This section has to start with a little bit about the way the Petz programs work. The different breeds in the adoption center are generated by breed files. These are in the Resource\Catz and Resource\Dogz folders of the folder where Petz 3 or Petz 4 is installed. They end in .dog or .cat. When you select that breed (or a pet wanders out on its own), these breed files define everything about that virtual cat or dog --- how thick their legs are, what fur textures they use, even minor things like how fat they are. Because of the huge number of tiny variations determined by random numbers inside the computer, no two petz are exactly alike.

Some people have edited these files, creating new types of petz. They are called "hexed breeds" because hexadecimal numbers are used to store the information in the breed files, so you must edit the files with a hex editor.

At first, "hexers" could only change things like fur color and thickness, but now there are accomplished hexers who can add spots, sounds, or even extra features. In addition to petz, playscenes, clothing, and toys can all be changed.

First of all, be aware that by messing with the internal workings of the program, you break the software agreement. What does this mean? If you create a hexed breed that crashes the game, tech support won't bail you out. (Considering that the only time I ever contacted tech support it took them over a month to respond to my straightforward question, and their response was a request for the exact information I'd sent them the first time, I don't think you're losing much!).

Also, don't expect me, the hexer, or anyone else to bail you out. As soon as you start using hexed breeds, clothes, and toys, YOU accept responsibility for making your system work. If you don't understand basic Windows file structure (how to move and copy files), then read no further.

There are two different types of hexed breedz.

Old-style hexed breedz, or overwriting breed files, replace one of the original breed files. To use these files, you make a backup of the original breed files and replace them with the new ones. For example, if you replace the chihuahua.dog file for chihuahuas with the chihuahua.dog file which has been edited to produce chinese cresteds, then when you select chihuahua in the adoption center you will get a chinese crested puppy instead. The game will say that this dog is a chihuahua, even though it is not.

However, you cannot breed chihuahua mixes with the chinese crested files in, and you cannot breed chinese crested mixes with the chihuahua files in. This is because the game refers to chihuahua.dog whenever you breed a dogz which it lists as a chihuahua or has chihuahua anywhere in its ancestory. This could mess up even unhexed puppiez and kittenz when you are working with old-style hexed breedz.

New-style, or non-overwriting, hexed breedz show up on their own in the adoption center. To use them, you just add them to your Resource\Dogz or Resource\Catz folder. Then the breed will appear on the list of breeds to choose from in the adoption center.

Fun Petz History Trivia: New style hexed breedz also showed up seperatly in the old Petz.com's automatic adoption center, causing chaos and confusion for several months from the time that they were first introduced until the time that Petz.com's automatic adoption center shut down.

You can play with a petz of an old style hexed breed without having to get any special files, but you do need the breed files to play with a petz of a new hexed breed or any of its offspring. This can cause problems with mixed breeds. Also, the offset numbers which a hexer changes to make a breed show up in the adoption center can be the same in rare cases, causing one breed to vanish.

Here are a few of my favorite links for downloading hexed breeds:

MBC's own hexed breeds...
Wyndhaven Kennel's Hexed Breeds
Barnett Landing Kennelz
Anso's Petz 3 (Swedish Elk and more!)
Petz Gallery

Keep in mind that most hexers do not like having their breeds distributed without their permission. This means that you shouldn't upload breeds that you find to your webpage unless the breed's maker says that it is OK.

Hexing petz breeds is a complex process, and as such, it's hard and takes a long time to explain over email. It's far better to follow a good set of tutorials than email anyone and ask them to teach you.

The best tutorials that I have found are available from The Petz Warehouse.

In some rare cases, a hexed file will crash the game. If this happens, try removing the file; if that doesn't work, reinstall Petz to get everything back to normal.

Don't worry, though; most downloads are reliable. The only download that has ever crashed my system came, not from a novice hexer, but from P. F. Magic themselves! Does anyone else remember the beta test of the carrot seeds? :)

In a couple of years of hexing, a few breed files that I've messed with have caused a crash; more often, though, the breed simply vanishes from the adoption center if the game can't understand the breed file.

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See www.petz.com for more about the Petz games!

Want to email cathy? Everything related to this site should go to evania@covingtoninnovations.com.
I can't check it very often, but I will make every effort to get back to you...

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