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March 28, 2024, 12:56:18 pm

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Is There a Save Editor for FF Tactics Advance?

Started by astromormy, January 18, 2021, 02:49:54 am

astromormy

As the title says, I am looking to edit my save file on FFTA. I am aware of the many rom hacking tools on this forum, but, to my knowledge, none of them seem to be made for this purpose. Is there anything I've missed? In general, I'm just looking to edit simple things like character names, stats, and perhaps skills.

Failing this, does anyone know how I might edit the save file without a dedicated editor? Thanks.
  • Modding version: Other/Unknown

astromormy

What about programming my own editor? I have some rudimentary experience with Java and could maybe attempt it. The only thing stopping me is I don't know how I would go about telling a program to edit the stats on a save file. As in, the process of somehow translating what may as well be greek(FFTA save data) to a readable and editable format.
  • Modding version: Other/Unknown

nitwit

January 20, 2021, 05:46:55 am #2 Last Edit: January 20, 2021, 06:21:50 am by nitwit Reason: i am stoopid
https://ffhacktics.com/wiki/Handle_Memory_Card_Menu
^Someone disassembled this recently.

https://ffhacktics.com/wiki/Memory_Card_Format
https://ffhacktics.com/wiki/World_Stats
https://ffhacktics.com/wiki/Item_Inventory
https://ffhacktics.com/wiki/Variables
^All this stuff is probably saved, maybe some other stuff too as per the first link in this post.

My bad, I was going through "Recent posts" and didn't notice this is the FFTA board. I'd look on data crystal and the RHDN site/forums first.

You could use a hex editor.

I use spreadsheets for this sort of thing. I use a python script to rip the data, another to write the data. The actual data is edited in a spreadsheet, usually with a key/legend, a digits tab for all the possible values you'd be looking at (and for hlookup/vlookups in the preview sheet), and a preview sheet that displays your changes. It's faster and simpler than Raven's method of making spreadsheets, and easier to navigate values by using arrow keys, but it doesn't abstract as much guts away from the end user as his do so it has a learning curve for them.

Note that there's also a bit of a learning curve in making spreadsheets, but I can answer any questions you have about the simpler ones I use.

I know nothing about VBA in spreadsheets as I use Libre Office. If you use Excel (and want to mandate it for your users) you can make a button that does the patching for you instead of going through the trouble of forcing users to install python, saving as a CSV, navigating via command line, and invoking the python interpreter.

Libre Office probably has scripting capabilities, but again I know nothing about it. It probably won't work in Excel, but then again Libre Office is free so you could just require it for end users.

I'll upload a couple I made for another game so you can peruse them. Feel free to steal the python scripts.

Note that the monster spreadsheet is quite a bit more complex than the others as it requires an external program to automate insertion/exporting files. Otherwise the end users must import a patched monster file for all 255 monsters manually with CD Mage.