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Post by Simtek™ on Apr 6, 2010 21:30:20 GMT
From a random email of Kimi... I just had to see this for myself... Real life took over previously and the guy who was looking after this site did absolutely nothing of what he was doing. I don't think he even logged on the forum, never mind doing a site!!!
I'm amazed that people are using this, heartened and happy at the same time. The game deserves it and it's testament to how good it is.
What i want to say now is, I can devote some time to assisting the work done here.
I will build a new site (it wont be amazing, but it will be game-related - I'm sure you'll all like it) to "combine" the efforts here.
If anyone will want CD versions, I will offer them as long as you cover P&P (the game is no longer supported anyway) and I will offer the downloaded version. Both English. So we are playing the same game and it can me "modded" better.
I have webspace, but will be buying some more for my other works (my music etc.) so will just use that.
I'm happy that there is a 2010 mod, congrats. I have some insights into the game and I am still looking into removing images from the files. As I recall it, I was so close to this back in 2008. So will try to pick up from where I left off.
I will not be able to do anything this week, but Sunday night I'm back from a mini-holiday snowboarding so I can try something.
What I would like to ask is what do you guys need? - I want to try to help and backup what you guys have been doing here. I know this forum isn't the best, but to be honest, if I move it, any way that you guys have found it may go away, so I'll just change the colour schemes etc. - But that's minor. I mean, what would you like to see sorted (bar a website maybe!)
Just give me a shout and I'll try to help as much as I can. I can also offer tutorials on how to get Virtual PC working as that's how I run WIN 98 on my Win XP x64 edition.
Keep it guys. Happy easter if you celebrate it!
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Post by tyred2010 on Apr 7, 2010 13:32:48 GMT
Hi Simtek! Good to hear from you again. It's been a few years since I disappeared... Yup, it's a testament to how good the game is. Looks like people are still discovering the game for the first time, either from F1 gaming or abandonware sites. There'd probably be even more interested, if it wasn't the kind of game that's baffling the first time one plays it. But the fact people are here is also a testament to the work you put into the game, including creation of the forum in the first place. Hmm, a webpage might be appreciated. Nothing super-fancy. A few files, or hyperlinks to files. Game manual, for those new to the game(s). Maybe tutorials, strategy guides, or playing tools. The actual game files, or hyperlink on where to find them; and same for modded files. Now about image files, I've been putting some thought and work into that the last few days. Last time I tried in 2007 or whenever, it was a little beyond my programming tools and knowledge. I'm still only an amateur at those things, but maybe improved enough to get the job done. Check this thread: simtek.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=Pro&action=display&thread=37 |
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Post by Simtek™ on Apr 11, 2010 21:31:34 GMT
I checked the thread and the link you posted in another thread, great work. I've sent you a PM too.
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Post by tyred2010 on Apr 13, 2010 8:11:17 GMT
Should be a PM back to you.
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Post by punkrohan on Apr 13, 2010 13:11:13 GMT
Guys, i too am modding this game. This is probably my favourite f1 related game. Firstly, Simtek, thankyou for the update (and site) you provided long ago, that i re-discovered on my computer just a few months ago. It has inspired me to learn about hex editing. I got many hours of gameplay out of that first update! Tyred2010.. the work you have done on the image side of things is... well..its amazing thus far. A few questions then.. 1. Is it possible to remove arrows/sorrows from having the number 1 spot in the teams section (and running cars 3 and four every year?) 2. When changing the start year to 2010, is it possible to edit the statistics for the years 1998 -2009 instead of having "blank" championships? 3.Tyred, how are you going with the sponsors car logo's? 4.If you guys need the offset positions in hex to change the "strength of teams" and the constructor's position on the fax (or teams 1st year) i have these, and will let you know. 4. The sponsor screen where you dedicate sponsor space, the pictures of the cars are from 1997? Any idea if these pics can be edited? 5. Have either of you figured out how to change the weight of the engines (i can change the horsepower) 6.I have also established how to change star ratings for all suppliers and sponsors, and the code required to designate a sponsor as "main sponsor" 7. Is there a place in the code to change length of initial driver/engine contracts? I cant see mercedes swapping to renault power  or hamilton moving away from mclaren in the near future... 8. I can change points scoring, but not just the top 6 cars scoring points only.. 9. Flag graphics? can they be altered? I can do all the "cosmetic" editing in hex(faxes general screen information), and am already madly working on getting sponsors logos such as vodafone and santander into the game. Iam currently exploring if we can re-name the tracks to have an Abu Dhabi grand prix..-run on estoril track if the track graphics cannot be changed. There is alot of code to go through yet and i am still at the tip of the iceberg. For all my graphics i am using the gimp graphics program and saving files as 'pcx' A Virtual PC tutorial would be brilliant. Laters. |
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Post by tyred2010 on Apr 13, 2010 14:36:46 GMT
Simtek's answers may be different, but these are mine:
1. Don't know, never investigated.
2. It's been awhile since I looked at the relevant files, but I could investigate. My guess is the better chance is to show statistics from like 2009 and however many years may be prior, and eliminate 1997 stuff.
3. Pictures aren't rectangular shaped, which makes even finding the correct offsets difficult. Distorting images into non-rectangular shapes is probably the really hard part on changing the images that go on cars, tho.
4. Mmmmm, offsets. Yummy. Sure, make a thread and dump off whatever offsets you know about.
5. Yes, although the way weight works looks counter-intuitive. Apparrently, speeds are only affected by non-engine weight. So a 200 kg engine doesn't seem to slow the car down, and actually seems to be a potential benefit, as one can really trim down the non-engine weight and still have a legal car. Download my spreadsheet "strategy" utilities, and check the hexedit tab; that will have offsets for the motoren.dat file. The engine data tab may also be helpful.
(If anyone uses gnumeric, I have a crazy utility for modding engines they can use...)
6. I know a little about this, but only what I stated in the readme for my image utility. If you know more, I'd like to hear.
7. Don't know, never investigated.
8. Neat. I was telling Simtek I thought it would be really hard to find such offsets. It'd be more useful if more than the top 6 cars could be changed, but still interesting.
9. I'm not sure which flags you mean, but I don't remember finding the offsets for flags of any sort. Might stumble on them someday, but not so far.
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Post by tyred2010 on Apr 13, 2010 19:02:35 GMT
Ignore my previous answer. It was partly moronic due to poor English, and partly just plain wrong. The critical offsets look like they're in the .exe. I think they should be, from start of file, at 1567648 and 1574167 (both decimal.) . The first one reads "cd 07 00 00" [1997], the second one "cb 07 00 00" [1995]. I think the first one seems to alter when the .exe stops looking at "history.dat" [save folder] in looking for previous season standings. The first one seems to tell the .exe what the first season it should look for in the "history.dat"
It looks like history.dat can be of any length, but the .exe will only read the seasons it's looking for. These dates MUST exist in the history.dat file, or the program will hang [crash]. If you look at a functioning history.dat, the first two bytes will presumably read "CB 07" [1995]; and half-way down (decimal offset = 13128) the file repeats its format, starting with the bytes "CC 07" [1996]. Now you can increase the size of the file, adding more seasons; so you have a new season at 26256, another one at 39384, etc; in fact, it looks totally compatible with files like history.001, history.002 etc. from save games. But it's only going to read the range of seasons from the .exe, and crash if it can't find them (not sure if the first one it's looking for has to be at the top, but it would be a good idea).
I haven't fully investigated, and knowing how these things work, it will probably screw up the game in some other way  But you can try messing around and see how it goes. |
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Post by Simtek™ on Apr 13, 2010 20:25:11 GMT
To answer punkrohan's first question, there is a "fix" to sort that. With the 2004 mod there was a patch I released.
Basically it replaced the SAVE.xxx files with a starting point with each team. With edited numbers in the save file. Ideally of course, this would be done in the files themselves so when you start the game, this is changed. I remember starting it, but it died on me each time corrupting the F1.exe somewhere through the game.
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borne
GP2 Driver
Posts: 30
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Post by borne on Apr 17, 2010 18:06:18 GMT
Hi Simtek, it's so good to see you back! I wished the original developers of the game would know about your efforts for it. I feel 3 years younger when I see all the interest came back to F1MP. I keep an 8 years old PC at home only to play it from time to time on Win Me! It was really a great game.  And now that I see so many people with computer knowledge trying to develop the game, maybe it's the moment to do something to correct the only thing that avoided F1MP to become a real legend: Cars with a lost lap just won't let you overtake! This ruins any tactical approach to races, allowing you only the '1 stop and pray' strategy. How many times my perfect strategy with my softer tyres and low fuel was killed when I consistently lost 2 seconds per lap because of some Minardi blocking the track??  |
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borne
GP2 Driver
Posts: 30
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Post by borne on Apr 17, 2010 18:08:38 GMT
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or hamilton moving away from mclaren in the near future...
But you can try messing around and see how it goes.
