Unlocker mod for CXL

[Vahr 343]

The main reasons that we have seen are the following:

Point iii can be taken 1 of two ways, decomile game files and decomile game executable.

Also, the choice of packing/repacking tool is another. Some have been made against the EULA (that includes decompiling the exe and/or its dynamically linked libraries (DLLs). Its different than SC4's tools like the Reader, because these tools were made after the file formats were deciphered via the age old hex editor (instead of poking around in the exe).

Originally, yes the ban was due to PO.

[jeremy12 0]

well regardless of what happens all i know is this is the most active i have seen this game excluding the first 2 months of its life, so even if someone did buy the rights to CXL thy would be killing their own game if they chose to stop it... (if "they" exsist)

[GlobexCo 33]

Originally posted by: jeremy12

Originally posted by: Livin in Sim

Hello, everyone,

I have discussed this issue with an admin.  Frankly, we are not lawyers.  But we have been looking at the EULA, which would transfer to the company that bought the rights to CXL.  The part of the EULA, found here, that is most worrisome to me, is this:

Accordingly, You must not, in particular:

(iii) Decompile, dismantle, proceed with acts of reverse engineering, extract

the source codes of the Game, modify them or create programmes or

products derived from the Game, whether in all or in part;

(iv) Remove, deactivate or invalidate any system of protection of the Game

or any information or label of ownership present in the Game and/or its

Documentation or in or on the packaging of the latter;

So we have decided it wise to contact Dirk, who may be better able to interpret whether this would bring ST into legal contention with the company.  I think we need to wait for him to weigh in on this.  It is his site.  I would hate to see this cause problems for Simtropolis or Dirk if we go ahead.  Hopefully it won't be long until he lets us know.  And he may tell us to wait for word from the company.  I'm just preparing you for possibilities.

Please do not challenge this position of the staff, or you may find your membership subject to discipline.

Thank you.

--Liv

quote>

Hmm this could go 2 ways, because for one we are not decompiling and accessing the source code just accessing the games data files.  but at the same time this can be read as no mods at all, however even when MC exsisted they allowed mods to be made over at citiesxs and were well aware of it so it seems as if they did not have a issue with it.quote>

Here we aren't touching the protection system of the game... this mod isn't a crack. I'm only trying to give access to parts of the unfinished work (unfinished!) to everyone who bought the game.

I'm not selling gems (like the ones that MC had to sell), but using the same models in-game (and creating things that MC didn't finish).

If we want to fully respect the eula, all the mods should be deleted... and we know that a game can live forever only with mods (SC4)

I want also to add that a mod like this was released in the beta phase... a MC didn't stop that mod.

(the same mod I studied to create this from scratch)

Anyway... I won't challenge the staff.

Originally posted by: Blue Lightning

The main reasons that we have seen are the following:

Point iii can be taken 1 of two ways, decomile game files and decomile game executable.

Also, the choice of packing/repacking tool is another. Some have been made against the EULA (that includes decompiling the exe and/or its dynamically linked libraries (DLLs). Its different than SC4's tools like the Reader, because these tools were made after the file formats were deciphered via the age old hex editor (instead of poking around in the exe).

Originally, yes the ban was due to PO.quote>

The unpacker/packer that we're using at the moment is the result of a reverse engineering of an old program: QuickBMS. This was the first script that unpacked .pak files (and I really don't think that the author decompiled the exe or the dlls to make it). Everyone who created a repacker used that script as base.

MC banned mods because the first sandbox mod worked also in PO (since I hadn't got the po, I couldn't test my mod in po...)

Also MC was preparing tools so that everyone could mod the game...

[Aspire 3]

Originally Posted by: GlobexCo
Also MC was preparing tools so that everyone could mod the game...
quote>

If that was the case then mc should have, i mean immediately stopped locking people out about their intentions, and released it as soon as PO ended. but they didn't now they are closed. WAAAHHH!!!!

[Stewy13 0]

You aren't being challenged, it's simply a matter which isn't fully understood. It says they're contacting Dirk for further clarification and that's only if modding Cities XL jeopardizes Simtropolis or not. So even if Dirk throws down the banhammer on mods, that's only from this site and not your own on that google page.

We can all clearly see the interest for unlocking the potential for this game and fixing/finishing what was left over. I'm really leaning on fixing at this moment as I've fired my game up recently to remember why I don't play it anymore, runs extremely slow even when set to low graphics yet I was in the Beta and that ran smoothly....until the Memory leak got too bad.

Anyways, hoping we aren't doomed here now....

[GlobexCo 33]

roads (gemski/gembeach) unlocked:

(you'll find them together with the other roads ... unfortunately I can't understand how to create new thumbs - new they have the same icon of a farm road and a street)

[Hail91 0]

The moderator's reasoning for saying no was due to possible jeapordization of simtropolis and it's staff, I say if you want to release this, (as said in previous comment) release it on google or something, I see in no way how this is harming the game, MC only banned mods that affected PO, which, oh? is now gone forever, you could argue that the new company plans to release the gems? yes, maybe? in a new game? we have no idea....<---Cities XL is dead, if anything is sold, it will be torward CXL 2011, which for all intensive purposes will never happen, I don't see how this is dangerous if released on diff host, or website.

[cm39 0]

Wow...great job Globexco....

Do you see some buildings from the asian pack?

Also, i download the patch who unlock all the PO stuff and it work perfectly....i don't know why you don't use it instead of unlocking them one by one?

[pcwhiz24 1,187]

Originally posted by: GlobexCo

request n2:

Some repackers have been released... Now everyone can make his own modsquote>

Where do I download the repackers?

EDIT: Never mind, I found it!

[mentarman 14]

I think there's no doubt this violates the EULA.

The question is whether anyone will care. It may be that that is just boilerplate. Some of this I don't think MC would care about if they were still around. Other parts they might not have liked if it is stuff they planned on making money on in the future. No one knows who the new company is, what their rights are exactly, and how they would exercise them.

Personally I think the worst that realistically would happen is the modder might be asked to take them down. A patch might kill the mods.

The section of the EULA quoted by the moderator applies to the person making the mod, not Simtropolis. So it may say that Globex shouldn't be doing what he's doing but it doesn't really say what that means for Simtropolis. Again I suspect the worst that realistically would happen is they would be asked to remove links to any such mods.

In fact, that part of the EULA has already been violated. He has worked on the mod and decompiled and re-hoohahed whatever and admitted it here. So what the EULA forbids has already been done, and that part at least says nothing about posting the mods, what can be done to a site that allows this, etc. So assuming DIrk has a lawyer I think he'd be better off looking at the relevant copyright law.

Probably any lawyer would say 'If they wanted to come after you for this they would" and then it is up to the site owner to decide what they believe, what they are willing to stand for, what they are willing to risk, etc. Easier to just say no, even though I think it highly unlikely anything more serious than "remove that" would ever come down.

Modding of the game is positive for the game, so with much of it why would they bother to act? The problem might come when something is unlocked that was planned to be sold to us later, so in that case they might say "remove it" but still why would they bother with the expense and negative publicity of really going after somebody.

I really think the worst consequence would be a "cease and desist" letter.

Of course I'm not a lawyer, these are just my random opinions.

I wonder what the SC4 EULA says. It may well say the same thing... boilerplate to protect them if they want to stop or block something, but they've given with the other hand tools to mod and left us to our own devices...

[kiwispanker 1]

Originally posted by: cm39

Wow...great job Globexco....

Do you see some buildings from the asian pack?

Also, i download the patch who unlock all the PO stuff and it work perfectly....i don't know why you don't use it instead of unlocking them one by one?

quote>

i've been looking and i can't find any of the chinatown buildings. MC has written the descriptions for each of those buildings but never included the class/layout files in the updates.

at globexco, i'll look into thumbs; are the road thumbs just turning out white?

also, is it possible to upload some unlocked buildings on simtrop? i don't mind shairing what i got.

concerning the eula, in writing, i do believe that the game shouldn't be modded in any way. BUT, MC has allowed modifications in solo mode - which is what we're doing. if the new company has problems with MC's old way of allowing mods, then they should make their concerns known.

[wyllman 0]

Some new pics from blueprints construction tests

Blueprints as "blueprints", no Landmarks.

[Livin in Sim 83]

Originally posted by: kiwispanker

also, is it possible to upload some unlocked buildings on simtrop?quote>

We are waiting for Dirk to weigh in on this, so please do so.

concerning the eula, in writing, i do believe that the game shouldn't be modded in any way. BUT, MC has allowed modifications in solo mode - which is what we're doing. if the new company has problems with MC's old way of allowing mods, then they should make their concerns known.quote>

The new company may be totally unaware of what is happening at this point.  As I said, Dirk may ask us to wait to hear from them.  We can't really rely on what MC has allowed in the past, definitely not EA, and must start over with the EULA, so to speak.  Perhaps a precedent was set, but how can we say for sure?  If a person wants to take the risk, it is up to them, but we can't speak for Dirk.  I'm pretty sure he would rather not be told to "cease and desist", but on the other hand, he may figure that is unlikely.  I just can't read his mind. 

[GlobexCo 33]

Originally posted by: cm39

Wow...great job Globexco....

Do you see some buildings from the asian pack?

Also, i download the patch who unlock all the PO stuff and it work perfectly....i don't know why you don't use it instead of unlocking them one by one?quote>

Can't see anything... (also medieval pack models are missing, so probably I've got to search in other .paks...)

I prefer a button that unlocks/relocks everything... and I prefer them as landmarks!

Originally posted by: mentarman

Personally I think the worst that realistically would happen is the modder might be asked to take them down. A patch might kill the mods.

In fact, that part of the EULA has already been violated. He has worked on the mod and decompiled and re-hoohahed whatever and admitted it here. So what the EULA forbids has already been done, and that part at least says nothing about posting the mods, what can be done to a site that allows this, etc. So assuming DIrk has a lawyer I think he'd be better off looking at the relevant copyright law.

Modding of the game is positive for the game, so with much of it why would they bother to act? The problem might come when something is unlocked that was planned to be sold to us later, so in that case they might say "remove it" but still why would they bother with the expense and negative publicity of really going after somebody.quote>

They can't release a patch that stops mods (since MC used the same system we're using to add patches to the game) - no one will install such a thing unless it has something very interesting inside (such as train network). Patch system can be "hacked" (it's possible to modify the version of the game - the patch won't be applied if the version of the game is the same of the patch!)

admitted? mods? what are you talking about?

Again, the best thing would be asking the new company their plans...

Originally posted by: kiwispanker

at globexco, i'll look into thumbs; are the road thumbs just turning out white?

also, is it possible to upload some unlocked buildings on simtrop? i don't mind shairing what i got.

concerning the eula, in writing, i do believe that the game shouldn't be modded in any way. BUT, MC has allowed modifications in solo mode - which is what we're doing. if the new company has problems with MC's old way of allowing mods, then they should make their concerns known.quote>

No, I copied the farm road and the street .class files and changed the sgbin/layout link...

At the moment thumbs are the same of the original class (so in the menu there are 3 farm roads and 3 streets)

Please tell me the name of the thumbs if you find them. Thanks.

If Dirk says ok to releasing buildings from gems... I'll need some help (since we have to create from scratch all the class files!) from you.

Thank you all.

[wyllman 0]

Originally posted by: GlobexCo

At the moment thumbs are the same of the original class (so in the menu there are 3 farm roads and 3 streets)

Please tell me the name of the thumbs if you find them. Thanks.

quote>

I don´t know if you know :-) but thumbs are .dds files and normaly the same name of .class file

[GlobexCo 33]

Originally posted by: wyllman

Originally posted by: GlobexCo

At the moment thumbs are the same of the original class (so in the menu there are 3 farm roads and 3 streets)

Please tell me the name of the thumbs if you find them. Thanks.

quote>

I don´t know if you know :-) but thumbs are .dds files and normaly the same name of .class file

quote>

dds are textures... I need a .tga file.

[wyllman 0]

I saw some .dds files was thumb. Maybe you must convert to .tga, but i´m not sure.

[GlobexCo 33]

Yes, it's possible...

But textures for that roads seems to be missing...

EDIT:

NEWS!!

I studied the mod that wyllman sent to me... and I understood many things:

Now blueprints are fully functional, you build the stage 1 and then you have to build it as it was in PO (it's a game... you can't really play with blueprints if you can build immediately the final stage... it's not realistic! ).

Unfortunately they can't be destroyed... I'm going to solve this issue...

Added an old function: the avatar.

I loved to use my avatar and explore my city, but in SP it was impossible... Now it's working again (I've already found a way to unlock avatar buttons, but I couldn't understand why I couldn't use it in City mode...).

Now I'll focus on little issues, minor glitches and things like this... then I'll start with the new mod, the gems unlocker.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

GlobexCo said that he hacked files and that not a single .EXE was touched. Therefore, if the EULA is read so that only what was explicitly stated was disallowed (editing, backward engineering, or hacking the .EXE itself), then nothing wrong has occurred.

[GlobexCo 33]

Originally posted by: Ilikeseattle

GlobexCo said that he hacked files and that not a single .EXE was touched. Therefore, if the EULA is read so that only what was explicitly stated was disallowed (editing, backward engineering, or hacking the .EXE itself), then nothing wrong has occurred.quote>

If you want, I can ask to the first person who created an unpacker if he touched the .exe, but I don't think so - he's an expert in file formats, I think he has got tools to discover file encryption without decompiling everything.

Anyway, he's the only one who could have touched exe and dll files. Modders add only patches to the game (the same thing MC did with updates).

[wyllman 0]

Originally posted by: GlobexCo

Unfortunately they can't be destroyed.

quote>

Whit the blueprint selected, press "Supr" in my keyboard, "Del" in yours i suggest

Another useless info: .pak and patch files was encrypted using "RC4" algorithm and compressed by "zlib"(i read this at xentax forum). And Hexeditor can open this files and if you are an expert in format files, you can see this.A lot of work

but is possible without touhc .exe

GolbexCo can you introduce in your .patch files a modded version of "parismontmartesacrecoeur" without crash when

the game start??

I don´t know why, but when i use a personal mod with these .class files my game no start

[GlobexCo 33]

Map unlocked: New York.

Going to unlock the other two maps.

About coordinates of maps on the planet, I want to try to use 3dsMax to see if they are real coordinates...

[pcwhiz24 1,187]

Is it released? where can I download it?

[mentarman 14]

I understand there's a lot of legalities and technicalities involved, but I really hope this stuff gets released somewhere somehow or else this is just cruel.

[GlobexCo 33]

^Rio de Janeiro map unlocked - it's fantastic!

Originally posted by: GeniusXL

Is it released? where can I download it?quote>

No, no... Nothing released yet.

We're waiting for Admin decision.

[mr-tom 2]

I respect the decision to send this Dirk's way. I think that a battle between the new owner and the community really would spell the end for CXL, which would be a crying shame.

Obviously I'm impatient for more shiny things to play with, but for the sake of a week or so's wait, heck, I've not finished Napoleon Total War yet.

On the topic of the buyer. Blatant speculation, but I'm somewhat cynical. I reckon that studios decided it would be sheer suicide to buy it at a price MC / the receivers / the venture capitalists could afford to let it go at, so my guess is that the venture capitalists took the IP in settlement and are new new owners. I say this because we've not heard from anyone and frankly if a studio were to take it on, it would make the greatest of sense to communicate early - hence my theory that the VCs have it and are frantically touting it around studios to get it finished. As I say, utterly rampant speculation and probably wrong, but my tuppence-worth nonetheless.

Final note - awesome work guys, regardless of whether you get to release it. And I'm guessing that one way or another, it'll pop up somewhere.

[symanteco 4]

I read this from MC regarding modding CXL:

What are your plans to keep the community active? Can we expect the game to open more to modding and custom content?

Although the online game comes to an end the community still lives on and we plan to support it the same way we have always done.

As for game modifications and custom content: this has always been part of our plans, and the end of the Planet offer does not change that at all. Quite the opposite in fact: we had to put restrictions in place regarding that to avoid potential cheating and abuses online. Now that the game is focused on solo gameplay it will be easier for everyone to make modifications and create and share custom content.

Go for it!!!

The link:

http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/52702/Cities-XL-Multiplayer-Mode-Shutting-Down-Cities-XL-2011-Announced

[GlobexCo 33]

Originally posted by: symanteco

I read this from MC regarding modding CXL:

What are your plans to keep the community active? Can we expect the game to open more to modding and custom content?

Although the online game comes to an end the community still lives on and we plan to support it the same way we have always done.

As for game modifications and custom content: this has always been part of our plans, and the end of the Planet offer does not change that at all. Quite the opposite in fact: we had to put restrictions in place regarding that to avoid potential cheating and abuses online. Now that the game is focused on solo gameplay it will be easier for everyone to make modifications and create and share custom content.

Go for it!!!

The link:

http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/52702/Cities-XL-Multiplayer-Mode-Shutting-Down-Cities-XL-2011-Announcedquote>

True! Well done.

Plan:

After releasing my unlock-everything mod (that probably will activate again the interest of players in CXL, since we give them a BIG expansion pack), we'll post some tutorial here or at GoogleCode (together with tools and examples) so that everyone can start making his own mods.

Probably most of the players will use mods to change the simulation so they can enjoy the game, but I hope that someone will help in the next big project: releasing (quite) working gems.

[wyllman 0]

I help you a little ;-) Maybe i have given you more work jejeje. Tell me what you need and i will try to help but I have not much time, at least until next month

[mentarman 14]

Originally posted by: mr-tom

On the topic of the buyer. Blatant speculation, but I'm somewhat cynical. I reckon that studios decided it would be sheer suicide to buy it at a price MC / the receivers / the venture capitalists could afford to let it go at, so my guess is that the venture capitalists took the IP in settlement and are new new owners. I say this because we've not heard from anyone and frankly if a studio were to take it on, it would make the greatest of sense to communicate early - hence my theory that the VCs have it and are frantically touting it around studios to get it finished. As I say, utterly rampant speculation and probably wrong, but my tuppence-worth nonetheless.quote>

I too wonder why we haven't heard from this mystery company yet. But Gregory's message specifically said a publisher had taken over, not just a company or an investor or "somebody" but a publisher. Of course we can parse down words forever and we have the added difficulty of a language barrier. But anyway that doesn't indicate investors taking over to me, or if they have, it seems they've already made a deal with a publisher.