I really have a simple goal in mind, as I find everything else balanced, fine and dandy.
However, one thing that has irked me to no end in the entire series is how absolutely worthless slaving is.
Even in previous titles where you could get slaves in very large quantities posing as a passenger transporter, it was a very minimally profitable profession compared to the relation hit you get with the race you've offended.
1024 credits for a sentient being, even with zero regard to that persons background, is an absolutely pitiful amount, and throughout the entire series I find my self not caring or completely ignoring bailed pilots, finding the very act of simply scooping them up even with a automated long range tool to process it for me, to be not worth it.
So with all that said: How do change the pricing of slaves?
p.s. I googled about 30 different phrases trying to find the answer before posting this topic.
How to change prices for wares?
Moderators: Moderators for English X Forum, Scripting / Modding Moderators
I had already found the file, though I didn't have any idea what program to use to open a .pck file so I was stuck there. Having looked into the X2 Editor, I don't know why you suggested it, as the game I am referring to and on the board for is of X3.
However upon finding the site it is hosted on there is also a X3 editor. So that worked out, good show!
I opened up the ware file and found the SS_WARE_SLAVE.
I can only conclude that by retval you mean relative value, which in conjunction with Price modifier 1 and 2, to which I can only assume are the minimum and maximum prices the wares can have. These are the values I found. Interestingly there was a separate price modifier "relative value (player)".
I have a problem. When I start the editor, it prompts me to download an update for x3objects2.dll to correctly save eastern languages (Japanese, Chinese).
I don't know if this is related. Since I modified the pricing for slaves anyways and saved it. All the price values for slaves in the editor was 50 strangely. I simply changed it to 500 and booted it up to see what changed.
Nothing changed. Alt-F4'd, booted up the editor once more and checking the values for the ware, it seems to have reset itself to 50 for all price modifiers.
In order to combat this, I made the changes, saved, looked back into the file. Saves were kept. So clearly launching the game was causing it to reset to it's vanilla values, for whatever reason. So naturally I changed the file to read-only.
Booted up the game. Same result. Slaves pricing is completely untouched.
Alt-F4'd. Checked the file. Still read only. Booted up the editor and checked the values I had modified. Indeed the file was untouched, the price modifiers were still 500 for each.
WHELP. I tried. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? Does modifying prices require a new save game? Is this the wrong file? I don't know how it possibly could be.
Oh, and the game I'm talking about is AP.
However upon finding the site it is hosted on there is also a X3 editor. So that worked out, good show!
I opened up the ware file and found the SS_WARE_SLAVE.
I can only conclude that by retval you mean relative value, which in conjunction with Price modifier 1 and 2, to which I can only assume are the minimum and maximum prices the wares can have. These are the values I found. Interestingly there was a separate price modifier "relative value (player)".
I have a problem. When I start the editor, it prompts me to download an update for x3objects2.dll to correctly save eastern languages (Japanese, Chinese).
I don't know if this is related. Since I modified the pricing for slaves anyways and saved it. All the price values for slaves in the editor was 50 strangely. I simply changed it to 500 and booted it up to see what changed.
Nothing changed. Alt-F4'd, booted up the editor once more and checking the values for the ware, it seems to have reset itself to 50 for all price modifiers.
In order to combat this, I made the changes, saved, looked back into the file. Saves were kept. So clearly launching the game was causing it to reset to it's vanilla values, for whatever reason. So naturally I changed the file to read-only.
Booted up the game. Same result. Slaves pricing is completely untouched.
Alt-F4'd. Checked the file. Still read only. Booted up the editor and checked the values I had modified. Indeed the file was untouched, the price modifiers were still 500 for each.
WHELP. I tried. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? Does modifying prices require a new save game? Is this the wrong file? I don't know how it possibly could be.
Oh, and the game I'm talking about is AP.
I did mean the X3 Editor, was a simple typo 
how are you opening the ware file ?
are you opening it via VFS or opening the file directly ?
if the later, then its possible you are opening the wrong file.
There are different versions of the same files in each of the cat files. There there will be multiple ware files. The game loads the file from the highest cat file first, so thats the one you need to edit.
if you edit one in a lower cat file, then it'll be overridden by the higher one.
Opening via VFS should always give you the correct version.
Also, make sure you are editing the AP file, not the TC one. the AP files are in the addon directory
how are you opening the ware file ?
are you opening it via VFS or opening the file directly ?
if the later, then its possible you are opening the wrong file.
There are different versions of the same files in each of the cat files. There there will be multiple ware files. The game loads the file from the highest cat file first, so thats the one you need to edit.
if you edit one in a lower cat file, then it'll be overridden by the higher one.
Opening via VFS should always give you the correct version.
Also, make sure you are editing the AP file, not the TC one. the AP files are in the addon directory
I had indeed made the mistake of opening the file for TC. I already knew about the .cat progression.
Sadly modifying the correct file has not solved the problem.
X3 Albion Prelude\addon\01.cat
This is the top .cat file.
In it are several ware files as you said:
TWareT.pck
TWareN.pck
TWareM.pck
TWareF.pck
TWareE.pck
TWareB.pck
The first one; TWareT.pck, is the file containing: SS_WARE_SLAVE
Modified in the same way I have explained previously, and saved it. Adding to that I tried it both directly opening it and using VFS, and on both occasions I still had the same result: No change in pricing of the modified ware. The file was never overwritten looking back at it, as it still has the same values I changed.
I even started a new game and ran to a pirate base to see, and indeed, no change.
By the way, thank you very much for your time.
Sadly modifying the correct file has not solved the problem.
X3 Albion Prelude\addon\01.cat
This is the top .cat file.
In it are several ware files as you said:
TWareT.pck
TWareN.pck
TWareM.pck
TWareF.pck
TWareE.pck
TWareB.pck
The first one; TWareT.pck, is the file containing: SS_WARE_SLAVE
Modified in the same way I have explained previously, and saved it. Adding to that I tried it both directly opening it and using VFS, and on both occasions I still had the same result: No change in pricing of the modified ware. The file was never overwritten looking back at it, as it still has the same values I changed.
I even started a new game and ran to a pirate base to see, and indeed, no change.
By the way, thank you very much for your time.
if you are using the plugin manager at all. Make sure you open it, then close it after you make changes to the files.
if you edit the file, then open it again via VFS, do your changes remain ?
also make sure you are restarting the game after you make changes, as the files get read in at game load.
The best way to edit the files is to create your own mod file to put the changes in instead of overright the originals. You should try that. Look for the highest cat file, then create a new one to follow it.
so if the highest one is 03.cat, create one for 04.cat, then put the editing files in there.
if you edit the file, then open it again via VFS, do your changes remain ?
also make sure you are restarting the game after you make changes, as the files get read in at game load.
The best way to edit the files is to create your own mod file to put the changes in instead of overright the originals. You should try that. Look for the highest cat file, then create a new one to follow it.
so if the highest one is 03.cat, create one for 04.cat, then put the editing files in there.
Aye I had restarted it every time.
It turns out, I was misunderstanding a crucial aspect. In addition to originally mistakenly chasing TC files....
I had mistaken all this time that top .cat files started at .01
.01 -----I thought this was the top file
.02 -----When this was the file with another TWareT.pck file overwriting ^
.03
Upon modifying the .02 TWareT file it worked.
Must say I'm surprised I got an acceptable price change on the first go. From 1404 to 14036. From 50-500 in the file price Modifiers. Strange way to manage pricing, however it's being done, but I never was a whiz in math so what do I know.
Thank you for the help.
It turns out, I was misunderstanding a crucial aspect. In addition to originally mistakenly chasing TC files....
I had mistaken all this time that top .cat files started at .01
.01 -----I thought this was the top file
.02 -----When this was the file with another TWareT.pck file overwriting ^
.03
Upon modifying the .02 TWareT file it worked.
Must say I'm surprised I got an acceptable price change on the first go. From 1404 to 14036. From 50-500 in the file price Modifiers. Strange way to manage pricing, however it's being done, but I never was a whiz in math so what do I know.
Thank you for the help.