Cheat Engine

Yetihead90 · How do I cheat? Reputation: 0 Joined: 25 Mar 2015 Posts: 5

I have been using Cheat Engine for a while, but even after completing the tutorials, I still find if difficult to pin down the right address for certain things.

I've been told that PSP game use 8, 16, and 32 bit to store different types of data based on how large the number is.

I know that to find an exp value you usually have to start out with an "Unknown initial value" search and then keep doing additional searches or "increased value" or "increased value by" after each time you gain additional exp.

I've tried searching 2, 4, and 8 byte values and I'll either end up with 0 address results or 1-2 results that are inconsistent and don't increase proportionally with the exp gains.

The game in question that I'm trying to change is Legend of Heroes: Tears of Vermillion, emulating with the PPSSPP emulator.

I know that what I find the right address I'll have to convert it to a "cwcheat" so it will be usable by the PPSSPP emulator, but that's another issue all together.

My question is: how can I find an EXP value and/or what process should I take?

Geri · Moderator Reputation: 111 Joined: 05 Feb 2010 Posts: 5636

To find any useful values at all in this emulator, you have to enable MEM_MAPPED in Settings -> Scan settings.

Yetihead90 · How do I cheat? Reputation: 0 Joined: 25 Mar 2015 Posts: 5

I forgot to mention I had that setting enabled. Thanks for replying so quickly!

I've looked at your tutorials and they're very helpful, but mostly over my head. I feel like there is a chunk of information I'm missing somewhere to bridge my knowledge gap from where the tutorials left off to what your tutorials are about.

I suppose what I'm looking for is what byte (1, 2, 4 ,8) or other value type to use and when. How do I know I'm using the right one?

Geri · Moderator Reputation: 111 Joined: 05 Feb 2010 Posts: 5636

There is no rule, it's depending on the game.

1 byte can store 0-255, 2 bytes can store 0-65535, 4 bytes can store more than 4 billions (milliard) unsigned values.
Usually go for the lowest which is possible, because in emulators, you will often find values on 1-2 bytes.

Also, it's not guaranteed that the value is stored the same way as it is displayed. It may be multiplied by 10 for example, or divided by 10, or altered in any other complicated way.

Finally, some PSP games are using kinda dynamic memory allocation, which means that if there is a loading screen, the address of the value may change.

I didn't play this game specifically, so I don't know how is this one working.

EDIT: This should help a bit. I never needed cwcheat, but the addresses and values should reveal how are certain values stored.

http://ourkizuna-misc.blogspot.hu/2011/05/cwcheats-g-legend-of-heroes-tear-of.html

Eg hitpoint is stored as 270f, which equals 9999. This is stored on 2 bytes for sure. And f423f equals 999999 so that value is stored on 4 bytes.

You should be able to find these values with exact value scan.

Yetihead90 · How do I cheat? Reputation: 0 Joined: 25 Mar 2015 Posts: 5

That might have been my problem. I was using 4 byte to start out with.

So games will change the value in some way to make it harder to find, or to hide it?

If I don't have to use cwcheat - I won't. I just thought you had to. I'd rather just use cheat engine by itself.

I did use some cheats from that site as a reference. The money cheats work, and make sense when I look at them:

_C0 Max Pia (Money)
_L 0x20312308 0x000F423F
_L 0x202EECA8 0x000F423F

The 0x20 portion on the first code is what bit it uses (32 for this one),
312308 is the address, and then the second code on the same line just modifies the value.

I'm guessing it needs two codes, one for the actual value and one for what is shown.

I tried the same thought process with the exp cheat, but actually had an opposite effect and made a particular character need more exp to level up.
Also once I disable the exp cheat it made the emulator crash after each battle. So I figured it would be best to try and find another way to modify exp.

Thank you very much for your help. I'm going to try some more trail and error, and perhaps modifying a easier value to get the hang of it. Perhaps I can find out if they're hiding the address by multiplying for dividing by some number, like you said.

Geri · Moderator Reputation: 111 Joined: 05 Feb 2010 Posts: 5636

Some games are using seemingly dynamic addresses, but in reality they are just storing values on a few static addresses.

Eg Marvel Nemesis. Your energy is stored on x address, enemy is stored on y address. Then you go to the next battle and maybe they will switch, so your energy is stored on y and enemy is stored on x. And there are more than just 2 locations, there are at least a few possibilities.

So in some cases, I saw that these cwcheats are freezing bunch of values, probably hoping to freeze all of the possible locations. Needless to say, freezing every address will cause bugs and possibly crashes. Which is why I have never tried to use cwcheats in the first place, I rather make my own cheats with CE.

The idea of "data structures" apply to PSP games too btw. If you find the health (which seems to be easy), it's possible that you will also find other character statistics in that memory area. Try to find the health and look around in the memory to see if you find other stuff nearby, like magic points/mana (if there is any) or items or exp.

Yetihead90 · How do I cheat? Reputation: 0 Joined: 25 Mar 2015 Posts: 5

That would explain why I had so many bugs in other PSP games I've played.

I've recently found a series of videos on YouTube, by Stephen Chapmen,
that go into detail about different trail and error methods, checking for similar memory addresses for similar attributes, pointers, and AOB scans, etc...

I'm glad you mentioned searching in the memory area because I've heard that before, but wasn't sure how valid it would be on PSP.

Anyway now I should be able to make better use of your tutorials due to the closed knowledge gap. I'll make sure to study up.

Once again thanks for the help.

Geri · Moderator Reputation: 111 Joined: 05 Feb 2010 Posts: 5636

My tutorials and most of the tutorials on the net are for PC games. PSP games are slightly different and you are running them in an emulator (this makes a huge difference). If you are interested in PSP games only, don't waste your time with them, they are almost completely useless.

Yetihead90 · How do I cheat? Reputation: 0 Joined: 25 Mar 2015 Posts: 5

After I've had my fill of PSP games/Emulating I'm going to back to Steam to catch some great deals on great PC games I've missed out on, so I'll definitely check the tutorials out then.