Anyone Good At Programming and Some basic Hex Editing?

[Compwhiz128]

Back from the dead for a request...

If so, then I need your help. This game that ive been obsessed with since a kid called Microman.

Ive played it over and over and over again...

Ive recently learned how to edit the levels using a hex editor.

This method, however, is frusterating and can pernamently damage the level file.

Heres how the levels are stored in the game.

In text its read as this gibberish when reffering to where the file is located in the hex editor

Start Room
MO


But here is what its like when displayed in HEX




The stuff thats circled crudely when switched around is where the level data is located




Like so...


That is where all the tile data is located...

Below that is the non static object data




Like so....




Above is a crudely composed image of where how the hex numbers show on the level




So if anyone would know how to write a program that eases the use of modifying the levels in this game, that'd be great!

Thank you all!

[Rizimar]

Cool that you figured out how to edit the levels with hex. If possible, you could try writing a program in C or some other language that would modify the executable's source. It would take some time, but if you feel it's worth it, it would be an option worth considering

[Bad Sector]

You might want to write a plugin for my tilemap editor here that reads and writes the file .

[Compwhiz128]

Well the question I have now is...How?

Its a nifty program and this would work, I just need to know how I would do such a thing.

[Rizimar]

You could write a program that opens up the game's executable, searches for the "Start Room" string, and then reads all of the characters following, storing those characters in an array, then have the program draw the level where you can edit it

[Compwhiz128]

You could write a program that opens up the game's executable, searches for the "Start Room" string, and then reads all of the characters following, storing those characters in an array, then have the program draw the level where you can edit it

The Levels are stored in the .RMP file

[Rizimar]

Ah. Did you find out how the enemies and items are stored?

I found a shareware copy of the game online. Apparently, the guy who programmed it was one of the original founders of Monolith!

[Compwhiz128]

Ah. Did you find out how the enemies and items are stored?

I found a shareware copy of the game online. Apparently, the guy who programmed it was one of the original founders of Monolith!

Items and enimies are stored right below the tile code.

The hex number at the beggining is the corrdinates, and the "01" tells it to be placed on the right half of the screen



Romero even knows who Goble is

Session Start (compwhiz128:txgameguy): Sun Jan 20 01:56:31 2008
[01:57] compwhiz128: Do you know this person by the name of Brian Goble?
[01:57] txgameguy: yep
[01:57] txgameguy: known of brian since 1989
[01:57] compwhiz128: Zomg how?
[01:57] txgameguy: when i was working at Softdisk he submitted a game for publication called Alien Planet ........was pretty good
[01:58] compwhiz128: Thats the dude who made Microman!
[01:59] compwhiz128: Made back when not much was done in ways of flicker free animation under windows 3.1
Session Close (txgameguy): Sun Jan 20 02:02:44 2008

[elias3c]

Should this be moved to the Computer Programming section? Hm. I don't know my way around Hex at all and I have been programming since 7th grade... sigh.

[Rizimar]

Should this be moved to the Computer Programming section? Hm. I don't know my way around Hex at all and I have been programming since 7th grade... sigh.

Hex really isn't tough to figure out. And if Compwhiz or someone were to write a level editor, they wouldn't even have to use it if they didn't want to.

[elias3c]

Should this be moved to the Computer Programming section? Hm. I don't know my way around Hex at all and I have been programming since 7th grade... sigh.

Hex really isn't tough to figure out. And if Compwhiz or someone were to write a level editor, they wouldn't even have to use it if they didn't want to.

Yeah I made my own scripting language for maps in map files, which is then encrypted. It has an almost batch file feel to it. It has functions like wall, door, floor, etc etc. I will soon to be updating it for my game, which I am still working on. With the tests of my game, I am actually using raw code to create the map, so it can't really be changed unless i do some sort of thing with arrays which is almost pointless, when I can make a scripting language, so then I can include level creators for my game. Anybody else create a map file system and/or a level editor? (2d)

[Bad Sector]

Me, i already mentioned it at this very thread

[elias3c]

Me, i already mentioned it at this very thread

Lol, you can quote me, I said anybody else lol. I will check yours out, bit I got to see what file structure your using.

[Bad Sector]

Ah i thought with "anybody else" you meant beside you not me . A file is shown in the references topic, but here it is.

[elias3c]

Ah i thought with "anybody else" you meant beside you not me . A file is shown in the references topic, but here it is.

Wow, very nice, clean, easy to read structure.