Hax0ring the Demo

[Carver]

So here I am, waiting for my full version to arrive, and having already beaten the demo to a pulp I decided to see how hard it'd be to mod it. In any case, here's a brain dump:

Do you like the music in-game? Wanna listen to it all the time? Try this:

1) Rename music.dat to music.zip
2) run pkunzip -d music.zip
3) download the MikMod Player for Windows from http://www.bitplanet.de/mikwin/
4) run bin/MikPlay.exe
5) open up one of the .uni files from the music directory
6) listen away!

The whole unzip 'trick' works with all the dat files in the base uplink directory except data.dat (see below). You can even delete the original .dat's b/c the game with correctly recognize the directories... There's a whole bunch of stuff you can muck with - try making new tif images for buttons-n-stuff

hax0ring data.dat

First thing to do is run unredshirt_win.exe on data.dat. That program is written by somebody on this forum... just do a forum search for "unredshirt" or something =)

Second, open the resulting file up in a hex editor and delete the first 9 bytes. Then save, and rename the file to foo.zip or whatever. Proceed as before with the unzippering and whatnot.  With data.dat opened you can change lots of text things like names of people and corporations - heck you can even make the dictionary wordlist longer! (or shorter). Um, what else...

Did you know... you can "unredshirt" a user file and the game will still recognize it without being re-redshirted? (just so long as it has a .usr extension)

That's it for now, but I'm prolly going to spend the rest of the night trying to figure how exactly the SAV56 format works (that's the format of the options file and the user files)

Ok nighty-night,
carver

[sibn]

Interesting point to make is that unredshirt is really not unredshirt.

It's actually 'redshirt,' because if you run it, you will rotate every byte 128 places, which, effectually, "encodes" that particular file.

It undoes the effect when you run it again.

Generally, programs take their name from what they DO, rather than what they UNDO.  Especially true for programs that every time you run them, will undo what they just did.  ;)

[Carver]

well actually it seems to me that it's 'redshirt' half the time and 'unredshirt' the other half of the time...

=)

[bobjob]

see my posts in the hints and tips forum for more info on the demo hacks, you can actually get the locked out gateways in the demo by hacking the graphics.dat file and the gateway file in the data.dat file by shifting things around a bit.  ill post all my hacks on the demo and full version that i know if wintermute sets up the fanpage.  remember to use no compression when repacking the zips and to reinsert the 9 bits you remove from data.dat before reencoding it.
PS: i know its not technically en/decoding but what else would describe it?

[sibn]

Quote: from Carver on 12:48 am on Oct. 14, 2001[br]well actually it seems to me that it's 'redshirt' half the time and 'unredshirt' the other half of the time...

=)

Actually, It's 'redshirt' both times.  It doesn't "decode" anything-  it REencodes it.  See what I mean?

You could argue that that means that it's unredshirt ALL of the time, but that would be pointless.  Because this "redshirt algorithm," by nature, means to do something to a file, as opposed to undoing it.

As another example, you probably have over 10,000 files on your computer right now.  All but a few of them are going to be "encoded" with this algorithm.  See, I have (at last count) 193,179 files on my system.  That's a lot of files.   Redshirt could be used on any one of them.

Really, though, this all depends on how you see things.  Do you apply your knowledge to the first use you see, and keep that assertion for the rest of your life?  Or are you like me, and prefer to look for different uses for tools?

Perhaps a better question would be:  If you've ever used a shoe as a hammer, and somebody asks you for a hammer, would you give him your shoe?  (Remembering that you are applying an old experience to a new problem).

If I seem like I'm rambling, don't worry.  I feel like it too.  I probably am, and don't deserve further reply.  :p

[mahldcat]

OK I see some real possibilities here that look fun....I was successfully able to add a new custom gateway (called it the trinity B)...cost a half a million creds........difference was it basically allowed twice as many processors, and had a boost in the max memory.....

now the downside...trying to figure out how to add a new graphic tile to the game so that it looks "natural" eg it has all of the memory and processor slots available.....I'm assuming that part of the information is stored in world.dat?  or would it also be hard coded in the executable?

Haven't had any luck trying to play with the world.dat file yet......

was thinking it would also be fun to play with adjusting the hardware...eg adding 100base T connection or even gigabit etc......or possibly having other processors.....

idea for the developers...a future mod.....or uplink 2?

would be a coprocessor slot....would allow for one job to run extremely fast--eg a decypher, proxy hack, or firewall hack....couple this with a removal of the proxy bypass software (the ones that allow ya to click the program on the hud analysis window)....would only have those programs that take the time to circumnavigate the security system....

or here's food for thought...idea would be nice...but would probably be nasty to code in.....all of the software has version numbers on it......not the upgrade numbers like trace track 1,2,3,4 etc....but what they would do is allow for nasty things to happen....

for example, I'm using a level 4 trace tracker version 2.0
the system I'm attempting to crack uses trace software version 3.0.....this means that my software would not work as well...eg would give me bogus information on how much time I have left etc.....

in other words have a checks and balance system set up for using software that is hyper updated or outdated....

this would then make those purchase and forget charges for software a revolving charge----or as was posted earlier would open the gates to missions where you hear rumors of a new wiz bang password breaker--current version is version 2.5, and someone just developed a new algorithm that would push it to 3.0....so to get the new version, you need to find it, or trade for it......black market anyone?

this would relegate uplink's software upgrade to the level of "we get you started, and will provide software along a slower upgrade frequency"  eg it would take about twice as long to get the software from uplink, possibly by that time a new version would come out.....etc.....

anyhow gotta go work on homework =(...not as fun as daydreaming and playing this game....

--Mahldcat

[Carver]

hahaha, not that this discussion is disturbing but think about this:

By deciding to "encode" their user files with that rotation cipher, and the "decoding" them to load OR loading "proper" files straight away (I assume this was done for compatability with old save games)  The whole mess about whether running the program "always, sometimes, or never encodes" the target file is kinda moot.  I suppose you could say that it always encodes the target file into something that can be loaded by Uplink (which I think is your position), but I think that it's equally valid saying that it always decodes the target into a proper file. encoding = decoding therefore what's the point of having it in the first place. qed. :) :)

In any case, apparently the demo doesn't have a world.dat so I can't play with it :( and the user file structure is mighty odd, so if anyone's decoded the header please gimme a holler :)

And um, just for fun did you know that the options screen is utterly customizable? I hacked my options file to display a "FakeOption1" checkbox under the graphics section.  You can even enable the "hidden options" in the demo, namely screenwidth/height, game_debugstart, game_firsttime.  Changing the resolution works fairly well IMO (minor repainting issues of course).

If they would abstract the "world data" from the "user data", they could make it possible to have a persistent world across agents - which would be cool and not that difficult to pull off (except for maybe the story might screw up).

OK I think I'm going to go play with the .usr header nightmare again...

-carver-

[bobjob]

to make the graphic for your new gw just add a .tif image to your graphics.dat file (its a zip)

[sibn]

This RedShirt encryption is the functional binary equivalent of ROT13, which, you will notice, is not called 'UN-Rot13.'

[Carver]

touché

[sibn]

[bobjob]

jeez ppl, want me to rename the binary redshirt? fine.... honestly shouldnt you be playing uplink?

[Carver]

playing? the demo? hahaha, well since I can kick its butt I've just decided to mess with the data files and stuff so that when I get the full version I'm not braindead from playing too many hours of the demo :)

[sibn]

Quote: from bobjob on 6:57 pm on Oct. 14, 2001[br]jeez ppl, want me to rename the binary redshirt? fine.... honestly shouldnt you be playing uplink?

I didn't mean to make it sound like such a big deal.  I'm sorry...  :o

I  did rename it redshirt.  The fact remains, though, that I was too lazy to write my own code.  And I thank you for it.  If other people want to call theirs 'unredshirt,' they can feel free to do that.  But i'm likely to always give'em heck for the 'UN-rot13' thing.  :biggrin: