Editing a save, building roads, RR

[Monterey Jack]

First-Bravo Zulu to the creators of this outstanding game. Thank you for your efforts! Question 1-Is there a way to edit a saved game and restart it from the saved point? For example, in a different game I can copy a filename.sav in the saved game folder and copy it as filename.scn in the scenario folder, make the desired changes, and then start the new game. This has saved me boatloads of time marking and recopying unit positions, status, etc., and allows dynamic input from out of game parameters/play. Question 2-Is there a way to build roads and railroads not present on the map (ALCAN highway, Bangkok-Rangoon RR, N.Australia RR)?

[witpqs]

No to both questions.

If there is some technical glitch, the developers can edit certain things in save games and give it back to you. That's a lot of manual intervention on their part, so it's best not to ask unless a bug caused something to go wildly wrong in a game you've got a lot of time invested (been running a long time).

You can start playing from any old save game you want of course, but you can't edit the save.

[Monterey Jack]

Do the creators have a suggestion box for future patches/upgrades?  Thanks for the quick reply.

[witpqs]

They are part of this forum all the time. Try the main forum for something like that.

BTW, the point of editable save games was raised in the past and the decision was that it will not be done. For one thing, in PBM's it would be a possible method of cheating which, due to player concerns, they do not want to put in place. Second, they consider the structure of the save game proprietary and do not want to decode/decrypt that to the public. I think I am remembering the discussion accurately enough to paraphrase it.

[Monterey Jack]

Understand.  I'm not a programmer but I would think that editable save game function could be inhibited when selecting PBM.  I can edit saved games with Operational Art of War which gives me great flexibility in combining that game with a paper game my dad and I are playing.  I was hoping to fight my way through SE Asia, New Guinea, China, and Russia using AE to set up the land battle and OAW to fight each battle in detail in historic terrain.  Also like Steel Panthers to resolve amphibious assaults.  Guess I'll have lots of editor time ahead of me to reincorporate battle results and other facets into AE.  But I'll still save time leaving the logistics to AE.  Thanks for your time.

[drw61]

On the second part of your question there is a launch / switcher utility by Dave Bradley that updates the RR and Roads over time

Here is the link to the update

tm.asp?m=2545806&mpage=1&key=?

Not sure if the above is comprehensive or if you need ver 1.0.

ver 1.0 is at spookys site
http://mathubert.free.fr/index.html

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

They are part of this forum all the time. Try the main forum for something like that.

BTW, the point of editable save games was raised in the past and the decision was that it will not be done. For one thing, in PBM's it would be a possible method of cheating which, due to player concerns, they do not want to put in place. Second, they consider the structure of the save game proprietary and do not want to decode/decrypt that to the public. I think I am remembering the discussion accurately enough to paraphrase it.

I believe you are remembering correctly, and I also recall this was a Matrix (the publisher) decision, not a Henderson Field (the devs) decision. I believe that is Matrix's umbrella policy for all their games, but I don't know that for certain.

[JWE]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58
I believe you are remembering correctly, and I also recall this was a Matrix (the publisher) decision, not a Henderson Field (the devs) decision. I believe that is Matrix's umbrella policy for all their games, but I don't know that for certain.

Yep. Remembering correctly. There is not, and will never be, a savegame file editor.

There is no utility that will edit AE pwhex files. There are no plans to make one. Thus, there is no evolution of map data, i.e., no way to build roads and railroads not present on the map. Sorry.

[steveh11Matrix]

<Grump> Another classic case of "We know best, you mere users know b****r all" from Matrix. </Grump>

Still, these are seriously dead horses. One feature that I loved in the original, but was dumped for AE due to AI problems, was the computer-controlled regions. Are there any plans to bring this one back? Pretty please?

[&o] [&o] [&o]

Steve.

[Monterey Jack]

drw61: Thanks for the link. Stuck in Seoul for a day, makes the 26,000 won for 24 hours of internet worth it.

[DuckofTindalos]

ORIGINAL: steveh11Matrix

<Grump> Another classic case of "We know best, you mere users know b****r all" from Matrix. </Grump>

Still, these are seriously dead horses. One feature that I loved in the original, but was dumped for AE due to AI problems, was the computer-controlled regions. Are there any plans to bring this one back? Pretty please?

[&o] [&o] [&o]

Steve.

No.

[DuckofTindalos]

BTW, before you continue whining about Matrix, maybe you should attempt to remember that AE originally was meant to require ownership and installation of stock WitP, but because of the pressure of players, Matrix removed that requirement, delaying release of the final product.

Matrix has bent over backwards to accomodate you, so you might show a little bit more gratitude.

[Buck Beach]

ORIGINAL: JWE

Yep. Remembering correctly. There is not, and will never be, a savegame file editor.

There is no utility that will edit AE pwhex files. There are no plans to make one. Thus, there is no evolution of map data, i.e., no way to build roads and railroads not present on the map. Sorry.

I miss being able to modify the hexes with pwhex to be able to navigate the rivers.

[jwilkerson]

There is nothing prorietary about the AE map data files - they can be edited (use a hexeditor until someone does up a tool). I posted the AE formats a while back but enterprising types figured out the original WITP map data file formats pretty easily and they were tougher as they had some packed data - which AE does not. Thus, I would expect it would not take much for an enterprising modder to update the map files - however the map data now loads into the save file at start of game - so map data cannot be changed mid-game - only prior to start.

Yes the "no in game editor" decision was from the publisher - the question has been asked several times and the answer has always come back the same - so I don't see that changing.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: jwilkerson

I posted the AE formats a while back ...

Could you please point out where for those of us who missed it?

[steveh11Matrix]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

BTW, before you continue whining about Matrix, maybe you should attempt to remember that AE originally was meant to require ownership and installation of stock WitP, but because of the pressure of players, Matrix removed that requirement, delaying release of the final product.

Matrix has bent over backwards to accomodate you, so you might show a little bit more gratitude.

I was properly grateful for that - I bought AE after already buying WitP.

Shrug. I support Matrix, in the same way as I support Paradox - I buy their games and publicly praise them on other networks. But neither publisher is perfect, nor are their games. What they (collectively) are, is the best around - so I'll continue to support both of them by buying their products and praising them, while at the same time I'll continue to ask for features I'd like to see, or ones which used to exist and don't any longer. I see no conflict in that, and especially no ingratitude.

Steve.

[Smeulders]

Disregard

[RyanCrierie]

The wpae[NUMBER].pws files appear to be encrypted ZIP files, or very similar to them.

Looking around, it appears there are brute force ZIP crackers, but they take up to 30 minutes to run, which makes developing a program to alter US aircraft production every 180th turn (every 6 months) impractical. [:(]

[el cid again]

Yes - if you are willing to play RHS - or at least incorporate its map system into a mod of your own.

There are two AE RHS map systems:

Level I is based on stock maps and pwhexe.dat files.

Level II is based on Andrew Brown's Extended map system. But note it is much more extended now (originally
it was the same).

In both systems, you change the pwhex.dat file each season of the war. You also change the pwzlink.dat file
once a year.

In both systems, you have all the historical construction AND the start of game files DO NOT have roads or
railroads that did not exist in 1941 (unlike stock and Andrew Brown's extended maps - which have several
cases of both).

In both systems, you also have an ALTERNATIVE set of construction for the non-strictly historical scenarios.
These are ALL historically PLANNED projects, but they didn't get funded IRL due to lack of pressing strategic
requirements which are assumed might apply in the Japan Enhanced Scenarios.

Detail are explained in the RHS documentation folder. Or you can ask.

RHS Update 3.19

https://1drv.ms/f/s!Ap7XOIkiBuUwhPxFuII1ZkrVQefJBQ

ORIGINAL: Monterey Jack

First-Bravo Zulu to the creators of this outstanding game. Thank you for your efforts! Question 1-Is there a way to edit a saved game and restart it from the saved point? For example, in a different game I can copy a filename.sav in the saved game folder and copy it as filename.scn in the scenario folder, make the desired changes, and then start the new game. This has saved me boatloads of time marking and recopying unit positions, status, etc., and allows dynamic input from out of game parameters/play. Question 2-Is there a way to build roads and railroads not present on the map (ALCAN highway, Bangkok-Rangoon RR, N.Australia RR)?