Decompiling and modding NHL2K10 PS3

[MuzzUK]

Quote: Originally Posted by nikethebike

I can tell you, team names, player data etc is stored in the save files. I've edited them on 2K11 that have similar files. There are info on save files in this forum. So to start concentrating on graphics modding sounds wise. I don't know how much similar modding has been made on this generation console for the NBA2K games but I suspect file formats could be similar and there are forums that could be used for research.

So have you been able to change a team name via a roster file edit? I think its highly unlikely there isn't a base file contain all the default data.

There would/has to be a standard/default file that should contain all the team data otherwise you couldn't be able to do a complete game reset, I mean its possible this is dumped into a roster file but from my experience Fifa editing the roster files are normally created against a profile using a template.

I'll know more in the next week or so.

[nikethebike]

Quote: Originally Posted by MuzzUK

So have you been able to change a team name via a roster file edit? I think its highly unlikely there isn't a base file contain all the fault data. There would/has to be a standard/default file that should contain all the team data otherwise you couldn't be able to do a complete game reset, I mean its possible this is dumped into a roster file but from my experience Fifa editing the roster files are normally created against a profile using a template. I'll know more in the next week or so.

I've edited a bunch of games. I had the opinion that concentrating on base files was better but when it comes to roster info I changed my mind. Using save data you can combine ingame editing with external editing and more.
When I made an editor for SVR10 base files for example the need to completely reset the save whenever you wanted to add a new character was a bad consequence. You wanted to be able to continue your save with settings etc.


I know 2k works different with separate files but anyway the possibility to combine ingame with external editing can save dev/research time.


This game has a list of strings in the save file and the team names are there. The only thing is that some strings are reused as player names, for example Dallas and St. Louis but this can be solved by reserving that space for the teams and repointing the player names to other space. If the pointers to the strings were located within the save file they could be reassigned aswell. As it is just changing them in place is the simplest solution.

[raupe]

Good luck with your project. I have done a similar hard work with EA’s NHL last gen console graphical modding enabling all texture mods and editing Xbox 360 stadium models etc.

I thought there would have been more interest to do mods to be shared with the community. I have shared all the required tools to use but there are only a few members that I know tried to make mods. I think that because using mods requires a modded console reduces the interest but RPCS3 bring all this available on PC.

[nikethebike]

Yes. In a few years an average computer will be able to run these games hopefully modding will increase.


But honestly... I think it might be a generational thing... When I grew up we wanted to change and improve our games... Add characters and update rosters on our favourite games. New graphics, etc. Feels like the hockey gaming community has lost this interest. EA probably killed it off by making less and less customized material shareable while at the same time providing enough updates to keep the average gamer satisfied enough. Perhaps new generations don't think this way. They aren't ready to invest the time it takes to reverse engineer these games. And my generation have kids and stuff to take care of so the free time just isn't there.


But hopefully I'm wrong.

[MuzzUK]

So I think the main issue is NHL has become console exclusive and modders are PC players for the large part. I've never really come across mods for console games but I know they exist.

Fifa has a massive modding community on PC who have done great work for years I'd love to do something like this for ice hockey games. I do enjoy NHL 21 on my Xbox but I cannot play it with my friends as they dont own a console. I can play NHL2K10 with friends using Parsec and a PS3 emulator. NHL 2k10 is a brilliant game!

NHL 2004 Rebuilt 19/20 and 2KHS are very good mods too and show the potential.

The issue is NHL 2004 is old now and honesty its a great game but it has limitations , 2K10 is by no means perfect but against NHL 21 it stands up so well I think its a good basis for a mod. A few slider tweaks and you have a good sim game.

Even if we can only get modern teams and rosters in the game with updated photos I think we'll have something. I've no idea if we could mod the game files and get it working on a Playstation but I'd like to try even a PC playable mod would be good.

The guys I have looking into this seem to think we can mod assets like graphics without too much issue. The challenge at the moment is breaking down the files which is going on at the moment. Just imagine if we could edit teams, add player photos and adjust the stats and NHL records to reflect modern day? We could efficiently have a 2020-2021 season NHL2K10 that supports 4 player coop through Parsec on PC.

If we can make a good hockey game playable on PC then EA might actually think to bring NHL back to us. Just think how good NHL 21 could be with PC modders editing the AI files, adding graphics and fixing stuff EA seem to miss every year.

DJ Neo has shown what one guy can do with a fairly modern game. It's a shame someone cannot write new AI code for NHL 2009. I a few people on board already and once I know what we can do my site and Facebook group can go live.

[nikethebike]

PES and WWE games were modded while they were console exclusive. I believe that WWE was brought to PC due to the mods getting so popular.


It's ironic actually. The first sports games that were modded were the NHL games with tools like NHLinfo. Then there was the editor for FIFARTWC98 I think by a guy called Chau Le. I think it was the first FIFA editor I came in contact with. I was a firepro fan very much due to the editing possibilities ingame and originally inspired by the early NHL editors wondered for years why there was no editor for any decent wrestling games. Many many years later I actually created the FIRST out of game roster editor for the WWE series with svredit for SVR2010. Tekken57 worked for years updating his x-packer tool. A couple years later they brought the WWE title to the PC which I doubt would have happened if not 2K decided to embrace the modding community that was growing for the JTAG 360 market.



The EA Hockey series has gone the opposite direction. Less and less moddability. We can't even share rosters. This is one reason why I never even bought a console from the new generation myself. I kept to the PC. EA managed to alienate the modders from the series by making everything a mess to deal with when you can't even roster share...

[Jlnhlfan]

I 100% agree with the above statements.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[MuzzUK]

Quote: Originally Posted by nikethebike

PES and WWE games were modded while they were console exclusive. I believe that WWE was brought to PC due to the mods getting so popular. It's ironic actually. The first sports games that were modded were the NHL games with tools like NHLinfo. Then there was the editor for FIFARTWC98 I think by a guy called Chau Le. I think it was the first FIFA editor I came in contact with. I was a firepro fan very much due to the editing possibilities ingame and originally inspired by the early NHL editors wondered for years why there was no editor for any decent wrestling games. Many many years later I actually created the FIRST out of game roster editor for the WWE series with svredit for SVR2010. Tekken57 worked for years updating his x-packer tool. A couple years later they brought the WWE title to the PC which I doubt would have happened if not 2K decided to embrace the modding community that was growing for the JTAG 360 market. The EA Hockey series has gone the opposite direction. Less and less moddability. We can't even share rosters. This is one reason why I never even bought a console from the new generation myself. I kept to the PC. EA managed to alienate the modders from the series by making everything a mess to deal with when you can't even roster share...

Interesting back story thanks for the info :-)

Assumed that Fifa was always been the biggest modding community and most modable game due to fact it was on PC and football (soccer) is pretty much the biggest sport on the planet. Being on PC makes things so much easier.

I really don't understand why companies are so against modding. You'll always have market to sell the newer games there are hundreds of thousands to millions of Fifa players to play ultimate team every year who plumb so much money into it only a small fraction care about single player modes. EA hold so many game licences too!

If you really don't want people making a better game out of your existing game just do what Blizzard did with WC3 Reforged... claim ownership of any game mode, mod or map made in the game or created using the existing code and assets. They did this in case another DOTA came along so they'd own it. If a modder adds something to an EA or 2K they just write in the game ownership agreement the own it or a large share and it cannot be used without permission or fees.

Makes me sick that the last NHL PC game was 2009. I have to say the Elite Rosters guy did a great job with the but sadly the game play is so arcade and boring... part of the reason I stopped playing my Xbox NHL 21 and started looking at older hockey games to mod and work on.

I really do hope we can at least add new player pictures, jerseys and edit stats within NHL2K10.