Project State

Main Menu:

Gameplay:

Next step - goalkeepers.

Online Community Based Data Editor!

And Finally

To conclude our little foray into h4X0R1ng, we might as well write a bit of code to output the data we've gathered so we go from this:

(yes, this is the Arsenal team in the original game format, with the hex editor translations on the right - big help, eh?)
to this:

Having already done the hard part to rip the data, the code for saving as plain text is trivial:

1:  void write(std::vector< TEAM > team, const std::string& filename)  
2:  {  
3:      std::ofstream out_file;  
4:      out_file.open (filename.c_str());  
5:        
6:        
7:      out_file << "Team Format: [NAME] [COUNTRY CODE] [ID] [DIVISION] [MANAGER]"  
8:      << std::endl;  
9:      out_file << "Player Format: [NAME] [POSITION] [PASSING] [SHOOTING] [HEADING] [TACKLING] [BALL CONTROL] [SPEED] [FINISHING]"  
10:      << std::endl  
11:      << std::endl;  
12:        
13:      for(unsigned int team_count=0; team_count LESS_THAN team.size(); team_count++){  
14:          out_file   
15:          << "------------------------" << std::endl  
16:            
17:          << team[team_count].name  
18:          << " " << (int) team[team_count].id  
19:          << " " << (int) team[team_count].nation  
20:          << " " << (int) team[team_count].division  
21:          << " " <<    team[team_count].getCoachString().c_str() << std::endl  
22:            
23:          << "------------------------" << std::endl  
24:                    
25:          << std::endl;  
26:            
27:          for(unsigned int player_count=0; player_count LESS_THAN PLAYERS_PER_TEAM; player_count++){  
28:              out_file << team[team_count].players[player_count].name  
29:                
30:              << " " <<    team[team_count].players[player_count].getPositionString()  
31:              << " " << (int) team[team_count].players[player_count].passing  
32:              << " " << (int) team[team_count].players[player_count].shooting   
33:              << " " << (int) team[team_count].players[player_count].heading   
34:              << " " << (int) team[team_count].players[player_count].tackling   
35:              << " " << (int) team[team_count].players[player_count].control   
36:              << " " << (int) team[team_count].players[player_count].speed   
37:              << " " << (int) team[team_count].players[player_count].finishing   
38:                
39:              << std::endl;  
40:          }  
41:            
42:          out_file << std::endl << std::endl;          
43:      }  
44:        
45:      out_file.close();  
46:  }  

Out of Interest

Here's how a non l33t h4X0R might knock up a quick program to get the data out of the sensi dat files. It could be optimized, cleaned up, and generally written much better. But it gets the job done and that's all we care about for a one-shot program!

1:  // number of players ineach team  
2:  const unsigned int PLAYERS_PER_TEAM = 16;  
3:  // number of characters in player name  
4:  const unsigned int PLAYER_NAME_LENGTH = 23;  
5:  // number of characters in team name  
6:  const unsigned int TEAM_NAME_SIZE = 19;  
7:  // number of characters in coach name  
8:  const unsigned int COACH_NAME_SIZE = 25;  
9:  struct PLAYER  
10:  {  
11:  SNIP!   
12:  };  
13:  struct KIT  
14:  {  
15:  SNIP!  
16:  };  
17:  struct TEAM  
18:  {  
19:  SNIP!  
20:  };  
21:  int main(int argc, char *argv[])  
22:  {  
23:      // must be 2  
24:      if ( argc != 2 )   
25:      {  
26:          std::cout << "ERROR:"              << std::endl;  
27:          std::cout << "----------------------------"   << std::endl;  
28:          std::cout << "usage: sensi_data <filename>"  << std::endl;  
29:          std::cout << "----------------------------"   << std::endl;  
30:          return 1;  
31:      }  
32:      // a list to store the teams  
33:      std::vector< TEAM > all_teams;  
34:      // open the teams data file as an input stream  
35:      std::ifstream input (argv[1], std::ios::in | std::ios::binary);  
36:      // team file data starts at byte 1  
37:      int byte_index = 1;  
38:      // stream input into this  
39:      unsigned char x;  
40:      // vector to store all bytes (loading them in to this first makes it easy to  
41:      // inspect the bytes in the debugger)  
42:      std::vector<unsigned char> bytes;  
43:      // tell the input stream NOT to skip anything (white spaces etc)  
44:      input >> std::noskipws;  
45:      // load the bytes into a vector  
46:      while (input >> x) {  
47:          bytes.push_back(x);  
48:      }  
49:      // loop controllers to parse all teams  
50:      int current_team = 1;  
51:      // the second byte in the file gives us the number of teams in the file  
52:      int number_teams = bytes[byte_index++];      
53:      // main loop for each team  
54:      while (current_team++ < number_teams){  
55:        // store the ripped data in a TEAM struct  
56:        TEAM team;  
57:        // unknown byte at start of each team (wtf?)  
58:        byte_index++;          
59:        team.nation   = bytes[byte_index++];      // team country code          
60:        team.id     = bytes[byte_index++];      // team id  
61:        team.id2    = bytes[byte_index++];      // unknown id  
62:        team.x1     = bytes[byte_index++];      // unknown byte  
63:        for(int i=0;i<TEAM_NAME_SIZE;i++){  
64:            team.name[i] = bytes[byte_index++];   // team name   
65:        }          
66:        team.tactics  = bytes[byte_index++];      // tactics code  
67:        team.division  = bytes[byte_index++];      // division  
68:        // -------------------------------------------  
69:        // KITS  
70:        // -------------------------------------------  
71:        team.kit1.type = bytes[byte_index++];      // kit 1 type  
72:        team.kit1.col1 = bytes[byte_index++];      // kit 1 main color  
73:        team.kit1.col2 = bytes[byte_index++];      // kit 1 secondary color  
74:        team.kit1.shorts= bytes[byte_index++];      // kit 1 shorts color  
75:        team.kit1.socks = bytes[byte_index++];      // kit 1 socks color  
76:        team.kit2.type = bytes[byte_index++];      // kit 2 type  
77:        team.kit2.col1 = bytes[byte_index++];      // kit 2 main color  
78:        team.kit2.col2 = bytes[byte_index++];      // kit 2 secondary color  
79:        team.kit2.shorts= bytes[byte_index++];      // kit 2 shorts color  
80:        team.kit2.socks = bytes[byte_index++];      // kit 2 socks color  
81:        // -------------------------------------------  
82:        // END KITS  
83:        // -------------------------------------------  
84:        for(int i=0;i<COACH_NAME_SIZE;i++){  
85:            team.coach_name[i] = bytes[byte_index++];// coach name  
86:        }          
87:        for(int i=0;i<15;i++){  
88:            team.x2[i] = bytes[byte_index++]; // 15 bytes of unknown data (what is this FOR?!)  
89:        }  
90:        // -------------------------------------------  
91:        // EACH PLAYER IN THE TEAM  
92:        // -------------------------------------------  
93:        for(unsigned int p=0;p<PLAYERS_PER_TEAM;p++){  
94:            team.players[p].nat = bytes[byte_index++];  // nationality  
95:            team.players[p].x1 = bytes[byte_index++];  // unknown byte  
96:            team.players[p].numb= bytes[byte_index++];  // shirt number  
97:            for(unsigned int i=0;i<PLAYER_NAME_LENGTH;i++){  
98:                team.players[p].name[i] = bytes[byte_index++];  // name  
99:            }  
100:            // ---------------------------------------------------------------  
101:            // PLAYER POSITION  
102:            //  
103:            // this byte stores the players position and skin/hair colour  
104:            // first 3 significant bits signify position as follows:  
105:            //   000 = goalkeeper  
106:            //   001 = right back  
107:            //   010 = left back  
108:            //   011 = defender  
109:            //   100 = right wing  
110:            //   101 = left wing  
111:            //   110 = midfielder  
112:            //   111 = attacker  
113:            //  
114:            // the next 2 bits signify skin/hair color:  
115:            //   00 = white skin/black hair  
116:            //   01 = white skin/blonde hair  
117:            //   10 = black skin/black hair  
118:            //   11 = unknown  
119:            team.players[p].position = (bytes[byte_index++] >> (5)) & 0xff;  
120:            //  
121:            // ---------------------------------------------------------------  
122:            team.players[p].x3     = bytes[byte_index++];// unknown byte  
123:            // ---------------------------------------------------------------  
124:            // player attributes.  
125:            // apart from passing, it's 2 attributes per byte  
126:            // 4 most significant bits and then 4 least significant bits  
127:            // for a total score out of 15 ( binary 1111) for each skill  
128:            // passing  
129:            team.players[p].passing = (bytes[byte_index++] )   & 0xf;   
130:            // shooting  
131:            team.players[p].shooting= (bytes[byte_index] >> (4)) & 0xff;   
132:            // heading  
133:            team.players[p].heading = (bytes[byte_index++] )   & 0xf;   
134:            // tackling  
135:            team.players[p].tackling= (bytes[byte_index] >> (4)) & 0xff;   
136:            // control  
137:            team.players[p].control = (bytes[byte_index++] )   & 0xf;   
138:            // speed  
139:            team.players[p].speed  = (bytes[byte_index] >> (4)) & 0xff;   
140:            // finishing  
141:            team.players[p].finishing= (bytes[byte_index++] )   & 0xf;   
142:            //  
143:            // ---------------------------------------------------------------  
144:            team.players[p].value    = bytes[byte_index++]; // value code  
145:            team.players[p].x4     = bytes[byte_index++]; // unknown byte  
146:            team.players[p].x5     = bytes[byte_index++]; // unknown byte  
147:            team.players[p].x6     = bytes[byte_index++]; // unknown byte  
148:            team.players[p].x7     = bytes[byte_index++]; // unknown byte  
149:            team.players[p].x8     = bytes[byte_index++]; // unknown byte  
150:        }  
151:        // -------------------------------------------  
152:        // END PLAYER  
153:        // -------------------------------------------  
154:        // save the team struct to the list  
155:        all_teams.push_back(team);  
156:      }  
157:      return 0;  
158:  }  

A Little Dream Come True

Alright that's a bit of an over statement. But I remember back in the day, I must have been 15 years old max, with an interest in computers but absolutely no programming knowledge whatsoever. I almost wet my pants when I got an Amiga coverdisk with "Easy Amos" on it. It was supposed to let you make your own games. At that age, I couldn't get anywhere with it. What a disappointment.

It was a minor victory just to FIND the Sensible Soccer data files. What a disappointment then (after struggling just to OPEN the files) to be presented with something like this:

How the fuck was I supposed to update Liverpool with their exciting new signings, Sean Dundee and Bjorn Kvarme?! What a disappointment!

Fast forward a couple of years and the very beginnings of my education in computers. I was in the right circles, speaking to the right people. A HEX EDITOR, THAT'S WHAT THE FUCK I NEEDED!

Finally I'd be able to update the pool to their rightful glory with wonder signings such as Djimi Traore and Bernard Diomede!

So I cracked open my shiny new hex editor, loaded in the file, and...

FUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!!

Alright, at least there's something readable on the right, but this is just a dick tease! Maybe I could change a few names, have the beast Biscan playing for Liverpool, but he'd have all the stats of whoever he replaced. Ballix. And how can I change the stats? How can I give Heskey 10 out of 10 for "falling over"? How can I give Michael Owen -1 for loyalty? Robbie Fowler 4,000,000 for finishing? Where IS all this stuff ?!?! WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT!

Anyway, I went on my merry way, learning my programming trade and only now, thanks to this Senseless Soccer project, have I rediscovered these dat files. Well guess what bitches. NOW I FINALLY  have the knowhow to make those dat files sing to my own damn tune.

There is an online community keeping these data files up to date, which will be pretty cool for Senseless Soccer, but for now, JUST BECAUSE I CAN, here's some select tidbits ripped from the original SWOS amiga game: (attributes out of 15) - see next post for the code!

Note: As far as I know, the applied skill values in the game range from 1-7. A value over 7 signifies that this skill shows up as one of the 3 top skills for that player but in the actual gameplay, 7 is deducted to give it a val in the range 1-7.

So for example, Mark Wright has Passing, Heading and Tackling (PHT) as his 3 key skills but his passing rating of 12 is actually 5 out of 7.

The following screenshot is how this shows up in the game (couldn't find Liverpool team, sorry). Tony Adams has HTP as his key skills - heading, tackling and passing!

A note on docs

If you are reasonably diligent in commenting your code using the doxygen markup convention, it can spit out some pretty meaningful and helpful documentation for you.

Here's an example of some documentation for the camera class. Everything is automatically generated, even the diagrams.

This gives you a good overview of the capabilities of the camera, and an indication of where you might want to go to make changes.

The diagram shows that the camera can follow a physical object (like a ball or a player). A physical object has the atrributes acceleration, position and velocity. The camera is itself a physical object!

It has rectangles to represent its viewport (visible area) and bounds (total world space).

The diagram also (correctly) indicates that the camera is a singleton class with an instance pointer to itself. I don't really like singletons so we'll be changing that. Besides, in this case a singleton isn't a good solution, since it's entirely logical to have more than one camera.

Pretty reasonable and informative!

Diving Sneak Peek