Help for M.A.D ENGINE of Microprose

[raulpuro]

Hi,

We are trying to translate the Microprose game Rex Nebular, Dragonsphere and Return of the Phantom. These games work under mad engine.

The global.hag file contains text files, this file can be unpacked and packed with some programs created by users.

The content of global.hag file:

Messages.dat

This file contains texts but not know how to unpack and re-pack it.
Here are some explanations of Alpobemp (http://www.icgag.it/alpobemp/?page_id=189#comment-684) of the file structure.

"The compression algorithm which is based Dragonsphere, rex nebular, return of the phantom, is a particular case of LZ, LZEXE of Fabrice Bellard (the string" FAB "at the beginning of each sentence suggests).
In this discussion of a forum is discussed:http://www.abandonware-forums.org/showthread.php?19369-traduction-rex-nebular&p=338779&viewfull=1#post338779.

The code decompression of LZEXE is public (google is easy to find), but must be modified to accommodate the use of the game (LZEXE compressed exe executable files, not just data files).

As for compression, the code is not available, unlike the decompression. I used a "tactical" not have compressed the modified text, using the prefixes "FF" before each 16 characters of text (meaning "takes the following 16 characters are according").

Well, unfortunately Alpobemp no longer have the code, because the theft of your pc and backup a few years ago and we not know how to create the code.

Vocab.dat

Contains texts.

* .ff

Contains fonts, Alpobemp created a program to modify fonts it works perfectly.

* .ss

Unknown content.

We have not found pictures of the games and texts of the introduction maybe found in the * .ss or * .int ¿?



I understand it is very difficult but I uploaded the files GLOBAL.HAG of Dragonsphere and Rex Nebular unpacked.

Greetings and thank you for your time.

[Ekey]

About compression > Variant 1, Variant 2

[aluigi]

Funny, it's just one of the very few algorithms of scummvm that it's not implemented in quickbms

[raulpuro]

About compression > Variant 1, Variant 2

Thanks for replying, I saw that too is the code to decompress .SS, intro ... code files has everything we need to translate the game, but it's too complicated for me, I can not compile the code and do not understand it.

Funny, it's just one of the very few algorithms of scummvm that it's not implemented in quickbms

It's a shame that it's not implemented in quickbms, but I guess it is logical, only is used for Microprose games and I guess that takes a lot of work to implement it.

I found this code is based on the algorithm LZEXE, containing the main and compiles correctly, I guess you have to make changes to adapt to the game.

Thanks for your help.

[aluigi]

I don't know why I didn't implement it in quickbms.
There are over 50 algorithms from scummvm in quickbms so I think that I simply didn't notice this one.
In the next version of quickbms I will add both the unlzexe one and that one from scummvm.