How to edit a save file?

[youstas]

How to edit a save file?(I saw that some people do that for improvement and better storytelling for their AARs). I have never edited save files or modified paradoxian games. The situation is simple: I waited for 1.3 so it was my first party in Stellaris and I played it with Ironman. So the AI diplomatically annexed the remnants of my empire on the 1st January (I was a vassal). Is it even possible to edit a save file and download as empire which annexed me? How to change their government ethics in save file? But, firstly, I should find a directory with saved games. For now I played a couple of years as an observer

 

[Lord Milutin]

You can't modify an ironman save file.

 

[youstas]

Thanks! Better start a new one

 

[Mitchz95]

How does one edit a non-ironman save file? I tried to open it on Notepad and it just came up as Chinese lettering.

(Sorry for necro)

 

[Qilue]

rename the file from "yourgamesave.sav" to "yourgamesave.zip"
extract files
edit with text editor
re-compress using standard zip compression

 

[Elothan]

You can't modify an ironman save file.

Are you sure? I belive stellaris Ironman saves are not encrypted like other PDX titles.

 

[Diazizit]

You absolutely can modify a local ironman save, works the same as a normal save. You can even turn a non ironman save into an ironman save and vice versa. All of the save game info is in the "gamestate" file. Don't use the stock windows notepads, go download notepad++, I believe using notepad can corrupt the file.

Like Qilue said, rename the save file to "xxxx.zip". Then just copy the gamestate file in the zip folder and paste it into another folder (can't edit it directly in the zip file). Then open the gamestate file with notepad++ and go to town.

I find this super necessary to edit my ship name prefixes back to their correct prefix after the game autochanges my empire name when I upgrade government types

 

[Mitchz95]

You absolutely can modify a local ironman save, works the same as a normal save. You can even turn a non ironman save into an ironman save and vice versa. All of the save game info is in the "gamestate" file. Don't use the stock windows notepads, go download notepad++, I believe using notepad can corrupt the file.

Like Qilue said, rename the save file to "xxxx.zip". Then just copy the gamestate file in the zip folder and paste it into another folder (can't edit it directly in the zip file). Then open the gamestate file with notepad++ and go to town.

I find this super necessary to edit my ship name prefixes back to their correct prefix after the game autochanges my empire name when I upgrade government types

I see Notepad+, but not ++. Where can I find it?

 

[Ashantai]

Also, do NOT use winrar to do the recompression. It corrupts the file so it can't be read by the game. Just use standard Windows zipping.

 

[Chilled Legumes]

I see Notepad+, but not ++. Where can I find it?

You probably already found the correct place, here

Also, do NOT use winrar to do the recompression. It corrupts the file so it can't be read by the game. Just use standard Windows zipping.

You can do it with winrar, but you need to use special settings. Ive done it before, but i forgot exactly what those settings were :S

 

[Ashantai]

OK, wasn't aware of that. Cheers.

Still, Windows zipping is cleaner and quicker in this case.

 

[Mitchz95]

re-compress using standard zip compression

Sorry, how do I do this? The two files are already in a zip folder (the renamed .sav folder). How do I turn it back into a .sav file?

 

[Qilue]

Select both files
Right-click and select "Send to" -> "Compressed (zipped) Folder"
rename from with .sav extension.

 

[Mitchz95]

Select both files
Right-click and select "Send to" -> "Compressed (zipped) Folder"
rename from with .sav extension.

I tried that but adding .sav to the name doesn't change it back; it's still a zip folder.

Is "rename from" a different operation? How do I do that?

 

[Qilue]

Typo - What I meant was rename from newzipfile.zip to newzipfile.sav

Select the zip file
Press F2
type in new file name
click "yes" to warning about changing file extension

 

[Mitchz95]

Typo - What I meant was rename from newzipfile.zip to newzipfile.sav

Select the zip file
Press F2
type in new file name
click "yes" to warning about changing file extension

What I'm trying to say is, I cannot change the extension.

Right now, it's a zip folder called "2200.01.01". There's no .zip in the name to change, and adding .sav doesn't change anything. It's just a zip folder with .sav in the name.

 

[Qilue]

Open control panel
Select folder options
Click "view" tab
Scroll down and uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types"

 

[Mitchz95]

Open control panel
Select folder options
Click "view" tab
Scroll down and uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types"

Oh wow, I didn't realize that was a thing. That did the trick, thank you.