Editing/"Cheating" Mac C3C Game Files?

[aidanpendragon]

I'm running Mac Civ 3 Complete v1.22 and looking for some way to edit/adjust/"cheat" a game already in progress. Appreciate if anyone can help with the following:

-Locating a Civ 3 cheat/trainer program that works on Mac (PPC) (doubtful, from my searching).

-Helping me edit my Mac .sav files using a trainer on a PC.

I think the latter is more promising, as I have enough access to a PC to try an editor. However, I've already given it an unsuccessful go with the big-name cheat/editors listed on this site, including TCG, Civ3 MultiTool, and the Erik Tan Civ3 Save Game Editor. All gave me various errors when trying to open my .sav file, including "Invalid file" (TCG) and "This is a protected file" (Civ3 Save Game Editor); Civ3 MultiTool just had tons of error prompts.

Am I doing something wrong? Should I try autosaves instead of "regular" saves? Can you just not edit Mac .savs on a PC? (seems odd if you couldn't) Again, appreciate any help/guidance you can give.

(Backstory: I'm about 270 turns into a 15-civ game on a real-world map. I didn't realize until the whole map was revealed that it placed all the civs in their real-world locations...which is great, except that I only have America in the Western hemisphere, so they're a giant unchallenged behemoth. I've realized by now that despite my Golden Age & trying to madly conquer Eurasia, I won't catch them before they can pull off a Cultural win. So, I'm looking for an editor to redistribute some of their cities, re-balance the game, and save all the hours I've sunk in already...)

 

[Blue Monkey]

Sometimes there are compression problems between Mac & PC game files. Take a look at the utilities in AlanH's signature. They may be of help.

 

[AlanH]

Hi, welcome

I am not aware that there are compatibility issues between Mac and PC saves. For example, we only publish one set of GOTM files to support both Mac and PC users.

Autosaves are not compressed, so they may work if compression of normal saves *is* what's causing your problems. Or you can expand a compressed manual save using FileValet - download link in my sig.

If you want to attach a save to a post here (click Go Advanced, and then click Manage Attachments), I can have a look at it and see if it has any specific issues.

 

[aidanpendragon]

Thanks for the initial thoughts. I tried using one of my (uncompressed) auto-saves from about the same turn, instead, with only marginally better results:

-TCG: instead of telling me "Invalid file," I got repeated BIC, CULT, and ESPN errors (similar to those described in this thread).

-Erik Tan Civ3 Save Game Editor: instead of saying "this is a protected file," it sorta loaded; however, all the production and tech data was screwy/not consistent with my actual game...so reluctant to try anything with that one.

-Civ3 MultiTool: still tons of error prompts/refuse to load.

Don't know if it's worth noting that I'm trying to run the editors on a Windows 7 machine. They all seem to install and launch fine; it's the .sav that's the issue.

I'll attach the compressed regular .sav (due to size limits) here, maybe AlanH or someone else can make heads or tails of it? I might try FileValet on this compressed regular save, but I sense that's not the issue given these problems persist with an uncompressed auto-sav.

Thanks again.

 

[AlanH]

I've had a quick look, and it could be that the histograph data is screwed up. I haven't time to investigate now - it's early morning and way past my bedtime. Does the histograph look OK in game?

 

[aidanpendragon]

As far as I can tell, the histograph is fine. The civ names are displayed in 2 rows, not 1 (b/c of 15 civs), but the lines all display one next to each other and seem accurate.

 

[aidanpendragon]

As an update, I tried to open the non-compressed auto-.sav in the Civ3 Save Game Editor. Again, though, it displayed odd-looking info for technology; didn't list any of the civs in the game; only listed some of the cities; etc. I tried to edit the owner of certain cities (typing in manually since that drop-down wouldn't list anything), but after saving and loading the game, nothing had changed.

Appreciate any help anyone can offer with getting other editors to work.

 

[AlanH]

Sorry I haven't got back to this. I've been heavily involved in support for my son's family as they sell up and move to the US of A. I'll try to have another look next week, after they fly out.

 

[aidanpendragon]

Sorry I haven't got back to this. I've been heavily involved in support for my son's family as they sell up and move to the US of A. I'll try to have another look next week, after they fly out.

Thanks...I think that's probably more of a priority than a game, so no worries.

EDIT: Actually, try this file when you get a chance. (I haven't yet given up on my Hoover Dam and hope I can kill it for the Americans.)

 

[aidanpendragon]

Well, it's nearing make-or-break time...I've been forging ahead, but am about to get out-cultured by the ridiculously unopposed Americans. If anybody can get any editors to work and just chop their culture in half (give a bunch of cities to some other civ, or just cut their culture), that would be great. I'm going to have to invade, but not sure I can even do that before they culture-win. My latest file is attached...thanks.

 

[aidanpendragon]

Sorry for one more post, but I got to the inevitable, despite my attempt at invasion: "You have suffered an embarrassing cultural defeat."

Barring any breakthroughs anyone may work with an editor, I'm going to backtrack in my saves and attempt to invade earlier. But, I have a question: if you conquer another civ's cities, do they lose culture equal to the culture total of those cities? Or, is their aggregate culture something fixed, that you can slow/stop from going up but never detract?

If it's the latter, there's no way my invasion will succeed in averting a cultural win, and I'd be better off saving all those hours...

 

[AlanH]

Someone else may know better, but I seem to recall that you can never reduce a civ's culture (unless you find the value and edit it, of course). I think you can even lose a city to a culture flip when there's only a settler in a boat somewhere.

 

[aidanpendragon]

Someone else may know better, but I seem to recall that you can never reduce a civ's culture (unless you find the value and edit it, of course). I think you can even lose a city to a culture flip when there's only a settler in a boat somewhere.

Thanks...yeah, I subsequently found the official Civ 3 FAQ, which confirms that culture can never be "lost" once earned, though the growth rate slows if cities are lost.

Re. finding/editing the value...is there a way to do this short of the full-on cheater programs (which are being troublesome with my Mac files?)...some kind of value that I could find via a hex-editor or some such?

 

[AlanH]

I've never tried to do that level of surgery on a save, so I've no idea whether you can just alter one value, or if you have to change the individual culture for each of the Civ's buildings. I could have a crack at changing it in your save to see whether it works, but I'm currently up to my ears in work for the UK election campaign that's currently in progress. Election day is May 6, and I doubt if I'll get much sleep between now and then .