# Extracting Dat. Files



## u2kworldwide (Mar 16, 2006)

Do anyone know how to extract data from *dat.* files?

This can come in handy for future development on some projects that i am working on, dealing with games.

Thanks. :up:


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## peril0us (Oct 13, 2003)

There are many different types of '.dat' files.

This sounds illegal - if you didnt make the file you shouldnt be breaking into it.


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## u2kworldwide (Mar 16, 2006)

peril0us said:


> There are many different types of '.dat' files.
> 
> This sounds illegal - if you didnt make the file you shouldnt be breaking into it.


um i'm editing a game, you know modding. Moddng is legal , unless someone on this forum see's different, which will be a little strange.


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## peril0us (Oct 13, 2003)

u2kworldwide said:


> um i'm editing a game, you know modding.


You arent modding unless you figure out how to break the file.


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## u2kworldwide (Mar 16, 2006)

peril0us said:


> You arent modding unless you figure out how to break the file.


Thats the only file which i cant seem to extract, so i am modding because the rest of the files are easy to open and extract. I already made some adjustments and ojects to the game which i am working on. I have been modding games for the past few weeks, just some files mostly the dat. files i cant seem to extract. So i'm looking for a dat extractor.

I mean, where is this discussion going on. Do you know how to extract the file, or do you not understand what i'm talking about?


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## cristobal03 (Aug 5, 2005)

Hey there, welcome to TSG.

This thread _may_ fall under the last point under Category IV of the site rules. What's the game you're trying to mod?

The general gist is, if modding or reverse engineering the game is prohibited by its EULA, you won't find any help at TSG for how to do it. On the other hand, if it isn't prohibited, no worries (I should think).

So yeah, what's the game?

chris.


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## peril0us (Oct 13, 2003)

Check out the "How to crack our .dat file" section in the "How to edit our game.txt" file included with the game. 

Im guessing they wouldnt have put it in a dat file if they wanted everyone to edit it, but yea... what game?


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## u2kworldwide (Mar 16, 2006)

Wait a min, modding a game is not illegal. In that case, i would say modding GTA is wrong, because editor tools did not come with the game. Infact about 80% of every game that gets release, do not come with editor tools. 

So are you saying, that any game that does not come with tools , we shouldnt mod/create/make things for it?


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## cristobal03 (Aug 5, 2005)

The tech forums aren't really the place to debate this, but I'll restate the strictly legal point. If modding a game involves doing any activities prohibited by the EULA, it's illegal and TSG will not support such activity by allowing discussion of how to compromise encryption methods.

If the game's EULA contains no provisions concerning compromising the content of the package, you're fine. But most do.

chris.


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## peril0us (Oct 13, 2003)

u2kworldwide said:


> So are you saying, that any game that does not come with tools , we shouldnt mod/create/make things for it?


Yes. :up: If they wanted you to mod their game they would provide the tools.


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## u2kworldwide (Mar 16, 2006)

cristobal03 said:


> The tech forums aren't really the place to debate this, but I'll restate the strictly legal point. If modding a game involves doing any activities prohibited by the EULA, it's illegal and TSG will not support such activity by allowing discussion of how to compromise encryption methods.
> 
> If the game's EULA contains no provisions concerning compromising the content of the package, you're fine. But most do.
> 
> chris.


One of the reasons why i join here is because i found a topic in google dealing with *TGA* files. Infact there is a thread on this forum from someone asking how to extract data from TGA files. I was searching on info on how to extract the data found in tga and again someone on here was discussing the issue and from what i gather, everything was fine.

Nevertheless, this is the game which i am modding at the moment.

http://img484.imageshack.us/img484/8342/td53vp.jpg

The funny thing, TD 5 is the only game in the pc series that has dat files or dat files that are hard to extract, the rest of the series is easy, because i was doing some testing on TD 4 & TD 6 and 3.

So if this is wrong, forgive me, but i dont see a problem with making things for various pc games.

I'm not selling the mods or trying to recreate the old game, i'm just adding things like cars, tracks, and maybe some cool adjustments to the AI data, and of couse backing up everything.

Peace. :up:


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## cristobal03 (Aug 5, 2005)

I'll see if we can't get a final word from a mod. Otherwise both our accounts are on the line, and I don't want you to get booted off because of your first thread :up:

chris.


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## u2kworldwide (Mar 16, 2006)

peril0us said:


> Yes. :up: If they wanted you to mod their game they would provide the tools.


Well i guess thats your opinion. So in that case, you never download any mods that people have made from various games that did not come with editor tools right?


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## peril0us (Oct 13, 2003)

u2kworldwide said:


> Well i guess thats your opinion. So in that case, you never download any mods that people have made from various games that did not come with editor tools right?


Correct. :up:

cristobal03 has me on ignore, forgive his repetitiveness


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## u2kworldwide (Mar 16, 2006)

cristobal03 said:


> I'll see if we can't get a final word from a mod. Otherwise both our accounts are on the line, and I don't want you to get booted off because of your first thread :up:
> 
> chris.


If someone wants to ban me because i'm asking a question on modding a game, so be it. Dont matter to me, i just move on.

Over the past few years that i been on the net, i notice people have trigger happy fingers when it comes to banning people over *stupid sh***. So i'm done with this thread, do what you have to do.

If i get banned for having a discussion on this topic, just remember that i never broke any of the forum rules and i know alot of people will back me up on this end.


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## cristobal03 (Aug 5, 2005)

Well I'm sorry you feel that way. I did contact a mod, so hopefully we'll be hearing back soon.

chris.


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## peril0us (Oct 13, 2003)

psst. chris has a BA in english. LOL. 

I hope we hear back soon too.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

I'm going to close the thread. Feel free to email or pm TechGuy to plead your case, but from the way I'm reading this thread, it is against forum rules, and probably illegal as well.


I'm also going to issue a warning to u2kworldwide, we DO NOT need to communicate foul language with asterisks here. If you feel the need to do that, I'm sure you can find another forum


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

peril0us said:


> psst. chris has a BA in english. LOL.
> 
> I hope we hear back soon too.


peril0us, psst....these are 'real' help forums. Keep your trivial childish crap in the random section please.


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