1) extract PC text or 2) have no-speech segments

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1) extract PC text or 2) have no-speech segments

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Chris Pickett
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1) extract PC text or 2) have no-speech segments
« on: October 06, 2003, 10:44:53 am »

Hello,

Does anybody think it would be worthwhile to sit down with the PC version and try to extract all the text?

Is it encrypted or compressed?

Has anybody tried this approach so far?

No, I'm not volunteering (yet), but it seems like from reading a few posts in this forum that many people would like the option of playing UQM with no speech and *all* of the original PC dialog. I don't think it's worth playing through all of the PC version to get it though -- way too much work.

A second idea -- which is distinct from the first one -- it's talked about how there aren't existing recordings for some of the missing text in UQM. What about just forcing the game to display text and have zero audio for these sections? Wouldn't most people rather have this than miss the story altogether?

I looked in the forum a bit for this but couldn't find it -- I apologize if this is frequently brought up.

Cheers,
Chris


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Michael Martin
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Re: 1) extract PC text or 2) have no-speech segmen
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2003, 12:28:32 pm »

It is something that will need to be done. Extracting the data from the package files is pretty much the only way to get this done; turning it into a format that can be understood by the communications code is a separate task.

Due to the nature of the way "constructed" lines work right now, if the PC version doesn't have "blanks" where the current script does, we'd have to wait until the string system is redone.

--Michael


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Novus
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Re: 1) extract PC text or 2) have no-speech segmen
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2003, 12:32:03 pm »

Quote

Does anybody think it would be worthwhile to sit down with the PC version and try to extract all the text?

This has apparently already been done. The text in UQM has been adapted to fit the 3DO version (the 3DO version apparently didn't have any text), as it is harder to change the speech than the text.

Unfortunately, the 3DO version seems to have a few omissions that people have been complaining about. These missing lines of dialogue could easily be added to the text, as you suggest, but the sudden disappearance of spoken dialogue would probably result in even more complaints.

The best quick fix is to add the PC text as an alternative version of the dialogue. I believe this will be implemented once the new resource system is complete. In the long term, rerecording the speech may be an option.


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Chad
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Re: 1) extract PC text or 2) have no-speech segmen
« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2003, 09:52:45 pm »

Actually, I got all of the text files from here:

http://www.sa-matra.net/quotes/index.html

Tsing even mentions there that some of the Yehat text is missing. Also pointed out to me is that some of the Melnorme text is missing, which I have confirmed.

Also on that page, he mentions Mudry, which was head of the Free Star Control Project. Their source/programs for extracting this text might be found there? Truthfully, I have no idea....

http://fscp.sourceforge.net/

http://sourceforge.net/projects/fscp

That website also mentions a new repository beside the sourceforge one...

http://infosrv.tech.klte.hu/svn/mudry/fscp


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Re: 1) extract PC text or 2) have no-speech segmen
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2003, 01:30:42 am »

We've got the PC files. fOSSiL has extracted them with modified versions of Mudrony's scripts. Mudrony had the problem of not having access to the source, and he didn't know everything about the package format.
We have the 3DO source, from which I deduced the 3DO format, but the PC version was different in some places (eg. it used 16 bits values instead of 32 bits values), so fOSSiL still some more work to do. Also, he added code for extracting the lz compressed parts.
But now, we've got everything.


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Re: 1) extract PC text or 2) have no-speech segmen
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2003, 04:26:55 am »

You might find this useful. These're the text files I extracted from the UQM packages.


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Chad
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Re: 1) extract PC text or 2) have no-speech segmen
« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2003, 08:55:39 pm »

meep-eep, can I get a copy of those files? It bothers me that the ones on PNF are incomplete :-/ If you are feeling generous, please e-mail to starcon@classicgaming.com


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Chris Pickett
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Re: 1) extract PC text or 2) have no-speech segmen
« Reply #7 on: October 08, 2003, 01:48:53 am »

So, it sounds like meep-eep or fOSSiL has the relevant files, but the text still isn't fully extracted / decoded / whatever.

Correct?

I'm very glad to hear that somebody is working on this. I want to play through the full game again (the last time was years ago), but I'd really rather wait until the text matches the PC version word for word -- just for old-times sake, you know? I'm sure you know.

Anyway, great work guys, it seems I tell people about UQM on a daily basis.

Cheers,
Chris


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meep-eep
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Re: 1) extract PC text or 2) have no-speech segmen
« Reply #8 on: October 08, 2003, 06:07:11 am »

Chris: We were starting out with the PC texts and had them match the 3DO voice (the 3DO had no text of its own). When we've got the new resource system, you'll be able to choose. For now, we haven't bothered with the PC texts themselves.

Chad: I don't actually have fOSSiLs modified scripts nor the unpacked files now, but he's going to send me to them and I'll forward the files you want to you.


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fossil
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Re: 1) extract PC text or 2) have no-speech segmen
« Reply #9 on: October 08, 2003, 10:24:05 am »

The PC comm texts are partially extracted. That is you can look at them (in hex viewer) but they are not in any kind of useable format yet. From what I noticed, the 3DO content (not just text) was somewhat mellowed down as compared to PC version -- must be the marketing and shooting for desired rating Wink

.

I, personally, cannot see why so many people want *the* PC script though, other than the very notable exceptions: Melnorme MetaChron thing and the fact that nobody in 3DO ever mentions Supox having the Ultron. The later I suspect was a bad edit of the speech track. If you listen to utwig033.ogg, you can hear the pause where they should tell you about Supox+Ultron.

And regarding the no-speech segments, that is exactly what UQM has right now in some places -- text only and no speech track.


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Death 999
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Re: 1) extract PC text or 2) have no-speech segmen
« Reply #10 on: October 08, 2003, 08:39:30 pm »

... And Talana doesn't say where Syra is, and the Mycon don't say some important things...

How was it 'toned down'?


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Krulle
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Re: 1) extract PC text or 2) have no-speech segmen
« Reply #11 on: October 08, 2003, 09:27:43 pm »

i vote for 2) no speech-segments with text not recorded as voice


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fossil
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Re: 1) extract PC text or 2) have no-speech segmen
« Reply #12 on: October 09, 2003, 01:11:31 am »

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How was it 'toned down'?

I cannot remember all of them, of course, but for example, when Pkunk Fury regenerates energy Pkunk shout an insult. Well, PC -> 3DO, "nerd" and "nitwit" were removed and "dummy" added. The betatesters probably did not like being called "nerds" Wink

There are more example like that.


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meep-eep
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Re: 1) extract PC text or 2) have no-speech segmen
« Reply #13 on: October 09, 2003, 04:48:36 am »

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My suggestion is to make both PC and 3do subtitles. If you play full PC mode, you get the pc text (with all the subthings like the metachron in), and if you play full 3do, you get the 3do text (if you turned that on at that moment, as there is no actual text in the 3do version (well, that's what I got told somewhere in this thread)).

That was the idea. But it's probably going to have to wait until we have the new resource system.


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“When Juffo-Wup is complete
when at last there is no Void, no Non
when the Creators return
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Chris Pickett
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Re: 1) extract PC text or 2) have no-speech segmen
« Reply #14 on: October 16, 2003, 01:53:38 am »

well, i mean ... really for the ultimate sc2 game you want to be able to take the best parts from PC version and the 3D0 version. which for me would be pc text + plus pc "not toned-down" content, combined with 3D0 graphics and possibly videos. quite frankly i can live without the voices.

of course, in a truly ultimate restoration the user could pick and choose between pc and 3D0 stuff, and then you wouldn't have any silly debates like, "it should be *this* way, not *that* way" ... you could just choose which you wanted, possibly even all done at runtime.

... just keep coding, just keep coding, that's what we do, we code, we code ...

cheers,
chris


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