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Miscellaneous Forums => Scripting and Reverse Engineering => Topic started by: Bluetank on 2003-12-06 12:19:23

Title: Wish to be taught...
Post by: Bluetank on 2003-12-06 12:19:23
Hi guys, as you all know, i am a n00b... and i wanted to do some experiments with Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII. I have scanned through the data files useing hexworkshop and hexecute (those are hex editors), but i don't know how to identify which hex belongs to which data... I wish that someone can help teach me with those.. I'm not such a n00b in hacking, because i was once a rom hacker... =.="

So if anyone can teach me, my MSN is [email protected].

Thanks, Cya!
Title: Wish to be taught...
Post by: Rubicant on 2003-12-06 13:09:02
You will most likely also need ASM disassembler knowledge, too.
Title: Wish to be taught...
Post by: Qhimm on 2003-12-06 18:43:38
Unfortunately, tutorials in data file "hacking" (i.e. recognizing and decoding data from game files) are not very detailed and quite rare, and you'll find tutors even rarer. But what it all boils down to is simple logic, recognizing recurring patterns and being good at programming/graphics/3D/whatever subject the data you're trying to decode belongs to. A good starting point is "how would I store this data?", and that means the better you know the subject, the more accurate your assumptions will be.
Title: Wish to be taught...
Post by: Bluetank on 2003-12-07 00:29:27
What is ASM disassembler?

Hmm... Then... how do i store data and how do i extract those datas?
Title: Wish to be taught...
Post by: Caddberry on 2003-12-07 05:08:00
ASM dissasembler is Assembly language right? If so its a very low level computer language.. In fact its close to basic perhaps a few steps above binary.. Isnt or wasnt Tasm used for something like that.. i think that was its name.. oh.. no i am thinking of an assembler.. but the language is very complex.. lots of good viruses are or were written in assembly language so that they could target parts of .. eh.. its not important..
Title: Wish to be taught...
Post by: Bluetank on 2003-12-07 11:47:34
Oh so its another programming language.... :(

I have to learn so much programming language nowadays... :(

I have to learn Blitz3D (for programming games), Delphi 7, VB6 and now this ASM assembler... :(

Sigh... nevermind i will just dig dozens of my time to learn those things! Of course I need help to proceed faster... :P
Title: Wish to be taught...
Post by: Alhexx on 2003-12-07 15:48:47
Hey, wait a second...

Delphi 7 & VB6 ??
Hm, and what about C/C++?!?

I think you're trying to learn too much at once.
Just take your time and learn... but please keep in mind:
Everyone of us hackers has been programming for years, so it'll take you quite a long time until you will be able to start hacking games - it's not like doing a crash course or something like this. You'll have to collect knowledge...

 - Alhexx
Title: Wish to be taught...
Post by: mirex on 2003-12-08 09:59:12
This is disassembler. It translates .exe's pure code (on the left) into assembler instructions (on the righ):
(http://bin.mypage.sk/FILES/disasm.bmp)

asm = assembler
tasm (turbo assembler) = assembler compiler (thingy that converts asm source code into exe or com)

And you dont need to learn Asm to decode game data.
You should try writing some binary files through your programming language and then look into them and try to find the data you written. Its easier to search for something when you know what are you looking for. Then you will see HOW are data written ...
Title: Wish to be taught...
Post by: Bluetank on 2003-12-08 11:15:17
can you attach the assembler in this forum?

i don't know where to get 1...
Title: Wish to be taught...
Post by: mirex on 2003-12-08 12:12:23
why do you need it ? if you want it try searching google (http://www.google.com) for "turbo assembler", i think it got to be freeware. Or search for "free assembler".
Title: Wish to be taught...
Post by: ficedula on 2003-12-08 20:35:28
Delphi has a built-in assembler - but Mirex is right: you don't need to know assembler for the vast majority of (game) hacks, since you're hacking the *data*, not the code.
Title: Wish to be taught...
Post by: Bluetank on 2003-12-08 23:53:13
To: Alhexx

Yea i know that... I will, but as i learn, i wish to progress by at least a tiny winnie bit on FF hacking...

To: ficedula

Okay... got it.. Hmmm... actually, since i have learn some programming of games, resolution settings are saved in the exe files. So i think i will need the codes on the assembler to see if i can change the settings for resolutions ;)

Well, i will try it out myself first, if i really can't do it, i will ask my friend... and i will post questions if i really don't understand something okay?
Title: Wish to be taught...
Post by: Afrotronics on 2003-12-09 16:07:06
ASM is EVIL!! not really, my Assembly programming professor is though.   Assembly, to me is probably the Programming language of all programming languages.  If you know what type of processing environment you're dealing with you can "crack" just about anything.  In my programming class we learned how we can take an program and break it down all the way to the binary level (which assembly isn't too far from).  If you're ever in the southeast michigan area, I can get you hooked up with some good classes for really low (where I'm taking them now was actually rated the education for each dollar spent :-P ).  Now if you wanna spend a little more money I can hook you up with some computer scientists down the street at the University of Michigan.
Title: Wish to be taught...
Post by: Bluetank on 2003-12-09 16:17:31
hmmm... I'm only 15 this yr... >_<"
Title: Wish to be taught...
Post by: Cool Newbie on 2003-12-09 16:37:06
i think i remember seeing some where an asm to c conveter or something like that, does that mean u can simply rip any exe into high level language source?

any one have any links to good tutorials?
Title: Wish to be taught...
Post by: Qhimm on 2003-12-09 19:16:22
Quote from: Cool Newbie
i think i remember seeing some where an asm to c conveter or something like that, does that mean u can simply rip any exe into high level language source?


No, for the same reason you can't get the eggs out once you've made pancakes. High-level information is lost when compiling, just as the eggs are cracked and finely mixed with the flour.
Title: Wish to be taught...
Post by: Caddberry on 2003-12-09 19:49:56
Wouldnt that be crazy though.. Go from ASM to Visual Basic LoL :lol:
Oooh ooh even better ASM ~~> QBasic
Do any converters of any kind like that even exist..? i have never looked but i imagine that one language wont even transfer to another even if they are on the same level..
Some dissasemblers arent even perfect when taking apart a program, at least when i tried it i never had much luck.. something would always go crazy.. but i said hell with deep programming a long time ago..
Title: Wish to be taught...
Post by: mirex on 2003-12-10 06:42:31
Yes it is possible, there are such converters, exe => cpp. But final cpp source code looks messed up, variables and jumps names are randomized, so you have no idea what is stored in them. Its pain to work with such a code.