ROM Hack Question How do you properly extract a "main" file from base + update NSPs?

[Lalapaloozer]

I've been trying to follow this guide https://www.programmersought.com/article/27343497412/ to make an updated version of cheats (and new cheats as well) for any game (currently for "The Long Dark). But I'm unsure of the right way to extract the "main" file using "NCA-NSP-XCI_TO_LayeredFS". What I did was

1. Use Lockpick_RCM to generate prod.keys + title.keys
2. Rename prod.keys to "keys.ini" (I feel like this might be the wrong step)
3. Run "NCA-NSP-XCI_TO_LayeredFS" and selected "2. eShop NSP" and then "2. NSP to LayeredFS" and then dragged and dropped the base version of TLD.
4. It gives me a bunch of "[WARN]: Failed to match key." warnings but eventually created a main file and other files.
5. Used HexWorkshop to open the "main" file but most of the decrypted strings are gibberish, although there are some relevant words that I'm able to find such as "Hunger" "Thirst" "Campfire" "Backpack" etc but I'm not sure which string points to their values so I'm unable to edit it, as the person in the guide does. The person in the guide also seems to have all the strings be fully readable so I'm not sure if thats just a difference between "The Long Dark" and Diablo 3".

I also used NSCB for similar results but I also receive gibberish in the "main" file although some of the strings are different near things like "Hunger" "Thirst" "Campfire" "Backpack".

Spoiler: Comparison

I feel like maybe I didn't use the right keys to decrypt the NSP or I just did it incorrectly. If anyone has any pointers, that would be greatly appreciated!

 

[masagrator]

Main is correct. It seems you have 0 idea what is executable file. And this is something you won't understand with hex editor. For executables you need disassembler like IDA or Ghidra.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

And you're using tutorial that relies on debug file while 99.9% games don't have it.

 

[Lalapaloozer]

You're absolutely correct, I'm a complete noob at this. I was using Hex Workshop just to read the strings but I had IDA open simultaneously, like the person in the tutorial did. I guess this is too advanced for me (for now). I'll stick with the old fashioned Edizon method then. Thanks for your reply.