Cheating

So you’re gonna cheat, eh?

This page deals with the topic of how to cheat in the game. It includes information on how to cheat, when it’s a good time to cheat and the problems that cheating can bring.

Note: The cheating methods described edit the quantity of money that you have. If you find a way to edit other things (Number of trained soldiers and their morale could be a good one), then let me know about it please.

A word about cheat codes: Everything I’ve heard and read seems to indicate that there are no cheat codes in the game. (I’ve seen some information out there about cheat codes. But the results seem to be a mixed-bag at best.)

How To Cheat

There are essentially two ways to cheat:

  1. By using a money editor such as Csrbucks for Windows 3.1 or the Caesar II Denarii Editor for Windows 95 by Robert Pippen.
  2. By directly editing the Save Game files using a Hex Edit Utility.

Both methods have different problems & advantages, but both will basically give the same thing: More money.

Money Hack Utilities Versus Hex Editing

Also consider that Hex Editing is often more reliable than using Hack Utilities. When you let a program do the work there’s always a chance that a hack utility will change the wrong byte. That doesn’t mean, though that Hex Editing is 100% reliable. There’s always a chance that something will go wrong no matter what you do. So always back up the file before you try and edit it.

Instructions on How to Hex Edit Save Game Files

If you don’t already have a Hex Editor, than you need HexEdit (for win95).

  1. First, find offset 35FC0 and 329E0. The money amount that you currently have could be in one of those locations, or both. If it’s in both, then modify both offsets when you’re going to hack in the amount you want. Here’s where to look in the offsets mentioned above. The column where the amount is written is the same for both locations:

    0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 AMOU NT00


    Note: The display may vary from one Hex Edit Utility to the next.
    The amount that you currently have is mirrored (ex: 37F8 would be written as F837 in the save file.)

  2. Type in the amount you want (in hex) in "AMOUNT". If you don’t have a Hex/Dec calculator, than here is a Hexadecimal/Decimal Calculator. Don’t forget to type in the mirrored amount (ex2: 10,000dn (2710 Hex) should be typed in as 1027).
  3. Save the file, and run Caesar II.
  4. Load the Save Game file, and you should have the amount that you hacked in previously.
Other Hex Editing Possibilities

You can set your own personal wealth by editing offsets 35FE8 and 35FE9 (eg 50,135dn =D7 C3) Great for big gifts to Emperor. You can reduce any current year construction costs to Zero by editing offsets 32C24 and 32C25 to 00 00. Great for turning an annual profit. - Thanks to Mark Devine for this great tip!

2 Comments »

  1. I found that if you use the time-speed control to slow things to a crawl when an enemy attacks, you can then quickly build a wall in a full circle around their army. Then, as they work on that, start training new cohorts. Once that’s underway, build a few more obstacles. It usually took three or four walls to get a decent army raised, one that would numerically crush the invaders.

    In this way you can save money by not spending it on maintaining high troop levels.

    Comment by Aaron — May 8, 2008 @ 3:22 pm

  2. Aaron, that is an interesting approach. I am assuming that you are talking about the Caesar II game speed and not something in DOSBox? It would seem that a few layers of wall should cost much less than paying for unused troops all the time.

    Comment by Administrator — May 8, 2008 @ 3:29 pm

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