herc-works-mdk

yet another reverse-engineering effort for Earthsiege 2 and maybe Earthsiege 1. The main focus is data editing to try modding game values. The project has several modules for organization and study.

Modules

ES2Vol

Entire project for handling the .vol game file archive format. Specifically using the 3Space 2 / ES2 version of this file schema. Dynamix VOL files changed constantly, even between game releases. I can't guarantee this code works immediately on other Dynamix games from the era, even if they are using the same engine.

This module can load/export/create VOL files, and importantly can return a vol file in-memory as a set of java objects that other applications can leverage.

Core

• Contains class-representation of every single file and file-type encountered in the ES2 binaries.
• Byte-to-Object transformer API to allow interoperability with ES2 engine, and other languages.
• Data-to-JSON API for user-friendly presentation.

TransferApi

Convenience DTO wrapper for Core Module, outputs targeted Core data files out to JSON specifically and where applicable.

ES2Excavator

CLI tool for accessing specific files, and converting them out into workable formats.

• DBA - unpack DynamixBitmapArrays to separate DBM files.
• DBM - export DBA to colorized png when provided a DPL file.
• DPL - exports to a png image of colors in a grid.
• SHELL/GAM/WEAPONS.DAT - import/export to JSON files more modding.
• SHELL/GAM/HERCS.DAT - import/export to JSON files more modding.
• SHELL/GAM/HERC_INF.DAT - import/export to JSON files more modding.
• SHELL/GAM/ARM_[herc].DAT - import/export to JSON files more modding.

HercWorksUI

Will start later.

ideal features:

• edit herc stats.
• edit item stats.
• adjust and edit player campaign resources.
• edit mission files (somewhat unlikely at the moment.)
• edit or modify game content.

Status

• Prototyping and pathfinding phase. +I will generate workable tools as I can but no timeline, no projected release date.

Modding Content

Starsiege Community has discovered that 'updated' or 'modded' game files (as seen in places like SHELL0 or SIMVOL0) can be replaced without having to compile new vol files!

Simply create root-level copies of the directories seen in the shell files.

1. example: GAM/HERCS.DAT placed in <ES2 root>/GAM/
2. this will cause the game to load the HERCS.DAT copy in the external folder.