How Do I Edit the Save Files?

That's verboten.

Perhaps there may be some "legitimate" reason to edit a save file but if there is it's totally outweighed by the fact that the predominate reason someone would want to edit a save file is to cheat. This is definitely *not* something that anyone not wishing to be considered a cheater would want to even consider.

I advise you to never speak of this again.

Depending on what you're trying to accomplish, cheat mode might serve your purposes.

I would agree that there's no real reason to edit a save file, under almost any circumstances, and that in general it's just not a good idea.

Thanks for the responses so far.  The primary reason I want to edit the saves is curiosity-I just want to see what they look like.  Also, I wanted to see if I can change a couple of things which are not changeable using the cheat mode, such as special planetary tiles, names of unhabitable planets, etc.

It can only be edited with a hex editor.

Hexplorer is a good (and free) hex editor.

Just to let you know - unless you know exactly what to look for, you won't understand much of what you see. And unless you know exactly how to change something, you will make the file unusable. So make sure you keep backup copies.

 Thanks.  I used a different program, XVI32.  I admit that I likely won't be using it too often.

That IS one of those many things which i would have liked to see in the default Editors (yet again, one needs to KNOW the file structure & how it is compiled - not for the faint at heart, btw)...

I'd certainly use such stuff to grab a map settings_conditions_values_locations for later use in the regular Map editor, if anything & only for that.

Some spanish guy (IIRC, the name was ergie or somethin') gave this coding trick a try a few months ago and i can't remember where i left his set of files... but i'll look around the old PC and let you know where he can be reached.

Besides, everyone understands how complex Hex_Editing can be if you don't have the source material sideways to at least consult or refer to. Reverse-engineer or decompile at your own risk -- for personal use ONLY i might add.

Plus, don't cheat.

And, be honest!

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EDIT;

Now, i could find it. This was a simple Planet surface scanning which provided all Hex fields of each 72 tiles (for every planets present in the file) with content for later edit & re-saving to load it all up later.

Trick was to identify all the different Bonus datasets & trough trial & Error, change Food with a Precusor Mine, etc.

But, he can only be contacted via PM (I can understand why!). He even mentioned that much more 'features' would be coded into his little utility eventually... haven't heard from him since.

In the meantime, i understand MrKorx is actively developping extensive editing stuff over at I-Mod - you may want to try contacting him too.

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Not for MV games, to be sure. Any mods of this type will likely trigger the 'cheat' flag. And if it doesn't, it will soon be obvious and you will be banned from the MV.

But for your own personal games, the sky's the limit.