Gravity hack in RealMyst?

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Gravity hack in RealMyst?

Postby Shady » Sat May 15, 2021 8:40 am

Hi. I figure this is a long shot because the game is so old (and also the redheaded stepchild of all Myst editions), but this seems to be the right place on the internet to try. I'm currently stuck on a project I'm working on, so I'll appreciate anyone who has any ideas.

Before RealMyst Masterpiece came out, I started a video series on my YouTube channel for funsies and giggles that uses this gravity hack to fly around the original RealMyst. I've only worked on it off and on over the years, but now I'm one episode away from completing it, and I've got a fair number of viewers requesting I do so.

Historically, all I've done to hack the game is to use that initiation file, but that means I've had to quit the game every time I need to change the gravity. This means I can't move freely in the z-direction the way I can in the x- and y-directions, which inhibits my ability to see all the things I want to see efficiently.

Recently I was introduced to Cheat Engine, so now I can change values without having to quit the game. While this is nice, I haven't found a way to affect the game in the way I expected. My impression was that I could find the gravity value in the memory, assign it to some hotkeys, and adjust the gravity up and down mid-recording while flying. This is my goal at the end of the day.

But I can't find such a value that has an immediate impact. I can easily find the stored value from the initiation file, but changing it has no effect until I either load a save or link to another age, so for the most part this ruins the point of it. So I figure there's a lingering bit of memory somewhere else that stores the active gravity and doesn't reference the initiation value until this loading process happens.

I've tried the most broad search method I can think of several times to find the active gravity value, but it doesn't turn anything up. I start with all values of all types. I fly around a bit and filter unchanging values, then I edit the gravity and load a game then filter changing values. I repeat these two steps over and over and eventually all I get are the initiation values again. There seems to be literally nothing in the memory that corresponds to the active gravity behavior.

This breaks my understanding of how computers work. There HAS to be something in there, doesn't there? I'm quite stuck and perplexed at the moment, but I'd really like to figure this out. I have some fun ideas for climactic ways to end the series, but to pull it off I would need some way to change the active gravity mid-recording, whether it's a hotkey in Cheat Engine or some other method. Any ideas for what I should try next?
Shady
 
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Re: Gravity hack in RealMyst?

Postby Shady » Thu May 20, 2021 10:41 am

OK, I figured it out. The game activates a different memory cell to store the active gravity value not only every time you load a game or change ages, but even when you enter different rooms.

So my options for using Cheat Engine are limited, but I can still use it. Although I'd be interested in more efficient hacks, I think I have enough to at least get the video done.
Shady
 
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Re: Gravity hack in RealMyst?

Postby Aloys » Tue Jun 01, 2021 2:41 pm

Hi there! hey I remember watching your videos a while ago.. :) Some parts just cracked me up..

As for your question: Oh my, I did the original edition of that file.. That was, well, 20 years ago. :o
That gravity hack in realMyst is seriously wacky.. But i guess that's what makes it interesting too. Certainly more challenging than a simple free flying camera. Except, as you mention, only being able to change it at the start of the game was always a pain.. I never tried Cheat Engine, you make me want to though, that tool looks fun.

So, I guess Channelwood is your next video? This is a fun Age to fly around.

(sorry you didn't get a reply sooner, things are a bit slow around here lately. )
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Re: Gravity hack in RealMyst?

Postby Shady » Mon Jun 21, 2021 2:21 pm

Oh hey, I didn't realize the author of the hack has seen my videos! Nice to meet you.

Since you're into behind-the-scenes techie stuff, you might like the video I made about the Flymode series in my meta series. I really wanted to communicate to people just how much of a pain it can be to make the videos.

But Cheat Engine is certainly making it better! It can be cumbersome in its own way, but it'll serve well enough to make the last video in the series. Yep, Channelwood and Rime are what's left.
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