Post subject: Memory Search & Watch (psxjin)
Joined: 1/23/2007
Posts: 77
Location: Montreal
Hello everyone, Is there a Q&A on how to use the RAM function of PSXjin, I'd like and must know how to use this tools. I can't understand how it works nor how to search for specific adress and I am eager to learn. Thanks a lot!
Editor, Experienced player (569)
Joined: 11/8/2010
Posts: 4034
Hello AjAX. This article goes over the features of the RAM Search tool, and this one explains what memory/RAM addresses are and how to use RAM Search. Additionally, this is a short article on the features of the RAM Watch tool. Happy TASing!
Skilled player (1649)
Joined: 7/25/2007
Posts: 299
Location: UK
In the Articles section you can find general information on Memory Search and RAM Search. To find particular addresses, define your search criteria on the lower half of the Ram Search window, then press Search. This will filter out all addresses not matching your criteria, then repeat the process until you find the one you want. This may require a few assumptions, which if incorrect will not yield the result you want, so it may require multiple tries. If you don't quite understand, then start with super easy values to find. EG the lives value, since you have access to this value in games at all time anyway, it's not like it's hidden data you need to extract, but it's a good start. IE -Start game, try "Equal to", "Specific Value", "3". Search. Obviously plenty of address will have this number, so need to filter it down even more. Do a bunch of random stuff in the game (without dieing), then press Search again to use the same criteria. -This time die, and now change the criteria to say "Equal to", "Specific Value", "2". Obviously the lives value has changed, where as not every one of the current results will have, and so it filters out the incorrect values. That is of course, assuming lives value gets stored like that; but without being an expert in cryptography, I'm pretty sure that's how it's done. -Also trying "Equal to", "Number of Changes", "1" would be stronger criteria, and would filter out more results. By coincidence they'll be other results, eg 0006BA4E| 3, 5, 7, 2, 6, 6, 2, 16, 80 0008AEE4| 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 Pressing 'search' on bolded frames would clearly yield both as valid results, yet we can obviously conclude the above sequence does not keep track of lives. Searching for values which have only changed once would filter out the top one, but still give the bottom one. -If you still haven't found it, then repeat the process. Die again, search for Equal to 1, plus Equal to Number of Changes 2. By which time you should find it, you can then click WATCH to save this value to your Watch list, to keep track of later. That was super easy, since we knew what we were looking for. For XYZ coords, things are more difficult, because you don't know "Ah, clearly I'm at x=59041 right now, so I know what to search for", which means your search criteria needs to be more vague. IE you can search for "equal to previous value" when stationary, or "greater than previous value" when moving, maybe clicking specific addresses and 'eliminate' if you can see already that they're not the address you want. However, be warned of the aforementioned assumptions. For example it's common to have the Y Axis on 2D games pointing downwards. So if you jumped, and search for 'greater than previous value', clearly you would not find the value you want.
Joined: 1/23/2007
Posts: 77
Location: Montreal
Super good, but I still cant seem to find what I am looking for, there is always tons of region to be left filter filtered, in this case it is weapon damage, I dont grasp on the concept, super confused right now.
ventuz
He/Him
Player (125)
Joined: 10/4/2004
Posts: 940
I've never played Dino Crisis before, this may or may not able to help you, I'll try. It's difficult to search weapon's damage directly in some game so it might be easier to see how much damage you've inflict on enemy instead. So find yourself enemy's health memory address, once you do that, you can try shoot say Weapon A at it, see memory say 80 drop down to 60, then try Weapon B at that enemy, memory drop from 60 down to 30 so that you know Weapon B is stronger. Searching enemy's health is simple for most game, start a fresh search, hit enemy, go back to search, search "less than previous value" again and again, or move around, do something different but don't hurt enemy and then search "no change" until you get it.
Joined: 1/23/2007
Posts: 77
Location: Montreal
Yes, excuse me, that's exactly what I meant actually! I will try this out, thanks a lot for all the explanation guys, really cool!