Manual:Cheats

Introduction

One stop shop for cheats and spoilers. A collection of cheats from forum threads.

General

Cheats usually require the hacking of a save game file. It is recommended that you make a copy of your original save game file before actually hacking it. Be especially warned, Windows users; The native notepad (as well as Excel and all other Moneysoft tools) changes the line break formatting and thus corrupts the save file. Usage of notepad++ is recommended.

The save game file can be found in your user directory.

• On Linux: /home/~username/.vegastrike/save/
• On Weendofs (XP, Vista): /vegastrikedir/.vegastrike/save/

Money

Easy going. Just change the first number after the sector/system location descriptor of your save game file, that number between the carets (this things "^"). Maximum number is 99 billions, in numbers:

• 99 000 000 000.

There's a setting called "difficulty" that increases a small amount each time you earn a credit... that determines what upgrades the enemy ships have on them. So if you hack your save game credits up to 10^9 credits that probably just increases the difficulty to the highest value immediately. It is supposed to simulate a time line, but based on the progress you make rather than the amount of time passed...

Location / Sector / System

The first entry of your save game file is your saved location. The letter case for the system name must be the same as your /data4.x/sectors/ entries.

Adding Ships

Just open your save game file and you should see in the first line some ships you have. The first one is the one you actually use, then there are the ships you have parked somewhere followed by the sector they are in. Instead of e.g. "tesla" you can also use the "tesla.blank", then its unequipped (some games crash, when using a standard tesla). Just take care, that every ship in this line is followed by the sector its in, except for the first one. You can't have two ships of the same name, so no two "pacifier.milspec" or two "tesla.blank". Enjoy the ride.

Cloak Device

Looking at the master part list is only helpful if you understand it enough to hack that component into your ships csv file. What works, is enabling the "can_cloak" and so other values in the csv (just copied the values from the Schroedinger's csv).

Faction standings

See forum entry Changing relationships to other factions with cheating?!

Cargo

To fill up a 200k cargo hold without editing the units.csv file, do this: 1) Buy the cargo you need 2) Save game 3) Sell said cargo 4) DON'T SAVE! Reload 5) Now you'll have the cargo you bought and the planet will have said cargo in stock for an equal amount. Buy it. 6) Repeat 2-4. Each time you do it, your cargo doubles. Geometric progression will ensure that your cargo hold will get filled up soon.

Rather inefficient compared to editing the units.csv file (look up the tutorial), but that's what you can do before learning to mod the game...

Merchandising

There's another exploit you can use. Fill up your Mule (or an Ox or any other capship), switch to a maneuverable ship, go to your destination, and then 'buy' your capship at the ship dealer->my fleet tab. It will transport your ship to where you are with a minimal fee (6k outsystem, regardless of how far it is, and free insystem), along with all the cargo in it. This method allows you to have the massive cargo hold of a capship while having the speed and agility of a fighter. Beware though. Cargo is saved (in memory and in the hard disk) universally for all ships. Therefore if your Mule is full, your Llama will be too. (but the weight increase will only be for the last bought cargo which can fit into the hold of a llama). If you buy starships as cargo, your Llama will still have a full hold.