Privateer File Documentation

[Sheppard]

Location: PRIV.TRE
Location II: \DATA\TYPES\WEAPONS.IFF

Desc Contains the data for the weapons in game in two byte format.

Offsets are:

TORPEDO SPEED 131
TORPEDO DAMAGE 137

HS MISSILE SPEED 175
HS MISSILE DAMAGE 181

DF MISSILE SPEED 219
DF MISSILE DAMAGE 225

FF MISSILE SPEED 263
FF MISSILE DAMAGE 269

IR MISSILE SPEED 307
IR MISSILE DAMAGE 313

 

[Sheppard]

Location: PRIV.TRE
Location II: \DATA\OPTIONS\COMODTYP.IFF

Desc Contains the cost/availability data for commodities in privateer.

It appears that there is a base price/availability set and then adjustment modifiers for each type of planet/base.

 

[Sheppard]

Location: PRIV.TRE
Location II: \DATA\OPTIONS\LANDFEE.IFF

Desc Appears to contain the landing fee cost in privateer.

I haven't checked it; but it appears to be a four byte variable at offset 20.

 

[Sheppard]

Location: PRIV.TRE
Location II: \DATA\OPTIONS\SHIPSTUF.IFF

Desc Appears to contain the costs for purchasable items such as laser cannons, etc.

Costs are four byte variables.

 

[Sheppard]

Successfully edited Privateer GOG in game!

The trick to doing it is to unpack the PRIV.TRE file contained in the GAME.GOG (it's actually GAME.ISO but renamed to GAME.GOG to not be obvious), and then place the DATA directory into your GOG privateer directory, and then go into PRIV.CFG and remove the

=D:PRIV.tre

from the CFG file, so it'll load the DATA folder in the GOG game folder.

You can then edit stuff in the DATA folder, and the game will load it.

To go back to "normal" stock privateer....

just put

=D:PRIV.tre

back into PRIV.CFG

 

[Sheppard]

Location: PRIV.TRE
Location II: \DATA\OPTIONS\limits.iff

Desc:

Contains the pricing costs for ships in game in four byte values at the following offsets:

Tarsus Trade in Value: 82
Orion Cost: 86
Centurion Cost: 90
Galaxy Cost: 94

And editing is proven by screencaps below

 

[-danr-]

Hey great work!

 

[Sheppard]

Made a Privateer file documentation page, with the latest stuff here:

http://alternatewars.com/Games/WC/Privateer_Files.htm

 

[Sheppard]

Editing COMODTYP.IFF, I've successfully made slaves show up at the starting base you start out with as a buyable item.

I've also deciphered the file format for the commodities somewhat. (see below)

I don't know whether Set #1 is actually agricultural world data, but it's a place holder -- for I've proved that this is how the game stores the economic data.

Some more investigation reveals that

Set #5 is Mining Planets/Bases
Set #9 is Pirate Planets/Bases

And that the second variable in each set is the adjustment to the availability / cost base value to create the other value for that type.

For Availability (I THINK, NOT SURE)
-1 means it's not available at that base.
BASE VALUE = minimum amount of items available on base.
VARIABLE = approximate maximum amount of items available on base.

For Cost (I THINK, NOT SURE)
-1 means it's not available at that base.
BASE VALUE = minimum cost of items available on base.
VARIABLE = approximate maximum cost of items available on base.

 

[Sheppard]

BTW, all this is in support of "Easy Privateer", a mod to reduce the bullshit grinding.

 

[Sheppard]

Figured out the formula used to calculate variables thanks to this page:

https://www.wcnews.com/wcpedia/Privateer_Commodity_Prices

So here we go.



You have a BASE COST and AVAILABILITY.

Then you have nine MODIFIERS, one for each type of location.

The formula used to calculate the other end of the mix is:

OTHER END = (BASE - MODIFIER) + 1

---------------------------
AVAILABILITY

If you have

BASE AVAILABILITY: 50
MODIFIER = 60

You would have between 50 and 111 units available at that type of base.

Availability Special Notes: If the Modifier for that location is -1, that commodity is not for sale there.

------------------------

COSTING is handled much the same way, so if you had the following setting for SLAVES:

BASE COST: 700
MODIFIER: 180

Then the cost of slaves at that location would be:

700 to 879

Costing Special Notes: If the Modifier for that location is -1, that commodity can't be sold there (I Think).

--------------------------
You can use negative modifiers to change values as well.

 

[Sheppard]

Mission data in Privateer for "plot" missions appears to be in:

DATA\MISSIONS\

Apparently you can create "new" plot missions simply by creating a new .IFF file and placing it there, from the test mission that HCl made long ago.

https://www.wcnews.com/wcpedia/Test_mission_for_Privateer_/_Righteous_Fire

 

[Sheppard]

Location: PRIV.TRE
Location II: \DATA\TYPES\GUNS.IFF

Desc Contains the data for the guns in game in multiple byte formats.

 

[centaurianmudpig]

Cool beans. Keep up the good work