--> Terminology
TERMINOLOGY
Pet File Terms:
YALP - Means 'PLAY' backwards, marks the start of the YALP section, where a pet's personality and genes are stored. Some petz, usually Gen2 onwards, are missing YALP for whatever reason, but the section is always roughly at offset 5940 HEX.
y-band - A diagonal block of ÿ's underneath the YALP section, there are 2 for most petz and 4 for pregnant petz. The first y-band contains genes from the pet's mother, the second contains genes from the pet's father. For pregnant petz, the first two y-bands are the adult pet's genes, the next two are the kitten/puppy's genes, though this section is still being researched.
p f magic - There are six throughout a pet's file, though currently the most researched one is the first one after the YALP section - thus named the post-YALP p f magic. Generally found at offset 6460 HEX, but may be lower down on pregnant petz. The p f magics, in order, are: first p f magic (no current use), pre-LNZ p f magic (no current use), pre-YALP p f magic (anchor for sex/spayed values), post-YALP p f magic (anchor for personality values), PfMaGiC (no current use), and PFMAGIC (no current use).
intro-stripes - Many thin stripes of ÿ's found near the top of a pet's file, not to be confused with a y-band.
LNZ section - Where a pet's LNZ data is stored, usually the domain of more hands-on hexers.
zzz section - Inside the LNZ section, these are a string of z's you add to a file to prepare it for editing.
Blank Zone - A large area of 00s underneath the LNZ section. Contains clothez information, if a pet is wearing any.
Hex Editor Terms:
checksum - Petz' defence against file tampering, it checks if a file is bigger or smaller than it should be, and corrupts the file if the size doesn't match. This is why it is important to note down what edits you are making to a file, so you can balance them elsewhere.
DEC / decimal - Normal numbers, with 10 digits (0-9). By default, assume most numbers here are decimal, I will generally add the HEX translation in brackets afterwards. For example: 100 (64 HEX).
HEX / hexadecimal - Numbers and letters, with 16 digits (0-F) instead of 10. You will most likely need a calculator when adding or subtracting HEX values.
OG value - Original value, what a value originally was before you edited it.
New value - A value after you have edited it.
length - The amount of bytes you are currently highlighting in a hex editor.
offset - How many bytes down you are from the top of the file, the current line number.
anchor - A unique and fixed part of a file that can be measured from to map out specific values. For instance, the y-bands are an anchor for finding gene values.
hex-values - The large wall of HEX numbers you see in a hex editor. If you are searching for a specific HEX number and nothing is turning up, ensure you are searching in the correct place, and set your search direction to 'all' or 'forward', as needed.
text-string / decoded text - A hex editor's attempt at translating the jumble of HEX numbers in a file, usually displaying as many full stops interrupted by the occasional letter. If you are trying to search for YALP or p f magic and nothing is turning up, ensure you are searching the decoded text and not the hex-values.
General Petz Terms:
personality values - 17 values that control how a pet behaves, such as Kindness, Patience, Confidence, et cetera, ranging from 0 to 100. They do not necessarily match up with a pet's personality genes. Personality values are not passed down to offspring, offspring behaviour is decided by a pet's genes only.
genes - Values that decide what characteristics a pet's offpring will inherit. Each pet has two of every gene, one inherited from their mother and one from their father. A pet's genes does not necessarily predit how they will behave, nor how their offspring will behave.
individual values - Values that directly affect the pet they are attached to, versus genes which only affect a pet's offspring.
brain sliders - Values reflecting a pet's current condition, such as Energy, Neglect, Age, et cetera. These are easily edited using PetsA.
Gen1 / G1 - First generation petz, fresh out of the Adoption Centre. They have no parents, therefore both of their gene sets are identical.
Gen2 / G2 - Second generation petz, that have been bred and raised. May also refer to Gen2 onwards petz, as a quick shorthand.
hexer - Someone who edits HEX, though will usually be a shorthand for people who specifically hex new breeds.
Useful Programs:
PetsA - A program installed into Petz that allows you to age up petz, instantly breed them, modify a pet's brain sliders, and other useful tools. A must for other researchers, or impatient players, for the sake of your sanity. It can be found here.
Pet Workshop - A standalone program that allows for easy hexing of new breeds, with a visual and (somewhat) user-friendly interface. It is a good tool for beginners, though can be limited in what it can do on its own. It can be found here.
LNZ Pro - A standalone program that edits a pet's LNZ section. It is a hex editor, but it cannot edit information outside of the LNZ section, such as a pet's genes under its YALP section. Very useful for hexers. It can be found here.
GoalDescriptor Analyzer - A standalone program that displays a pet's personality values, though it can't edit them. Useful for gathering data on behaviours, or just for curiosity's sake. It can be found here.
GenePoolz - A standalone program that displays some of a pet's genetic information, such as breed heritage and fur colour genes. Most useful for breeding projects. It can be found here.