Ambrosia Software Web Board: Cythera modding challenge - Ambrosia Software Web Board

I have considered starting a topic like this for some time, but, since I'm now (finally) done with school for a month or so, I thought I might as well go ahead and do so.


Challenge:
Come up with something that you'd like to see done in Cythera and challenge me or anyone else has some experience hacking Cythera to do it. If the hacker is successful, he or she will post a screenshot.


Limitations:
1. The challenge cannot be anything that might involve finding out how to get around registration in Cythera (i.e. nothing involving making things like runic magic available or such, although I'm not certain whether or not this can even actually be done). That is, only challenges that can be done in game without violating registration will be accepted.
2. I can't say how much of this I'll be able to accomplish, and I do not wish this to turn into a nightmare for me. So, please don't request too many things or things that might take for ever to do .
3. Please, do not request that I switch character portraits (e.g. give you character Alaric's face for example). I have already attempted this several times and it just ends up being a frustration.
4. I'd prefer that this stay limited to just altering save files. I do not think it advisable to attempt much editing of the game itself for a variety of reasons.
5. Make sure the requests are within reason: no new game content or anything like that, please. (Oh, and please try to avoid requesting things that might cause someone to break Cythera or some such thing .)


Note: this topic is not me attempting to brag or something like that: anyone who can mess with the save files is free to join in if they wish to do so. It's just supposed to be a fun kind of a game and a way to find new aspects of Cythera and to increase activity on the forum. I would hardly consider myself to be an expert on the innards of Cythera. (I think that the inspiration for this idea really comes from things I've seen on the EV: Developer's Corner.)

All credit for hacking breakthroughs really belongs to Bryce, by the way .


EDIT:
Hmm, 2000th post.

You've shown us a flying chicken, now I want to see what it's like to play as a gecko! ^_^

A sword of heroes in every equipment slot.

All of your party members as different animals.

Is it possible to make the Tree of life an available area to visit?

(Note: I'm considering changing the format of the challenge somewhat.)


Status update (screenshots will be uploaded later):

No real progress on the gecko yet, I'm afraid. I haven't been able to find all the clusters of animals and monsters in the graphics.


The result with the Sword of Heroes might be somewhat disappointing, I'm afraid. I was able to turn all equipped items into Swords, but the game still reads them as equipped weapons. Hence, it puts them all into the weapon slots, giving you several Swords in either hand. (Regrettably, the damage does not seem to stack.) This suggests that one must change the classification of the item to get it into other inventory slots. (I cannot think of any alternatives to this yet anyway).

As for turning party members into animals...
I have successfully turned Hector into a goat and Meleager into a crab. I am not, however, certain if I can change Timon and Aethon without a lot of trouble (I have yet to identify any specific bites that control graphics for others), if at all. I could fake this one though, I think. It depends on if you want me to change the authentic members or if you would settle for a convincing facsimile .


Pippin, I'm not sure that I understand you completely.

Do you mean just add a hole or something to lead to the Tree? Or finishing the map?

I've given some thought to the former, but I can't figure out how to get items to "stick." Whenever I try, the item "sticks" on its own, and I have been unable to simulate a situation where it does not (oddly enough).

Arguably, they both might be possible to a point, if I could figure out how to get item to "stick." I could, in theory, use the flour to shower the white patches with flour and then try to mass change the flour into some kind of terrain. The cave would still lead to the template map though.


EDIT:
Screenshot for multiple swords uploaded. (The images are only of the character's inventory to save space on the uploading.)

Screenshot for followers as animals (only two out of four at the moment):

Awesome.


A gang of demons might be cool too.


Actually a group of demons, ghosts, skeletions and lichs would be pretty bad ass.

This post has been edited by Two Jacks: 29 December 2008 - 01:50 AM

We could start a band, aye?

I was meaning just a entrance to the tree of life that is easy to access through the normal land.

Hector is an old goat? I thought you said Wizard was supposed to be that!

He says that about everyone. . .

Although, I suppose Wizard may have been upgraded to a decrepit old fool (I'm gonna go with upgraded here because at least it doesn't imply that Wizard is a goat).

This post has been edited by The Wizard: 30 December 2008 - 02:00 PM

Wizard will always be an old goat !


Now, status update...

1. Turning character into gecko: still no real progress, I'm afraid.


2. Swords in all inventory slots: I think that I've done all that I can do with the save files at the moment (not much admittedly). May I consider this one completed for the moment?


3. Turning followers into animals: I have actually discovered a much faster and more effective method for this one. Unfortunately, extensive damage was done to the save file before I did so, and I would not consider it playable. However, I did manage to get this one completed. See below .


4. Turning the Tree of Life into a place with entry and exit: I'm afraid that I haven't been able to get to work on this one yet. I would have earlier, but my copy of Sheepshaver imploded. I have fixed that problem, although I'm still having difficulties getting it to work precisely.

I'm not quite sure how to approach this one. I don't think that I can get ordinary transition items (such as a hole or a stairway) to "stick." I might be able to get a terrain item to "stick" and configure it to lead some place.

Thus, I might be able to make a permanent entry and exit, but I cannot say if it will look natural.


I don't think that I can get monsters as followers, Two Jacks. I've discovered that some of aspects of character AI seem to be loaded into the save file itself when it is created, but this has led me to suspect that monster AI and such is controlled in the game data.

I can, however, now mass-change alignment. Thus, I can get an army of mages or of the three ruffians with AI.

Much as I hate to doublepost...


I'm sorry, Pippin, but I don't think that I can fulfill your request at the moment. The experimentation that I have done indicates that any of the transportation items that I know of (such as stairs) do not "stick." The only items that I know of that will "stick" are terrain ones, and I do not know how to get them to function like stairs.

Perhaps, when I have more time, I might be able to try again, but I don't think I can make permanent entrances and exits to the Tree of Life for now.


In other news, I have done some experimentation with AI and have found out how to perform a few rather fun tricks (only with some aspects—I do not know much about the AI with any degree of certainty). It warrants posting of another topic, I think, but I'll hold off for a day or two (due to the high number of topics that I have posted on this subject recently). Perhaps, I should compile them into one thread...but then would anyone notice them?

Selax, on Jan 12 2009, 08:10 PM, said:

The more threads the merrier!

Turn the followers into clones of yourself! …if that's at all possible.

The animals basically make the followers pets actually.

Oh, and there seems to be a bug in Cythera dealing with über damage, which would probably explain the lack of instant death with the double-sword of heroes arming. My experience with the “ground to dust” damage is that it hardly hurts at all, and “smashing with a bonecrushing sound” seems to be the most effective. I’m also wondering if Cythera stores damage in categories instead of hitpoints?

Actually, I have found out how to change graphics easily. I could even make them all look like the female model of the hero.

(I can get around to doing this later by the way. At the moment, I have another hacking trick I want to post.)

Can you learn the extra spells, or is that impossible?

Do you mean the old spells mentioned on Slayer's Guide or the ones referred to in the "you now know x spells of y" line?

I don't know for sure. I have found how to give myself the abilities and modify their level, but I don't recall if I've listed them all. I think that I have, and I'm inclined to doubt that I can give myself the extra spells. I guess that I could look at it again though.

(I will get around to fulfilling your above request, by the way. I've just been quite busy lately.)

It'd be cool if you could make fetch work on anything.

I was referring to the the two dealing with the Veil (one was Removing the Veil, I think) and whatever the third was. Not sure if those were the ones mentioned on Slayer's Guide or not.

I'd have to consult my notes, but, as I mentioned earlier, I'm inclined to doubt those spells exist.

I'm afraid that I have been too busy to look into this much recently and, given that school is not yet out and that I am having computer problems, I'm not certain when I shall be able to get back to you on this.

I thought there was some sort of proof that they existed? If not, oh well…

I'm not sure. I have a bunch of the various spells and skills listed, but it looks like there are a few blank addresses in the middle, so they could still be hidden somewhere in there, or even stored elsewhere.

Sely, you fail! It's been nearly two years and the only screenshots you've posted are of duplicating the Sword of Heroes, and of your pets.

Now about that Tree of Life thing, have you tried placing the staircase to it in a follower's inventory and shaking it down? Because that seems like the obvious solution to me.

I don't recall whether I have tried that or not. Wizard thinks that I have and tells me that the staircase turned into some sort of tile when dropped.


In any case, I have recently lost almost all of my hacking saves and information and am still attempting to work up the energy to rebuild them.