FC4 PC cheats

[mandru]

Through the given click path (except my version of Win7 uses "My Documents" as one of the steps) I located the file GamerProfile.xml.  When I double clicked it opened in Windows Internet Explorer.

Is there a rendering that has to take place to apply the cheats that makes it necessary to use Notepad++ (or variant) or can I just add the specified cheat codes and save right there in IE?

Again sorry for the noob entry level questions.  I just don't want to do anything irreparable.   :-[

[PZ]

Unfortunately IE is the default application for xml, but you cannot edit in the browser.  Notepad ++ is my "go to" editor for just about everything - it allows you to collapse sections in the xml, something that Windows notepad does not.

[mandru]

I don't know what "collapsing" is in the sense of the word as you are using it here.  Is that something that is necessary for the action we are discussing in adding the line of cheat code?

[Art Blade]

it's like to the left of this post, the navigation tree. you'll see that to the top of that, there are two options: Expand and Collapse. The "+" symbol shows the collapsed view (basically all you see is a headline next to the "+") while a "-" will reveal sub levels as in an expanded view. So you can collapse the whole set of commands you don't need to see and only expand the section you want to look at or w@&k with.

[PZ]

Indeed - makes looking at a huge number of organized lines a bit easier, and also allows you to graphically see how things are clustered.

[OWGKID]

Thanks GKID, will modify and test  :-X

http://imgur.com/26DLE4E This is how the file looks for me (unedited). I've marked the "<GameProfile />" It should look like this for you too.

http://imgur.com/z85B8kE This is the file with cheats (edited). Hope it works :-D

[mandru]

Has anyone verified that the original code can be restored so that access to online becomes possible once again?

I asked this a while back and didn't see a response.

[OWGKID]

Has anyone verified that the original code can be restored so that access to online becomes possible once again?

I asked this a while back and didn't see a response.

My GamerProfile seems to restore itself automatically after I have used cheats.

[Art Blade]

The original code gets restored on quitting. Every time you fire up the game, it will use what's in the file but it is supposed to override the file on exit, restoring it to default. I had to manually edit the file every time before I started the game because the changes I had made were reverted.

[mandru]

Ok, thanks.

[mandru]

Sorry for being such a pest on this topic but this is all so far over my head and if there's one thing I've learned it's that I excel in it's screwing things up beyond all possible repair.  :-[

I'm looking at Arts initial post and have a couple questions where he says:

Edit it with any combination or all of the following cheats (they used to be called the same only starting with "GameProfile_" when we used them for the command line)

<GameProfile GodMode="1" UnlimitedAmmo="1" IgnorePlayer="1" />

Save the file.

Don't write-protect that file or your game will crash on saving from the menu, same when save+quit from menu. Just leave the file alone.

1st: Is write-protect a function of notepad++?  I'm asking so I know where to be careful in my manipulation of the key data lines.

2nd: "save+quit"  Again is that a function of notepad++?  Is that the same as saving and then in a separate step closing notepad++?  Or does that mean that I should make the desired line changes, save and then leave notepad++ open as I run the game?

Or by save+quit are you talking about the exiting from the game itself?

I really am trying to visualize the whole process before I tamper with anything.  Thanks for your patience.  :)

[Art Blade]

 :-D

1) Reference: the file you are about to edit. Write protection is something used on files so the files may not be altered by other programs trying to re-write or override something inside that file.

2) Reference: the game FC4. The "Save and quit" is a "command" you'll find in FC4, in the menu, when you try to quit your game. Just by the way, you edit with notepad++, save so the changes remain, then quit so you don't have to leave notepad++ running. The game runs just fine without notepad++.

[mandru]

Thanks Art.  :-X

I always make my saves at one of the outpost vending machines and simply quit to desktop when exiting so save+quit won't be a problem for me.  :)

[Art Blade]

basically you do the same as the option "save and quit" (from the menu) when you save (outpost) and then quit (from the menu) -- the problem is that the game WILL save eventually, even if you don't do it manually.

If you write-protect the file, the game WILL try to override that file and it will obviously fail and that WILL crash the game.

Hence, don't try to protect your edited version from being overridden by the game. The reason why one would want to protect that file would be not having to edit those cheats in every time before starting the game. The game will reset that line with those cheats, basically deleting your cheats, by overriding the content of the file every time you quit.

[mandru]

 ???

Now I'm confused again.

To avoid crashing and losing a game session what is the proper way to exit if you can't save at an outpost and then from the menu select quit?

[PZ]

You can save and quit from anywhere (I do so quite regularly out in the field, and not in an outpost - typically the only place you can't save is during a mission).  I think AB is saying that you should not write protect the game file else the game will crash as it tries to restore your default settings.  This is something you would have to deliberately do by right clicking the file, choosing Properties, and ticking the "Read-only" check box.  His advice is to never set your file to Read-only else the game save will fail.

[Art Blade]

Mandru, PZ squeezed his post in before I could post mine :) I should have write-protected this topic first so he couldn't do that :-D And yes, PZ is basically right.

OK, mandru, let's start from the beginning.

If you want to cheat, you will have to edit (write something into) the file GamerProfile.xml (with notepad++ or some such)

By default that file isn't write-protected because the game needs to write into that file. Hence, every time you quit the game, it will successfully attempt to write stuff into that file. That is normal.

So, if you protect that file from being overridden, the game will crash because its attempt to write stuff into that file will fail. So don't change the file attributes, leave it as is (not write-protected) just so the game won't crash.

The only reason I mentioned write-protection is because IF you write cheats into it, the cheats will be gone after quitting the game. that is normal. It is normal because the game will delete all your cheats. That is one thing the game does when it writes into that file. So you might think, "hey, let's keep the cheats I wrote into that file, by protecting the file from the game which will delete the cheats and I don't want to write those cheats every bloody time when I want to play with cheats." But you cannot do that unless you don't care that the game will crash every time for the sake of keeping your cheats.

[PZ]

Mandru, PZ squeezed his post in before I could post mine :) I should have write-protected this topic first so he couldn't do that...

8-X

[Art Blade]

 :-()

[mandru]

My personal theme music is Nothing Is Easy by Jethro Tull and Murphy's wife was my mother.  :D

I successfully downloaded and installed notepad++.  I made the right change in the right place then saved.  I had a great time knocking around in the game and even maxed out to level 15 in the Arena earning the title Arena Master.  :)

And now a half hour later when I reopen that folder the line has not reset to its original state.

<GameProfile IgnorePlayer="1" UnlimitedAmmo="1" GodMode="1"/>     still shows whether I open the GamerProfile.xml in IE or even if I re-open it in notepad++.  In other words it didn't revert to the original line when I closed out of FC4.  ???

I guess if I need to I can go back in with notepad++, manually pull out the cheat edit and restore it with a save.

[nexor]

All my attempts to get these cheats to w@&k has failed  :D

[OWGKID]

All my attempts to get these cheats to w@&k has failed  :D

Hmm they still w@&k for me ????

[Art Blade]

mandru, for reasons unknown, sometimes the cheats remain but should be reset eventually. If you are so inclined, you can of course delete them manually.

:)

[Binnatics]

I visited youtube today, Mandru. Excellent song! That guy plays the flute as if he was talking through it. Nothing is easy ^-^ :-X

[mandru]

Prior to engaging some of the PC cheats I was occasionally browsing some of the Player uploaded maps.

I noticed that when a player is creating a map they are able to set a lot of variable parameters for how their map will behave.  From memory I recall some of the maps have preset conditions like invincibility, high jump, infinite ammo, one hit kill, and several other options.

What I'm wondering (but I'm not quite ready to check out right now) is if the exact wordings of those player set conditions that are listed when you accept that you will play that map, are also the term names that can be directly included in the code line you edit along the lines of <GameProfile GodMode="1"/>  .

I seem to recall that invincibility was used instead of GodMode but some of the other useful conditions may carry over and plug in to be used as a cheat insert.

I'll either get around to it eventually or if someone wants to take a run at it that's OK too.

I wanted to get this thought jotted down before I become distracted and uh...  Squirrel!  :o