I have used UTPT in 2.0 to extract Static Meshes, textures etc in hopes to create some maps for UT2K3/2K4 like AAO. I've pretty much given up on that road and would rather just mod AAO itself anyway.

I guess I need a pointer in the right direction as to what I need to learn. I was hoping that someone who knew how to do this would point me in the right direction. I know what I want to do just not how or where to start looking.

My main issue comes from UTPT not being able to Decompile some items fully in the .U files. I'm trying AAOcrypt but will need some time to study the the output from that to understand what I am looking at.

[JohnBLucky]

There's a ton of ByteHacking walkthroughs in the "Walkthroughs and Downloads" thread. Check there and read those tutorials. Some of them are actually specific to hacking AAO. The only tools I ever used for it was AAOM, UTPT, and a regular free hex editor from google. It's pretty simple but can take a lot of searching to find the more hidden items.

[Basic001]

Thanks JohnBLucky, I have one of them I already looked at the speedmodifier tut. What would help me a ton would be if Helios would release the tool he uses tp parse the offsets. I've seen some of the output from it he posted here and that would make my task much easier. However, I've come to realize that most coders don't release thier private tools even though it would help the community out in tons of ways.

Hell, I'd be happy if could write my own program to get the offsets but I'm not that far along yet. All I want to do is make the changes I've seen on a few servers and starting from square one on learning a language seems like a daunting task for such a simple mod. Which is really all this is, a mod, but there is way too much info to wade through at the moment.

It would seem like someone would have writen a program by now that could 100% decompile the .U files just like UCC does. Maybe then I, and a few thousand others, would have a better chance of grasping the script. The mod I'm trying to find is the Supergun mod made by someone from the [10th] Mountain Devision made. I'm not sure if he went through and modded the code or created a whole new class, which you'd have to decompile and recompile the .U files much better than the tools out there now.

In any case, he knows UScipt and made an MPcheat supergun mod which shoots AT4 rockets instead of bullets. I'm starting to sound like a broken record with that line....but it was damn cool and fun but he won't share the info on how or where the changes are made.

If I wanted to take on the huge task of writing a program that could decompile AAO .U files exactly like UCC, where would I start looking? I think this is a worthy effort and a much needed tool but far beyond my skills at the moment.

[JohnBLucky]

AAOCrypt encrypts/decrpts the U files so they can be read unedited by Hex Editors. That would be a good place to start.

[Basic001]

AAOCrypt encrypts/decrpts the U files so they can be read unedited by Hex Editors. That would be a good place to start.

Yep got that one and it seems to work farily well.

I did find an interesting tidbit in the Wlakthroughs and Download post.


EditDefault

It's very interesting that the window which pops up looks a heck of a lot like an UnrealEd window from the class browser. I'm guess that changes made are only in effect while the game is open and are lost when it closed...?

Where might I start looking to find the names of the classes to edit...? Do I need to go through .U files or maybe .UTX...? If I can find the names that would be a start ; )

[Edit] Well I foud out that the scope change DOES work on a server but changing the ammo does not. I changed the M16A2 ammo to 40mm granades ;) in single player and it works fine. Just have to drop the weapon or invoke another one and the changes made are in effect. [Edit]

[Rapid]

wow a lotof info here i still trying to decompile a whole aao .u files.
once i got totally decompiled .u files in .uc i can create very precise hacked files which allows to do some mpcheats :)

[Basic001]

wow a lotof info here i still trying to decompile a whole aao .u files.
once i got totally decompiled .u files in .uc i can create very precise hacked files which allows to do some mpcheats :)


That would be the ultimate goal I would think, getting the .U files decopiled down to thier .UC base. I'm just wondering what it would take to do this...?
Knowing the encryption method they use would be a start I think, after that I'm lost.

A few more notes:
Editdefault has limitations online. Ammo seems to be controled serverside, any changes to ammo do not stick even when running the server and client from the same PC.

Muzzleflash can be taken out, just replace it with a smoke emitter and nothing happens :D .
Use the tracer and ever time you cheat the class for the weapon you are modding, a rather large tracer flash follows you around until you drop the weapon. But the tracer emitter stays there if you cheat another rifle, would be funny seeing the reaction from folks online with that one. What The F&*% Is That!?!?

[Basic001]

Finally got my hands on a copy of IDA Pro,v4.60.785 but hey it was free. Things get interesting when decompiling the DLLs, lots of info there.

[bizzle]

Basic can you contact me somehow so I can talk to you about hexing the maps?

[Basic001]

Basic can you contact me somehow so I can talk to you about hexing the maps?

Email sent bro....on it's way

[DelfinoM]

why hex the maps, the devs have an rough plan of releasing an official map editor for aa in the future.

[noob-cheater]

why hex the maps, the devs have an rough plan of releasing an official map editor for aa in the future.

you already say it... "the devs have an rough plan of releasing an official map editor for aa in the future" for now it's the hex that should do the work...

[Basic001]

Noob is right, why wait for the DEVs to make one for us. By figuring out the HEX of the maps and all the files of AAO, I'll be that much closer to understanding the engine and programming in general. For me it's more for the challenge and working to learn the unknown than it is to just Hack AAO. I'm already studying ASM, HEX and Delphi and seeing holes in some of my original theories as to why UTPT doesn't Decompile AAO .U files correctly. Something new every day bro.....

[Arkan]

UTPT doesnt decompile some part of the .U files, because either they have been encrypted so the prog cant get the right array size, or its a unreadable segment of code.

[bizzle]

I ran into a guy that made a program that converted ut2k4 maps to .aao map files. He wouldn't give me any help or the files, but it just shoes that it is possible if one of you true hackers can figure this out it would be very cool.

[DelfinoM]

There is 1 downside to learning how the engine works
In 2.3 the engine is being changed over to Unreal 2.5 Engine instead of Unreal 2 and there is an differernce and later maybe around 3.0 (lol) the game is gonna be recoded to Unreal 3 which is 100% recoded engine of Unreal engine.

[Basic001]

There is 1 downside to learning how the engine works
In 2.3 the engine is being changed over to Unreal 2.5 Engine instead of Unreal 2 and there is an differernce and later maybe around 3.0 (lol) the game is gonna be recoded to Unreal 3 which is 100% recoded engine of Unreal engine.


Well I won't be the only one trying to figure that one out too lol

[Arkan]

The unreal game engine 3.0 is to advanced for current computers. According to Helios, it will probably not be out for games until 2005.

[Basic001]

The unreal game engine 3.0 is to advanced for current computers. According to Helios, it will probably not be out for games until 2005.


2005 is earliest at best and late 2005 at that. I know one company has already licensed UE3.

September 20th, 2004
Last week, BioWare Corp. announced it has licensed Epic's Unreal Engine 3 for use in an upcoming title. The deal marks the first time the two companies have collaborated, combining the talents of BioWare with the Unreal Engine technology creators.

I'm waiting on this Engine myself and plan to dive head first into it the moment it becomes available as a game from Epic. Right now I need to learn and I'll learn what is currently available, UE 2 and UE 2.5. AAO just happens to be the game I want to work in.