[C3C] Help with editing save files, any working solutions?

[Cyrus of Persia]

Hi.

I would like to change the terrain type of certain tiles mid game by editing the save file. Change a mountain tile to a glassland or change a coast to a land, etc.

I tried the Civ3MultiTool by Gramphos but it doesnt work. I have used both v1.12.6 and v1.12.8, but it doesn't work. The suggested method as I understand it is that using C3MT you should export the map data to a biq file, then edit with normal editor, then important back to C3MT. However when once I export to biq file, the editor is not able to read and open the biq file. So I'm stopped cold.

I have not found or I'm not in the know of any other solutions that supposedly can do what I'm trying to do.

Any of you guys have any suggestions?

I'm willing to hex edit by hand, but I'm guessing that's even a taller order. Plus I would need some documentation of hex offsets, as well as the ability to decompress and recompress save files and do it right, ...none of which I have any know how about.



So.. you guys know if there is anything I can do? any working tools as of 2020?

 

[Blue Monkey]

Have you tried working with Quintillus' editor rather than the standard Firaxis editor?

 

[Cyrus of Persia]

Thanks for the reply,

No I haven't. Interesting suggestion.

But here is the thing, if the default editor can't open the biq file generated with C3MT then it means there are errors in the file already, errors in how it was written and so its not conforming to the editor. would it be a good idea to even try? don't want my save to be corrupted and findout 200 turns into the game.


Are there any other tools that can edit terrain in save files? I've searched a lot and couldn't find one.

Also, did C3MT ever work in the past? And why is it's exported biq file not loadable?

See I never used these tools back in the day, so I can't compare.

 

[Blue Monkey]

There are compressed & uncompressed biqs. The firaxis editor can't handle the difference iirc.

Duplicate the save file whatever you do. Work on the copy.

Thing about Quintillus' editor - he got down into the code & made it able to do many things the firaxis editor can't. I only vaguely remember something about being able to open save files. Check his thread for details.

 

[Cyrus of Persia]

Hmm. Perhaps I should talk to him. Thanks man.

 

[Civinator]

For editing save files at present the Quintillus editor - as Blue Monkey posted - is the tool to use.

I'm willing to hex edit by hand, but I'm guessing that's even a taller order. Plus I would need some documentation of hex offsets, as well as the ability to decompress and recompress save files and do it right, ...none of which I have any know how about.

All really great improvments in playing Civ 3 were done by hexeditors: Skyer2´s No Raze Patch and the Antal1987 patches and even the Quintillus editor has at least some features with a kind of automated hexediting like the deepwater harbor option or enabling landmark terrain for all kinds of terrain.

As far as I understand all those hexediting works are based on a C3C No-CD biq that was published by Firaxis many years ago. If you really want to start learning hexediting for C3C, may be the thread by Antal1987 would be a very good start, as there he explains a lot of the passages for hexediting that were needed for his changes. You can find the thread here: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/useful-patches-for-civ-3-conquests-v1-22.526285/