"how to mod" questions

[Seravy]

As for combining changes, the simplest form is converting a binary file to hex form and publishing a diff.

This is where we are having the problem.
I already found ways to create a txt file with the necessary hex changes from one file to another but...still nothing that would read that txt file and apply the changes back into the .exe...which leaves manually typing it in, not too viable if there is a large amount of data. (For example the magical ranged attacks using ammo change is one people are interested in, but I had to change the code at like 10 locations to make that work.)
Or, there are binary patch makers, but with those I can't edit out the parts I want to /not to include which is a problem when I do like 4-5 new things everyday.

Using wikia is good, I just mean we should keep modding info separated from the original game wiki.

like masterofmagic.wikia.com for what we have now and moddingmasterofmagic.wikia.com, for all pages related to modding, like hex code, or details on how various inner parts of the game work, like AI decisions. I rather not have the normal wiki link to the modding one, except on bug related pages when a fix is available.

[I like Serena]

For instance xxd can convert wizards.exe to hex, patch & diff can manage the changes, and xxd can convert the result back into a binary.

[Seravy]

For instance xxd can convert wizards.exe to hex, patch & diff can manage the changes, and xxd can convert the result back into a binary.

Sounds cool...where do I download these? I don't think it would be wise to try find something named "xxd" in google, patch and diff sounds like I would get a million unrelated result too.

[I like Serena]

Any linux system has them. If you're on Windows, cygwin has them.
For the record, Windows as a platform is unsuitable for any of this (in my humble opinion), except through cygwin that gives access to linux functionality.
Patch & diff are part of POSIX (Portable Operating System Interface), meaning it works out of the box for any unix, linux, and apple computer, and works on Windows if you install cygwin.

[Seravy]

Any linux system has them. If you're on Windows, cygwin has them.
For the record, Windows as a platform is unsuitable for any of this (in my humble opinion), except through cygwin that gives access to linux functionality.

Thanks, I'll see if I can get that cygwin to work then.

Those who want me to release new insecticide patches, don't get your hopes up yet, I'm still way too busy fixing new bugs to consider releasing anything like that at the moment...but if this works, it'll happen eventually. (unless kryub returns and does it himself ofc)

Edit :
Okay...I installed it but got stuck trying to get it work. I really dislike overly user friendly software such as windows but this is a bit too extreme in being user-unfriendly. I got as far as cygwin/c:/games/ but...couldn't get into Master of Magic, got no such directory it says. I know it's case sensitive but even then it wasn't working. Is it the space in the filename? So I wanted to see what's in the current directory, how am I supposed to type it... And couldn't figure out how to list the current directory and when I started the detailed help it recommended...I had no idea how it works and I couldn't even close it with the esc button...so I decided I'll leave this for another day :D

[I like Serena]

Ah, spaces... yes... spaces tend to muck things up, and not only in linux.
Windows doesn't like spaces either. You're forced to put everything in quotes if you have spaces, and that's definitely not the end of it.
I recommend avoiding spaces.

Anyway, to get into the proper directory, you probably have to type something like:
$ cd 'c:/games/Master of Magic'

After that, it should be okay'ish.

Btw, I once wrote a procedure to upgrade a mod to a newer Insecticide version, which you can find here: http://realmsbeyond.net/forums/showthrea...#pid276090
That was actually in the time that new Insecticide versions were coming out regularly.

[Seravy]

Ah, spaces, yes, spaces tend to muck things up, and not only in linux.
Windows doesn't like spaces either. You're forced to put everything in quotes if you have spaces, and that's definitely not the end of it.
I recommend avoiding spaces.

Anyway, to get into the proper directory, you probably have to type something like:
$ cd 'c:/games/Master of Magic'

After that, it should be okay'ish.

Cool, will try tomorrow, it's kinda getting late, 1am
Another day vanished and I only got to play like 20 turns....but fixed 3 bugs, found 4 more, and taught the AI not to melee attack stronger enemies with flying units. Which is awesome but took most of the day. I'm looking forward to the AI spamming arrows from flying units then skip turns and retreat like I do from now on. That (aside not keeping enough defenders in the fortress) is the only remaining big AI flaw I really hated, who would melee a Great Wyrm with sprites?

[letsdance]

In a forum corrections tend to get lost, or information cannot be found due to all the posts that are in between gems of information.

yeah that's why i started this thread and the info in first post =) i try to avoid adding informations that's unsure, but of course i don't always know.

a wiki is better for sharing information. but a forum is better for discussing (and requesting) it. i don't know how much work it is to set up a wiki properly. if anyone wants to do it, i'll appreciate, but i'll not do it.

[Question]

Firewall: 9EE60 33 C0 50 -> 68 0C 00.

What does this do exactly?

Also would anyone happen to know how to do the following ;

-Make magical ranged attacks have a distance penalty

-Make the long range ability reduce the distance penalty to 0 instead of -1

-Make some spells like warp wood check for resists

-Changing the amount of mana generated from nodes without affecting node guardians

-Changing the amount of mana required to level up spell casting skill from 2x your skill level to 1x.

[Seravy]

-Make some spells like warp wood check for resists

Impossible. Or at least it would be a hell of a lot work, not gonna happen.

-Make magical ranged attacks have a distance penalty

-Make the long range ability reduce the distance penalty to 0 instead of -1

I can do these easily, will post the code tomorrow if I don't forget, it's sleeping time now.

-Changing the amount of mana required to level up spell casting skill from 2x your skill level to 1x.

Probably doable but would need to change the exe at all places where this calculation is used (Cruel Unminding it the only one I've found so far but there must be more)

-Changing the amount of mana generated from nodes without affecting node guardians

Doable, would need to edit the code at the part where various event and mastery bonuses are applied to also multiply the end result. You need to make room and insert a multiplication.

68 0C 00.

The original was, if I guess right, xor ax,ax push ax to pass zero as a parameter.
The new passes 12 instead.

Spell effects with a 0 strength value use the value specified in the spell tables instead. (Firewall uses Fireball's) 12 would use...12.