Awesome work

[nickntg]

I'm a gamer enthusiast and M.A.X. remains one of my favorites despite its age.

I first saw this repository a couple of weeks ago and I just dropped in to say: awesome work sir. Your save file format article in particular has enabled me to start working on a MAX loader application, something that I wanted to do for a long time.

[klei1984]

What is a loader application?

[nickntg]

Something that can read the game, make changes and then write them back.

Two primary reasons:

• Shamelessly cheat.
• Be able to remove structures and units out of the game. Just a random example: a filled depot where the AI gets stuck endlessly loading and unloading units preventing a round from ending. I too have an old game that I want to finish, and I'm stuck there.

[klei1984]

Can you share your saved file? I am interested in that game defect as I also had it in the past, but now I cannot reproduce it.

There is an imHex format parser profile on the save format page which already makes it possible to load saved game files and render it as an object model. It already makes it possible to change most game settings or unit parameters. Removing or adding units is more difficult as unit lists are serialized. For that it is really a better option to write a script or tool. M.A.X. Port uses the same save file format as the original. There is a high chance that if you load your saved game file in M.A.X. Port, play a few turns and then go back to original DOS version with the new saved game file you will be able to proceed.

It worth mentioning that if you can make a save game editor, you will be able to create new missions as well as the campaign and standalone missions are just normal saved game files with certain win/loss conditions hard coded.

[nickntg]

Sure, you can download it here. The depot at 070-014 is what's been bugging me. With M.A.X. port, the game gets stuck every time. With M.A.X. it is more unpredictable but it eventually gets stuck. I hate this.

I saw the profile you created and I am actively using ImHex. Small changes are easily doable using that, but I want to remove the complete depot and the units in it. That's why I need an application to do that and serialize the game back.

At the moment I'm focused on this use case, so single player custom games only. Anyway, I've a ways to go. I'm still at the point of reading/writing the serialized hash maps.

[klei1984]

For me blue computer's end turn did not conclude after successfully progressing 2 full turns :D Green did not abuse the depot.

This is also a known original MAX defect which I attempted to analyze a few times already. There are situations where certain tasks have pending delayed reactions that are ought to be fully processed at the end of the turn. But they stuck and this prevents even the forced end turn logic from triggering. I never found the root cause of it.

Thanks for the save game, it will be an interesting test subject to dissect.

[nickntg]

wtf.

And didn't the game stuck with M.A.X. port?

[klei1984]

Not with the depot...

But any ways I changed green team into human and found that the Depot has a phantom unit in it. Unfortunately changing a human back to computer needs a bit more hacking by restoring an instance of the computer player structure... on the other hand it might be enough to decrease the storage parameter of the offending depot via imHex.

[nickntg]

Interesting. I wouldn't have thought of doing that.

[klei1984]

Changing green computer to human can be done with two variable changes. team_type_green at file offset 9D and team_info_green.team_type at offset 963D.

[nickntg]

@klei1984 I've opened a PR to include the MAX pattern file in the repository. If you can, please place a comment in the PR indicating if you're fine, or not, with that.

[klei1984]

Its fine. The more accessible, the better. Maybe someone will create a mission editor before I reach to that work package :)