Hello everyone,
I would like some technical help please, if anyone knows how MPAGD handles loading screens.
It seems that they are not normal SCR files, but probably compressed somehow. Tiny Nightmares for example, doesn't have a normal SCR loading screen; yet, I can find series of (different) bytes I would expect in the SCR file.
I might support opening such loading screens with Spectrum SCR editor, but I'm mostly interested in Tiny Nightmares itself. I have translated this game in Greek and I would like to alter the loading screen a little bit :--)
In fact, I now know how to hack and translate such games easily, except from the loading screen. This means I'll probably translate some more (even though I usually choose different platforms every time).
Loading screens of MPAGD created games
Re: Loading screens of MPAGD created games
If you want to keep the same loader, then yep it'll need to be recompiled within MPAGD as it does get compressed, and you'd need all the source code for that, which hasn't been released.
The only way around it would be to take the game code block ("GameCode" loaded at 24800) and build a regular loader around it. But if you're working on a Greek translation, it'd be great to make it official and work with the author @ejvg.
Re: Loading screens of MPAGD created games
Thanks for your reply :--)
I can think of two (hard) ways to do it without having the source code (that's the point of romhacking anyway, not to have the source code and work with the binary file).
First, if I save the image, convert it to a normal SCR file, then alter it and create a dummy project in MPAGD, it will compress it.
Second, to do that with many different compressed loading screens, to understand how it works. If it's something simple, I could write a compressor and decompressor program.
The problem is the new image may be bigger in size than the original, so it won't fit back in the tap file, but that's a different problem.
I was hoping that format is known and I could find the specs :--)
As for @ejvg, I sent him a private message many days ago. When I finish the loading screen (the translation is 100% finished), I will try to contact him again :--)
Tiny Nightmares is such a great game!
I can think of two (hard) ways to do it without having the source code (that's the point of romhacking anyway, not to have the source code and work with the binary file).
First, if I save the image, convert it to a normal SCR file, then alter it and create a dummy project in MPAGD, it will compress it.
Second, to do that with many different compressed loading screens, to understand how it works. If it's something simple, I could write a compressor and decompressor program.
The problem is the new image may be bigger in size than the original, so it won't fit back in the tap file, but that's a different problem.
I was hoping that format is known and I could find the specs :--)
As for @ejvg, I sent him a private message many days ago. When I finish the loading screen (the translation is 100% finished), I will try to contact him again :--)
Tiny Nightmares is such a great game!
Re: Loading screens of MPAGD created games
Hello friends, thank you for your effort. I would be delighted to translate the game into Greek, I have to say that I do not know the language, except for the words that we inherited in Spanish 
. But if you give me the translated phrases (and tell me the characters if you use another alphabet, I'm not sure about this) it will be very easy to make a translation. If you want to contact me by telegram, it's sure to be easier.
https://t.me/edujvg
. But if you give me the translated phrases (and tell me the characters if you use another alphabet, I'm not sure about this) it will be very easy to make a translation. If you want to contact me by telegram, it's sure to be easier. https://t.me/edujvg
Re: Loading screens of MPAGD created games
HI.
The screen is loaded within the musicsizer, so it is not a normal format, but as with the translation we can collaborate, if you give me your loading screen I can incorporate it into the game easily.
Greetings
The screen is loaded within the musicsizer, so it is not a normal format, but as with the translation we can collaborate, if you give me your loading screen I can incorporate it into the game easily.
Greetings