Last updated Sat, 08 Oct 2022 13:22:31 +0200
| Section | Chapter |
|---|---|
| Introduction | |
| File Formats |
Saved Games
World Data Files Binary Files Temporary Files Miscellaneous Data |
| Catalog Contents |
Battle Image Catalogs (?)
Other Catalogs |
| Source XML |
This is very much a work in progress. Please excuse broken links, missing content, etc.
All of the file format description files were generated from XML files using XSLT.
| Filename(s) | Description |
|---|---|
| saves\*.sav | Saved game (regular) |
| [saves\*.bsv] | Saved game (battlefield data) |
| [saves\default] | TODO: base character data for trading members at inns? |
| File name or type | Description |
|---|---|
catalog (*.cat)
|
Catalog file (pseudo-filesystem) |
| darkland.alc | Alchemical formula definitions |
| darkland.cty | City definitions |
| darkland.dsc | City descriptions |
| darkland.enm | Enemy definitions |
| darkland.loc | Location definitions |
| darkland.lst | Lists of items, saints, and formulae |
| darkland.map | Map of the world |
| darkland.snt | Saint descriptions |
| File name or type | Description |
|---|---|
| darkland.exe | Darklands executable |
| Filename | Description |
|---|---|
| cache.tmp | Temporary file: inn cache data |
| charactr.tmp | Temporary file: character data |
| locs.tmp | Temporary file: location data |
menu (*.msg)
|
Menu files
(see also msgfiles)
|
Image catalogue (*.imc)
|
Files from battle catalogs. |
Font set (fonts.*)
|
Font definitions. |
| structures | Structures common to several files |
| enumerations | Enumerations common to several files |
| Enemy palettes | Palette chunks for IMC files rendering. |
Several of the Darklands data files are actually "catalogs": collections of
many smaller files. Most of these have a ".cat" extension.
All of them have a common structure.
These catalogs all contain files with an ".imc" extension.
Most likely, these are battle sprites and overlays.
The filename part of these files follows a standard encoding scheme;
substrings of the filenames (ie "A00CBAX") can be broken
down ("A00" "CB" "AX") as follows:
| Character Positions | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1-3 |
The image group (ie, "F60" for Gretchen, "M01" for a wild boar).
Another place where three letters indicates an image group is the
party_images
array in the saved game files.
|
| 4-5 |
"CB" for combat,
"WK" for walking,
"DY" for dying (or dead).
|
| 6-7 |
For combat or walking images, the weapon being carried
(ie, "AX" for an axe, "HG" for a handgun).
These positions are never filled for the dying/dead image. |
The catalogs themselves are grouped by image group, or by a set of image groups.
"a00c.cat" contains just the "A00" images, but
"e00c.cat" contains all of the "E??" images.
| Catalog File | Contents |
|---|---|
| a00c.cat | IMC files for an alchemist ("Hans") |
| c00c.cat | IMC files for a cleric ("Ebhard") |
| e00c.cat | IMC files for human enemies |
| f01c.cat | IMC files for a male fighter ("Gunther") |
| f60c.cat | IMC files for a female fighter ("Gretchen") |
| m00c.cat | IMC files for non-human enemies |
| Catalog File | Contents |
|---|---|
| bc | TODO |
| editor.cat | TODO (Editor assets? Not present in ver.7) |
| einfo.cat | .PIC files of enemies (for enemy info display, probably) |
| imaps.cat | Graphics? Tiles? for city, mine, outdoor, and castle |
| lcastle | TODO |
| msgfiles |
Menus and cards (see also *.msg)
|
Note: links in this section may or may not be viewable in your browser,
depending on how your browser interprets incoming content. The "AddType"
directive was added in the .htaccess file, but that isn't always enough.
If you are having problems viewing these files, do a lame-click->Save, save
as a .txt file, and view that way.
All of the file format content was generated via XSLT from source XML files. The intent was to create an XML protocol for describing file formats that could be used to create HTML viewable content, as well as C structs (or other language constructs). The support files are:
| Filename | Purpose |
|---|---|
| file_format.dtd | DTD for the file format XML files |
| simple_inline_html.dtd | "Simple HTML" DTD (for extended descriptions) |
| file_format.xslt | XSLT file for converting file format XML into HTML |
And the source XML content is:
todo: this is a placeholder for the list of all files not accounted for above
these links are all broken right now. ;-)
| Filename | Links | Description |
|---|---|---|
| asound.dlb | ||
| asound.dlc | ||
| banner.dat | Text welcome screen (and eventual choices) | |
| battlegr.img | ||
| bkgndpal.dat | ||
| bootdisk.exe | Executable | Boot disk creating util |
| commonsp.img | ||
| comnclrs.dat | ||
| config.drk | ||
| credits.pan | Movie | |
| darkland.cch | ||
| darkland.cfg | ||
| darkland.fam | Hall of fame data (unused in game) | |
| darkland.msg | ||
| darkpop.com | Part of installer | Renamed pkunzip executable. |
| death.pan | Movie | |
| enddark1.dgt | Sound data? | |
| enddark2.dgt | Sound data? | |
| enemypal.dat | format | Palette data for enemy sprites |
| fin0a.pan | Movie | |
| fin1a.pan | Movie | |
| fin2a.pan | Movie | |
| fin3a.pan | Movie | |
| fin4a.pan | Movie | |
| fin5a.pan | Movie | |
| fonts.fnt | format | Game fonts |
| fonts.utl | format | Same format as fonts.fnt. Nearly identical contents. |
| heap.fng | ||
| hitseq.dta | TBC sounds? | |
| install.exe | Part of installer | |
| install.pif | Part of installer | |
| isound.dlb | ||
| isound.dlc | ||
| mgraphic.exe | Executed at the start od darklands.exe binary | |
| misc.exe | Executed at the start od darklands.exe binary | |
| mpscopy.exe | Part of installer | MicroProse Software Unpacker |
| nsound.dlc | ||
| opendark.dgt | Sound data? | One for all game opening movies |
| openin6z.pan | Movie | 4th part of opening movie |
| opening2.pan | Movie | 1st part of opening movie |
| opening3.pan | Movie | 2nd part of opening movie |
| opening4.pan | Movie | 3rd part of opening movie |
| opening7.pan | Movie | 5th part of opening movie |
| opening8.pan | Movie | 6th part of opening movie |
| opening9.pan | Movie | 7th part of opening movie (the last one) |
| psound.dlb | ||
| psound.dlc | ||
| readme.now | doc file | Don't steal this game |
| readme.txt | doc file | Version info. |
| rsound.dlb | ||
| rsound.dlc | ||
| tac.txt | tmp file | Some TBC log |
| tacanim.db | TBC related file | |
| terrain.fil | tmp file | |
| xtract.exe | Part of installer | Zip extracting util |