ROM Hack Discussion Astral Chain ROM Hacking Bible

[masagrator]

This is thread not for cheats, but for getting every file extracted and reverse engineer most important files.
Don't upload anything here that can be treated as legal property (clean textures and meshes especially).

ROMFS
romfs has five types of files:
.wem - single audio WWise file
.bnk - container with multiple audio WWise files
.wai - WWise file containing informations about audio files
.bk2 - bink video format
.pkz - zstd archives containing table, file names and data.

.pkz can be unpacked with this QuickBMS script (made by xentax user - link)

Spoiler

# Astral Chain . pkz extract
# By Dave, 2019
IDString "pkzl"
ComType ZSTD

Goto 0x10
Get ITEMS Long
Get FILE_ENTRY Long

XMath NAME_TABLE "FILE_ENTRY + (ITEMS * 0x20)"

For A = 1 to ITEMS

Goto FILE_ENTRY
Get NAME_OFFSET Long
Get JUNK Long
Get SIZE Long
Get JUNK Long
Get OFFSET Long
Get JUNK Long
Get ZSIZE Long
Math NAME_OFFSET + NAME_TABLE
Goto NAME_OFFSET
GetDSTring FILENAME 0x10

Clog FILENAME OFFSET ZSIZE SIZE
# Log FILENAME OFFSET ZSIZE # Use this line to get compressed output instead

Math FILE_ENTRY + 0x20

Next A

PKZ archive
And what we can get from it:

.bin - strings used in game like characters names or dialogues, unreadable in current state
.bnvib - vibrations data
.dat - uncompressed archives made with table, file names and data.
.dtt - as .dat, but made for purpose of separating bigger files from .dat for faster loadings, for example .wtp files
.eff - effect files (whatever that means)
.evn - .dat structure
.vat - vertex animation texture
.vfd - vectorfield data
.wta - contains informations about textures in .wtp and properties of models
.wtp - textures container

.wtb - unknown
.epb - unknown

DAT archive
For unpacking DAT type archives, you can use this script (without proper filenames):

Spoiler

idstring "\x44\x41\x54\x00"
get filecount long
get TABLE_OFFSET long
GET FILE_FORMAT_TABLE long
GET FILENAMES_OFFSET long
set NAME ""
GoTo TABLE_OFFSET
get SIZE_LAST_FILE asize
for x = 1 < filecount
   get offset long
   get size long
   math size - offset
   log NAME offset size
   set NAME ""
   math TABLE_OFFSET + 4
   GOTO TABLE_OFFSET
next x
get offset long
math SIZE_LAST_FILE - offset
set NAME ""
log NAME offset SIZE_LAST_FILE

in DAT files we can find (based on real filenames, not guessed by quickbms script above):
.bnk - archive for WWise audio files
.col - properties of models/textures
.csv - file containing binary data and some comma-separated values
.evn - .dat structure
.ftb - contains informations about font
.ktb - contains informations about font
.mtg - MessageTagSetting
.sar - XML binary file
.wmb - mesh
.wta - contains informations about textures in .wtp and properties of models
.wtp - container for textures

.bxm - unknown
.eft - unknown
.epb - unknown
.est - unknown
.gad - unknown
.hkx - unknown
.mot - unknown
.pso - unknown (shader related)
.seq - unknown
.sop - unknown
.uvd - unknown
.uid - unknown
.vso - unknown (shader related)

I was trying to get little fun with exefs and I found 2 things that maybe someone will be interested to dig more (they are breaking function, so expect game to unexpectedly crash just in case):
Based on 1.0.1 version of game
Coloring some texts (I didn't test if this is related to color GUI)

Spoiler

710091b384 08  00  38  1e    fcvtzs     w8,s0

to

710091b384 df  f2  00  71    cmp        w22 ,#0x3c

Blocking loading informations about Police Station (so no walls made by map, only wall limiting whole scene) and audio related to it

Spoiler

710056227c e0 03 13 aa    MOV    X0, X19

to

710056227c 1F F1 00 71    cmp    w8, #0x3c

Yes, this is Police Station

If someone will find more info about how to open prioprietary files, I will add it next to file type.

 

[ioritree]

cool , thank you

 

[wangch]

Is romfs the file that NAC unpacked and unpacked? Can I find all the item codes through this file?

 

[masagrator]

Is romfs the file that NAC unpacked and unpacked? Can I find all the item codes through this file?

Sorry, but I don't understand what You are you trying to say.

 

[wangch]

Sorry, but I don't understand what You are you trying to say.

After I decompress the xci, I get a NAC file, decompress the NAC file, and then I get a romfs. bin file. Are you talking about this file?

 

[masagrator]

After I decompress the xci, I get a NAC file, decompress the NAC file, and then I get a romfs. bin file. Are you talking about this file?

Nope. I mean files in romfs. You are using probably old tutorial, because noone is using romfs.bin nowadays.

 

[wangch]

Nope. I mean files in romfs. You are using probably old tutorial, because noone is using romfs.bin nowadays.

thank you

 

[dsrules]

Sorry, but I don't understand what You are you trying to say.

he meant, could you get a list of all the item ids in the game after extracted all the files

 

[masagrator]

.csv contains some informations, but I don't know if there is anything you want

 

[masagrator]

Updated pkz script with the one that outputs correct filenames.

 

[muskieratboi]

Any chance of an unlocked framerate mod for this? I'd like to see if it might actually hit 60FPS Oc'd.

 

[masagrator]

Any chance of an unlocked framerate mod for this? I'd like to see if it might actually hit 60FPS Oc'd.

For now no chances, because I can't see anything that can unlock framerate. I only found how to change speed of rendering gameplay and HUD. Cutscenes are still with the same pace.

 

[phonz]

For now no chances, because I can't see anything that can unlock framerate. I only found how to change speed of rendering gameplay and HUD. Cutscenes are still with the same pace.

disassembling main, you can find references to performance modes iirc. Might just be left over stuff from the engine though? Or I might be crazy and thinking of a different game.
Or maybe that's what you were playing with as well?

 

[masagrator]

PerformanceMode is for detecting docked or handheld mode.
I used it with OperationMode to create ReverseNX.

 

[Yanda]

Has anyone found text data that can be read?

 

[masagrator]

Has anyone found text data that can be read?

.csv has some readable text data, but they are not translation files.

 

[cucholix]

It’s a shame that the intro song isn’t available in japenese :c

 

[orangpelupa]

@masagrator

thanks a ton! have you found whats responsible for the dynamic resolution and framerate? wanna lock the res and try making it run @ 60fps

btw the UI color is change-able inside the game. Dunno we can choose arbitrary color or not. Many options are srtill locked

It’s a shame that the intro song isn’t available in japenese :c

IIRC, mine was in Japanese, complete with JP staff names

 

[masagrator]

I didn't check resolution. I tried everything I could for FPS and only found that animations speed for gameplay is taking 1/60 float and one function is multiplying it by two. I couldn't disable FPS lock.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Sorry, wrong. I mixed other game with this multiplyier and float. For speed animations it's using getsystemtickfrequency(). Multiply it by two and you have 1s rendered in 60 frames, but because of lock it slows down game twice.

 

[orangpelupa]

I didn't check resolution. I tried everything I could for FPS and only found that animations speed for gameplay is taking 1/60 float and one function is multiplying it by two. I couldn't disable FPS lock.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Sorry, wrong. I mixed other game with this multiplyier and float. For speed animations it's using getsystemtickfrequency(). Multiply it by two and you have 1s rendered in 60 frames, but because of lock it slows down game twice.

hmm i wonder if the lock can be disabled thru realtime cheat in edizon. gotta need to learn edizon again, has been months since last time i use it hahaha