Challenge for EXE hackers

[dude_obj]

Since there is suddenly multiple people hacking on the EXE with amazing results, I'm wondering if this is possible: can a hack be done that would allow a script to make an OS call. I'm talking about the equivalent of os.exec("command") in lua or getRuntime().exec("command") in java.

The "proper" way to do this would be to add a new opcode but that would be a lot of work and would also require modifying the compile.exe program. However, I wonder if one of the existing string based commands could be hacked to add this capability. For example, take the command display_msg and pick a message number that would be trapped ... say FFFF or decimal 65535. Rather than doing the regular message display, instead pass the string to an OS call (C++ os.exec or os.spawn).

If I had the ability to pass a command to the OS, some really interesting things could be done. Text could be fed into a voice synthesizer. Commands outside the engine could change the configuration of various files. Even graphics could change by calling scripts that move FRMs around, or change the world map to show some dramatic event like a nuke going off.

Is this something that is doable or do I live in a dream world?

 

[SkynetV4]

Nothing is impossible, today's dreams are tomorrow's inventions. Robert Goddard (I think)

 

[Raven_2]

>>and would also require modifying the compile.exe program

That`s easy. Thnx to Anchorite and Abel, there is sources (in C) for it. But it would requre to add procedure for parsing op to .exe.

 

[jargo]

That would be nice, i think also on something else.
To modify one of commands to call different engine functions.
(in most cases op_ script commands call some engine functions )
There is a lot of powerful and useful engine functions.
and i know this can be done since i changed game_time_advance opcode to call set_date_time game function and it worked(it was setting game time in tics)