A while back I figured out how to unpack the save file and managed to figure out some of the data. When I have the time I can have a look at making a simple little program that could open a save file of your choosing and then automatically increase everyone's XP so they are guaranteed to level up on the next mission.

I should have the time to get this done during the first of May weekend.

Originally posted by Daerandin:

A while back I figured out how to unpack the save file and managed to figure out some of the data. When I have the time I can have a look at making a simple little program that could open a save file of your choosing and then automatically increase everyone's XP so they are guaranteed to level up on the next mission.

I should have the time to get this done during the first of May weekend.

That would be fantastic, and I'd deeply appreciate that. I just want to start off a chapter at level 10 so I can level up via CCC levels and avoid the looooong slog of levels 1 to 10.

I got it done a bit earlier than expected. I have made some preliminary testing and everything seems to work as intended. Basically, you run the tool, it lists your savegames, numbered, then you just type the number of the savegame you wish to modify. The XP of all terminators will be set to be just 100 xp from the next level. That way you are guaranteed to level up on your next mission as you always get at least 100 xp per mission.

You can even run this thing while you are in-game, just make sure that you load in the modified save after running my tool. So far from my own testing, it does not matter if your save is in a mission or the mission-select screen. It still works as it should.

One little caveat, I haven't really been able to test it on Windows. I run Linux, and it works great on Linux. But for Windows, I did try a quick little test in Virtualbox, but didn't have enough space to fully test it. So, backup your saves first! Also, let me know if there's any issues on Windows.

I will eventually put this code on my gitlab, but haven't gotten around to it yet. So the download will include all the source code for now. However, you only need the sha_levelup.exe file, everything else is not required unless you want to compile it yourself.

EDIT: I have put code on my gitlab, and any updated versions should be downloaded from the gitlab release page, just use the "WIndows executable" link for the main exe program.

Gitlab release[gitlab.com]

OLD VERSION, equivalent in functionality to the 0.1 version (works, but no more updates will be put on this link).
Link[www.questforgaming.com]

Also, antivirus software on Windows seems to very frequently give false positives on stuff compiled with the mingw32 compiler. I have no idea why as it is an open source compiler. So if you get any AV warning about the file, it is a false positive and nothing to worry about. It's also the only compiler I know of that can cross compile for Windows on Linux. I had that exact issue with a small mod I made for Stronghold 2 which got labeled as malicious by some AV software.

You could also just compile the software yourself from the source code, something I could probably help with.

Sounds interesting, I'm running windows, so probably try it, on a test run.

Nice work by the way.

Originally posted by Daerandin:

I got it done a bit earlier than expected. I have made some preliminary testing and everything seems to work as intended. Basically, you run the tool, it lists your savegames, numbered, then you just type the number of the savegame you wish to modify. The XP of all terminators will be set to be just 100 xp from the next level. That way you are guaranteed to level up on your next mission as you always get at least 100 xp per mission.

You can even run this thing while you are in-game, just make sure that you load in the modified save after running my tool. So far from my own testing, it does not matter if your save is in a mission or the mission-select screen. It still works as it should.

One little caveat, I haven't really been able to test it on Windows. I run Linux, and it works great on Linux. But for Windows, I did try a quick little test in Virtualbox, but didn't have enough space to fully test it. So, backup your saves first! Also, let me know if there's any issues on Windows.

I will eventually put this code on my gitlab, but haven't gotten around to it yet. So the download will include all the source code for now. However, you only need the sha_levelup.exe file, everything else is not required unless you want to compile it yourself.

Link[www.questforgaming.com]

Also, antivirus software on Windows seems to very frequently give false positives on stuff compiled with the mingw32 compiler. I have no idea why as it is an open source compiler. So if you get any AV warning about the file, it is a false positive and nothing to worry about. It's also the only compiler I know of that can cross compile for Windows on Linux. I had that exact issue with a small mod I made for Stronghold 2 which got labeled as malicious by some AV software.

You could also just compile the software yourself from the source code, something I could probably help with.

That sounds fantastic! I'll try that out when I can this week and report back my findings. I'm not a coder myself but have a basic understanding of it since I lived with a coder for 15 years (best friend in school and after) and I've been modding PC games for 30 years. If there's an issue I can probably sort it out. I'll report any issues I find back to you via this thread. Ty in advance for your work, fren. Salute o7

windows here, no issues. at 24 kills, a SM can have about 300 od XP. which is huge, and allows a low level SM to become pretty decent.

So it certainly seems to work.

thanks Daerandin

No need to worry about getting enough kills. Just save the game after completing a mission, use the tool again on the save, load the game, and you are guaranteed to level up again on the next mission. You could hit level 10 with one squad after only 10 missions.

I was thinking to expand the functionality a bit, in particular relic weapons. I was thinking so that when you run this tool you get to choose either to boost xp, or to improve the already found relic weapons to the best version. So let's say you already found the Storm Bolter +12% to hit. Then running this tool could change it into the +20% version instead. It would save time over reloading constantly until you get the best version.

There is also the option to directly modify Terminator statistics directly which would not be too hard to implement. But that's not something I'm personally interested in so it's not a priority for me.

I think the next thing will be adding an option to upgrade already found relic weapons to the best version, that's what I'm the most motivated to add.

Make bakcups of your saves BEFORE using my tool!

I just encountered a case where my pattern detection code is not robust enough and ended up modifying an incorrect byte in the save file, rendering the save unusable. I'll see if I can get it fixed today.

I've been using my tool for a couple of days and only encountered the issue today so hopefully not a common occurence. Still, always bakcup your saves before using my tool to be safe.

upgrading relic weapons would be awesome.

instead of modify the stats of SM, any chance of modifying the field power generator? so that it takes more hits to destroy? or at least last longer? At least then, it would be a more useful item to carry.

Otherwise, I think relic upgrade system would be great. especially if you are dependent on chests, like the wolves.

I have fixed the pattern detection code, it should™ work without any errors now. Recompiled the exe with the updated code. Same link as before.

Hmm, I'm not sure if this is working? I'm on windows. I tried running the program on the auto save file, when running the tool direct, I press the number for the chosen save file, (which it can see) but as soon as I sect the number then return, the program closes instantly? is there any way to include a log after you press the number? for example, decompress file, modifying, then compress?

After the mission, I'm not seeing all the SM leveling, only the ones that did the most kills for that mission, not all of them.

So, far, it doesn't seem to work. Either it can't directly modify the file do to a permission issue? (which is possible, as windows is a bit of a b, when it comes to modifying anything in a windows C drive.

better yet, would it be possible to move the save files to another directory, off the C drive, then modify them, and move them back? or have some means of knowing if a save file has been modded by the program in some way? maybe, if you type the number for the file in question, it could return, true, if moddded, or false, if unmodded, then carry on with the medication by user permission?


So, not sure what is up, but if I was to hazard a guess, its probably not allowing the files to be modded due to permission issues. (and the C drive is a right nightmare for modders for this reason.

It does close instantly, because the work needed to be done is pretty much instant to do. I could add a message indicating success that will wait on any user input before closing.

The check if it actually works, load in the save after running my tool and check the terminator XP. This can't be checked while you are in a level, so I suggest testing this on a save on the mission select screen. You can check your Terminators XP directly there. You can check just before running the tool, then run the tool, load the save, then check the XP again.

What the tool does is raise each individual terminators XP so that you only need 100 xp to gain a new level. Each mission in the game give you minimum 100 xp, which is what each terminator get for the completion of an objective.

Check my linked screenshots, the first one is before I run my tool:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3716558486

Then I run my tool on the savegame, and load the savegame (my tool only modifies the savegame, so you must load it in after running it), notice the greatly increased xp:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3716559206

I recommend not using the autosave, since the game frequently makes a new autosave.

OK that makes sense, I will test this soon.

Thanks for answering.

This doesn't seem to work, However, I think I have found maybe the culprit, or another issue.

When I use windows powershell, and use the program that way, on a file that I already used the program once on, I get this

zpipe: invalid or incomplete deflate data

otherwise, the terminator XP remains the same. So maybe some sort of logging would be useful to know if its working or not, or there is something else amiss?

That is very useful info, I know where it fails. Most likely I screwed up something in the Windows specific code. Not sure if I have time to look into it today, but the Windows specific code is not too large so hopefully it's something I can spot quickly.