Ship issue on Toledo with crossfire 1.7

there is no difference with ships between SP and MP

thats story related

That brings up a similar question. I'm playing the Single Player version too, and I'd like to be able to fly the plot missions this time in a Shroud, Predator or other Crossfire VHF (Take that, Nomads!) But I seem to be stuck. I'm at level 5 with 2.5million credits and I can't buy any VHF's because you have to be at level 30 to do so. I learned from my playing of the SP verion of 1.65 that you have to...
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[[[ spoiler alert!!!! If you've never played the SP missions before read no further!!!! ]]];
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you have to buy whatever you're going to buy in Liberty before the 3rd California mission (the defense of Willard Research Station) because afterward all of Liberty, and therefore, almost every dockable base in Custodian, and the new X-3043 linked systems goes hostile. So I'm trying to buy and outfit a cool Crossfire VHF before the point of no return.
I have just about given up on finding one and am thinking about installing SDK and editing the saved game file to give my char 40million credits and a level of 32 so I can buy what I want and continue in the storyline.
If I succeed in figuring out how to edit my saved game to tweak my money and level, it will be my first FL modification. And there will be great rejoicing. But I expect it to be a challenging and time-consuming undertaking (but not as time consuming as reading this post, eh?)

So I have two questions: If I succeeed in modifying the save game,
1) will it screw up my CF MP account or gameplay?
2) will it make the SP game crash, resulting in more hair loss and higher blood pressure?
3) Is there a VHF I can buy at level 5 so I don't have to risk either of the above??

@ Titan Addict - First off, to increase rank, you get more money and a better ship... The better the ship and equipment the higher the rank... The more money the higher the rank... The higher the two the even higher the rank.

Secondly, modding a saved file can corrupt it... or just not work... It's way more difficult... If you want to make things easy, I don't know for sure, but you can try a trainer which increases/freezes your amount of money.

Third, you'd probably be better off just finding a way to make quick money, making it that way, buying the ship you want, then going forth with whatever.

@ EVH316 - That thing you are going through is as OP says... Story related... The game is in no way without problems... Even the normal game, unmodded/updated has problems.

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Originally posted by Miss Trinity
@ Titan Addict - First off, to increase rank, you get more money and a better ship... The better the ship and equipment the higher the rank... The more money the higher the rank... The higher the two the even higher the rank.

That's only true in MP Trinity. In SP, your rank advances by alternately making money and completing the plot missions. For instance, you may go from level 8 to level 9 my making more money, but then to reach level 10 you have to complete a plot mission. At that point, your rank will not increase to level 10 no matter houw much money you earn. You will be stuck at level nine with access to only level 9 ships and weapons until you complete the next mission.

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Secondly, modding a saved file can corrupt it... or just not work... It's way more difficult... If you want to make things easy, I don't know for sure, but you can try a trainer which increases/freezes your amount of money.

What's a trainer?

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Third, you'd probably be better off just finding a way to make quick money, making it that way, buying the ship you want, then going forth with whatever.

Can't do it in SP. See note on "First off...."

Any other suggestions?

1. no
2. yes
3. no

let me say it in this way... we had about 23000 downloads of CF1.7 during the last 4 weeks

most of the players did play it in SP... and you are the first with this problem
bug?
unlikely coz there would have been at least 20000 players with the same problem