Save File Format

This new stand alone release based on the legendary War in the Pacific from 2 by 3 Games adds significant improvements and changes to enhance game play, improve realism, and increase historical accuracy. With dozens of new features, new art, and engine improvements, War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition brings you the most realistic and immersive WWII Pacific Theater wargame ever!

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Zoetermeer
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Save File Format

Post by Zoetermeer »

There are several third-party tools out there that read in game save files, but none of them appear to be open source. Is there somewhere that the file format/structure is documented?
jmalter
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RE: Save File Format

Post by jmalter »

Prob'ly not. 3rd-party apps that examine the savegame file (Tracker?) are likely governed by a non-disclosure agreement. Other apps (CombatReporter, IntelMonkey) only examine the *.txt files that are generated each turn, they don't access the *.pws files.
Zoetermeer
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RE: Save File Format

Post by Zoetermeer »

Interesting, how did those guys end up with the privilege of doing that (signing an NDA and getting access to information about how the save files look)? I basically want to write a tool that's a little bit different from what's already out there, and also one that is platform-independent.
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BBfanboy
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RE: Save File Format

Post by BBfanboy »

ORIGINAL: Zoetermeer

Interesting, how did those guys end up with the privilege of doing that (signing an NDA and getting access to information about how the save files look)? I basically want to write a tool that's a little bit different from what's already out there, and also one that is platform-independent.
Tracker, Combat Reporter, and Intel Monkey just read text files that are archived after the turn or presented during turn execution. Text files are easily read by many programs so these utilities are not stealing any code to use in their presentation of the info from the combat reports, just text data.
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Bullwinkle58
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RE: Save File Format

Post by Bullwinkle58 »

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy
ORIGINAL: Zoetermeer

Interesting, how did those guys end up with the privilege of doing that (signing an NDA and getting access to information about how the save files look)? I basically want to write a tool that's a little bit different from what's already out there, and also one that is platform-independent.
Tracker, Combat Reporter, and Intel Monkey just read text files that are archived after the turn or presented during turn execution. Text files are easily read by many programs so these utilities are not stealing any code to use in their presentation of the info from the combat reports, just text data.

Tracker does more. I'm pretty sure the devs have spoken of a limited NDA in their stickied sub-forum.
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Zoetermeer
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RE: Save File Format

Post by Zoetermeer »

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy
Tracker, Combat Reporter, and Intel Monkey just read text files that are archived after the turn or presented during turn execution. Text files are easily read by many programs so these utilities are not stealing any code to use in their presentation of the info from the combat reports, just text data.

Yeah I was referring specifically to the ones that read the binary save-game files. What I'd really like to do is write a utility that does some tracking/analytics around my convoys and I assume I would need access to the game state itself -- not the text files, which are just logs. If third parties are able to do that, they are using either a developer-supplied description of the file format or developer-supplied libraries. I don't know if there is some process for initiating a discussion about how to do that.

In some cases save file formats have been reverse-engineered, as with that magic-scouting tool for the Football Manager series. But going that route is tedious and painful, and even minor changes to the format will break the tool.
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Reg
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RE: Save File Format

Post by Reg »


Developers have stated in the past that it is Matrix policy that the save game format will not be released to the public domain due to the possibility of abuse of this information.

When players invest years of effort into a PBEM game, they have a reasonable expectation that everything will be above board.
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n01487477
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RE: Save File Format

Post by n01487477 »

As one of the guys who worked on Tracker I can confirm that we are under an NDA. The file format was strengthened from witp to ae for the reasons stated and that is all I will say.
Dili
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RE: Save File Format

Post by Dili »

Yeah i miss some analytics like for example knowing what is the most successful submarine commander/boat and so on.
Zoetermeer
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RE: Save File Format

Post by Zoetermeer »

ORIGINAL: n01487477

As one of the guys who worked on Tracker I can confirm that we are under an NDA. The file format was strengthened from witp to ae for the reasons stated and that is all I will say.

How were you guys able to convince them to enter into such an agreement?
Zoetermeer
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RE: Save File Format

Post by Zoetermeer »

I'm happy to give a bit more detail on what I had in mind. I haven't used Tracker so it's possible there's some overlap here, though. Now that I have more experience playing the game and know how I want my logistics system set up, the tool I want is coming a bit more into focus for me.
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n01487477
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RE: Save File Format

Post by n01487477 »

ORIGINAL: Zoetermeer

I'm happy to give a bit more detail on what I had in mind. I haven't used Tracker so it's possible there's some overlap here, though. Now that I have more experience playing the game and know how I want my logistics system set up, the tool I want is coming a bit more into focus for me.
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