Modding alternate heroes into mission.lvl (Solved)

[Sleestak]

So I've been playing around with the mission files via a hex editor and recently discovered (thanks to this very old thread: https://www.cheathappens.com/show_board2.asp?headID=52369&titleID=11118) that you can sub in different heroes on a given map. The example given being that you can search up kam1.lvl, switch out rep_hero_obiwan for rep_hero_yoda, and all the sudden you have yoda on Kamino.

I've found that this works for me any time a try to switch out a hero for another hero with a shorter or equally long name. I.e., all_luke_jedi works when swapped for all_chewbacca, but not for all_luke_pilot. Maybe I just don't know enough about the syntax of working with hex. Seems like there's always an extra 00 after the final hex representing all-luke-jedi. If I replace that 00 with the hex for 't', the map works fine but the rebel hero will never unlock. If I insert the hex for 't' before the 00, the game crashes at the loading screen. I was wondering if anyone could walk me through the process or tell me what I'm doing wrong.

(Also, if anyone else tries to play with the mission file, make sure you back it up!)

[UniqueName42069]

Hex Edit is way, waaay old and very limited, for example you cannot write a string over a shorter string.

You need to learn how to use the BF2 mod tools, edit the mission scripts, change the character class names, and compile a new mission.lvl

[Sleestak]

Originally posted by AnthonyBF2:

Hex Edit is way, waaay old and very limited, for example you cannot write a string over a shorter string.

You need to learn how to use the BF2 mod tools, edit the mission scripts, change the character class names, and compile a new mission.lvl

Thanks for the response! After playing with it for long enough, I actually did figure it out via hex edit. Turns out, just before the hero value, there is a numerical value that matches the number of characters used for the hero value. So I only had to adjust the numerical value to reflect the changes I'd made. But you're right. If I'm putting this much effort into modding BF2, I should probably learn to use the mod tools and do it properly.

[Funguy2177]

Originally posted by Sleestak:

Originally posted by AnthonyBF2:

Hex Edit is way, waaay old and very limited, for example you cannot write a string over a shorter string.

You need to learn how to use the BF2 mod tools, edit the mission scripts, change the character class names, and compile a new mission.lvl

Thanks for the response! After playing with it for long enough, I actually did figure it out via hex edit. Turns out, just before the hero value, there is a numerical value that matches the number of characters used for the hero value. So I only had to adjust the numerical value to reflect the changes I'd made. But you're right. If I'm putting this much effort into modding BF2, I should probably learn to use the mod tools and do it properly.

Where do you see that numerical value?