Wing Commander: Covert Missions (was: SM 1.5 (Working Title))

WingOver said:
Thanks for your comments, delMar.

The Covert Mission files have been renamed by me to follow the original WC naming convention. ie. WC file extensions are .000; Secret Mission 1 files are .001; and Secret Mission 2 files are .002. So, for Covert Missions (SM1.5) I set the file extensions to .015.

briefing.sm15 ~~~> briefing.015
camp.sm15 ~~~~> camp.015
module.sm15 ~~~> module.015
title1.sm15 ~~~~~> titl15.vga

Then, within the Secret Missions 2 executable file (sm2.exe) I used a hex editing program to change the .002 extensions for the three files to .015 and the title screen file name from title1.vga to titl15.vga. I saved my changes to a new file named cm15.exe.

Using this method you can place the new Covert Mission files in the gamedat folder along with the Secret Missions 2 files. Starting the game with cm15.exe brings you to the Covert Missions title screen and off you go from there. :)

Please download the archive from my previous post again. I had forgotten that I had changed the artist's names... now only the Covert Missions changes are incorporated. Thanks!
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Thanks for your effort. Is there also a variant for the gog variant, since it has its own exe file integrated and is not run manual in dosbox ?
 
Triple-B, please upload the executable that starts Secret Missions 2 for this GOG version. I will have a look at it.
 
WingOver said:
Triple-B, please upload the executable that starts Secret Missions 2 for this GOG version. I will have a look at it.
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I found out, that the gog version uses a config file ( a batch) to start the sm2.exe file in its "gog dosbox". There is a file for wc and SM1 and SM2, but there is no "launcher" in the wc folder for SM2. So I created one, using overwriting the existing one for Wc. I added this config file for other wingnuts in preparation of your fix.
Our Target should be a total package for the gog version

besides you will find the SM2 config file itself ( which needs to be edited with the txt editor) and the SM2.exe

Thanks :)
 

Attachments

Here's the wcdx exe and dll files (v 1.2 from 2015-04-07).
I'm pretty sure that the exe is the relevant file. I zipped both however, so you should even be able to run it.
WingOver said:
Also, to be clear, you would like the same naming of the 1.5 files like I've done previously for the DOS version?
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Yes, please. Having all possible binaries inside the package should make it as easy as it gets to run it.
 

Attachments

Triple-B, here is the version of the Covert Mission files for GOG. As with the DOS version instructions, place the briefing.015, camp.015, module.015 and titl15.vga in the gamedat sub-folder. Then, place the cm15.exe executable in the main WC folder.

For the two GOG startup files, Launch Wing CommanderCM15 shortcut and dosboxWC_CM15.conf, place them where you have Launch Wing CommanderSM2 and dosboxWC_SM2.conf.

Please install & test this and report back here so that other wingnuts will have some feedback. :)
 

Attachments

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delMar, as for the Windows Kilrathi Saga version.... they are doing something different there. It appears that the file SM12Inst.exe either patches the SM1 and SM2 exe files OR it creates other linking files. Maybe I can get some more info from Stinger. I'll keep after this!

Hmmmm.... new thought. The files that are posted are pre-installation files. If you have installed Kilrathi Saga on your machine, then upload for me that sm2.exe file. :)
 
WingOver said:
Triple-B, here is the version of the Covert Mission files for GOG. As with the DOS version instructions, place the briefing.015, camp.015, module.015 and titl15.vga in the gamedat sub-folder. Then, place the cm15.exe executable in the main WC folder.

For the two GOG startup files, Launch Wing CommanderCM15 shortcut and dosboxWC_CM15.conf, place them where you have Launch Wing CommanderSM2 and dosboxWC_SM2.conf.

Please install & test this and report back here so that other wingnuts will have some feedback. :)
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Works fine! :)

However there is no intro. The first Mission starts with a " Frahlti on its way to Tartarus". Is that all correct fpr SM 1.5 ?
 
WingOver said:
delMar, as for the Windows Kilrathi Saga version.... they are doing something different there. It appears that the file SM12Inst.exe either patches the SM1 and SM2 exe files OR it creates other linking files. Maybe I can get some more info from Stinger. I'll keep after this!

Hmmmm.... new thought. The files that are posted are pre-installation files. If you have installed Kilrathi Saga on your machine, then upload for me that sm2.exe file. :)
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Your best approach is to:

1) Install Kilrathi Saga. This can be as simple as unzipping the files from the PC Gamer distribution.
2) Apply my patch. My patcher will only run if the target EXE has a known hash value.
3) Edit the EXE as desired.
 
WingOver said:
If you have installed Kilrathi Saga on your machine, then upload for me that sm2.exe file.
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Alright, I can do that later today, probably.

Other than that, you also might want to try Stinger's approach.
The WC1 KS version can be found here: https://www.wcnews.com/wcpedia/2000_PC_Gamer_Coverdisk_Release
The according SM binaries are available here: https://www.wcnews.com/wcpedia/Secret_Missions

I think you can disregard the sm12inst.exe file, there's also an sm2.exe file inside the archive.
 
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Triple-B said:
However there is no intro. The first Mission starts with a " Frahlti on its way to Tartarus". Is that all correct fpr SM 1.5 ?
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Yes, that's correct. The intro that's mentioned in this thread is the intro to SM1 on the SNES.
We just got a little side-tracked during the discussion, that's why it's here in this thread.
 
delMar or Stinger, please upload your patched SM2.exe file. If this file (and the WC and SM1.exe) are somehow changed during installation and patching I need that file to edit.

Also, please upload the other executable files that load the Kilrathi Saga game. Just for my info... how does this Windows version start? Does it start WC1 from it's own exe, then SM1 from it's own and then SM2 from it's own exe? I know that it probably uses shortcuts to call the executables, but are there individual exes for each portion of the game. I know that in DOS Wing Commander WC.exe starts both WC and SM1... and then SM2 is started by a separate sm2.exe.

If you upload all of the relevant exes to start the Windows version, I can edit them to list M.Bellis in the Artwork section of the credits.
 
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delMar, please re-read post #166 above. I need the executable (exe) file that starts the Secret Missions 2 part of Kilrathi Saga for Windows after the installation and patching with Stinger's file. All of the pre-installation executables (exe) files do not have any reference to briefing, camp, module or title1 within their structure. So, something must be changing during and after installation and patching. Thanks for your assistance. I just do not want to install KS.
 
WingOver said:
delMar, please re-read post #166 above. I need the executable (exe) file that starts the Secret Missions 2 part of Kilrathi Saga for Windows after the installation and patching with Stinger's file. All of the pre-installation executables (exe) files do not have any reference to briefing, camp, module or title1 within their structure. So, something must be changing during and after installation and patching. Thanks for your assistance. I just do not want to install KS.
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I completely understand. The thing is that there is no installation procedure as such.
I just unpacked KS and then unpacked the zip containing the sm exe files.
This setup is already able to run the game by executing sm2.exe
What I did then was to apply the wcdx patch. The patched file can be found in #164 (ha, numbered threads; best thing since the invention of sliced bread. And it took me just roughly about 250 posts to be told about that.)
I never ever executed sm12inst
 
delMar and Stinger.... I am at a loss as to how to proceed. I am not very experienced at working with Windows files vs. DOS files. The thing that is confusing me is that NONE of the Windows executable files (.exe) contain references to briefing.002, camp.002, module.002 or title1.vga sub-files. The only file that contains this info is SM12Inst.exe from the wckssm12 archive file..... and delMar, you say that you do not even execute this file to install or launch KS. We may need someone to install KS from scratch, like you would when it first came out on the market.... then, install the original SM1 & SM2 .... then, patch with Stinger's update. Maybe I can find a solution in that.
 
WingOver said:
.. I am at a loss as to how to proceed.
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No worries. Thanks for investing all the time and taking a look.
The good thing about this community is that random folks decide to jump in and offer their help when others get stuck (like you did with patching the dos binaries).
Thanks man.
 
WingOver said:
delMar and Stinger.... I am at a loss as to how to proceed. I am not very experienced at working with Windows files vs. DOS files. The thing that is confusing me is that NONE of the Windows executable files (.exe) contain references to briefing.002, camp.002, module.002 or title1.vga sub-files. The only file that contains this info is SM12Inst.exe from the wckssm12 archive file..... and delMar, you say that you do not even execute this file to install or launch KS. We may need someone to install KS from scratch, like you would when it first came out on the market.... then, install the original SM1 & SM2 .... then, patch with Stinger's update. Maybe I can find a solution in that.
Click to expand...
I have a vanilla install of Kilrathi Saga, can I help at all? What EXACTLY needs done?
 
The files are referenced in install.dat. Each 16 bytes in that file comprise a reference to a resource file:
Bytes 0-12: File name
Byte 13: disk (as in, which floppy disk the file originally shipped on)
Byte 14: Not sure
Byte 15: Resource ID

The resource IDs can either be 0xFF, in which case the game will always load that file by name, or a unique number contiguous with all the other resource IDs, in which case the game will load that file by ID. You should be able to just replace the relevant file names in install.dat.
 
Stinger, the file INSTALL.DAT is used to place files in their appropriate folders (directory) on initial installation of the game. If you look back at DOS Wing Commander it also has a similar INSTALL.DAT. There are other INSTALL.DAT files for the Secret Mission installs.

Changing the filenames within the install file will not alter which files are used by the executable for Kilrathi Saga. If you look at the gamedat folder of the wc_pcgamer archive, there are already the files sets for wc, sm1 and sm2 (ie briefing.000; 001; and 002; camp.000, etc) So, these files have already been installed.

We need to determine HOW the KS executable loads these file sets.... because if you look inside each of the KS executable files (exe), there IS NO REFERENCE to these file sets (briefing, camp, module, etc) like there is in the DOS version. Maybe the Windows installation routine writes this info to the registry. ???
Remember what I found earlier. There IS a reference to these file sets within SM12Inst.exe.
 
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