Stardock Employee please answer this.

.exe and screen files

Is the sourcing for the screen files I.E. Kingdomwnd in the .exe?  And if so did you guys obfuscate the .exe? Please tell me maybe the coding is in the .exe I can live without but please dear god please tell me you didn't do any obfuscation cause then I will not be able to edit it at all to create the Dynasty MOD.  I understand the need to do the obfuscation for security purposes and financial loss that could take place if it wasn't done.

 

13,024 views 16 replies
Reply #1 Top

The screens are all in the screens folder.

Reply #2 Top

Thank you but I know that.  I am talking about where does the kingdomwnd get it's commands from i.e. the buttons on the kingdom screen and the ability to click it to bring up the corresponding screens?  I can't get the Dynasty option to show up on the buttons for the kingdomwnd even though I added the button to the kingdomwnd (blank button) tweaked it to match the GC2Module and added the other scripts (scripts i mean edited xml files) for cutscenes and the backgrounds for the cutscenes.

 

Reply #3 Top

The scripts generally don't do much beyond handle scaling and such. The "meat" is indeed in the actual assemblies.

Reply #4 Top

And I don't have permission to edit those and even if I did (not saying I would, because I payed for everything) "crack" it and edited it you wouldn't be able to put that up for MODs correct?  Because of ToS or is there any chance that I can get it to work within the normal parameters?

Reply #5 Top

Frogboy has hinted that if we want a deeper modding experience that someone would need to reverse engineer the source code to do so.  I'm not sure whether it breaks ToS.  Perhaps you should PM Frogboy about this issue if you're serious about doing it.

Reply #6 Top

I'm not a lawyer, but from what I understand, reverse engineering is actually not illegal ... redistributing Stardock's source code (or the binary .EXE) without permission would be.  I'm guessing the usual way its done (as in the case of The Elder Scrolls mods which rely on a modified .EXE) is to simply distribute a program that does not include any part of the original .exe itself, but is programmed to modify the binary (.EXE) in a specific way to insert the new (original code, made by the modder, not including any code from the original developer or publisher) code modification.  Laws regarding computer code law have become ridiculously complicated, but that's the general principle -- which also applies to hardware designs (modding a car or a mobile phone, for instance).

There would likely be complications of Steam not liking a modified .EXE.  The specifics of how, and the pitfalls to avoid especially in terms of the game being bound to Steam are unfortunately beyond my knowledge.

Reply #7 Top

Quoting mqpiffle, reply 5

Frogboy has hinted that if we want a deeper modding experience that someone would need to reverse engineer the source code to do so.  I'm not sure whether it breaks ToS.  Perhaps you should PM Frogboy about this issue if you're serious about doing it.
 

Thank you for the information.  As I am very serious about the Dynasty Mod.

Reply #8 Top

Quoting Chibiabos, reply 6

I'm not a lawyer, but from what I understand, reverse engineering is actually not illegal ... redistributing Stardock's source code (or the binary .EXE) without permission would be.  I'm guessing the usual way its done (as in the case of The Elder Scrolls mods which rely on a modified .EXE) is to simply distribute a program that does not include any part of the original .exe itself, but is programmed to modify the binary (.EXE) in a specific way to insert the new (original code, made by the modder, not including any code from the original developer or publisher) code modification.  Laws regarding computer code law have become ridiculously complicated, but that's the general principle -- which also applies to hardware designs (modding a car or a mobile phone, for instance).

There would likely be complications of Steam not liking a modified .EXE.  The specifics of how, and the pitfalls to avoid especially in terms of the game being bound to Steam are unfortunately beyond my knowledge.

 

Yeah I see what your saying and I agree that it probably is not illegal but would cause to many problems with Steam and other functions as to make it a worthless Mod.  Not to mention the time it would take to answer all the questions and fix the bugs per user.

Reply #9 Top

Maybe the devs could tweak the code.  I don't think much has been changed to disable it, it might just have no access to the interface currently.

It might be worth doing, to both have a trial run to see if the feature works, and also to see if a well constructed dynasty system is popular in case it might be used in a future Elemental game.

Reply #10 Top

Quoting StevenAus, reply 9

Maybe the devs could tweak the code.  I don't think much has been changed to disable it, it might just have no access to the interface currently.

It might be worth doing, to both have a trial run to see if the feature works, and also to see if a well constructed dynasty system is popular in case it might be used in a future Elemental game.

 

As of right now I can edit the Kingdomwnd but I can not get the button to take any commands and pull up dynasty information.  And if all it is, is them tweaking it or allowing me to tweak it and test it out I am cool with it.  Because once the command interface is there than you can run xml files as much as you want to tweak the Dynasty to be able to be used and I will take off with that and use it for a bigger part of it in FE and LH for everyone to be able to use.

Reply #11 Top

KingdomWnd.dxpack can be opened by Stardock's DesktopX and all sorts of Modding is possible

 

Reply #12 Top

Woa, what the heck!  Can I somehow add another tab to the spellbook using that...?

Reply #13 Top

Quoting abob101, reply 12

Woa, what the heck!  Can I somehow add another tab to the spellbook using that...?

No idea.  Sorry.

Code calls and references existing things (DX objects) . . what you can do to have it call or reference different things in different ways is beyond what I know.

Reply #14 Top

Quoting Zubaz, reply 13


Quoting abob101, reply 12
Woa, what the heck!  Can I somehow add another tab to the spellbook using that...?

No idea.  Sorry.

I'm not a code monkey, I'm a support guy that dabbles in stuff.

Code calls and references existing things (DX objects) . . what you can do to have it call or reference different things in different ways is beyond what I know.

Reply #15 Top

Quoting Zubaz, reply 11

KingdomWnd.dxpack can be opened by Stardock's DesktopX and all sorts of Modding is possible

 

Reduced 43%Original 1318 x 898

 

Yeah I edited the kingdomwnd already with Stardocks Desktop X but the button will not pull any information regarding Dynasty.  I am trying to find a way to link the button to the cutscenes for dynasty.

Reply #16 Top

Quoting Zubaz, reply 11

KingdomWnd.dxpack can be opened by Stardock's DesktopX and all sorts of Modding is possible

 

Reduced 43%Original 1318 x 898

 

But even if I adjust the dxpack and the cutscense the only part I am falling short as of now if getting the button to say Dynasty and to bring it up when I click it.  I have been going through every single Xml file to see if anything is related to Dynasty and to make sure that it is enabled or at least in the FE folder.  I know that Dynasty mode can be ran like it was in WoM in FE.  That code is all there and the cutscenes, backgrounds, I mean everything.  Maybe I just need a second pair of eyes but I know it is in there somewhere some how there is a way to get that button to bring up the Dynasty info.  I just assumed games would be pure code and where I can just go in and freely change and edit anything kinda like hitting F11 in access to bring up the information.