Freelancer

Here are some tools, information files and mods for the Microsoft/Digital Anvil game Freelancer.

Jason's Freelancer Patch v1.00 (3M). Expands on the work of Louva-Deus (SDK/QuickFix) and Buck Danny (Unofficial FL SP patch), providing many additional improvements and some new features (additional controls, including rolling and vertical strafing (warning: may be considered cheating on some servers); actual Stats displays for Powerplants, Engines, Scanners, Tractor Beams and Armor; widescreen support). All the information given below is based on this, so if you're not using it, some names and loot might be different. The resource file sources (687k) I created are also available.

JFLP.DLL v1.11 (173k). If MultiCruise is being used, includes cruise speed in the Engine stats.

JFLP resources (57k; sources (197k)). Use En Dash instead of Hyphen-Minus for the arrow in the jump gate name.

BINI v1.00 (12k; includes C++ source). Convert text ini files to binary. No doc, just run it for usage.

CreateID v2.00 (22k; includes C++ source). Translate nicknames to hash codes; generate a database of every nickname. No doc, just run it for usage.

FlCodec v2.00 (23k; includes C++ source). Decode and encode saved games. No doc, just run it for usage. (Hash conversion requires CreateID.)

FLEd - Thorn Decompiler (68k). A patched fled_thorn.exe to correctly decode some negative numbers (in particular, pcurve_period). It also includes a batch file that uses MiniTrue to reformat the decompilation.

FL Hack v1.45 (69k; includes C/NASM source). A run-time patch to provide additional options. It doesn't come with any documentation (just look at the start of flhack.c) and it won't work with 9X/NT (but could be made to). (Dark Wraith informs me that some online-based scanners report this file as being infected with "W32/Downloader-Web-based!Maxium" — rest assured it's a false positive.)

FLStat v1.06 (121k; patched from Dan Tascau's v1.05). Display information contained within the ini files. An invaluable tool.

LibFL (12k). Library required to build all my tools.

ResID v1.01 (9k; includes C++ source). Display the text associated with a resource's identifier. No doc, just run it to see usage.

SP from MP v1.00 (27k; includes C++ source). Creates a new single player game from the new multiplayer character. No doc, use /? for usage.

Territory v1.00 (16k; includes C++ source). Allows customization of the message displayed when entering a system.

TINI v2.00 (8k; includes C++ source). Yet another program to convert the binary ini files to text. This one uses Freelancer's own code to do it.

WhatIs v1.01 (11k; includes C++ source). Translate hash codes to nicknames (requires CreateID). No doc, just run it for usage.

Information files

Mapping:	A description of how to use my mapping system.
Bases:	List of bases with their (abbreviated) owners.
Gates:	List of jump gates.
Holes:	List of jump holes.
Wrecks:	List of wrecks with their loot.
Commodities:	List of (non-standard) commodity prices at each base.
Trade:	Best possible buy/sell prices and bases for each commodity.
Routes:	Convenient trade routes.
Weapons:	An Excel spreadsheet containing details on all the available weapons (and the H.F. shields).
System nicknames:	Translate internal system nicknames to the corresponding Sirius name.
Base nicknames:	Translate internal base nicknames to the corresponding Sirius name.
Run by:	List of the `BGCS_base_run_by` values.
FL Info:	A zip file containing all of the above files.
HU Info:	Additional information for Hostile Universe V8.3.

The above text files are Unix (LF) with no tabs; the files in the zips are DOS (CRLF) with a tab size of 8. The nickname files are presented as MiniTrue string input files.

Mods (these are FLMM mods, but since 110MB doesn't allow the .flmod extension, you'll have to rename or unzip yourself)

Bonus Hp:	Activates additional hardpoints on some ships.
Eagle Forward-Firing Turret:	Adds a forward-firing turret to the Eagle.
Hostile Universe V8.3:	Too easy for you? Try this out... (3.2M; doesn't need FLMM.)
Intros:	Additional intros available when using FL Hack.
Scenes Cut (JFLP or SDK):	Removes the cinematics from the story.
Show Unknown:	Shows the two Unknown systems on the Nav Map (after revisiting).

Save Games (extract to My Documents\My Games\Freelancer\Accts\SinglePlayer)

All Nomad:	Not sure whether to use Nomad Energy Blasters or Cannons? Why not have both... (This is also my "completed" game, but no, I didn't use this loadout.)
Eagle Mission:	Don't like a challenge? Use a decked-out Eagle for the story missions. Comes equipped with Tizona Del Cid, Salamanca Mk II, four Nomad Energy Blasters and a Salamanca Turret, and has an additional Tizona, Salamanca and Rapier Turret.
No Story (1.0 or 1.1):	A new game (rename to `Restart.fl` to actually use as "New Game") without the story missions and your reputation completely neutral with everyone. Choose the same version as Freelancer. (SP from MP does the same thing, except for the reputation.)

Solo Multiplayer

Go to your Freelancer group and start FLServer (or run Freelancer\EXE\FLServer.exe);
enter anything for the name and make sure "Allow New Players" is checked;
bring up the properties for your Freelancer shortcut; you should now see the "Target" highlighted, so press End and paste in everything between the quotes: " -s127.0.0.1:2302";
start Freelancer, select "Multiplayer", create the account if you haven't already done so, select "LAN" and you should see your server there;
have fun.

Jason Hood.
5 November, 2009.

Main.