Re: ld_tr.com

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Posted by odjo on June 17, 2000 at 17:12:13:

In reply to: ld_tr.com posted by Bart on June 17, 2000 at 09:16:38:

Hi Bart,

> I'm curious how it works.

I'll later write about my hypothetical concepts about TRx gameplay.

They are GAME_LOOP, GAME_INPUT, GAME_STATUS, etc.
These I conceived when I found what I believed demo scene data in TR1 phd
file in 1997. I remember i emailed Dr Splat about that.

I only hexdumped the phd files, i never disassembled tomb.exe, tho personally
i have nothing against the reverse or backword engineering. I only para-
graphized the huge hexdump list, from the beginning on forwardly, donquixotic
with a dos text editor as my Sancho :) and stumbled upon this demo field.

I thought then, without evidences, that the demo scene data is equivalent as
user input data. When in demo tomb.exe takes this GAME_INPUT stream from level
file. If you play the game GAME_INPUT stream is from your fingers.

I loaded patched tomb.exe on ld_tr.com and waited the demo to start. Gamelog
recorded nothing of the demo scene data contained in the phd file. So
there must be somewhere other subroutine than the patched one, which loads
the demo scene data into GAME_DWORD variable.


        GAME_LOOP
         |
         |  <---- GAME_STATUS
         |
         |                                   <- user input
         |  <---- GAME_INPUT  ( GAME_DWORD )
         |                                   <- demo data input
         |
         | ... all the activity of GAME_DRAWING etc
         |
         |  ----> GAME_STATUS
         v
        loop

> Can you just play Tr like normal and when you
> press the del. key (or something) it records it,
> and when you press it agin, it stops?

It now intends to record the gamelog from the start until you quit TR.
In this way you don't mind what the GAME_STATUS it begins with. All the
INITIAL_STATUS is inherent and unsaid, covertly in the log. If you rebuild
rec_tr.com with more adon popup flavour you must somehow record the
GAME_STATUS whenever recording starts. It'll be a burdon on such an amateurish
programmer like me :)

> And for which Tr versions is it?

ld_tr.com ( rec_tr.com ) is now only capable to record TR1 gamelog. I
think with a little tweaking ld_tr.com can handle TRUB also. From TR2 on,
The Win TRx series have changed greatly from TR1. But I think the basic
game-programming algorithm remains neary the same as the ancestral TR1. So
perhaps some tool akin to rec_tr.com can handle the offsprings of TR1.

odjo

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: Hi Bart, : > I'm curious how it works. : I'll later write about my hypothetical concepts about TRx gameplay. : They are GAME_LOOP, GAME_INPUT, GAME_STATUS, etc. : These I conceived when I found what I believed demo scene data in TR1 phd : file in 1997. I remember i emailed Dr Splat about that. : I only hexdumped the phd files, i never disassembled tomb.exe, tho personally : i have nothing against the reverse or backword engineering. I only para- : graphized the huge hexdump list, from the beginning on forwardly, donquixotic : with a dos text editor as my Sancho :) and stumbled upon this demo field. : I thought then, without evidences, that the demo scene data is equivalent as : user input data. When in demo tomb.exe takes this GAME_INPUT stream from level : file. If you play the game GAME_INPUT stream is from your fingers. : I loaded patched tomb.exe on ld_tr.com and waited the demo to start. Gamelog : recorded nothing of the demo scene data contained in the phd file. So : there must be somewhere other subroutine than the patched one, which loads : the demo scene data into GAME_DWORD variable. : <pre> : GAME_LOOP : | : | <---- GAME_STATUS : | : | <- user input : | <---- GAME_INPUT ( GAME_DWORD ) : | <- demo data input : | : | ... all the activity of GAME_DRAWING etc : | : | ----> GAME_STATUS : v : loop : </pre> : > Can you just play Tr like normal and when you : > press the del. key (or something) it records it, : > and when you press it agin, it stops? : It now intends to record the gamelog from the start until you quit TR. : In this way you don't mind what the GAME_STATUS it begins with. All the : INITIAL_STATUS is inherent and unsaid, covertly in the log. If you rebuild : rec_tr.com with more adon popup flavour you must somehow record the : GAME_STATUS whenever recording starts. It'll be a burdon on such an amateurish : programmer like me :) : : > And for which Tr versions is it? : ld_tr.com ( rec_tr.com ) is now only capable to record TR1 gamelog. I : think with a little tweaking ld_tr.com can handle TRUB also. From TR2 on, : The Win TRx series have changed greatly from TR1. But I think the basic : game-programming algorithm remains neary the same as the ancestral TR1. So : perhaps some tool akin to rec_tr.com can handle the offsprings of TR1. : : odjo

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