Q
QuothTheRaven
Enthusiast
After a few minutes of messing around with translating numbers to hex, and searching for things in HxD, I've finally figured out how to mod a Chao's stats.
Updated this guide, made it abit easier to read, fixed some general errors I made (such as not hex editing my Chao's skill points to match his skill LVLs)
What you'll need
- XBOX 360 Hash Block Calculator (Download here)
- HxD Hex Editor
- Your Sonic Adventure "Chao Garden" savegame
To make things easier, grab whatever Chao you are going to stat-mod, take it to the rename thing and rename it to "GOLDY". You'll see why, once you see the image of my HxD screen. Obviously, once you're done modding stats, you can rename your Chao back to whatever you want.
Step 1: Finding Values
Alright, this is the easy part. Pick up the Chao that you're gonna stat-mod. Write down his stats. Let's use my chao, GOLDY, as an example:
Now, we need to convert his stats from Decimal to Hex.
1. Here's a perfect website for all your number-to-hex conversion needs. Simply find your Chao's level in the "#" section, and then look in the column beside it, labelled "Hex" for your Chao's level in Hex.
2. Use this tool to convert your Chaos skill points to Hex values. Use the "Decimal to Hex" area, not the "Hex to Decimal". As well, if you convert "0080" to Hex, this converter says "50". Add 2 zeroes before the 50, so you get "00 50".
PROTIP: If you do set your Chao's skills all up to LVL 99, don't forget to change your Chao's skill points as well. Refer to the picture below if you don't know which values are the "skill points". If you don't raise a Chao's skill points up to match his Skill LVLs, he will be greatly underpowered.
Step 2: Hex Editing your Chao
This can be tricky. If you want to make this really easy, change your Chao's name to "GOLDY". As you will see in the image below, HxD displays the Chao's name as "OLDY". All you have to do to find his stats is hit CTRL+F, and search for "OLDY" under "Text String".
Once you've changed all your Chao's stats, hit CTRL+F again, and find the next instance of your Chao's name. You have to change your Chao's stats twice. Every Chao's stats appear twice in the savegame for some reason, SO DON'T FORGET TO SEARCH YOUR CHAO'S NAME TO FIND BOTH OF THE STAT SECTIONS.
Once you've changed both copies of your Chao's stats over, save your savegame and exit HxD.
Step 3: Hash Block Calculating
Finally, the incredibly easy part. Load up the XBOX 360 Hash Block Calculator. Load your ChaoGarden save up into the Hash Block Calculator.
Click "Tools" at the top, then click "Calculate Hash Blocks". Once the calculator is finished, simply exit it, and rehash & resign your save (I don't think you have to, but I do it everytime. It's become a habit now).
Load up your save, go grab your Chao, and enjoy having a Chao with all Skill Levels at 99!
But wait, there's more!
As you will no doubt notice while looking at the screenshot I took of my HxD window, there are other values that can be changed. I don't know what they do, but I have a pretty good idea of what they might do.
I believe those other Hex values that are bunched together with the Skill level Hex values could control any of the following aspects of your Chao:
- What kind of hat your Chao has
- Ribbons (maybe?)
- What type of Chao your Chao is (which means if I can locate this specific hex value that controls Chao type, I can hack in an actual Tails chao!)
I've been reading this Sonic Adventure DX: PC hacking guide over at SonicRetro.org, to kind of give me a general idea of what I'm looking for in the Hex values, to control some of the things I listed above. However, as the guide is for the PC, I doubt it will be of any use to me. I need essentially the guide on SonicRetro.org, but for the XBLA version of SAX.
ENJOY MODDING YOUR CHAO! HOPEFULLY I CAN FIGURE OUT WHICH HEX VALUES CONTROL WHAT TYPE OF CHAO YOUR CHAO IS/WHAT HAT HE'S WEARING/ETC!
Updated this guide, made it abit easier to read, fixed some general errors I made (such as not hex editing my Chao's skill points to match his skill LVLs)
What you'll need
- XBOX 360 Hash Block Calculator (Download here)
- HxD Hex Editor
- Your Sonic Adventure "Chao Garden" savegame
To make things easier, grab whatever Chao you are going to stat-mod, take it to the rename thing and rename it to "GOLDY". You'll see why, once you see the image of my HxD screen. Obviously, once you're done modding stats, you can rename your Chao back to whatever you want.
Step 1: Finding Values
Alright, this is the easy part. Pick up the Chao that you're gonna stat-mod. Write down his stats. Let's use my chao, GOLDY, as an example:
Code:
[b]Swim:[/b] LVL 05 (Skill points: 0080)
[b]Fly:[/b] LVL 04 (Skill points: 0086)
[b]Run:[/b] LVL 05 (Skill points: 0097)
[b]Power:[/b] LVL 01 (Skill points: 0017)
[b]Stamina:[/b] LVL 02 (Skill points: 0045)
1. Here's a perfect website for all your number-to-hex conversion needs. Simply find your Chao's level in the "#" section, and then look in the column beside it, labelled "Hex" for your Chao's level in Hex.
2. Use this tool to convert your Chaos skill points to Hex values. Use the "Decimal to Hex" area, not the "Hex to Decimal". As well, if you convert "0080" to Hex, this converter says "50". Add 2 zeroes before the 50, so you get "00 50".
PROTIP: If you do set your Chao's skills all up to LVL 99, don't forget to change your Chao's skill points as well. Refer to the picture below if you don't know which values are the "skill points". If you don't raise a Chao's skill points up to match his Skill LVLs, he will be greatly underpowered.
Step 2: Hex Editing your Chao
This can be tricky. If you want to make this really easy, change your Chao's name to "GOLDY". As you will see in the image below, HxD displays the Chao's name as "OLDY". All you have to do to find his stats is hit CTRL+F, and search for "OLDY" under "Text String".
Want your Chao to have all 5 skills at level 99, with maxed out stat points? Hex edit your Chao's values and follow this picture to make your Chao have all LVL 99 Skills with 9999 Skill Points for each skill!
CAUTION: Do not give a Chao 9999 Skill Points if he's only got like, LVL 3 Skills. I fed my Chao and he went to level up and because of the abnormally high amount of skill points he had for LVL 3, my game froze.
Once you've changed all your Chao's stats, hit CTRL+F again, and find the next instance of your Chao's name. You have to change your Chao's stats twice. Every Chao's stats appear twice in the savegame for some reason, SO DON'T FORGET TO SEARCH YOUR CHAO'S NAME TO FIND BOTH OF THE STAT SECTIONS.
Once you've changed both copies of your Chao's stats over, save your savegame and exit HxD.
Step 3: Hash Block Calculating
Finally, the incredibly easy part. Load up the XBOX 360 Hash Block Calculator. Load your ChaoGarden save up into the Hash Block Calculator.
Click "Tools" at the top, then click "Calculate Hash Blocks". Once the calculator is finished, simply exit it, and rehash & resign your save (I don't think you have to, but I do it everytime. It's become a habit now).
Load up your save, go grab your Chao, and enjoy having a Chao with all Skill Levels at 99!
But wait, there's more!
As you will no doubt notice while looking at the screenshot I took of my HxD window, there are other values that can be changed. I don't know what they do, but I have a pretty good idea of what they might do.
I believe those other Hex values that are bunched together with the Skill level Hex values could control any of the following aspects of your Chao:
- What kind of hat your Chao has
- Ribbons (maybe?)
- What type of Chao your Chao is (which means if I can locate this specific hex value that controls Chao type, I can hack in an actual Tails chao!)
I've been reading this Sonic Adventure DX: PC hacking guide over at SonicRetro.org, to kind of give me a general idea of what I'm looking for in the Hex values, to control some of the things I listed above. However, as the guide is for the PC, I doubt it will be of any use to me. I need essentially the guide on SonicRetro.org, but for the XBLA version of SAX.
ENJOY MODDING YOUR CHAO! HOPEFULLY I CAN FIGURE OUT WHICH HEX VALUES CONTROL WHAT TYPE OF CHAO YOUR CHAO IS/WHAT HAT HE'S WEARING/ETC!