Hacking Spacebase DF-9 saves

spacebase.rb

# They're just deflated messagepack dumps of lua data.

require "zlib"
require "msgpack" # gem install msgpack

# **BACK IT UP FIRST**

save = MessagePack.unpack(Zlib::Inflate.new(-15).inflate(IO.read("#{ENV["HOME"]}/Documents/SpacebaseDF9/Saves/SpacebaseDF9AutoSave.sav")))

# ... do things to `save` ...

IO.binwrite("#{ENV["HOME"]}/Documents/SpacebaseDF9/Saves/SpacebaseDF9AutoSave.sav", Zlib::Deflate.new(9, -15).deflate(save.to_msgpack))

You'll need to run irb which gives an interactive ruby prompt. The save variable once loaded gives you a big hash of objects which you can manipulate, then afterward.

Here's what the hash should look like (I've truncated because it's huge):

~$ irb -r zlib -r msgpack
irb> save = MessagePack.unpack(Zlib::Inflate.new(-15).inflate(IO.read("#{ENV["HOME"]}/Documents/SpacebaseDF9/Saves/SpacebaseDF9AutoSave.sav")))
=> {"elapsedTime"=>11832.718140666817, "nLastNewShip"=>10167.058132673592, "sStarDate"=>"9133.5", "bHasZoomed"=>true, "tEventControllerState"=>{"tNextEventData"=>{"nNumSpawns"=>1, "nNumMaladies"=>0, "tPrerolledMalady"=>{"nAdditionalDeadliness"=>0.2, "tSymptomStarts"=>[11316.302518571782, 11700.302518571782], "sMaladyName"=>"Parasite", "nChanceToInfectCharacter"=>0.05, "bSpreadTouch"=>false, "sMaladyType"=>"Parasite", "sSpecial"=>"parasite", "tDurationRange"=>[600, 2000], "nImmuneChance"=>0.5, "nFieldTreatSkill"=>99999, "nMaladyStart"=>10840.302518571782, "bSpreadSneeze"=>false, "tImmuneRaces"=>[], "nCurrentStage"=>0, "nPerceivedSeverity"=>0.2, "sFriendlyName"=>"DISEAS003TEXT", "nBacteriaLifetime"=>180, "bCreateStrains"=>false, "sDesc"=>"DISEAS023TEXT", "tSymptomStages"=>[{"tTimeToSymptoms"=>[180, 480], "sSymptomLog"=>{"priority"=>2, "lineCodes"=>["SFPARA001CITZ", "SFPARA002CITZ", "SFPARA003CITZ", "SFPARA004CITZ", "SFPARA005CITZ", "SFPARA006CITZ", "SFPARA007CITZ", "SFPARA008CITZ", "SFPARA009CITZ"]}, "tReduceMods"=>{"Hunger"=>1.5}}, {"tTimeToSymptoms"=>[600, 900], "sSpecial"=>"parasite"}], "nChanceToInfectObject"=>0.2, "nSeverity"=>1}, "nAlertTime"=>11873.312518571782, "nUniqueID"=>52, "nDifficulty"=>0.915, "nStartTime"=>11918.312518571782, "sEventType"=>"immigrationEvents"}, "tSpawnModifiers"=>{"derelictEvents"=>1.0652396492877174, "dockingEvents"=>1, "immigrationEvents"=>1.0960942124628192, "breachingEvents"=>0.8089999999999999, "meteorEvents"=>1.612, "hostileImmigrationEvents"=>0.8089999999999999}, ...}, ...}
irb(main):003:0>

The copy of zlib in Ubuntu on Windows doesn't seem to always flush streams properly, causing premature ends. Some explicit instruction with .deflate(save.to_msgpack , Zlib::FINISH) is required for it to work.